Howdy from Memphis! Please don't disown me but I don't yet own a Volvo.

I'm looking at a very tired 1993 960 sedan with 200+k miles that does not run, needs a catalytic converter, battery, radio, and idle control valve. (I was told it's a 960, but it has a 4 cylinder engine is it maybe a 940?)

Otherwise the car seems to be in fair shape. As a newbie what would you check before buying it??? IF at all??? Thank you in advance for any and all comments!

My daydream Volvo is the WWII era military 4x4 commander wagon...

 

Check this out Buying a Used 7xx/9xx. I don't know much about the 900 series, so I'll leave that to someone else...
Thumbs up to you for at least asking what you should look for instead of blindly buying a Volvo and getting frustrated with doing repair work on it. Looks like you have a few things to do on that one, so I think you are prepared. What $ are they asking? And what is tired on the car if you say it is in good shape?

 

if its not running, its kind of hard to check all the things I'd normally want to check.

a 960 has a very expensive-to-maintain, smooth as silk inline 6 cyl engine, while the 940 has one of 3 variations on the good old 2.3L swedish brick cast iron 4 cyl, the variations are conventional SOHC, turbo, and 16V DOHC.

the 4 cyls are pretty much always mated to an AW70 or 71 automatic transmission, which is a very reliable and simple classic 3 speed + overdrive auto, the same tranny was used in a bunch of RWD toyotas in the 1980s.

the 960 sedans have IRS (independent rear suspension), while the 960 wagons and all 940s are live axle RWD, using a differential/axle that was used in jeeps. sturdy as a tank.

that website Burns listed is a very good reference. Since this thing is non-op and has a bunch of 'not working' kinda stuff, I do hope the body and interior are in very nice condition to make it worth the cost of repairing/restoring.

 

Thank you both for the valuable information! I'm still learning and researching before taking on this project car. The interior, body, and trunk are in good shape (at least to me).

They are asking $500 and it is uncertain this car even runs. They have finally stated it won't even idle. I'll keep learning before deciding yes/no on it because it's not slated to go off to the junk yard just yet...

 

It has been my experience that a car for $500 should still run at some level. I have owned three Volvo wagons all of which I purchased for less than $1000 each. all of which have run. (mostly). I would only buy a non running Volvo if it was for parts or you have interest in tinkering. (a lot). and even then I would offer up all of a few hundred bucks so if it has to go to a scrap pile I'm not out of anything except the time I spent drinking a beer and replacing parts cheap parts. (blindly). If the car runs you can always find out why it isn't running well. If it doesnt run at all and you are relying on the person you bought it from to accurately describe why... then you'll be tinkering. (a lot).