Volvo: Buying a 240, japanese counterparts, volvo 240

Question
I am considering buying a mid 80's Volvo 240.  A friend of mine said these cars are easy to work on and run forever. Is this true. I would like to learn more about cars beyond the oil change and spark plug replacement. Would this be a good car to learn on? Are parts cheap and easy to find?

Answer
I did all my learning on my 1980 Volvo 240, and it's been a great experience.  The engines are very forgiving, and definetly easy to work on.  Parts are easy to get, especially if you go to junk yards, where 240's are plentiful.  Most engines in the 240 can be expected to go 500K without major work (mine is at 250K and still going strong).  They are definetly great starter cars for learning engines, and are built much better than their Japanese counterparts.  Good luck with your decision!