20th Oct 2004, 18:19
Greetings, I am considering purchasing a 1988 Turbo 740 from a neighborhood garage. The owners of the garage repair almost exclusively Volvo and often have cars for sale. Their mechanical work comes very highly recommended as does their honesty. The 1988 has 280,000 kilometers, no visible rust, though clearly some touch up has been done by the previous owner (s). The body looks very good except for a crack in the windshield along the base. This seems to fit in with a "quirk" which necessitates a thump on the dash board to have the gas guage flip in to action. There does not appear to be any noticeable front end damage and so I am only a bit apprehensive. Price is 1700$ Canadian (taxes in) Any words of caution?
13th Mar 2006, 21:18
I just had to laugh when I read these posts. I've owned my 1988 740 Turbo for 11 years now, she has 311,500 km on her. Every morning I have to "thump" my dashboard to free the gas gauge and ammeter. Otherwise, the car has been reasonably reliable over the years. She has required regular maintenance and some costly repairs, but nothing really beyond the normal wear-and-tear associated with a car approaching middle age (for a Volvo). She has suffered some of the ailments typical of this make/model/year: sagging roof liner, sticking door handles, rusted-out rear bumper mounts and a leaking sunroof seal. Still, I've had no regrets owning this car and hope to keep it for at least another year (saving $ for a small BMW...).
12th Jan 2004, 10:23
Hello again It's James.
With your small oil leak check that your flame trap isn't blocked as I think turbos have them. If plugged it causes oil leaks. Look at site I gave you as it covers above and more, purely a volvo forum. James.