V Is For: 1982 Volvo 244 vs 1987 Volkswagen Jetta

Good morning! Today, for the letter V, I’m taking the easy way out, and taking the two obvious choices. But we’re going back to a time when they were simple, square, and durable as all get-out. They’re the same relatively low price, too.

Hopefully that will result in a more fair matchup than yesterday. Sure, everybody loves the roach coach on Taco Tuesday, but nobody wants to buy their own and fix it up. Almost nobody, anyway. Honestly, I can’t blame you; that thing is wildly overpriced. I was just amused by the existence of a site called Used Food Trucks.

Besides, who says no to a Unimog? It’s one of those mythical vehicles for us American gearheads, the sort of car you discover the existence of and you become obsessed with for a while, knowing that it’s unlikely you’ll ever see one in person. Well, if you’ve got twenty-four grand plus a ticket to Denver, here’s your chance!

All right, let’s get back to something simpler and more familiar. Today we’ve got two four-door sedans, one from Germany and one from Sweden, both with simple overhead-cam engines and manual transmissions. They’re fun to drive in their own way, and with a little care and feeding, they both might just run forever. Let’s check them out.

1982 Volvo 244 DL – $3,500

Engine/drivetrain: 2.1 liter overhead cam inline 4, four-speed manual + overdrive, RWD

Location: Bellingham, WA

Odometer reading: 189,000 miles

Operational status: Runs and drives great

The Volvo 240 is one of those cars I always assumed I’d end up owning someday, but the time has never been right. I’ve driven a few, and a couple of friends have had them, but the right car was never in the right place at the right time for me. It’s as unlikely an enthusiast’s car as there ever was: it’s not fast, it’s not a great handler (though it’s not terrible either), and it has all the style of a file cabinet. Yet, car folks almost universally seem to love these things. They were cheap and plentiful for years, but now good ones are becoming scarce, and prices are going up.

The heart of the 240 series is Volvo’s “Red Block” engine, which came in quite a few sizes and configurations over the years. This one has the basic B21F version, with Bosch fuel injection, good for a little over a hundred horses. The seller lists this car as having a five-speed manual, but that’s not quite true; it has a four-speed with an electric overdrive unit activated by a push-button on the shift knob. It runs and drives great, and it just had the engine compartment wiring redone.

There’s no mistaking 80s Volvo seats, with those hollow headrests – that’s a safety feature, by the way; Volvo did that to improve visibility out the back. It’s cheaper and more reliable than a camera, that’s for sure. It looks good inside, with just a little wear on the driver’s seat. In the dash is an Audiovox aftermarket tape deck that’s probably been in there since Reagan was in office. No word on whether it still works.

You don’t see too many of these in bright red; I think it suits it. I’m not usually much of a fan of red cars, but this one has enough trim on it to pull it off. It has a few blemishes, but hardly anything worth mentioning. It’s worth taking a peek underneath to make sure it isn’t rusty; this car spent its life in the San Juan Islands, and salt sea air is almost as bad as salty roads.

1987 Volkswagen Jetta GLI – $3,500

Engine/drivetrain: 1.8 liter overhead cam inline 4, five-speed manual, FWD

Location: Cottage Grove, OR

Odometer reading: 269,000 miles

Operational status: Runs and drives well, but has a clicky CV joint

Everybody knows the Volkswagen GTI. The sporty version of VW’s Rabbit and Golf is a legend, a fun-to-drive little hatchback that first graced our shores here in the US in 1983. But in 1985, with the introduction of the second generation, the GTI gained a sibling – the Jetta GLI. It has the same suspension upgrades, the same fat tires, and the same subtle red trim as the GTI, only with a trunk. And in those days, if you wanted the sporty one, a manual transmission was mandatory.

A little more power was also part of the GLI recipe, as well as shorter gearing for a little more acceleration. More power was on the horizon when this car was built, but it just missed out – in mid-year 1987 the GLI switched to a twin-cam 16-valve engine and gained about 20 horsepower in the process. No matter; this car has done fine with less power. It has 269,000 miles and counting, and it runs great, though it starts a little hard when cold; a faulty cold-start valve is a common problem with these. It also is in need of one new CV joint. A new axle is included; the seller just hasn’t gotten around to doing it yet.

It’s in pretty good shape inside, but the seller does note a few things. The headliner has been removed, and the sunroof has been sealed shut. The front seats look good, but they don’t match the rear seat; I think they’re from a newer VW.

It has a few flaws outside, but no rust, and no major damage. The pebble-finish black plastic trim on these cars always looks like hell; it fades to gray in the sun, and woe be unto you if you accidentally get any wax on it. It’ll never come off. The wheels aren’t original – maybe they came from the same newer Jetta as the seats. But they do look good on there.

I thought these two might make for a nice little reprieve from the weird and expensive shit that I may have to resort to in order to get us through the rest of the alphabet. They’re both nice, honest, no-nonsense European sedans from back when they really knew how to build ’em. Which one would you welcome into your garage?