zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Buying
/
At $4,500, Could This Manual-Equipped 1981 Volvo 245 DL Put Your Interest Into Overdrive?
At $4,500, Could This Manual-Equipped 1981 Volvo 245 DL Put Your Interest Into Overdrive?-April 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:09:33

NPOND Craigslist Volvo 245 DL

The seller of today’s Volvo claims that you won’t find a cleaner wagon anywhere, and the pictures in the ad do support such a boast. Let’s see if this classic longroof is priced to also clean up.

I’m not going to say outright that, by dint of its oddball RHD conversion, last Friday’s had a limited target audience. No, I think that was pretty obvious. Catering to such a niche market can either create an air of exclusivity or, as was the Chrysler’s case, just raise ridicule.

That case was not helped by the minivan’s $5,500 asking price, especially considering the postal service’s current financial straits. In the end, fully 93 percent of you said no COD for such a van at that price, sending it to the undeliverable pile with a No Dice loss.

Image for article titled At $4,500, Could This Manual-Equipped 1981 Volvo 245 DL Put Your Interest Into Overdrive?

Think a moment about your current main-squeeze — the car, truck or bike that you call your daily driver. How old is it? More important, how long do you think its designers and creators intended it to last and remain a reasonably viable option for such daily use?

If you’re contemplating a car like this then your answer would obviously be “forever.”

Image for article titled At $4,500, Could This Manual-Equipped 1981 Volvo 245 DL Put Your Interest Into Overdrive?

Yep, with the 100 and following 200 series, Volvo seemed to want to build cars with staying power. They may not have been the fastest or the most attractive, but like Aesop’s stalwart turtle, the charmingly boxy Volvos were in it for the long haul.

That’s pretty evident with this wagon, seeing as it’s fully 40 years old and is still rockin’ in the free world. The seller claims the car to be clean, and it seems to have survived those years and its 187,000 miles without much in the way of war wounds. Sure, there’s a bit of road rot bubbling up under one back window, but overall it seems a solid ride.

Image for article titled At $4,500, Could This Manual-Equipped 1981 Volvo 245 DL Put Your Interest Into Overdrive?

Other minor aesthetic issues that you might notice include some mottling on the surface of the aluminum bumpers and cracks in the reflectors under the headlamps. There’s also some fading of the window trim paint, but that’s common on these.

On the plus side, the paint appears serviceable, and the car still sports both the center caps and the trim rings on all four of its factory steel wheels. Those are “chef’s kiss.”

The seller treats us to one shot of the interior that’s so blurry you might think it’s of Bigfoot or a UFO sighting. Dammit, people, get a grip when shooting pics for a sale. What we do get to see are apparently rip-free vinyl seats, manual windows and a dash topped with a carpet cap that seems to fit far better than it rightfully ought to.

Image for article titled At $4,500, Could This Manual-Equipped 1981 Volvo 245 DL Put Your Interest Into Overdrive?

Despite the shaky shot, what you’ll also notice is the presence of three pedals in the driver’s footwell. This Volvo has an M46 four-speed manual, enhanced by way of a Laycock de Normanville overdrive. The latter is activated via a button on the gear knob. A good practice with these is to use the clutch when activating or deactivating the overdrive like you would a fifth gear. That and regular fluid changes will keep the add-on box happy.

In front of the dynamic duo transmission is another Volvo stalwart, the 107 horsepower SOHC B21F inline-four. Sadly, not the turbo edition, this engine will provide adequate if not scintillating performance. Still, it should have miles more to go with just regular attention.

Image for article titled At $4,500, Could This Manual-Equipped 1981 Volvo 245 DL Put Your Interest Into Overdrive?

The seller says the car is putting down the miles right now, having recently done a four-hour stint from Orange County to Palm Springs and back. A replacement wiring harness has apparently been installed, as have new taillamp lenses which should help keep it off the side of the highways and byways. The car comes with a clean title and its original blue and gold California plates.

How much might you pay for what could conceivably be considered the last car you’d ever need to buy? The seller asks $4,500 and before you all complain about how many more modern cars with things like airbags and power windows you could buy with that kind of money, consider the impermanence and complexity that comes with all those conveniences.

Image for article titled At $4,500, Could This Manual-Equipped 1981 Volvo 245 DL Put Your Interest Into Overdrive?

This is a simple car for a simple job: getting there and back again like a good little hobbit. If that’s what you need, and if this Volvo’s classic style is what you want, then this should definitely be on your consideration list.

What do you think, should that consideration extend to the Volvo’s $4,500 price tag? Or, is that too much even for a forever car?

You decide!

Orange County, California,, or go if the ad disappears.

Help me out with NPOND. Hit me up at and send me a fixed-price tip. Remember to include your Kinja handle.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Buying
For $3,000, Could This 1998 Land Rover Discovery Channel Your Inner Offroader?
For $3,000, Could This 1998 Land Rover Discovery Channel Your Inner Offroader?
While Discotheque music may be long dead, hopefully there’s plenty of life left in today’s Land Rover Disco. It’s price might even have you shouting, let’s dance! Ahem… affects nasally,Beastie Boys voice… Hey Ladies! There was much discussion yesterday around whether our candidate was in fact a ‘Chick Car.’ The...
Apr 23, 2025
Here's What A BMW 5 Series Can Do With $14,000 In Dinan Upgrades
Here's What A BMW 5 Series Can Do With $14,000 In Dinan Upgrades
I was about to call this $98,000 with Dinan’s Stage 1 tune a “sleeper”, but the quartet of fatty exhaust pipes and 20-inch Forgeline wheels will definitely wake you up. It’s a lot more low key than an M5, though, and on the highway it’s pretty much a low-flying private...
Apr 23, 2025
For $600, Could This 1994 Ford Probe Be Your Lockless Monster?
For $600, Could This 1994 Ford Probe Be Your Lockless Monster?
You better live in a good neighborhood as today’s Probe has no locks on its doors. That invitation to invasion may be alarming, but when you look at the car’s cost, it might be you doing the stealing. I think it’s remarkable that it’s taking Ford so long to ....
Apr 23, 2025
At $7,900, Would It Take Wild Horses To Drag You Away From This 1996 Ford Bronco XLT?
At $7,900, Would It Take Wild Horses To Drag You Away From This 1996 Ford Bronco XLT?
The seller of today’s Bronco says its laudable condition is the result of its long being garage kept. We’ll see if that shape, and its price, are enough to let this horse run free. Here’s a bold and brash admission: Cirque du Soleil creeps me out. There I said it!...
Apr 23, 2025
At $5,200, Could This 2007 VW Eos Prove To Be An Indelible Deal?
At $5,200, Could This 2007 VW Eos Prove To Be An Indelible Deal?
Today’s candidate is a Volkswagen I’ll bet you forgot ever even existed, even though it’s only been out of production a couple of years. Let’s see if this Eos has a price that’s worth remembering. Put a $600 pricetag on a hamburger and you’ll make the news, but you likely...
Apr 23, 2025
I Want A Cheap Beach Wagon That Doesn't Mind Getting Salty! What Car Should I Buy?
I Want A Cheap Beach Wagon That Doesn't Mind Getting Salty! What Car Should I Buy?
Mike is totally over this whole winter thing. He loves the beach and chases storms, so what he’s looking for a cheap 4x4 just in time for summer. It just needs to take him and his gear through the sand. What car should he buy? (Welcome back to ? Where...
Apr 23, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved