Faults:

Both Taillights had cracked lenses.

Both front door frames had been removed and reattached loosely.

Trunk interior trim was removed.

Leather seats had not been oiled in a long time and were very hard and somewhat cracked.

Over-drive solenoid sometimes won't let transmission shift into overdrive.

General Comments:

Engine was rebuilt at 200,000 miles by a retired Toyota mechanic. Did an awesome job. Engine switches on as quickly as my parents 96 Camry V6. Engine is so much more powerful, responsive and smooth than the 2.1 in my 1982 245 with only 155,000 miles I am seriously considering putting a 2.3 in it, especially the 16-valve.

The 4-speed overdrive transmission is such a relief from the 3-speed in the 245 I have already purchased one for it. I hear it is much stronger and more durable. It is turning at 3100 rpm @ 70mph vs nearly 4000rpm in the 245.

The handling is very good. The body is much more rigid than the 245. I have added a strut brace and a brace from the struts to the firewall in the 245 that helped a lot. The 740 come standard with the strut-to-firewall braces that look like building girder beams.

I have a very fine stereo system installed in the 245, including a 100-watt/channel Blaupunkt amp, an 60/75-watt/channel Rockford Fosgate amp pushing 2 12" Rockford Fosgate Subwoofers and pairs of Polk 5 1/4", 4-inch and 1-inch Tweeter/2 1/2-inch Upper-mids with a Blaupunkt Houston CD AM-FM head unit that sounds great.

All the speaker installation had to be very customized except for the 4-inchers.

The 740 is all ready to accept 5 1/4's in the front and rear doors as well as 4X6's on top of the dash.

I have already accumulated a Blaupunkt MP74 AM-FM-CD-MP3 head unit with a microhone balanced 5-band equalizer with DNC and RDS, 2 Blaupunkt PCA-100 100-watt/channel amps for 2 sets of Polk DB525 speakers, and a Polk 500 mono subwoofer amp to push 2 Polk db104 sub woofers in a nice infinite baffle enclosure.

This system will really rock in the car even when the manual sunroof is open.

I I have already purchased a set of 16X6 1/2 Volvo alloys with Goodyear 205/55-16 tires that are standard on BMW 325i's.

Just waiting for the spacers to mount them properly.

I am sold on Volvo's great combination of comfort, excellent rear-biased handling, robust build quality an superb high-speed cruising in combination with real world mileage of 22-25 mpg.

Faults:

The electrical system hasn't been perfect; the light-out-light is on even though no lights are out.

Seats wore badly, but expected because it's an old car.

Exhaust leak, but common on all cars of this year.

General Comments:

I really love my Volvo.

It gets up to speed.

Sound System is good.

Engine is as solid as it gets.

Faults:

New water pump needed 2005.

New ignition barrel 2006.

New handbrake cable in 2004.

New fuel pump 2005.

Various exhaust parts every year since the original packed up in 1997.

General Comments:

I have had this car from new since 1991.A total of 15 years.

It is only now showing signs of giving up the ghost, but has never let me down.

I bought it in Germany, as a Canadian spec car and paid for it in American dollars!! (work that one out).

Still drives well, a bit sluggish on acceleration and groans a bit under power steering.

Can't complain when I watch all the berks at "home base" struggling to get their purchases in the back of their little BMW's.