Shed Of The Week: Volvo 940

Approaching its third trip round the clock is this Shed about to become an appreciating asset?

One of Shed's pals owns an industrial estate on the other side of town. It's a classic post-war setup with a scattering of corrugated Nissen hut units and many untended grassy areas concealing a lifetime's worth of obscure motoring and farming relics.

Just about run in for a true Shed buyer

The owner is a grizzled sort of chap with strong principles. He grew up in Africa, has no time for authority figures and drives a faded old Maestro diesel van even though he could afford whatever the hell he likes. Like Mrs Shed, his van keeps on going even though it is utterly unloved, has a huge mileage under its belt and would probably benefit from some internal re-sleeving.

Shed likes this old geezer because he shares his views on long-term car ownership. Put a depreciation graph up on Shed's Amstrad screen and he'll immediately be scrolling off to the right to see where the curve goes after it's passed the point at which most folk have long since disposed of their 'asset'. Go far enough (he says) and you'll see (he says) how the value line bottoms out at the 200K mark and then slowly but surely changes direction as more and more old parts are replaced with new ones. Pass the 300K mark and you're entitled to start inventing stories about how you're the sole owner, you've been around the world in it 12 times, you've rejected so many offers to buy it because you couldn't possibly sell it now, it's part of the family etc, etc.

With space like that you could sell it on Rightmove

The big 300 is approaching on this fine old Volvo 940 wagon. When the numbers click round, that will surely be an occasion to pull in, capture the moment on your Instamatic and inwardly toast the good burghers of Gothenburg for their honest toil back in 1997, when Volvos were made from real, thick metal, not this blooming lightweight rubbish you get nowadays.

Sadly the selling dealer has treated the job of advertising it with all the care and concern typically displayed by a Gatwick baggage handler, so we don't know anything at all about its ownership history, but we do know useful basic stuff like 221hp, turbo, and enough cabin space to set up a small house-clearance business.

We know from rstaaron's build thread and other PH posts that with a few surprisingly cheap but judicious eBay purchases and a 'learning' ECU as standard you can quite easily jack that up to 300hp, or 250 on standard injectors. Rumour has it that the bigger turbos from later five-pot Volvos are just about a straight bolt-on replacement.

The only rounded bits are the wheels

We also know from anyone who has ever had one that they are a veritable hoot to drive, especially in poor conditions. And we know from our PH knowledge bank that the 940 is indeed built to last. The word bulletproof is terribly misused in used car circles but this may be as close as you'll get to it. The only thing you are likely to struggle with is finding any owners with bad words to say about this Swedish battleship-cum-wardrobe. Headlinings can sag and door card tops can be a bit wrinkly, but then again who doesn't or isn't? Despite its antiquity, even rust is not an issue on the fantastically well protected 940. Odd owners have experienced cracking paint on the tailgate (which ironically is made of that dratted aluminium) but that's about the sum of it.

Cambelt replacement every 70K or so is a cinch, and cheap too thanks to the roomy underbonnet area that will get even the crustiest mechanic smiling. Watch out for smoke, as you would on any blown oldster. A scraping sound when the turbo is spinning is probably a worn turbine shaft. Non-functioning air-con condensers aren't cheap but working air-con is not a Shedly feature. The rest of it is mainly consumables like pipes and anything made of rubber.

Tough as old boots this one

On top of everything else our Shed is purple, just like Mrs Shed's nose.

Just imagine buying this and then climbing inside for your first drive. It'll be like pulling on a much-loved pair of 20-year-old underpants. Somebody's else's underpants, admittedly, but a true Shedman only laughs heartily at such niceties.

Here's the ad.
Purple. Climate Control, Central Locking, Folding Rear Seats, Power Steering, Trip Computer, Electric Windows, Sunroof, Stereo, Heated Seats, 15'' Alloys