OT+ To Volvo or not?

[31Hertz]

Ladies and gents, this is in conjunction with my other post regarding my family's new arrival. We own a '97 Honda Accord LX with 135K miles, (yes, it is s-l-o-w compared to the 540:p ) and I am considering trading this car for a '94 Volvo 850 Wagon. It is a 2.4 Liter 5 cylinder, non-turbo, leather, 103K Miles. Do any of you wise ones have any real-world experience with the 850 or the Volvo 5-cylinder engine or 4-speed automatic transmission in general? I have been to Sweedespeed, Volvoforums, and Volvospeed on the 'net, and have done much research. However, I value the opinions of those on this forum highly and beg for your wisdom. I have even contemplated selling the 540i to obtain an even newer Volvo. We are extremely limited on cash, and are looking to trade straight up or owe very little. Input greatly desired.

Thankee very much, Giff

[Black 535i]

...go to www.brickboard.com and do a search for the vehicle you are looking for. We have a 1998 V70 T5 with 103,000 miles and love it but you have to be careful with Volvos and choose the year with the least amount of problems for your budget. One year can make thousands of dollars difference in maintenance. Make sure you have a good indy to take care of the small stuff as well as the big ticket items. Whereabouts do you live?

[31Hertz]

...go to www.brickboard.com and do a search for the vehicle you are looking for. We have a 1998 V70 T5 with 103,000 miles and love it but you have to be careful with Volvos and choose the year with the least amount of problems for your budget. One year can make thousands of dollars difference in maintenance. Make sure you have a good indy to take care of the small stuff as well as the big ticket items. Whereabouts do you live?

I live in Knoxville, TN. There is a reputable shop here called European Motor Werks on Sutherland Avenue. From what I have read, the 93's are generally to be avoided, and that they made subtle improvements through to '97... They ALL have a reputation for leaky A/C condensers ($1K)... Is the V70 the only Volvo you have ever owned?

[nizmainiac]

get a turbo one

[31Hertz]

get a turbo one
turbo maintenance scares me. Should I not be afraid?

[KenB]

I have a 98 S70 GLT turbo 5 cyl automatic w/116k miles. Great car, very reliable. Wanna buy it?:)

https://home.comcast.net/~kbingert/onlinestorage/DSCF0578.jpg

[Mr Project]

I wouldn't worry too much about turbos on a Volvo, those swedes are pretty good with hair dryers. :)

I would stay away from an early 850, though, like the 93-95s. Unless it was really clean and had excellent maintenance history. The early FWD cars don't have a great reputation. You probably already know that from your research.

My only experience is with my 419,000km 740 turbo. It's a tank, I'm selling it to my little brother as his first car. If nobody pops the motor by running it dry of oil, it'll run forever.

[31Hertz]

[QUOTE=Mr Project]I wouldn't worry too much about turbos on a Volvo, those swedes are pretty good with hair dryers.

teehee, hair dryers...

Ken, looking for a wagon; but nice try;)

Yes, MP; I have seen good and bad about the FWD Bricks. The more input I get, and the more research I do; the more I think I need to dive into a late '80's / early '90's Volvo... Hmmm, anyone else?

[KenB]

No problem, and congrats on the beautiful daughter!:D :D

[winfred]

if you want a really good volvo get a 940 with or without turbo (turbos last a long time 200+k miles with 3k oil changes) tranny failures are rare, or a 91-93 240, the 93 850 is a bastard one year only pain in the ass (sorta like a 84 190e mercedes, nothing on the car is the same as the next year) 94-95 ain't terrible, prone to oil leaks mainly due to not cleaning/replacing the flame trap allowing crankcase pressure to build and blow seals, timing belt kills the motor when it breaks, ac evap takes about 6 hours of labor (aftermarket evaps SUCK get factory) rear main seal requiers dropping the engine/tranny/front suspension out of the car if you don't have access to the factory tool (which still takes the same 8-9 odd hours to do it without dropping the drivetrain)

[SharkmanBMW]

I have always heard to ONLY buy Volvos with a Turbo... not sure why, but it had something to do with durability.... they outlast non turbo engines...?!

[nizmainiac]

just as long as you let them warm up and then warm down and change the oil every 6 months , it'll be problem free, but i would say that about any turbo motor, go on get one you won't regret it , the t5 is a very nice car, and don't be afraid

[winfred]

not really, they just go faster


I have always heard to ONLY buy Volvos with a Turbo... not sure why, but it had something to do with durability.... they outlast non turbo engines...?!

[winfred]

86 and up the turbos are water cooled and are not as picky about shut down, the oil needs to be changed more ofter then that if the car actually get some miles put on it, 3 months/3k miles is generally a good idea for regular useage


just as long as you let them warm up and then warm down and change the oil every 6 months , it'll be problem free, but i would say that about any turbo motor, go on get one you won't regret it , the t5 is a very nice car, and don't be afraid

[nizmainiac]

i would still change the oil every 6 months regardless of use, thats just my own personal experiance , i've owned two s12 silvias and a pulsar gtir and i always let them warm up and down properly , if you don't do that , the cast iron around the waste gate cracks and you end up with no boost, ive got a t25 hybrid and a t3 in my loft which have been treated this way and they are both in perfect condition

[Zeuk in Oz]

Ladies and gents, this is in conjunction with my other post regarding my family's new arrival. We own a '97 Honda Accord LX with 135K miles, (yes, it is s-l-o-w compared to the 540:p ) and I am considering trading this car for a '94 Volvo 850 Wagon. It is a 2.4 Liter 5 cylinder, non-turbo, leather, 103K Miles. Do any of you wise ones have any real-world experience with the 850 or the Volvo 5-cylinder engine or 4-speed automatic transmission in general? I have been to Sweedespeed, Volvoforums, and Volvospeed on the 'net, and have done much research. However, I value the opinions of those on this forum highly and beg for your wisdom. I have even contemplated selling the 540i to obtain an even newer Volvo. We are extremely limited on cash, and are looking to trade straight up or owe very little. Input greatly desired.

Thankee very much, Giff
Having owned 5 Volvos (I was born in Sweden, after all) including a '96 850 AWD, I would agree with some of the other posters that a turbo is preferrable, espcially the low boost turbo.

Avoid the AWD model unless you live where it snows, but even then the risks of drivetrain issues are too great - mine came with a spacesaver spare because I ticked the 7 seater box - long story short - dealer supplied wrong sized spare - wife drove car until it was smoking from the drivetrain - all of drivetrain had to be replaced over next 18 months.

Volvo (Australia at least) are a pig to deal with so I will never buy another one - period !

The turbos are quieter as well.

Good luck.

[31Hertz]

Thank you all. You have been extremely helpful. I think I will eschew the idea of the 850, I am now considering a 1987 940 with approximately 130K Miles. It appears to be in near perfect condition. For some reason, I have had a suspicion about any car made after around 1992 since I was a lad (I was 17 then). I just had a feeling that quality in automobiles as a whole was slipping. I do not have a reasonable explanation for this feeling; it just exists. I have a soft spot for older vehicles anyway;) Wish me luck and all that crap.

[Bill R.]

find... there's an 87 740



Thank you all. You have been extremely helpful. I think I will eschew the idea of the 850, I am now considering a 1987 940 with approximately 130K Miles. It appears to be in near perfect condition. For some reason, I have had a suspicion about any car made after around 1992 since I was a lad (I was 17 then). I just had a feeling that quality in automobiles as a whole was slipping. I do not have a reasonable explanation for this feeling; it just exists. I have a soft spot for older vehicles anyway;) Wish me luck and all that crap.

[Mr Project]

The thing to watch out for in the pre-1990 700 series volvos is the engine compartment wiring. Very common for it to disintegrate due to a certain type of insulation they used for a little while.

The one I bought had actually melted a bunch of wiring not in the engine compartment, but in the car near the fusebox. I rewired most of the main 'trunk' harness under the dash and have had no issues since. It wasn't expensive or terribly difficult, just time-consuming. But if you're not handy with electrical issues, choose your late-80s 740 carefully.

[Zeuk in Oz]

Thank you all. You have been extremely helpful. I think I will eschew the idea of the 850, I am now considering a 1987 940 with approximately 130K Miles. It appears to be in near perfect condition. For some reason, I have had a suspicion about any car made after around 1992 since I was a lad (I was 17 then). I just had a feeling that quality in automobiles as a whole was slipping. I do not have a reasonable explanation for this feeling; it just exists. I have a soft spot for older vehicles anyway;) Wish me luck and all that crap.
Having owned a '91 940 and a '96 850, if it comes to a choice between the 2, I would go for the 850 or S70/V70 any time. A much nicer car to drive - a real step up in NVH terms as well as the extra safety gear.

my 2c

[Michael999]

If you want a cheap reliable car, the 200 series volvos are unbeatable, they are very cheaps, spare parts are nearly free, and they go forever.
Look for a late model 240 wagon, they kept making them up until the early 90s.

[winfred]

89 and up are a little stronger running with the crank trigger injection system and a better wiring harness, 91 and up have better ac systems (look for the silver accumulator on the firewall) earlyer ac systems work a lot better with a electric fan added behind the grill wired to run with the compressor (if you really wanna get fancy run it off a pressure switch, but that's more work then it's worth imho) the uber non turboed 240 is a 91-93 with the good ac and install a tranny from a non turbo 89 and up 7/940 with it's lock up converter (bolt for bolt swap), i built one like that for my grand parents and it gets mid 30s on the highway. put a set of ipd swaybars and 15" or bigger rims on it and it will suprise the hell out of some sports cars in the curves

i wish i kept my 240 turbo wagon that i converted to 5 speed, intercooled, b230 intake manifold converted, 940 exhaust manifold and down piped, light flywheeled and ported head


If you want a cheap reliable car, the 200 series volvos are unbeatable, they are very cheaps, spare parts are nearly free, and they go forever.
Look for a late model 240 wagon, they kept making them up until the early 90s.