This is tempting

"gmctavish needs more space" (gmctavish)
12/30/2015 at 12:32 • Filed to: None

It's just so cheap....it's come down from $2000. I'm thinking there's a catch...

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DISCUSSION (14)

EL_ULY > gmctavish needs more space
12/30/2015 at 12:36

HOLY HIGH MILEAGE! They are tanks but don’t let the stereotype fool you. Continue carefully.

Where have all the lightweights gone? > EL_ULY
12/30/2015 at 12:41

279km ~= 175k mi. I had one around that one point, and it ran like a top. Such a fun and comfortable highway bruiser.

d15b > gmctavish needs more space
12/30/2015 at 12:42

I would give you more details on how to check a turbo, but I have no idea. BUT, turbo is going on the list of things to check.

EL_ULY > Where have all the lightweights gone?
12/30/2015 at 12:44

oh....km! Well then, I issue standard universal used car inspection protocol. Ask aboot (lol) the timing belt and oil trap (pcv)

itschrome > gmctavish needs more space
12/30/2015 at 12:55

Jesus, if it was on the other side of canadialand I would buy that! Perfect candidate for 850 rally car!

m-b-w loves his SUBAROO > gmctavish needs more space
12/30/2015 at 12:58

I got a 94 for free last year. It was fun... Until my friend killed it by jumping it.

wbizarre - OEM fetishist > gmctavish needs more space
12/30/2015 at 13:25

Sounds pretty good for a high-mile 90’s ‘Vo, those things are cheap, and have been for a while. About 7-8 years ago I picked up a single-owner 1997 960 with under 100,000 miles for under $3k. Ran fantastic for the few years that I owned it, but it wasn’t a turbo, I don’t know first-hand about the reliability of those. And if you’re willing to forgive the classy script , that Premium Sound System is really good too, from a time before everything needed to be co-branded because BRAND SYNERGY HNNNG!

gmctavish needs more space > EL_ULY
12/30/2015 at 13:43

Thanks! Good to hear from the resident volvo expert on this one

boxrocket > gmctavish needs more space
12/30/2015 at 14:01

279K though...

I’d rather find a Redblock-powered RWD one instead (740/960 thru 1991, 940/960 then S/V90 the last few years), but I’ve had two RWD Volvo wagons so I'm biased.

twochevrons > gmctavish needs more space
12/30/2015 at 14:41

That could be a pretty good deal. I have its performance-model cousin, the 850R. I wouldn’t call them hugely exciting to drive, but the Turbo and R models definitely pack a surprising punch, and are excellent highway cruisers.

The only difference between the turbo and R models is the engine ECU (and a few bits of trim), and they’re very tuneable. There are definitely people getting silly amounts of power out of them (usually in conjunction with a manual swap), if that kind of thing floats your boat.

The 850 gets a bit of a bad rap because the first-gen S70 and V70 models that came after it looked almost exactly the same, but introduced a new transmission and engine management system that were infamously trouble prone. A good 850 (and that one does look pretty good) will be much more reliable.

Here are a few things to watch out for:

The crankcase breather system is very complicated and prone to clogging, which, if left long enough, will start blowing out seals and causing oil leaks. Some of the breather system components are tucked under the intake manifold, and are a pain to get to for cleaning.

Oil leaks. Large leaks are probably the turbo oil return line, which is an easy fix. Smaller leaks are more likely to be failed seals caused by a clogged crankcase breather. In either case, the oil likes to run down the trailing edge of the oil pan, so look for drips there.

Valve stem seals can leak, which will cause a puff of oil smoke at startup, and when pulling away after idling for a few minutes. This probably won’t be an issue at that car’s mileage, though.

Heater cores often fail; the telltale signs are damp front carpets, a sweet smell (and possibly steam) coming from the vents, and an oily residue on the windscreen. Fortunately, they’re cheap and easy to fix - I did mine in an afternoon.

The engines are very sensitive to overheating. Check for the usual signs of a blown head gasket, though leaks in the transmission and oil coolers in the radiator side tanks can give the same symptoms.

The heated seats probably burned out years ago.

Check that the AC and recirculate lights don’t flash after you start the engine; this indicates a fault in the climate control system, which may or may not be an easy fix.

The ABS/traction control computers are prone to failure (I’m not sure if this affects the ‘95s, but it happened on my ‘96), but there are people around online who will fix them for around $100.

The headlight wiper motors tend to burn out (or break the wiper arms) if the wipers freeze to the lens.

Aside from those things, the mechanicals are pretty bulletproof; transmission and turbo failures are pretty much unknown unless they’ve been abused.

As a point of reference, mine has 220,000 miles (roughly 350,000 km) on the clock, and has obviously been driven hard for most of its life. It leaks a bit of oil, and is starting to show signs of leaky valve stem seals, but it still has excellent compression, and the turbo is still in great shape.

gmctavish needs more space > boxrocket
12/30/2015 at 14:41

Kms, not miles. I also prefer the rwd ones, this is just very cheap and seems clean, and I need a new beater

gmctavish needs more space > twochevrons
12/30/2015 at 14:56

Holy crap, that’s all extremely helpful. If I end up going to check it out, I’m gonna have a way better idea of what I’m looking out for, I appreciate it. The tunability is definitely intriguing....

boxrocket > gmctavish needs more space
12/30/2015 at 17:22

Fits the bill; do it!

gmctavish needs more space > boxrocket
12/30/2015 at 18:08

If i can get rid of my poor vehicular decisions that are taking up space, it shall happen