I am a student currently considering a used 1978 Volvo 265 GL, and would be paying about $1000 cash. It looks amazing for its age, but it apparently has 172,000 miles, a power steering leak, and the radio and A/C doesn't work.

I would be fine without the A/C and radio...but considering the other two negatives, would this get me through about six more years of schooling without a ton of bills?

This would be my first car and I need all the advice I can get. Thanks for helping!!!


The car can be viewed at this URL:
http://www.autotraderclassics.com/details/?adId=90575229

High miles on a Volvo don't scare me,but mechanical problems can be very expensive.

Don't buy the vehicle without an independent inspection,it will secure the investment, should seller not allow for you to take to a mechanic, you must walk away from the deal.

The odds are not with you buying a vehicle in your price range, read the web page " where to find vehicle's under $10,000, you may just get lucky

I read over the webpage, so I will keep my options open for now -with a watchful eye in the classifieds.

Thanks for the advice, I appreciate it.

Honestly, I would rather invest in a Toyota Corolla ... sure .. the Volvo is a quality product ..... but in this case the more important question might be, how mechanically inclined are you? If you are really savvy with things like this, it might be OK ..... but what if you are not?

How hard will it be to get parts? What will they cost?

A Corolla is easy to get parts for and is diabolically reliable, not to mention being easy to work on .... and you can not beat the gas millage, right? (^-^)

Now here is some food for thought ... ever thought about an Infinity Q45? well ... probably not. They are ultra reliable and cheap, cuz they never really caught on here in the USA ... consequently, their resale value is dismal ... but also a great deal for a great [ quality ] car ..... and ... if you ever got in an accident with one, you would most likely survive ...

regardless of what you get ..... as long as the previous owner was truly good about maintenance .... and showed that while they had the car, they respected it and cared for it and did not thrash it (drive it hard) .... you should do ok ...

you are looking at something made in 1978? Wow ... that is old .... it will need work, unless the current owner did most of it already?? Ummmmm .... I got a feeling a Corolla might be a better choice .... especially for a student .... even if you paid more for a Corolla, in the long run it might actually save you money in the end ...... truly.

there are some great deals out there now with the economy like it is .... it pays to shop ....

all the best to you ....