8 Reasons Why the Volvo 740 is the Perfect First Car

An old classic such as the Volvo 740 is the perfect first car no matter what you’re into. Here are 8 reasons why.

1. It Looks Good

The Volvo 740 is a car that’ll always look good in one way or another. There is something with the boxy design that speaks to you, something that makes you fall in love with it at first glance. It’s such a classic that its looks will never go old, even though it has aerodynamics like a brick.

Even if you want a show car, the 740 is a great choice. Put some nice wheels on it, put on some coilovers, swap to a US spec front end, and put on a small body kit. Voilá, a great looking show car.

2. It Comes From a Simpler Time

The 740 comes from a time where everything was a lot simpler, where people didn’t complicate things more than necessary. Just look at the dashboard, there’s no fancy touch screen, and really no unnecessary buttons. Neither does it have any anti-lock brakes, no traction control, and no power steering.

One could argue that these are all things which make the car safer and the ride more enjoyable, but I say that these are all obstacles who hold you back from being the great driver you could be. Without these systems you get a better feeling for the car, you learn to control the car on your own, which makes you a better driver and more safe in traffic.

On the downside there are no airbags or crumple zones, which means that if you crash, you take the force of the impact instead of the car taking the hit. It also doesn’t have any air conditioning, which in the summer is a pain in the a-hole.

3. It'll Live Longer Than You

With proper maintenance, a Volvo 740 will live longer than all of us. My car has done 420’000 kilometers (260’000 miles) and you don’t notice it one bit when you drive it. This car is 27 years old, and the engine runs just as smoothly as on my parents new Volvo V60.

The only problems I’ve had with it during the 4 months I’ve owned it is the brakes and the clutch. The brake pads were pressing against the discs, so the car barely ran even in 2nd gear because of it. Also lately I’ve been experiencing problems with what I believe is the clutch, most of the time it’s quite hard to get in to 1st gear.

These are minor problems considering the fact that it’s been driven 420’000 kilometers during it’s 27 years of life.

4. It's Spaceous

There’s no denying that the Volvo 740 is a big car. Even though this is just a 744, I could easily fit a subwoofer and about 3 bodies in the boot. If I had a 745, I could probably fit at least 5 bodies in the boot!

In all seriousness, the cargo space in the Volvo 740 is huge. It doesn’t really matter if you’ve got a 744 or a 745, you could easily go on a skiing trip with your mates in either one. If you don’t go on road trips and such, the boot is a great place to put a huge subwoofer.

5. It's Great Fun In the Winter

No matter what engine you’ve got in it, it’s a great winter car. There is a reason why it’s such a popular winter car here in Sweden, and that’s because it’s RWD and it’s really light in the rear. No matter what city/town you’re in here in Sweden in the winter, there will be at least one 740 drifting around.

6. You Can Fix It On Your Own

It doesn’t matter what’s wrong with your 740, you can always fix it yourself if you know how. You can weld the differential so it’s easier to drift it, you can change the camshaft and cylinder head to get more power, and you can put a turbo on it to get even more power. No matter what it is, you can do it yourself.

Since it’s got such a big engine bay, it’s also popular to engine swap it. The most common engines are Volvo’s B5234T3 as well as the B6294T. A Chevy 350 is also quite popular for 740 engine swaps.

We all know that Volvo’s are tanks, and that’s not made up from out of nowhere. There is a reason why they’re known as tanks, and that’s because they’re built like one.

Just look at the 740 in the video, or this 940 who got mounted by a lorry. This is a huge benefit for youngsters since they will sooner or later go into a ditch while drifting in the snow.

8. It's Cheap

The Volvo 740 is a really cheap car. At least here in Sweden, and I don’t believe they’re especially expensive anywhere else either.

So my car is a 1988 Volvo 740 GL, 420’000 kilometers (260’000 miles) on the clock, barely no rust, the seats are like new, regularly serviced and engine washed, it’s well taken care of.

I bought it 4 months ago for 300$ / 200£. The yearly tax on it is 200$ / 130£, and I only have to pay that for 3 more years and then it’s tax-free because it’s considered a classic car. The insurance for it is 140$ / 95£ per year.

Conclusion

I think that we all have to agree when I say that the Volvo 740 is the perfect first car, for anyone and everyone. I know some of you will disagree, but the 740 is my car, and I love it.

740 is always the answer.