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A Retrospective Look at Classic Car Ownership
By David Hajian
25 March 2025
In wake of purchasing my 1978 Saab 99 EMS, a literal dream come true, I decided to have a retrospective look at my first attempt at classic car ownership with my 1990 Volvo 240 Wagon.
Before I could get drive, before I was of age to learn how to drive, I always wanted an old car. When my friends at school spoke of Ferraris and Lamborghinis as their dream cars, I was more interested in a 1970 Plymouth Superbird - A supercar in its own right, but not by the standards of the late 2000s. All of the Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars I collected were models of old cars, mostly consisting of muscle cars from the '60s and '70s. So, when I learned to drive, and got my first job at a local grocery, I began my journey to buy my own classic car.
Flashing forward about four years later, it's February of 2023, and I was in the market for a commuter car for college. Having lived on campus for the first two years, I needed something to take me to school from home, as I had decided to move back home, as I found the campus life to be rather unappealing to my interests. I had made it very clear to my parents that I wanted something old. They agreed, so long as it had air bags.
My 1990 Volvo 240 DL by the Pequot Woods in Mystic, CT around May 2023
The Volvo, May 2023
Being the Swedish car fanatic I was, I initially considered a classic Saab 900, but I became a bit skeptical if this car were to be my daily commuter. I wasn't worried about reliability, but parts availability and scarcity is what made me to look at the 900's closest Swedish rival, the Volvo 240.
For about two months, I religiously checked Facebook and Craigslist listings, hoping to find a suitable car. To make a long story short, by mid-April, I had found a silver 1990 240 wagon located in North Stonington, Connecticut. I checked the car out, and inevitably bought it, as it had a lot of positive attributes going for it. It had a working odometer, nearly zero rust, it ran quite well, plus it was well in budget. So, I made a deal with the seller, and I bought it a few days later.
Owning this car meant that my childhood dream had come true. I finally had a classic car! It was also a classic Swedish car, something I had also been wanting since getting into them a few years back. Though the Volvo wasn't perfect, it was good enough in my eyes, and I held onto that sentiment throughout my ownership. When you really like something, sometimes its really easy to overlook a lot of the bad, and boy, did it have its issues.
The biggest issue that plagued the 240 was its leaky brake valve. This created what I called the "brake saga," where the issue became prolonged by bad repairs, lies, and a large sum of money lost due to these collateral issues. When I had the 240 gone through by my local Volvo mechanic, he had noticed its brake valve was leaking. He did not have the equipment to fix the problem, so I brought it to the next closest and (seemingly) reputable repair shop, Tomasso Swedish Motors in Pawtucket, RI. They said they'd fix it with no issues, which ended up being a lie.
The brake pedal never felt quite right after I got it back. It never built up pressure, and despite my attempts to build pressure in the lines, nothing really came of it. So, I drove it around for a few days and hoped something would come of it. Nothing did, so I called Tomasso back, and told them what was going on. They told me to bring the car back in and they'd have a look. So, I waited a little while and didn't hear anything. I called them, where they told me that they needed a specific washer to fix the problem, but couldn't find it. The mechanic said that he thought he could solve the problem, so again, I left my trust in them to fix the brake valve yet again.
This time, when I got it back, Sam and I later discovered Teflon tape where the brake lines attached to the valve. That was the "repair" that the mechanic had done to fix the previous problem with the missing washer. I was furious, as this had cost me a lot to have fixed. So, I sought out my family's regular mechanic, who wasn't a specialist with Swedish cars, but was able to fix the brake valve for good, and undid where Tomasso had cut corners.
That effectively ended the brake saga, but I'd still have other costly issues that arose that I couldn't really do by myself. I was inclined to do work myself, and some of it I did, but when you don't have much experience, and a mistake could make or break your already expensive to repair car, sometimes it's best to leave it to the professionals. Some of these hard to fix issues included replacing most of the belts and a shattered windshield from my dad's lawn mower.
I would still continue to love the car, as much as it was a money pit. It was truly seeing the world from the perspective in an old car that made me fall in love with my ownership of the Volvo, and eventually what I would try to recreate when I began looking for a new classic a year later. It was a relationship between owner and car that could only be had through something old. It was the way the analog odometer slowly rolled through each mile. It was the fuel gauge that became incredibly inaccurate with one third of the tank left. It was how the lights wouldn't turn on if the ignition wasn't turned to a specific spot in the cassette. It was how the automatic transmission would UMPH into every gear. It was how the car would lose speed when going up hills. For all these small impetrations, it gave the car personality.
Today, new cars try to be perfect. They provide an ever so flawless driving experience, with an environment that strives to be as accommodating to the driver as possible. This makes my 2021 Toyota Corolla a very consistently good car to drive. But, my Corolla ultimately lacks those little imperfections, those little quirky idiosyncrasies unique to each old car. I know it's going to shift into gear smoothly. I know my LED lights will be ever so bright and not turn off intermittently because the key moved from its sweet spot in the ignition. I know that the car will start smoothly regardless of what temperature it is outside.
Owning an old car is like living with a good friend. Sure, they can be a royal pain sometimes, but were you ever the best person yourself? No one, or no car is ever perfect, even if the car or the person tries its hardest to be. When you try to be perfect, you will never be perfect. You'll never please everyone, because there will always be something that won't be perfect in the other's eyes. I feel that anecdote is the reason a lot of modern cars have fallen out of favor with car enthusiasts today. New cars strive to be so perfect that they lose sight of what driving is all about. Imperfections in an old car build its character into a friend. A car that you'll come to know, just like a person. You don't fall in love with an old car for perfection, you fall in love with it because of the memories and experiences it gives you.
Late night drive in Providence.
Cars and Coffee at Audrain.
Driving in the Volvo.
Parked in front of an urban mural in Providence, June 2023.
One of the last photos taken of the car under my ownership, August 2023.
Do I miss this car? Of course I do. It will always hold a special place in my heart, as it was my first classic car, and truly my first car. While a lot of the issues, like the brake valve, caused me a lot of stress in the moment, in the long run, the 240 was a good car. It never left me stranded, and provided me with great memories found in long road trips for car parts, new friends at car shows, and experience in owning classic cars.
Did it have to go? Yes. I don't think I was quite ready for owning that car, and like the age old saying goes, everything happens for a reason. Letting go of the Volvo freed me of the financial burden it held over me. I was able to save more money and put it towards the eventual car that I would get over a year later, my 1978 Saab 99 EMS. The Saab is a dream come true, but I'll never forget how I got there, and for that, I have my old Volvo to thank.
To read more about my experiences with my old Volvo, check out The Volvo Journals.
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