1987 Volvo 740 GLE Review - When Volvo Hit Their Peak!

[@jacksonhui581]

Great video! This is our 2nd 740 wagon. The first one was a similar spec grey with red interior that we bought new in 1988 and still have it. It’s kinda rusty and worn out so we set out to find a clean rust free example. This one came out of Florida and Kentucky and I’ve been slowly restoring it since. Fun fact about the see thru headrest. This car has the removable headrest pillows. Once those are off, it shows off the see thru design.

[@viperocco]

Having driven 240s, 740s and 850s I have always loved the steering wheels in the Volvos.

[@JayMcK-yj8ht]

I use to work for an independent Volvo workshop , we still serviced and worked on 70-80-90’s Volvos , they made strong and incredible Swedish washing machines on wheels .

[@RobertVogel-u8j]

Such a great basic family car. Lots of spacious comfortable miles.!

[@MCKornbred]

My mom drove a 1996 Volvo 850…green with a tan interior. To this day that remains her favorite car she ever had

[@bazilwreckerloughead]

An 80s rear wheel drive wagon...YES PLEASE!

[@hbcutie1971]

My family had a 1983 Volvo 760GLE sedan, with a small V6. It was super luxurious.

[@mipmipmipmipmip-v5x]

Yeah the 760 was where it's at

[@s1mmee559]

Im from Sweden and I have owned a bunch of them during the years. Absolutely amazing cars. As of now, only one is left in my collection. A 940 wagon and I couldnt be happier with it!

[@Jonathan-bk3dq]

Zack, @3:22 those are front and rear fog lights, not defrosters LMAO

[@richards8872]

The cushions come off the headrest to make them see through

[@NewellCreative]

Was going to say the same. The cheap or euro models didn’t have that extra cushion. Parents got an 87 sedan when I was in college. Loved this car. Smoothest 4cly you’ll drive.

[@1483Frenchman]

I was going to say the same. I had 2, 91 940 se's with Garrett t25 turbos. You could pull out the leather head rests and they were stock 240 head rests

[@ano0213a]

I have an 89 740 sedan, and the headliner looks exactly the same in mine. These old girls definitely have their quirks, but they will go forever if you take care of them 😊

[@poomsiraprapasiri8448]

From Thailand here, we didn’t have 7-series wagon officially on sale but there are very few unofficial imports around (maybe embassy vehicles). My dad had very basic 740 GL sedan as company car for a while. Very slow but comfortable. He also had 2 more Volvos, 940 GL sedans (manual and auto) as company cars. They were all sedans so I was always hoping to get a wagon version of these rear drive Volvos. Finally succeeded when I went to grad school in the US in 2003-2005 and got myself a 1986 240 wagon! Back in Thailand since 2007, been looking for a nice RWD Volvo wagon ever since.

[@bwofficial1776]

If practicality was a car. Volvo quietly did their own Swedish thing and buyers quietly bought them. Volvo drivers had nothing to prove to anyone.

[@AnItalianGuyOnYT]

3:22 quick correction, front and rear fogs/fog lights

[@Believeinyourself-BIY]

I love the visual these deliver, the 850 wagon, the 960 wagon. Thank you Zack

[@brandonnichols8053]

I feel like the 240 is what really ushered Volvo into the mainstream in the U.S. They were everywhere, including movies and TV. I also think the 245 seems longer than the 700 and 900 series wagons, although those are more refined.

[@Hobotraveler82]

This was the Volvo model I remember seeing as a kid and thinking cool. I bought a 95 850 at a silent auction at my church where I worked. It was black and the guy donated it. A GLT model. Since my sister had the XC90, I thought I would join the bandwagon. My cousin Tim had the S60. 😊

[@Low760]

I have a 740t wagon and the headlining drops just like any car with foam back headliner. They are styled very well for practically. I love them.

[@classicforreal]

Fun fact when most of the original core Pixar employees were going to CalArts and meeting each other for the first time, they mostly drove 80s Volvos. No, really. I'm not making stuff up for the sake of the funny sarcasm, this is actually true.

[@sillysquire]

Source?

[@dunky7157]

Wow this thing is so clean! Always had a soft spot for these boxy Volvo wagons ❤

[@nathanjoseph4284]

In my opinion, Volvo lost their way in the 2000s when they lost their classic boxy Volvo look, and their cars started looking blobby and curvy like every other car on the road. I have a soft spot for old Volvos like this. Thanks for the video Zack!

[@richards8872]

I have a ‘97 850 wagon currently and has 2000 V70 and a ‘86 240 wagon. The 850s were the best mix of 80’s and newer tech. My 2000 V70 was also nice but has way more electronics to fail but is like the 850

[@thug_573]

i think they did well moving into the 2000s with their styling, to me atleast its still distinctive Volvo and by the 2010s i doubt anybody would be buying them anymore if they stayed being box rockets

[@Tinovodanovic]

What an absolute beauty.

[@beardham]

those backwards facing seats in the trunk are so stupid, but my sister and I always insisted on sitting in them haha. good times

[@DJBiv788]

1:25 engine options changed the model name. There was a V6, but in the 780 coupe that came out later.

[@braidenis]

The v6 was in the 760 as well. 760 turbo was 4cyl. 760 gle was V6 760 came out first so these were introduced with only the V6.

[@DaniTheNachoPirate]

My mother had a 740 sedan, I think 1992, back in '01 maybe '02 that was a cool car with the silver paint and maroon leather seats. One day though she was driving home and when she turned on the wipers (or maybe headlights, it was long ago) there was a short and the dashboard erupted into flames on the highway. Afterwards it ran fine, but nothing electronic ever worked again.

[@extralock1045]

These boxy Volvo's are awesome! I don't know why, they put a smile on my face every time I see one!

[@Kevin_Rhodes]

Those switches on the left are front and rear FOG LIGHTS, not defrosters. Those headrest cushions pop out if you would prefer to be able to see through them. It's only missing the cloth for the headliner, not the headliner itself. The third row is only meant for children. I've had 13 240/740/940s and a 960. Lovely cars back in the day, but just too old today for daily driving for me so I upgraded to a Mercedes E350 wagon.

[@allareasindex7984]

Only a boring engine? I had a 1986 740 Turbo intercooler sedan. It actually said Intercooler on the tail in that Volvo font. Anyway, the automatic transmission up shifted like BAM right before the redline. I was so used to it but passengers had strong reactions. I’m guessing the manufacturing tolerances of that specific turbo engine and that specific transmission were both at the upper limit of their spec range because I never encountered another just like it. I installed delrin sway bar bushings to support the thicker sway bars, a front strut brace, and another U-shaped brace that tied together the unibody down near the bottom of the suspension. It was steady, cornered flat, changed directions with authority, and had the most comfortable (though firm) high backed bucket seats. Electrically heated, too. Served me well through 13 years in New England, New York City, and six years in Minnesota with winter temps way below zero F for weeks at a time. I finally traded it in when the rear main seal began leaking oil. Anyway, I don’t regret that it went to a new home, but it gave me 13 years and well over 150k miles of pleasure, including those slam up shifts at redline whenever I floored it and hung on.

[@777jones]

Since everybody is sharing Volvo stories, a 760 Turbo wagon was the first car I illegally drove at age 13 or so.

[@rightlanehog3151]

Zack, Swedish Volvos are always welcome.

[@Simple_Jack82]

What about Chinese, volvos?

[@KeaganExtremeGaming]

one of my buddy's 740s has its seatbelts tension from the bottom instead of the top and it used to trip me up every time i went for a ride with him at the race track. now it has a cage but man that was funny

[@cardiffchris]

My family had that exact Volvo as a sedan in 1985

[@aldenlmcrae]

I came for 3rd row review! Was not disappointed lol

[@idamay6469]

Very nice video on a great car. I was waiting to see you open the tool kit in the back right corner of the hatch area. Aww you missed it. Was it there? Did it still have the white gloves? Lovely example! Now waiting for the other two Volvo reviews. 😅

[@VolkswagenNut1969]

Enjoyed watching this, I have two 940 wagons, a Turbo and non-turbo. Yes, the non-turbo is shockingly gutless by comparison, but the transmission is geared to compensate by holding it in gears much longer than a typical automatic. You just have to get used to not being afraid to let that smooth indestructible engine rev nice and high. 😉😃

[@kestrelhawkins8728]

Yeah I remember our yuppie neighbours had one, and their preppy kids rode in the rear seat. LOL I also just see Benneton clothes when I see these now.

[@sbsstorytelling]

You had a horn on the steering wheel! Love the car, love the video. Edit: loved the third row. I always wanted the 740, but just had the 240 sedan and wagon. Love these cars!

[@docthediesel7781]

You need to come to Birmingham and drive my 1997 Volvo S90 (the 960 until 1997) sedan … It’s like this wagon, but “kinda” modernized.

[@davidsherrick898]

I got here first! That Volvo is a very clean example.

[@owensteele1645]

Such an awesome car. It's as 1980s as 'Big Time' by Peter Gabriel.

[@lucybaker7813]

Dad leased one 300 a month for 5 years then he couldn't write check fast enough which was 5 grand great car had lot of body roll, we had same model but sedan, gray and burgundy leather, it had 180 when I wrecked had it for about 15 years

[@davidp2888]

I would love a wagon like this.

[@javanhernandez5690]

Same here, but i would like a more sporty engine

[@bwofficial1776]

@@javanhernandez5690 These are easy to put a V8 in. David Letterman had a Volvo wagon with a Ford 5.0.

[@javanhernandez5690]

@bwofficial1776 sounds great, however the question for me is will that make the car less reliable 🤔

[@SecretlySeven]

Nothing better! GOAT

[@WacNate913]

Fellow wagon owner here except mine is a 2000 Mercury Sable LS Wagon I love that car *it's actually my mom's car but still* My family and I have owned it since 2008 when it had 170k and its on its second engine *the motor came from a 100k Taurus Wagon that had been rear-ended but still* now its nearing 250k and needs a fair bit of work but generally speaking it's been incredibly reliable

[@bwofficial1776]

I used to have a 2001 Sable wagon with every option but the sunroof and center console. I liked that car. It was comfortable and spacious, though slow and unreliable even though it had the DOHC engine. It had 37k miles when I got it and 67k when I traded it in. It was my great-grandmother's car and she'd only driven it to church on Sundays. It was falling apart from age and the transmission was failing as they were infamous for but I still miss that car sometimes. Everyone should drive a hooptie to appreciate trading it in on a nicer car. Use punctuation, that's the longest sentence I've ever read.

[@Kevin_Rhodes]

You could also get the 740 with the inline six diesel.

[@Foxcanfixit]

It’s the most pre-minivan soccer mom car of all time

[@lab1042]

3:20 I think you meant to say front and rear fog lights.

[@dauntae24]

I wrote off one of these when I was 21. When I was 22 I wrote off a 780 Bertone turbo. I was not kind to Volvos.

[@jacksonhui581]

But you survived and that’s what they were designed to do 😊

[@dauntae24]

@@jacksonhui581 Both were pretty bad accidents (not involving other cars, thank god) but the 780’s airbag never deployed and I fractured my shoulder.

[@hanskenclips6785]

You could also order the 740 with a 2.4L diesel from Volkswagen, NA or turbocharged

[@hanskenclips6785]

Or at least the 760 at least

[@James-mw6se]

Cool video

[@owensteele1645]

Vovlo. Boxy, but good.

[@Dankcatvacs]

there was v6 prv (peugeot,renault volvo) same as the delorean , nothing special though there was also 2.4 diesel rich people in the 80s $19000 msrp

[@celsovera91]

I heard those were unreliable

[@gafrers]

Volvo FTW

[@CoolCalmCollected_offical]

11/10

[@James-mw6se]

👍

[@dave11686]

Nice

[@JensScearcy]

Iv owned 2 240s you can make them very fast for cheap love boost

[@davinp]

What happened to the ceiling of this car?

[@jacobfleming565]

The cloth headliner dry rots and collapses and falls out or gets ripped out. They had that issue in warm humid areas. They all rust on the frame under the drivers floor board as well

[@classicforreal]

Dude says it's getting a new one right at 5:35

[@javanhernandez5690]

​@jacobfleming565 does it get humid in Indiana?

[@jacksonhui581]

Yep! After 37 years the original fabric deteriorated and we’ve since had a new headliner installed. I also restored the front seats. It looks amazing now!

[@jacksonhui581]

@@javanhernandez5690it can get humid during the spring and summer. This was originally a Florida car that commuted between Florida and Kentucky so it’s fortunately escaped Midwest rust

[@erniearruda8861]

Fridge on wheels 😅

[@jacksonhui581]

Giving cybertruck a run for its money lol

[@owensteele1645]

Breeze-block Swede.

[@niveketihw1897]

Rolling shoebox.

[@landyachtfan79]

When Joyce Braga from MotorWeek first previewed the 700-series in 1981, her intro was "The new, svelte look belongs to Volvo, that perennial builder of solid & reliable Swedish transportation". Svelte?!!!! Please, the 740/760 was more of a brick than The Brick!!!! That's not to say it was a HIDEOUSLY UGLY car, just not one that could ever be accused of being drop-dead sexy.

[@mumwifeteacher]

Way back seats designed by ikea.

[@allareasindex7984]

Only a boring engine? I had a 1986 740 Turbo intercooler sedan. It actually said Intercooler on the tail in that Volvo font. Anyway, the automatic transmission up shifted like BAM right before the redline. I was so used to it but passengers had strong reactions. I’m guessing the manufacturing tolerances of that specific turbo engine and that specific transmission were both at the upper limit of their spec range because I never encountered another just like it. I installed delrin sway bar bushings to support the thicker sway bars, a front strut brace, and another U-shaped brace that tied together the unibody down near the bottom of the suspension. It was steady, cornered flat, changed directions with authority, and had the most comfortable (though firm) high backed bucket seats. Electrically heated, too. Served me well through 13 years in New England, New York City, and six years in Minnesota with winter temps way below zero F for weeks at a time. I finally traded it in when the rear main seal began leaking oil. Anyway, I don’t regret that it went to a new home, but it gave me 13 years and well over 150k miles of pleasure, including those slam up shifts at redline whenever I floored it and hung on.