Will It Run in Peoria? 1991 Volvo 240 Sedan

There was an old saying in in Vaudeville that was particularly embraced by the instantly recognizable Groucho Marx -- "will it play in Peoria?" This figure of speech asks if something will be acceptable to redneck...errr...hillbilly mainstream America -- and the Volvo 240 asked that exact same question when it was released in 1975.  And the answer from the coast to coast was a resounding yes because Volvo sold 2.8 million examples of the 240 produced from 1974-1993 for sales around the globe, with a large percentage sold in North America.  If it played in Peoria when new, does it still play? Find this 1991 Volvo 240 Sedan offered for $2999 in Peoria, IL via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.

Read Matt's Story About CFlo's Old Volvo 240 on Hagerty.com

This next feature isn't a car offered for sale...but it is a story about a car that was sold from DT's own editor CFlo to DT's feature writer Matt.  The next 58 hours and 2764 miles of Matt's life was far from boring and Matt was nice enough to document it here on Hagery.com.

Photo credit Matt via Hagerty.com.

Head Turner: 1980 Volvo 240 Custom

This next car comes as a tip from Tom C who writes: Just…it’s like…I don’t even…but…**?  This is a logical reaction to what can only be reasonably described as a Volvo that has been turned to a boat or perhaps a Battlestar Galactica Colonial Viper.  I dunno.  I think that Dr Freud would have something to say about wish fulfillment or perhaps Oedipus complex, but I'm just spitballin here. Find this 1980 Volvo 240 Custom offered for $7,500 in Auburn, WA via craigslist.

Silver Surfer: 1984 Volvo 245 Diesel Wagon

The last car we featured was a classic Volvo wagon with all of the magic unicorn attributes that classic Volvo wagon lovers tend to enjoy, but for people who thought that previous wagon was too brown and too fast, we've got this next thing...which is powered by that nasty diesel stuff and is covered in a basic shade of silver/grey.  The best part about the ad, however, is the disclaimer from the seller in ALL CAPS "THIS CAR IS NOT FOR THE CASUAL CAR BUYER. SUGGEST YOU BE FAMILIAR WITH THE MID 80S VOLVO DIESEL CARS BEFORE CONTACTING ME."  Oh yeah.  Find this 1984 Volvo 245 Diesel Wagon offered for $2,500 in Tacoma, WA via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.

Massive Engine Bay But Rear Mount Turbo? 1989 Volvo 240

It's Thorsday folks and we have quite the Swede for you today.  The dollars per level of crazy is off the charts on this one.  This Volvo 240 build is sort of a more discreet budget version of this Corbin Goodwin bonkers Rolls Royce.   Many brick Volvo's feature American V8 swaps swapped into their huge engine bay.  The 240's did come with a factory turbo 4 cyl engine option in the mid 80's and later turbo redblock turbo engines from the 940 are commonly swapped into later NA 240's.  With all that said, today's seller took the path less traveled by has fabbing up a insane home brew rear mount turbo (see pics below) set up in the trunk with little regard for passengers foot space, any attempt at hiding the set up, and trunk cargo capacity.  Find this 1989 Volvo 240 for sale in Tucson, AZ for $2,000 via craigslist.  Tip from Lynn.

LS V8 Swapped: 1990 Volvo 240 DL

The Volvo 240 DL is a slow car in stock form...not loaded trash truck slow, but it'll give a Mercedes-Benz 300D a good run for the money. But that all changes when you drop an LM4 small block V8 from some kind of GM SUV and start burning rubber.  Find this 1990 Volvo 240 DL offered for $5900 in Cary, NC via craigslist.  Tip from Rock On!

Help Us Decide Which Cars To Blog About!

CFlo's State of the Fleet Address

Here at the DT offices double-wide in the sky, it seems everyone has some sort of cool project car, wacky daily driver, or cheap performance machine. I think I might be the most deranged though, because at any given moment I need more than two full hands of fingers to count all the different project cars and needy old machinery sucking my time and attention. And I haven't lost any fingers...yet. Unfortunately I don't have the resources to write about everything I work on. This is where you come in!

Sleeper: 1989 Volvo 240 V8

I don't think I need to talk any of the readers of this website into this next feature, which is a good thing, because anybody who doesn't want a V8 5-speed manual gearbox powered Volvo sedan with a gutted "race" interior for a daily driver is a strange duck...indeed.  Find this 1989 Volvo 240 V8 offered for $9000 near Houston, TX via craigslist. Tip from Jeff.

DT Favorite: 1984 Volvo 240 5.0

V8 engine swaps into square edged 240/740/940 rear wheel drive Volvos never get old or go out of style here at DT.  A certain something about any of these swaps makes them quite delicious.  It could be the Letterman/Newman connection or that these are the ultimate Walter Mitty car.  Today's example is on the lower end of the price range for one of these swaps and has a few minuses against it in terms of scoring and desirability- not a wagon, has an auto transmission, and uses a relatively mild Ford 302 engine.  Find this 1984 Volvo 240 for sale in Montauk, NY for $3,500 via craigslist.

Fjord 5.0: 1983 Volvo 245 GL Wagon

The Volvo 200-series was penned with a straight edge and forged with hammers -- and it is equally slow, hip, and cool in 2-door, 4-door, or 5-door wagon...except that the wagon is the best for shoving a Ford V8 up front.  Find this 1983 Volvo 245 GL Wagon with Ford V8 offered for $4,321 in Norfolk, VA via craigslist.  From Cory.

DT Gets Rad @RadWood2

This Saturday morning, we'll be firing up our DTM5 E34 project car and heading down to RadWood2, the show for '80s and '90s enthusiast machines at the Phoenix Club in Anaheim, CA. If Jalopnik's coverage of the inaugural RadWood in the Bay Area is any indication, this show is gonna be...rad.

Feel like you just can't wear enough hairspray on the weekend anymore? Looking for a chance to dust off that denim jacket and your best pair of jorts? Want to ogle a big variety of awesome and DT-worthy depreciated rides? Then this show might be a decent way to waste a Saturday.

Battle Wagon: 1989 Volvo 240 DL V8

The Prancing Moose badge gets slapped on various Volvo rides, but this next car deserves the badge more than most.  It might have started life as a simple 240DL, but it is now a beast of a machine that'll terrify driver, passenger, and pedestrian alike. Find this 1989 Volvo 240 DL V8 here on eBay bidding for $7,100 with 3 days to go, located in Tucson, AZ.

Thorsday Bluebird: 1991 Volvo 240 Sedan

Production of the Volvo 200 series started way back in 1974 (1975 in the USA) with a squared off shape penned by Volvo's master designer Jan Wilsgaard (known for his Volvo Amazon, P1800ES shooting brake, 164, 140, 740...you get the picture). The sedan version of the 240 might not be as "sporty" as the 2-door or as "cool" as the wagon, but they were built in huge numbers and offer a great combination of passenger room and secure storage space.   Wagons get all the glory for having extra storage space, but everybody can see the antique vases and dismembered corpses -- unlike in a sedan, where the junk in your trunk stays away from prying eyes. Find this 1991 Volvo 240 Sedan offered for $2000 in Washington, IA. Tip from Zach.

Please Restrain my Opulence: 1978 Volvo 262C Bertone

Leather. Wood. Chrome. Black Vinyl Top. Volvo. Are these words that go together? Someone thought so in the late '70s, strongly enough to create the Swedo-Italian personal luxury car that only true Volvo nuts and weird car fetishists could love. Find this 1978 Volvo 262C Bertone for sale in Portland, OR for $3,500 via the Turbobricks forum classifieds.

Mod, If Eyed: 1991 Volvo 240 Turbo Wagon

The Volvo 240 is no stranger to these pages, in fact, the only thing strange would be if we DIDN'T post this next car.  Why?  Because its got a boxy exterior, appliance white paint, BBS wheels, and a B230F/T boosted into a M47.  Find this 1991 Volvo 240 Turbo Wagon offered for $4,800 in Eugene, OR via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.

Get A Grupp (A): 1979 Volvo 242 DL

The boxy Volvo 200-series was first put into production way back in 1974 and it wasn't put out to pasture until 1993.  It was simple, safe, rear-drive, and economical, but sometime in the 1980s a few nuts decided to take the 240 racing....and today we've got a replica racer [ed CFlo: sorta-replica...as it's significantly different from the Group A touring cars Volvo campaigned in the 80s, except for the wing]. Find this 1979 Volvo 242 DL here on eBay offered for $8,998 buy-it-now or make-offer located in San Francisco, CA. Tip from Ayrton.

Brick House: 1988 Volvo 245 DL Turbo

Nine hundred smackeroos doesn't get you much in a running/driving car these days -- blame it on the Fed's policy of never ending inflation or hipsters with money driving the price of junk up.  However, with some proper application of your frontal lobe, you can find something fun/interesting/cool to drive for less than a grand.  Like this 1988 Volvo 245 DL Turbo offered for $900 in Eastern CT via craigslist.  Tip from Art C.  

Mobile Home on the DL: 1984 Volvo 245 DL

Sometimes you need to sleep in your car. Maybe it's the only option left before becoming homeless, but hopefully it's by choice - like maybe you need to drive halfway across the country to see the stuffed body of the only beer-drinking goat to ever become the mayor of Lajitas, Texas and then be castrated for drinking on a Sunday...and there just isn't enough time to find or stay in a motel. For such an occasion, you need a covert RV - a vehicle that quickly transforms from transportation to lodging without calling attention to itself - or as this next seller calls it, a "Mobile Home on the DL."   Find this 1984 Volvo 245 DL for sale in Ventura, CA for $2,000 via craigslist.