Hello Volvo Enthusiasts! This is my first post to the forums although I've been a reader for quite awhile now. I'm posting today to ask for some advice regarding my beautiful Volvo (: Its a 1998 Volvo V70R AWD with original interior as well as its original (but slightly modified) inline 5-cylinder with a 19t turbo. Now, as great as all this is, I recently got some super great news that my head gasket is in need of replacement. Luckily nothing is seriously damaged, it's just an old engine that's hitting 200K with some of its older parts so it's about that time I start making some decisions.
I absolutely love the car and I don't see many around like mine. Its not currently a necessity that i have a car so i have feel I have a couple options. I can either (1) swap the engine,(2) fix whats wrong (and possibly have more go bad down the road), or (3) I could sell it for what its worth currently and go from there.

I'm just looking for some general guidance from some people who may know some more than me about these cars, which I'm sure is most of you. My questions are as follows:

-Is my car worth anything substantial as is? (I can provide some pictures in the next few days)

-What can I expect from an engine swap, and what would be the best engine to look for?

-How much would the condition of my car or thee model add to its value? How common are they? It has its wooden trim and the leather and swede seats and original V70R floor mats and the speaker right on the dash, memory seats, all that its not completely original though.


Okay so that's pretty much it. I want to stay committed to this car as it would break my heart to sell it. I want to fix it up and keep it but I know that's also quite the financial commitment as well. So if anyone out there has any experience with my situation I would really appreciate some insight (: Have a goood day Everyone!

 

to the forum Colorado

 

Thanks Frog

 

What's it worth as it sits? Heck if I know, but craigslist is a wonderful tool. With good pics and an honest description start the price high then lower a few hundred every couple of days until the phone starts ringing. I would also post a link here so enthusiasts can see the pics as well.

As for the engine decision you haven't given enough info for us to help. How long have you owned the car and how many miles have you personally put on? Any sign of oil consumption? Too bad you don't have a way to test compression before the head job. My '02 with 199K on it was still extremely solid on the motor when I totaled it and I wouldn't have hesitated to do a head gasket on that motor. The motor in my '06 isn't as tight with only 140K, though there isn't really any sign of sludge etc. Just a bit noisy at start up compared to the '02. Bottom line is my vote would be to stick with the engine you know if you hadn't seen any sign of other issues vs taking a motor you know next to nothing about.

 

There's been oil leaking, sorry I should have said that for sure. There have been a couple problems with the engine in the past which is why im leaning more towards and engine swap. My guy who works on my car told me the engine is gonna keep needing money. Im really thinking a swap is my best bet i have money to spend on a nice new engine I cant see how that wouldn't be a good option that's why im here

 

With that info the advice is easy. It would be nearly impossible to recommend a freshly rebuilt engine at most likely $3,500+ on a car that is probably worth $3,000 in good running condition, so a used engine for ~$1,500 installed is probably the smart move. If you don't get a great deal of use out of the car and are still in love with it that's what I'd do. Life is too short not to enjoy what you drive. And say you could get someone to give you a grand for it as it sits and buy something else for $5,000, well now you have $5,000 sitting in the driveway you don't get much use out of vs $1,500. As for the best engine, stick with the same motor that is in it. While that engine is not near as sophisticated as today's cars, if you drop in a different motor the there are all kinds of other things that may need to change too and will drive up the cost or flat out be impossible to configure correctly. Your mechanic, assuming he is reasonably capable, should know what to get.

 

Thank you so much that was exactly the advice I was looking for! I appreciate the response very much my friend.

 

What are some other Volvos that have a similar engine?

 

It will be a 2.3 turbo, but not all 2.3 turbo's will be an exact drop in. I would make your mechanic responsible for finding the engine if possible that way if an error is made he owns it and not you.

I just did a quick search on ebay for a compatible engine (some of the biggest salvage parts sellers like LKQ list things there) and didn't come up with a compatible engine. Was a little surprised. It may be rare enough to add a level of difficulty to this venture and that typically comes at an expense. You may find that a used motor isn't $1,500 installed and that may change your decision point, but in the end the thought process remains the same. If you can fix the car and still love it for the same or less than you would end up spending to replace it it's a win.

 

keep in mind with a used engine you don't always know what your getting. If your oil leak is up top (ie cam seals) and you decide to do the head gasket, all of that will get refreshed - along with the timing belt/water pump etc. If you have a leaky rear main seal, that'd be another story. If the engine was strong before the head gasket going, then I'd think the bottom end was good and refreshing the top half makes sense to me. Search Car-parts.com to get a sense of what a used motor costs and then ask your shop for the book rate on the labor. Then you can do the same for the head gasket job.