Originally Posted By: keesue
I bought my car in 1981, a 242 GLT Turbo Volvo, my third Volvo and first brand new car. For business reasons, I leased Volvos in the intervening years, but I always loved and drove my '81 as my personal vehicle. I made the decision at 180k to refurbished it by replacing all the parts and systems that wear out - suspension bushings, shocks, brakes, bearings, fuel pumps, exhaust, cooling and various supporting bits and pieces. I put a wrench on every nut, bolt and fastener throughout the car and it runs essentially like a new car. I set an arbitrary budget of 1/3 the cost of a replacement vehicle and I'm good for another 200k.
The engine has the same compression and vacuum per factory specs, has never had the valves adjusted and I attribute this to religious changing of oil. I figure I have saved a ton of money on the car by owning it for 29 years (the leased cars were transparent to me as business write-offs).
My first Volvo saved my life and I've been loyal to them ever since. The money I've saved and will continue to save has been used elsewhere. That's my story...
If Volvo still made engines like the old red-block I would buy one tomarrow.
