Bought a one owner 98 V70 AWD back in march from my friends who works at the dealer. 196k impeccably kept up by a doctor and garaged kept.

Have put around 7500 miles on it since then and regularly serviced every 5k at the dealer, its actually been twice since we have owned it, just routine stuff.

Now the problem:

This evening my girlfriend got in the car and drove across town and then back to my place, except she didn't make it back. Maybe a total of 30 miles, when she got in the car coolant light came on. She ignored it proceeded to drive across town and back made it about a 1/2 mile from home before she pulled over into a car lot due to smoke coming from the hood.

I showed up about 20 minutes later from work to find the car still at 3/4 up the temp gauge, never passed the halfway mark before. She not being very attentive to the car can't answer any of my questions of what happened besides what I stated, didn't even look at the temp gauge.

Coolant reservoir completely empty and when I opened it steam coming out. I filled it to the max, proceeded to turn the car on which was difficult, check engine light on and engine for sure missfiring. Coolant drained out within thirty seconds.

So I know the head is most likely warped, I just hope the pistons or rings aren't damaged.

So buy a re-manufactured head, or pull mine first and see if I can have it machined properly?

never done a head gasket, have removed a tranny and the valve cover before, don't have the set specific tools to do the head.

This is also the main mode of transportation for my girlfriend and our son.

 

No compression in cylinder #3. Head is definitely warped.

Will a 97 850 Turbo block swap over?

A replacement long block averages from 600 to 1400 depending on condition.

 

It's been a couple weeks, so if it's your main mode of transport, you've probably already solved the problem somehow. Personally, I think the moral of this story is obvious, but I'll let that go for now...

If you haven't got it worked out yet, you should pull the head first. It's hard to know how to proceed until you know what you're dealing with. It could be that the head can be resurfaced and saved.

If it can't be saved, you can find a good used head. No real need to replace the motor. I'm sure somebody here has one, or you can try car-part.com

The turbo block is going to have lower compression. It might work, but I think it would be a dog

 

Nope, just got it towed back from the dealer yesterday. They gave me an estimate in 1200 in labor not including parts.

I did source a block that has 90k for $1200.

If anyone does have a good head or motor willing to sell pm me.


Same thing I told her the guy at the dealer did, very simple yet very costly mistake. She doesn't believe things I tell her till it comes from someone else.

We went to sharing my 94 855 which earlier this month on the 8th she was rear ended and sandwiched between the car in front of her. So that is now a total loss, which I will buy back and fix.

Have a rental car currently.

 

Why put money into a car that's hit, and a car that needs a motor?

If it were me, I'd pull the motor out of the one that got hit. Part out whats left, then scrap it. Then you've got her car back, with a motor you know the condition of, and a few bucks out of the one that got hit. Combine that with $1200 you'd spend on a motor, and you can buy another car.

Mid '90's Volvos are getting cheap, at least in my area.

 

I most likely by a used motor. Pull and fix the one that's in it.

What's cheap to you? 2 grand is the going rate for 850 around me. more between 3 and 4 grand. Saw one posted the other say for 5750, and it wasnt an R. I looked at a 97 850 5 speed with 210k and tore up and guy wouldn't budge from 1200.

Even ones with engine problems or trans problems people want 700-1000. Which is outrageous when they don't even move and sometimes even start.

I buy my 94 855 back, which isn't a turbo, for $200. Already found a bumper for a 100 and tailgate for 400. Already have the tail lights.

$700 for a car I know its condition.

 

In my area (Seattle) there's a '94 sedan on craigslist for $500 that needs a clutch, a '94 wagon that needs a few relatively minor things (PCV/EGR, broken door glass, etc) for $350, and a '95 turbo sedan that looks nice for $1250.

I'm thinking I should buy up 850's and ship them to the east coast.

 

Dealership put a used motor in, so got the car running on the road again.

I have the old motor in my garage, hopefully in the future start pulling it apart and see the true destruction.