Junkyard Jewel: 1980 Volvo DL Wagon with 629,145 Miles

The fourth-biggest odometer reading I've ever documented in a junkyard vehicle.

I've spent quite a few years looking for discarded vehicles with intergalactic final mileage showing on their odometers, and today we've got one that shakes up the Murilee Martin Junkyard Odometer Top Ten in a big way: this Volvo 240 wagon now residing at Colorado Auto & Parts.

Before we get started here, a word about what Volvo called this car when it was sold. For the 1980 through 1985 model years, US-market Volvos were called just by their trim level designation followed by the body type. That makes this car a 1980 Volvo DL Wagon, not a 245 or a 240 DL wagon (even though nearly all of us will call it a 245). OK?

629,145 miles comes to just under 14,000 miles for each of this car's 45 years of existence. Not bad for a base-grade car that sold for $8,785 new (about $36,583 after inflation), making it the cheapest wagon Volvo sold in the United States in 1980 (the six-cylinder GLE with automatic had a $13,310 MSRP, which comes to about $55,426 in 2025 dollars… and we can be confident that a PRV-powered car wouldn't have lasted even a third as many miles).

Today’s Junkyard Jewel shoves a 626,476-mile 1988 Honda Accord out of fourth place in the MMJO standings, which are topped by a Kentucky-built 1996 Toyota Avalon with just under a million final miles on the clock.

This car also gives Volvo two honorees in the MMJO Top Ten (Toyota and Mercedes-Benz have three apiece). Here's the list:

1. 1996 Toyota Avalon: 949,683 miles

2. 1985 Toyota Camry: 648,928 miles

3. 1990 Volvo 240 DL Sedan: 631,999 miles

4. 1980 Volvo DL Wagon: 629,145 miles

5. 1988 Honda Accord: 626,476 miles

6. 1987 Mercedes-Benz 190E: 601,173 miles

7. 1996 Toyota Camry wagon: 583,634 miles

8. 1981 Mercedes-Benz 300 SD: 572,129 miles

9. 1985 Mercedes-Benz 300 SD: 535,971 miles

10. 1998 Subaru Legacy Outback Wagon: 528,837 miles

Beyond that, I’ve documented eleven junked Volvos with final odometer readings between 300,000 and 500,000 miles, mostly 240s but with a couple of 740s in the mix. How many Saabs have I found with better than 300k? So far, none (but I'll keep looking).

This car has the good old B21F Redblock four-cylinder, rated at 104 horsepower in 1980.

It got a timing belt back in 2014, at 620k miles.

The transmission is the M46 four-speed with overdrive switch on the shift knob. The overdrive was an extra-cost option on the DL.

The air conditioning was an option on the DL as well, though the rear demister came as standard equipment.

Why is it here? The driveshaft has been removed, so maybe the car was awaiting a transmission rebuilt or replacement that never happened.

It's rusty by Front Range Colorado Volvo standards.

The leading edge of the hood is badly corroded.

Is there thick body filler? You bet!

Add to those problems the worn interior and busted windshield and we can see that this car wasn't worth keeping on the road at the end, at least not in 240-glutted Colorado. The ending of its story might have been different in New England, where I am told (by Internet Car Experts) that these cars are worshiped and sell for huge money in any condition.

I thought about buying the gauge cluster for my hoard collection, but I already have enough high-mile clusters.