Used 1979 Volvo 242GT - rare car for sale in Newton, MA

For sale: one 1979 Volvo 242GT (only produced from 1978-1980, the 242GT is a very rare car at this point). Car is in good condition but has developed a few issues from lack of use the past few years. I will detail all the various pros and cons in order, list the additional items that do or can come with the car, etc. These only came with four-speed manual transmissions with electric overdrive (M46 transmission / B21 engine) from the factory.

Pro: ORIGINAL interior is in great shape, which is very hard to find in these cars. Dashboard has no cracks, door cards are excellent, seats are excellent with very minimal wear / sun fading, drivers’ seat outer side bolster is not worn or torn. Top of drivers’ seat has one small tear as shown. Original leather shifter boot is in fantastic condition. ALSO: This car comes with a complete extra set of seats and door cards in good condition that you can use to either make upholstery repairs as needed in the future / desired now (such as to fix the split in the drivers’ seat, although that could easily be sewn) or to make new custom interior parts.

Con: Heater core has a pinhole leak that causes minor fogging. I currently have the defroster vents taped off for this reason.

Pro: Car has a very rare split-dual-DIN Kenwood cassette and CD player combo in a custom dash install (looks 100% factory) with period-correct OEM rear deck speaker grilles and OEM HT-204 5.25” front door speaker grilles. I don’t currently have 5.25” drivers that fit under the HT-204 grilles, so for now there are no front speakers, sorry.

Con: Mileage shown is not accurate, as I replaced the complete instrument cluster less than 1k miles ago. Actual mileage on the title is 255,870 and I can reset the odometer to the correct mileage if the buyer prefers. The mileage itself is hardly a con with these cars, as they can easily go a million miles or more on original engines and transmissions (this is well-documented).

Pro: ORIGINAL Exterior is in fantastic shape, and the car has never been driven in winter (originally a Southern car). There is minimal rust in a few small places, but nothing that can’t easily be dealt with. The clear coat is gone, but otherwise the paint is in decent shape, as is the original stripe kit. For a concours restoration, a repaint and new stripe kit would be in order, of course. The underside of the hood has minimal surface corrosion over the engine, as is common, but no serious rust and no rot. There is one small ding as shown (right rear quarter) but this could be fixed easily before a respray. Otherwise the body is straight as an arrow. The car has a later-style sunroof wind deflector with adjustable airflow vents (can easily be removed and attaches using factory points) as well as a rare cowl scoop (OEM) and a period-correct set of EXTREMELY RARE JW Construction rear window louvers (these are impossible to find at this point, as they were made during the late 1970s and early 1980s specifically for the Volvo 242 and 244). Grille, front air dam, and all other unique GT parts are in great shape. Sunroof works perfectly.

Con: Windshield frame is loose and windshield itself is scratched and pitted. While the frame can be reattached with new clips, I did not do this yet as I was planning to replace the windscreen first. As such, a BRAND NEW windshield is included - it has never been used on the road and was test-fitted only. It is correct aftermarket glass purchased new in 2017 and has been stored wrapped in blankets to prevent any scratching.

Con: steering wheel padding is a bit soft.
Pro: OEM steering wheel in near mint condition with rock hard padding included at asking price

Pro: Headlamps converted to Euro spec with impact guards

There is much more to say about this car and I’m happy to respond. For the right buyer, the following is also available at extra cost:

1) Complete B230FT engine with complete rebuilt M46 transmission, plus all intercooler parts, wiring harness, distributor, intermediate shaft, etc. needed to convert this car to full B230FT. Plus an engine crane to do the job.

2) Numerous rare period upgrades including center front armrest with both full black leather wrap and black cloth insert over black vinyl sides

3) OEM headrest covers for original headrests (current seats upgraded to Gen-III)

4) Much more, please email and ask, list includes Euro taillamps in both German and English styles, OEM power sunroof kit, etc. etc. etc.

Asking below the low average Hagerty value for the car with no extras at $5200 OBO; extras negotiable. More pictures available upon request. I want this rare car to go to a good owner. Thanks for looking.