1985 Volvo, good winter car?

[Eleanor]

I've been offered a running 1985 volvo sedan for $150. Five speed stick w/ RWD. I'm worried about the rwd and traction issues. Any feedback on either the car itself or traction issues would be appreciated.

[max_boost]

LOL for a $150 how can you go wrong. Except you should probably spend another $500 on a set of winter tires and dump a few bags of sand in the back. With that you should be just fine. I would be more worried about it not breaking down leaving you stranded in -30 weather :D

[Fcuk]

I don't think you should buy it.

With our weather in the winter wouldn't wanna be stranded in the winter like max said. My friend was stuck in winter once with her beater i had to come out and boost her car and it was like -20

[SilverBoost]

Relaibility is the name of the game here. (as as said)

Buying a beater for it's snow skills are kind of pointless because this place really doesn't get enough snow for it to matter. What matters is will it start in -30. Traction can be dealth with with a good set of winter tires. FWD or RWD.

[GTS Jeff]

Open diff RWD sucks. LSD helps RWD moreso than winter tires in regards to acceleration and predictable cornering ability.

[D. Dub]

for 150 clams who cares...

buy it and drive it now to make sure it's reliable...

then come winter throw a set of cheap studded snow tires on it...

if it's not relaible donate it to a charity and get the tax receipt

[Redlyne_mr2]

Best place to get cheap and or free tires is behind dealerships, they throw some pretty good tires away sometimes.

[BlueGoblin]

Years and years ago, I had a 79 Volvo 240 as a winter beater - It was fantastic; All it needed was a set of proper snow tyres and 100-150 pounds of weight over the rear axle. It still won't go through the absolute deepest of snow on account of the open diff, but it wil do pretty good. I still fondly remember it as having the best heater of any car theat I have ever known. I would have kept it a lot longer, but a front strut mount rusted and snapped (the odo had stopped working a couple years prior to me getting it, and it read 270,000km).

If it start and runs OK, sounds like a great deal.

[SILVIA KING,S]

It is good to drift

[accord885]

I'd Rock it! Nothing better than a old Brick

Make sure the battery is new (for those cold starts)
Good tires and sand in the back
Make sure the heater works!! Haha