Ok, dipping my foot once again into that hot-lead pool of Volvo ownership. My 1st was a 98 V70R w/155K on it and it was the worst car I've owned mostly due to it's having been beat upon and not cared for properly by PO. I will be receiving a 91 740 wagon shortly, 76K miles and from CarFax it looks like if not a one owner then a car owned by folks in and around NYC. Probably a city car and not used a lot.
What should I check for right away? What big-ticket items should I examine before turning it into a 100 mile a day commuter? I plan to change oil, change tranny fluid(?), check brakes maybe do a quicky plugs, cap, rotor, wires tune-up. Does it have any OBD capabilities like the OBD compliant plug where I might attach and pull some minimal information? Can I get a full VOLVO shop manual for this? I used FCP Groton for parts on the V70R and liked their prices and service so I'll set up a big order with them as soon as I know what I bought. Assuming a car in decent shape, can I realistically pull 250~300K out of the drive train? I like working on my cars anyway and am hoping this one will lend itself to owner maintenance. If it's really good, lots of upgrades will be going in, suspension mods, wheels and tires, low end performance enhancements like cold air intake, good exhaust system etc. What can I expect for mileage, 90% highway at about 70?
Thanks and I hope to contribute my experiences to the group.

 

Check the maintenance records for timingbelts (not that it real matters on a non-interference motor???)... and rear main seal.....etc.get an idea on the car's service life..... 76k miles...nice. Check all hoses and vac line. I have 260,000 miles on my 91 745T driveterrian is still original.... Just keep up on maintenance and you'll be find.

Milage is not the greatest on my trubo, but I have made some improvements to that.....like a recent valve adjustment, intake, exhaust, and some chips. I haven't tested this setup yet, but I assume I can get ~28+mpg at 80mph

 

Is there anyway to tell what motor this car has based on the VIN?
I am expecting the car to need a lot of maintenance and am planning to replace rotors, calipers, vacuum lines, change tranny fluid (gonna get the IPD thing for that), engine filters, etc etc. I'm familiar with IPD and FCP Groton. Are there any other vendors I should look at to do some price shopping? Any vendors who are supporting the site in some way?
Thanks Much

 

Engine code 88 B230F apparently.

 

pelicanparts.com

B230F is non-turbo, less fun, but better MPGs....