5k: Grandma Had a Turbo: 1988 Volvo 745Ti
I think it’s fairly safe to say that most grandmothers drive cars that are slow and sensible. Camrys, CR-Vs, maybe the occasional Delta 88 Brougham. One of my grandmothers drove a circa 1980 beige Chevrolet Malibu 4-door sedan, and the other a 1976 Dodge Colt in metallic green with a vinyl top. Both were basic transportation but did a fine job of hauling grandkids, antiques, and flower pots. The average Volvo wagon would also fit this bill nicely. But what if grandma had a turbo? A Volvo 745 wagon, with a manual transmission no less? Some lucky kid had just such a grandma, and now her car is for sale. Find this 1988 Volvo 745 Turbo for $4500 in Northern Virginia via craigslist.
I was really torn about using the above photo as the lead shot, but it was arguably the best one in the ad. This seller almost earns the Unsold Adams badge; the only photo of the entire car in one shot is below of the rear. From what I can see it looks great, but the same could be said about a top-notch transvestite. Without getting the whole picture or checking out the undercarriage, I can’t make a safe assessment if this beauty really is all it appears to be.
All that being said, this is a claimed low-mile rear wheel drive volvo wagon with a turbo and a manual transmission, in a nice color. It’s rare to find that exact combination – usually there’s a slushbox auto or trunk lid to ruin the fun. According to the seller this intercooled longroof has gotten a recent smattering of maintenance and parts replaced; a boon for the buyer if it was all done nicely. $4500 is probably all the money for this car at the moment, but may seem cheap in a few years when 99% of these later bricks have been crushed and supply dwindles much faster than demand.
Even through the blur above I can see what looks like a cargo area that hasn’t been abused over the years – grandma must have used plastic sheets to keep the potting soil from sullying the swath of gray. On the outside the faded red paint would probably come back nicely with a buff; it’s an old solid single stage color even on this 1988 model.
Here’s the money shot. Even though we aren’t privy to an image of the B230FT turbo 4-cylinder engine, the pic above shows the proud manual shifter connected to the M46 gearbox down below decks. This is a pretty ancient 4-speed manual with an added Laycock de Normanville electric planetary overdrive unit, but when not subject to a life of abuse by hippies and freegans they actually shift pretty nicely. Hehe, I said “Laycock.”
Find a Volvo Turbo wagon ad with better pics? Let us know: tips@dailyturismo.com
Ack, my kryptonite! I used to have a yard full of these (running, believe it or not). The want is strong with this one, but not for $4500. Not even for $3500. $3k is top of market for these, though low mileage may drive the bottom line up some. And working A/C is a plus. I've never owned one of these with working A/C.
I agree about kryptonite. I am a diehard volvo driver, even to having the last gen V70 (yes, the huge one) right now. Oh, to be young and impulsive, as this would be mine, even at $4500. What could possibly go wrong?
I had this car's clone, except in a cool dark gray. It did it's damnedest to break me, when I was at my most vulnerable (broke college student away from home with no tools or place to work on my car). First came the disintegrating wiring harness that tried to melt the entire fuse box—-that was a $700 patch job at an indy mechanic. Then came the massive (no warning light) overheat on a road trip 5 hours from home…resulted in a warped cylinder head. That was a $5k debacle, given the week it took at the local dealer that required I get a hotel (Screw you Hendrick Imports in Charleston, SC!!!), and hours and hours of labor and $$$ parts. Pretty much put me into indentured servitude for my parents for 18 months. So while I look at this one longingly, deep down, I know better—-much better.
What is going on with the one corner of the car (LF) that we aren't shown? At minimum, looks like a piece of cardboard is wedged into the grille, or at worst some headlight damage is being concealed.
Also "low miles" is very subjective, especially when it comes to cars that the sellers are convinced live forever. Numbers please.
Anon – see Commandment II below. Pick a name so we can get to know you!
It does look like something funky is going on in the driver's side headlight area. Good catch.
Mileage is listed as 110,000 over to the right of the ad next to the photos, under the map. Craigslist recently added these parameter input boxes (or whatever they call 'em) and it can be easy to miss info that the seller only includes there and not in the text.
Although DT's stance is that condition is more important than mileage. Definitely true for a turbocharged import. If it saw a lot of highway miles, got regular maintenance, and wasn't used for short trips I would gladly take twice the mileage vs. all the issues that come with hard use and careless owners.
Yeah sorry, just lazy. Call me Chebby. Good point on the quality of miles vs. quantity.
I figure 250K is a long lifespan for just about any vehicle, even a diesel Benz, so 6 digits to me is not "low miles" even if it's low for the age of the car. To me, under 80K=low miles, but maybe I'm an old crank.