Let me just say right now... if you aren't making a positive reply, don't post. I don't want to hear it. You know who you are.

First car I've bought in 2 years (What a surprise!). I'm glad I bought it..mainly because I can't STAND the Catera. I'm picking it up tomorrow. I know it's not a GM or a 3800, but it's time for a fresh change, and a reliable Volvo is a good one.

1990 Volvo 740 GLE, 2.3 16 Valve, 160k miles. Runs and drives, just needs a shifter linkage adjustment. The body is SPOTLESS, and I mean spotless. No dents, no rust. Car was very well maintained and I even have all the service records... looking through them is shocking.... not very many parts were replaced. Most was simple service stops like oil changes, tuneups, etc.

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2012 Grand Cherokee Overland Summit - Hemi
1996 Thunderbird LX - 3.8

Looks like a nice car. I have heard those older volvos are extremely reliable.

Purchase price: $750?

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Clay
1997.2 40th SLE-138k
1968 Bonneville 400ci w/TH-400-40k
1999 GMC Suburban SLT-191k
2005 Escalade 253k-GINA

Yeah, the 90-93 700s in general are regarded as the most reliable Volvo ever made aside from the 240.

And Very close... I paid $700 for it.

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2012 Grand Cherokee Overland Summit - Hemi
1996 Thunderbird LX - 3.8

Very interesting! I was surprised at how cramped the engine bay looks, but if you never have to spend time in there, I guess it really doesn't matter. How is it on power?

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~Randall~


1993 Buick Park Avenue - 197k - Some odds and ends done - Simply won't die
1994 Buick Regal - 78k - Bone stock - Always ready for a good kicking
1990 Oldsmobile 88 - Gone to a better place

Not too bad... I think it's 140hp, can't remember.

EDIT - It's 153hp.

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2012 Grand Cherokee Overland Summit - Hemi
1996 Thunderbird LX - 3.8

I enjoyed mine when I had one in Guam. Mine was a turbo though, and parts were hard to come by.

Feature I loved the most though? The hood hinges...one flick of a lock on both sides, and the hood stands vertically.

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2005 GXP - White Gold Pearl, no mods...yet.
2000 SSEi - Resurrection in progress. Built L67 w/L32 fuel rail, ported heads, and cam. Camaro front brake system, GXP cluster, and much more in planning.

I guess is take one if it was free

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I guess what makes me happy about this car is my Dad looked over at me and said "This is a *dang* good car... good job finding this one."

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2012 Grand Cherokee Overland Summit - Hemi
1996 Thunderbird LX - 3.8

I was thinking motor swap on this one originally, but cramped engine bay + dead reliable = why mess with a good thing?

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~Randall~


1993 Buick Park Avenue - 197k - Some odds and ends done - Simply won't die
1994 Buick Regal - 78k - Bone stock - Always ready for a good kicking
1990 Oldsmobile 88 - Gone to a better place

My dad's '94 850 has this. It's fantastic

Volvo sure makes a well thought out car.

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Jerry /// Past: 95 SSEi (June 2010 COTM) -- 04 GXP (July 2011 COTM)
91 Honda Civic Wagon DX 2WD (fuelly) -- 208,000km -- 92hp -- Autocross Warrior
09 Lexus LS460 AWD -- 94,000km -- Daily Driver
09 White Hot G8 GT -- 155,000km (fuelly) -- LS3 Cam -- GM LS3 CNC Ported Heads -- Kooks 1 3/4" Long Tube Headers -- Solo Catback Midsection -- Hooker Maxflow Mufflers -- Pat G Tune -- Rotofab Intake -- Tein S-Tech Springs -- GXP FE3 Dampers -- BMR Subframe Cradle Inserts -- BMR Subframe Connectors -- Forgestar F14 Gold 18x9 +40 -- Michelin Pilot Super Sport 245/45/18 -- Maverick Man Carbon Fiber Spoiler

Congrats and good luck with it!

Probably one of your more sensible buys... Hope it lasts you well

Soo... What happened to:
The Catera
The Olds Ciera (I think?)
The Ford Country Squire

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2013 A4 P+ ------------------ Glacier White Metallic
6MT, Sport Pkg, JHM Stage 1 Clutch/LWFW, JHM Short Shifter, JHM HFC, USP SS Clutch Line, CR-15 Strut Bar, Alu Kreuz, BFI Shift Knob, EC Trans Mount Insert, VCDS tweaks.

I sure hope so... Volvos are supposed to keep going and going. If I can get a couple years use out of it, I'll be happy.

I ...hate the Catera. That car has broken down more than John Boehner at a house meeting. It's actually sitting right now with an electrical problem and an oil leak. I'll never buy one again. I let the car's good looks and sportiness lure me in. Now I know why they only sold them for 5 years.

The Ciera is my sister's car now....We bought it on a joint venture...I put in $175 and my sister put in $75, but since she's 18 and needs a car, I just gave it to her.

Oh, and an exciting sidenote... I found out looking in the service records that this car was actually bought in Denmark or Sweden at the Volvo Tourist and Diplomat Sales Center, and brought over to Arizona a few years after. No joke. The guy that bought it was originally from Denmark? His last name is Jernberg.

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2012 Grand Cherokee Overland Summit - Hemi
1996 Thunderbird LX - 3.8

Could also be a military member who bought it and had it shipped back. Either way, it's nice to know that car came from its motherland

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2005 GXP - White Gold Pearl, no mods...yet.
2000 SSEi - Resurrection in progress. Built L67 w/L32 fuel rail, ported heads, and cam. Camaro front brake system, GXP cluster, and much more in planning.

Not sure. If it's the Jernberg I found on google, he still lives in Arizona and is 91 years old.

All I know is I can't wait to get it home so I can get some pics.

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2012 Grand Cherokee Overland Summit - Hemi
1996 Thunderbird LX - 3.8

Looks good. The reason the engine bay is so cramped is it's a 16 valve, the 8's much more spacious. Owned 3 volvos, 87 740 wagon that went well over 500k on original engine and trans, 2nd was a 91 740, also wagon, that i watched 300k turn on it. Very reliable cars, and quite simple to work on. Enjoy!!

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1999 DCM SLE- COTM Jan 2012
Planned mods... FWI, Exhaust and tips,Tinted all around

She's now gone:(
http://pontiacbonnevilleclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=31352&p=312104#p312104

Got the car home today... Had a few hours to spend on it until it rained. Found out that the shifter linkage is the problem and is a simple fix. I already ordered the $7.95 Shifter bushing kit to replace the missing bushings, and have to readjust the linkage. After that all should be fine and dandy.

Other than that, the car is excellent. There is literally ZERO rust on the car. None on the door seams, none on the rockers, nothing on the underside. The car was obviously well cared for. I actually feel guilty for paying only $700 for it. Especially since it had the timing belt and such replaced not long ago. The service records surprised me.... most of them are oil changes, tune ups, and the occasional part here and there. Since it should be good to me, I'm shooting for the 500k mark. I can actually see having no reason to get rid of it, and that's good.

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2012 Grand Cherokee Overland Summit - Hemi
1996 Thunderbird LX - 3.8

Nice work finding that 16 valve engine; you rarely see those. And that price you cant beat! The hot setup to run is a 16 valve with a turbo; its a simple step to bolt on a turbo setup and make big power. That's what I would do...

Engine compartments are actually pretty large on these cars. Small block chevrolet swaps are commonly done, and I bet an LT1 in a Volvo would have more room to work on than the LT1 parked under the hood of my Camaro.

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1997 Camaro Z28: LT1 with a proper 6-speed gearbox, Centerforce clutch, Bilstein struts, Ground Control adjustable springs, LCAs, PHR, SFCs, EBC Yellow brake pads, K&N intake, Comp Cams 502 (duration 218/224 @.050, lift .495/.503), LS6 valve springs, Pacesetter long tube headers, 3 inch Magnaflow exhaust, custom PCM tune by Wong's Performance Engineering in Vancouver, WA.

2013 BMW 135i: 3.0 liter turbo I6, 7 speed Dual Clutch Transmission, M-Sport package, bone stock.

Sold, but missed: 1996 Bonneville SSEi, 3.4 pulley, Intense intake, Zilla Motorsports ported LIM.

Yeah I was already told to turbo it, but I'm not ready for something like that. If I was to find a complete manual tranny and such, I'd probably turbo it.

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2012 Grand Cherokee Overland Summit - Hemi
1996 Thunderbird LX - 3.8

Nice Brick!

Now, spend $100 on a case of Fluid Film and spray the daylights out of the underside to keep your Brick spotless on the underside for the next few years. Repeat right before winter. Whatever rust-proofing stuff it has definitely needs the help.

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2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco - Current car

1999 Buick LeSabre Custom - Former car

Learn from the mistakes of others, that way when you mess up you can do so in new and interesting ways.