So last week I finally made the jump and bought my first RWD volvo. I am mostly a P3 guy but have also done a bit of work on the P80 chassis. I recently purchased a 1997 960 Wagon, black on tan for a whopping $800. Obviously with such a price point comes many service related issues that I hope to sort out. I was hoping you guys could help fill me in on what I should be looking for and setting as a priority for fixing. For reference the car has 193k on the clock.

I plan on tackling the engine issues first, I am getting a few codes for different issues.

1. Codes P0303 and P0300 - Misfire on Cylinder 3: I plan on taking a look at the spark plugs and ignition coil for cylinder 3, possibly doing a swap to see if its an electrical issue. (I have heard that the wiring to the coils can go bad on these cars).
2. P0102, P5107, and P1505 - Bad MAF and Idle Air Control Valve: Not sure if these are actually broken, I had both unplugged when I was checking for the codes. I will have to clear the codes and see what comes back up. I did clear a bunch of corrosion out of the plug to the IAC and would rather not have to pay $300 for a new one, but I will if I have to.
3. Oil and Belts - I have no idea when the belts were last done, or the oil changed. Definitely not taking the risk on that one. The serpentine belt is super dry rotted.
4. Something in the suspension is making a racket over bumps. Im assuming end links or tie rod ends. Could even be bad struts at this point. I havent had the time yet to jack the car up and take the wheels off to look.
5. The oil cap on the top of the engine (I think) is the cause of the oil on top of the engine. There is only oil on the intake side along the top, however I may need to check the PCV. However the oil location currently leads me to believe the gasket on the oil cap is gone and letting some leak out onto everything.

Any help and advice is greatly appreciated. Also pics! https://imgur.com/a/zPBu9xV

 

4, I've been told our '95 needs new struts and new end links, although there's not much racket. It just makes a spring squishing sound when it goes over big bumps and dips. Sourcing good struts hasn't been an easy thing. Cheap Monroe kits seems to be the only thing regularly available, and I have read not to bother as they last only about 20,000 miles. IPD seems to have this one by Professional Parts Sweden. If my finances were in shape, I'd buy a set. Of course, if my finances were in shape, I wouldn't be trying to keep a 25-year-old Volvo going. Swedish Car Parts sells inserts, but I'm thinking most people want to replace the whole unit.

 

"Professional Parts Sweden" are Chinese, Swedish Car Parts are aftermarket... not Swedish either.

 

I'm beginning to think Chinese knockoffs are all that are available for the '95 at least. IPD has "Country of Origin" listed as "Sweden" for the "Professional Parts Sweden." That may mean they come from China via Sweden. FCPEuro has the Monroe kit, but on backorder. I'm wondering if eEuroparts' lifetime warranty might be an answer on this--buy some Chinese ones now, then swap them out in a few years.

Tasca says part 271911 is discontinued as OEM. Cannot find anyone else that seems to have them or any other reputable brand.

 

So an update now after a few weeks:
1. Got the misfire fixed by my local shop. Really didnt want to have to bring it in, but I know these guys well and they have helped significantly with my S60 Polestar. Ended up being the intake manifold gasket as well as the wiring going to cylinder 3. After having them replace the pig tails for cylinders 3,4,&5 it all seems to be running well now.
2. Additional fixes:
- New Air Filter
- New shifter bushings
- New Serpentine belt
- New front rotors (have yet to install these)
- New fuel rail (have yet to install this either, pulled it from a junkyard car since mine is leaking. Seems like a pain to re-install.)

3. I have cleaned the car pretty thoroughly, it was previously a smokers car so it was pretty gross inside. Also removed the pinstripes since it was faded badly.

Update pic!:
Mirror: https://i.imgur.com/upH3uiv.jpg

Also excuse the missing trim piece, I actually just got it back from the seller a couple days ago and re-installed it!

 

That looks really nice! Thanks for posting a picture and for the updates. Glad to hear you got the miss fixed.

I have a 94 960 I bought a couple of years ago and among other repairs I replaced the section of the engine wiring harness that goes to all of the coil packs. The insulation on those wires gets so brittle over time from the engine heat that eventually as in my case some of the insulation falls off and exposes bare wire. I bought the repair harness from Dave Barton's Volvo site. I might add the harness was worth every penny.

Thanks for posting your progress. I enjoy reading that kind of stuff. I spent a lot to revitalize my car right after I bought it, get caught up on repairs and maintenance like head gasket, timing belt, all fluids, AC clutch (not an easy part to find), F & R struts/shocks and rear springs part of conversion AWAY from self leveling rear suspension, which was cheaper than just replacing Nivomat shocks.

So an $1100 purchase turned into an almost $3000 car by the time it was all said and done. But I bought this car to be my daily driver, no car payment, runs very well, very comfortable. I love the big car ride compared to my friends' 240s which are great cars in their own right.

Anyway I appreciate when someone is willing to look beyond only the current market value and sink some money into an unloved car to breathe new life into it and put it back on the road or keep it on the road. Well done.