DC Motoring Classifieds: 1992 Volvo 240

I'm selling my Volvo because I'm in the process of buying yet another car and I don't need three cars. So I placed an ad on Craigslist this morning and felt the desire to really sell it. Here's the result (I know, I have way too much time on my hands):

1992 Volvo 240 - 100% Swedish AWESOMENESS! - $1599 (Arlington)

I've always been amused by car ads that start out, "What we have here is..." So with that being said...

What we have here is a 1992 Volvo 240 in very good condition. For those of you looking at this ad because you want to buy a 240, I probably don't have to tell you how totally rad these cars are so I'll give you the details up front. For those of you just looking for a nice, reliable cheap car, stick around and I'll tell you why the Volvo 240 is the perfect beater for you.

So here's what you need to know:

- I purchased it in November 2009 as a second car for the winter. The guy I purchased it from bought it from his father who purchased it new so it was in the same family until I bought it.

- The car has 168,XXX miles, which for a 240 is just getting started, considering they've been known to easily go 3 or 400 thousand.

- The exterior is silver with a blue cloth interior.

- A couple weeks after I purchased it, it had a tune up (including new spark plugs, wires, and a new distributor cap) and the control arm bushing was replaced.

- The car runs very strong and is in very good condition inside and out. It has A/C, ABS, power steering, power windows, and a driver's side airbag.

- There are a few minor issues. First, the drivers door lock is broken so you have to unlock it from the passenger side. The radio doesn't work (it may just be the fuse on the back of the unit). And the front suspension is a little rough. I'm guessing it just needs a new strut on the drivers side but I've been driving around on it for the last few months and it's been fine.

So in summary, it's a sexy Swedish steel beast! As long as you take good care of it, it will run trouble free. This is truly a case where they don't make them like they used to. The 240 isn't like the newer Ford - Volvos that look like every other car out there. If you're not familiar with Volvo 240s, they are probably the most durable and safe cars ever made. They were sold for almost 20 years, with 1993 being the last. In 1982 Volvo introduced the 740 with the intent of it replacing the 240 in 1984 but the demand for 240s was so strong they continued to sell the car for nine more years! In high school my sister and I used to take my parent's 1984 240 out around the neighborhood hitting trash cans and off roading through a landscape nursery in the hopes of killing it so we could get a newer car, but it would not die!

If you want a cheap beater that will run until the wheels fall off this is it! Not to mention, with its classic Swedish styling (or lack thereof) you won't look like all the other suckers in their boring Camrys and Accords. The great thing about driving a 240 is that people don't automatically think you're driving it because you're cheap or can't afford anything else because its become somewhat of a classic. The only thing that would make this car cooler is if it was a station wagon...

I didn't include this picture in the ad but its a good creed to live by...

Wish List: Porsche Cayman

Even though I love many of the amazing exotic cars of both the past and present, I appreciate simplicity. A light car with a manual transmission and just the right balance of handling and power. The Porsche Cayman fills those requirements perfectly at a fraction of the cost of its flashier and more powerful rivals. It has understated styling that is undeniably Porsche. And while it doesn't have the legendary history the 911 has, by some measures, the Cayman stands supreme.

Art City

Although it was under difficult circumstances, going back to Utah twice in the last month was an opportunity to reminisce and return to my roots - so to speak. I've often had a love/hate relationship with Utah(although lately it has been more love). No matter where I go in life, Utah, especially Springville will always be a significant part of who I am. My family has called Utah County home since the first the first settlers arrived valley over 160 years ago. I will always be grateful for the sacrifice of those who came before me who left an indelible legacy of love and faith.

One evening, I took a walk down Center Street and then down Main Street in Springville. I hope these pictures adequately capture the spirit of a place I will always call home.

Inspiration

The House on Center Street

There is a house on Center Street. Lamar and Carol Clark moved in with their young family over 50 years ago. He worked hard at a steel mill. The wages weren’t much but they got by.

Seven children called that house home. Eighteen grandchildren did too - and their children. Throughout most of their lives, no matter what changed, one thing remained constant – that house on Center Street.

It isn’t a particularly remarkable house. A one-story red brick rancher far enough up the road from Main Street that when it was built, there wasn’t much around; other than a few farms and some orchards. Most who passed by probably never gave it a second thought, but for Lamar and Carol, their seven children, eighteen grandchildren and countless others who entered, it was much more.

There is a house on Center Street. But it isn’t just a house. By most measurements of success, Lamar and Carol wouldn’t stand out from the crowd. They never achieved much in the way of academic, professional or financial success. But to those who knew them, they achieved something much greater – Lamar and Carol had built a home.

There is a home on Center Street. It was built by a humble couple using all they really had in abundance – love. Love was always present. Unconditional love.

In building that home on Center Street, Lamar and Carol achieved the greatest of all. They built a legacy of love. For that house is just a house; and someday, a new family will call it home. But in some ways, it’s much more. For all who entered that house on Center Street, it is a symbol.

“This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (St. John 15:12-13)



After Grandpa died, I sometimes wondered why Grandma didn’t move away to somewhere more exciting – to see new things – to experience the World. While I looked up to my grandparents, I often viewed their life as old-fashioned and quaint. Why spend your entire life in the same town and the same house when there is an exciting World out there with so much to do and see?

When I returned to Springville to see my Grandma one last time, I understood. As she lay on her deathbed, I was struck by the seemingly endless stream of family, friends and loved-ones coming by to express their love and appreciation for Carol Clark. These then were the reasons she stayed. In their own quiet way, Carol and her sweetheart Lamar touched more hearts and changed more lives than could ever be expected from two small-town kids.

As I wandered down Center Street on a sunny January afternoon, I contemplated the remarkable story of my Grandma and Grandpa Clark. They didn’t choose the life they did for themselves – they gave their lives in the service of Him they loved most and in His hands they found the greatest of all, love.

My Next Car?

It just might be the perfect affordable summer car. Maybe, just maybe. Kudos if you can tell what it is without cheating!