Part III: The Volvo Crusades

Let's fast forward again to about half a year later to February 2023. I should probably give the backstory of events leading up to this point in time, so I'll keep it brief. 

The past three semesters, from fall of '21 to fall of '22, I was enrolled at my state college, the University of Rhode Island. While I found success academically and made some good friends, I found that I didn't really like the surrounding area and campus environment, so I decided I needed a change of scenery. That fall '22 semester, I applied to a small liberal arts school in New York, known as Manhattan College, ironically though, it was located in The Bronx. I was able to get into the school for the spring '23 semester, and that January, I moved down to The Bronx for about two weeks. 

Ironically, I didn't get accustomed to that campus either. The community was very small and cliquey, and I felt like I was back in high school. On top of that, a lot of my college credits wouldn't transfer, leaving me with the only option to retake a bunch of classes I already had. I knew that this would never work out, so at the last minute, I withdrew from Manhattan College and reapplied back to the University. To read about my time in New York, reference Cars of New York.  Luckily, I was able to get in for the Fall '23 semester at the University, and to fill the time and get some more college credit, I enrolled at my community college and went back to work at the grocery store. 

Now, it was February, and I was back home from New York. I hadn't stopped looking for old cars, but being back at home, I thought that a commuter car would be necessary. I was back to using my mother's Saab 9-3X, but with my sister driving to school and my parents working, the car situation at home was tight. I found a dark green 1993 Volvo 240, located in Castleton, Vermont, and knowing that the idea probably would never convince my parents, I decided to present the idea anyways.

However, I was wrong. They were for the idea of the Volvo 240, much to my surprise. They were not interested in this car, as it was located far from Rhode Island in Vermont. We came to the decision that if I found a 240 in good shape closer to home, we would have a deal. This brings us to the first crusade.

Along the rocker panels, holes were starting to form. This was an issue I knew that was fairly common on 240s, but I didn't know the car had it this bad. I also didn't know about the Bondo patch on the passenger side rear quarter panel. According to the seller, these weren't structural issues, but I knew they would get worse as time went on. 

I thanked the seller for his time, and told him I would be in touch. My mother and I left for him, but I knew I probably wouldn't go for that car. I knew I could find a better, rust free car for the price that car was listed at. A day or so later, I told the seller I was passing on the car, and I continued my search for a 240 wagon. 

From the point of going to check out that car, nothing really intriguing popped up for sale. A few sedans and a few flipper cars popped up, but I didn't want to deal with a flipper again, and I preferred a wagon body style over the sedan. I told myself that I was in no rush to buy one this time, as I didn't want to make the mistakes I made when I bought the blue 9-3 wagon back in 2020. So, I waited patiently for something to pop up. 

It was a cold March evening, and I was sitting in my basement with my walnut Fender Precision Bass in my lap. I was trying to divert my attention to playing my instrument, but the temptation of searching Craigslist for the hundredth time that day got the best of me. 

However, to my surprise, a listing of a 1993 240 Wagon appeared first in the list of classifieds. I was stoked, because not only was it a wagon produced from 1990 to '93, but it was also located in Lincoln, RI! That was only a 20 minute drive from my house in Cranston. The only red flags I saw were what I couldn't see. There were absolutely no pictures of the car. The listing description said the car was solid, and a steal at the price the seller was asking. Combined with an asking price of $1500, and little information about the car, I suspected there was something underlying that I didn't know. 

So, doing what any cautious person would do, I messaged the seller. The seller replied promptly, saying it only needed some upholstery work on the driver's seat, and a small leak in the front right tire that would need patching. According to the seller, many other parties were interested, but I was second on the list of those who would get to see the car. Ahead of me was an individual who was coming to visit the car the night before me, but if he passed, I would get to see the car the following morning. Lastly, I asked for photos. Two photos were provided, but they didn't make the car's story anymore clear. 

One Monday in April, my waiting paid off. A silver 1990 240 DL wagon, listed for only $4400 in Stonington, Connecticut with 270 thousand miles, and a working odometer appeared on Craigslist. I immediately messaged the seller, and we agreed to have a showing of the car on the following Tuesday. Thus, we now will embark on the third crusade.

We drove down to see the car. It was a beautiful day, and the ride down provided some great scenery, with the trees budding at the start of spring. The car was located off a long, winding road, and immediately upon arrival, I noticed another Volvo. It was a maroon 1985 244 Turbo! The owner, Josh, was a Volvo enthusiast, and had several other 240s, however, they were located in Georgia. 

The silver 240 wagon sat a car over from the 244, and looked just as it did in the listing. The car had some cosmetic imperfections, such as some pealing clear coat and missing trim, but they weren't anything major. All the trim was sitting in the back trunk anyways, so I could pop them back on if needed. Mechanically, the car was solid, although the owner suggested getting the timing belt replaced at some point. The car started up right away, and idled smoothly. The interior was clean, and had an aftermarket head unit installed with some new speakers. Sorry Sam, no original radio on this one. The only imperfection with the interior was a squeal that came from the blower motor when turned on.