A bit of history

One of the major appeals of this particular 242 was its extensively documented history. Not only did I get nearly complete service records going back to 939 miles, but the original owner had also saved the original bill of sale, temporary registration, owners manual and window sticker. The car stickered for $15,945.80 in 1982!

Although it lived most of its life in California, the 242 was sold by Herzog Motors in Beaverton, Oregon on May 28, 1982. An early California title was saved, dated January 17, 1985. Of course, this was the title that the seller signed over to me, over 22 years later.

When I took delivery of the car it was mostly stock, save a few items. An Alpine stereo and alarm system had been installed, and the rear windows had been tinted with 3M product in 1987 (and holding up well 20 years later).

A significant upgrade was the addition of Volvo's factory turbo intercooler on September 17, 1985. Early 240 Turbos were non-intercooled, and boost was limited to just 6.5 psi. With the addition of the intercooler, boost pressure was raised to a maximum 10.5 psi. Rated horsepower rose from 127 to 162, while torque climbed from 150 foot pounds to 181 ft-lbs.

I took delivery of the car with 131,310 miles in May of 2007. For the previous 10 years, it was hardly driven; a service record from June of 1997 shows 114,154 miles. However, it continued to pass California smog tests with ease each year.

The car was the epitome of a blank slate - unmolested and ripe for tasteful modification. A true tabula rasa.