Technical Features
Project 245: Introduction
By by: George Achorn
Jan 3, 2001, 22:15

Perhaps the quintessential Volvo is the 240 stationwagon. To even those not so familiar with the Swedish brand, the 245 is immediately identifiable as a Volvo. In addition, the 240 is one of the most practical and safe cars on the market for those on a limited budget; well respected for its high safety and reliability levels. For this reason and more, a 240 stationwagon was a must have for the Swedespeed Project Car pool.

The 240, even in its newest forms, generally sells for $5000 or considerably less. The upright shape of the car makes it possible to fit items as large as a clothes dryer in the back of stationwagon variants, while the simplicity of the cars usually imply reliability largely unmatched by most cars on the road. On a budget, the 240 is an easy sell and never ceases to please.

As we began to outline a Project 240, we envisioned taking a different direction for this particular car. Being an older automobile and, with the exception of the rare 245 turbo, being a relatively slow vehicle, we decided the larger focus should be the maintenance and restoration an older car requires in addition to building upon the utility aspect of this wagon.

Performance upgrades will happen, though the direction of these will be markedly different from projects like our own Project 854R. We'll focus mostly on handling and braking attributes and less on engine, unless of course we find an option we just can't pass up.

Our search led us to a wide range of 245s, with in an equally wide range of composure. Cars ranged from sub-$500 that weren't running to pristine 240 Classic models selling at dealers for nearly $10,000 (and yes, there's still a demand for that we are told by the salesmen who we stared at bug-eyed following his price quote).

We narrowed our search to a price range topping off at $3000 and from model years 1990 and on. Safety was a higher concern to us than performance, so the driver's airbag found in the 1990+ made those cars more attractive. Further, with the '86 cosmetic refreshing that Volvo performed on the range, galvanizing became standard and this means less likelihood of rust and decay of the body.

Using autotrader.com we found a whole host of 245s to choose from, though most of the ones we found locally in the Washington, DC area showed heavy wear and tear from years of use in the city. We did find two 245s for sale in nearby York, PA and a quick phone call revealed that they were both possible candidates.

We traveled up one Saturday morning to take a look. Two cars were on the lot, ranging from $2995 to $3995, the cheaper being a newer 1990 though with a relatively high 197,000 miles. 240s are known for high mileage, and a carfax report informed us that the car was a two-owner car, with the last 120,000 miles being driven over the previous four years implying highway mileage.

Its gray paint was scratched from years of automatic carwashing, though it was relatively dent free considering its age and mileage. One small dent can be found in the front left quarter panel, and another on the rear right of the car. In addition, there are some dents in the roof, but nothing too unsightly.

The interior of the car was perfect, except for a worn driver's seat. However, with the exception of some sun fade in the rear of the car, the rest of the interior was flawless.

The car itself is a 240 DL. It has metallic gray paint with black vinyl interior. Options on the car include power windows, heated seats, automatic transmission, third rear facing seat and cruise control. We're told this is indicative of a "DL plus" sales package that Volvo offered at the time.

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