1991 Volvo 240 Sedan (244) With 5-Speed M47 Manual Stick Shift

Description

Disclaimer: The rainy conditions in which I chose to photograph this car masked a lot of its cosmetic flaws. The paint work is not good.
Want a car that can deliver that quaint, charming, "rustic" feel? Want your friends and family to constantly wonder aloud, "Dear Lord, how does he keep that thing running/continue to arrive in one piece?"
Look no further than this unique 1991 Volvo 240 5-speed sedan! This car features absolutely nothing that could be considered remotely "state of the art" or "convenient" in any way! Case in point: the previous owner saw fit to ditch the old, ho-hum Bosch Jetronic fuel-injection system and install a Weber two-barrel progressive downdraft carburetor in its stead.
Like vinyl records, carburetors are back, baby!
As if that weren't enough for the thrill-seeker in you, yours truly took the liberty of relocating the battery to the trunk, well behind the rear axle, shifting the weight balance further rearward. I also installed a "Sport" cat-back exhaust from iPd USA, painted with high-temp ceramic paint for improved corrosion resistance. (iPd's "Sport" system ditches the factory front muffler, replacing it with a section of pipe that steps up the diameter from 2" to 2.25", using the rear muffler from the 240 Turbo. It actually sounds pretty tight.)
What's more, while much has been written about 240s and their propensity for developing loose shifter feel, this car has them all beat, hands down! For the unacquainted driver, it's virtually impossible to find the gear you want, when you want it! This is presumably due in part to old, worn shifter cage bushings, and to some extent, likely made worse by the fact that one of the four bolts holding up the transmission cross member broke off.
Finally, this 1991 Volvo 240 sedan features a one-of-a-kind paint job, performed in a dusty apartment parking lot by yours truly, wielding so many foam brushes from Meijer and a few cans of an exciting, off-the-shelf shade of red mixed and sold by Rustoleum. It would be impossible to recreate this incredible, textured finish a second time, and really, how many people can say they've got a hand-painted car?!
If you're ready to roll the dice on one heck of a cool hooptie, bid now!
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On a more serious note, this 1991 Volvo 240 sedan (244) is being sold as-is with no warranty expressed or implied. The engine starts and stays running without any issues - although there is a bit of stumble or hesitation at about halfway through the throttle pedal travel. I am by no means an expert at tuning/jetting carburetors. (Actually, I'd hesitate to even call myself an amateur.) That said, if you're up for a little troubleshooting, a box of assorted jets and air correctors is included in the sale.
The gear-shift lever is absurdly loose - something these cars are sort of known for. That said, the gearbox is working fine, and I don't think I've ever ground a gear in nearly 3-and-a-half years of ownership. The car may be leaking coolant slowly, but I'm not positive. I thought I found a trace of coolant dripping from the radiator support two weeks ago, but it hasn't reared its head again.
The brake pedal is very soft for the first couple of inches of travel, despite the system having been bled 2 or 3 times. Many of the parts - booster, master cylinder, junction block, two of the four rubber hoses up front, several of the hard lines - are brand new. All four calipers are rebuilt NAPA units with new hardware and recent pads. The system isn't losing fluid, as far as I can tell, and the car has stopped consistently so far, but I would still recommend towing the vehicle to keep safe.
Now, regarding my (rather rash) decision to paint the car: it started when I went about trying to abate some of the rust on the body, and realized that 1) I was never going to match the original black, and 2) red is just a far, far superior color. I've left off the valances and side trim in case you want to try touching up some spots, sanding/polishing, etc. Those pieces will be included with the car. That said, this car's rust issues are not over; each of the four points where the bumper struts mount to the body are scaly, and there are holes in each of the rear wheel wells. (I will try to provide higher-detail images of these problem areas in the near future.)
I'm going to miss this darn thing. It's a beast in the snow, and would probably make a super fun rallycross car, or a dependable winter beater/daily driver. Not recommended for anyone looking for an investment opportunity or concourse restoration project. I also recommend that you only consider buying if you know how to turn a wrench, or want something to learn on.
Parts that I replaced over the last 3+ years:-spark plugs, wires-rear dampers-all four brake calipers (remanufactured)-brake booster, master cylinder, junction block, some hard lines/hoses-alternator-battery-tires (Falken Sincera SN-828)-radio antenna (old one broke off in the car wash)