Dear Forum members,

The transmission just went out on my 1997 Volvo 960. The shop has located a used transmission (w/ 90 day warranty) and can replace it for $1900 (including labor, etc.) The car has just over 200k miles. I purchased this car about 4 years ago from its original owner for $2,000 (which was definitely under book value). Overall, the car has been well taken care of and does not have any other major issues except there's a hole in the exhaust system. I am not mechanically inclined and have limited funds because I've returned to school. Should I get this fixed or simply look for another car?

Thanks for your feedback!

 

if you know the car is sound, and then i would say this would be the way to go. jumping into another used car you do not know could cost much more in the long run.

 

$1,900 is way too much to put in a $500-$1,000 car. I know, you think it's worth more, but it's not. 960 are quite unloved and undesirable, primarily beacause they are money pits. Get rid of it, and don't put another dime in it!

 

@mcavoyk:

I'm afraid I'm not going to put any weight either way on the poll; as this could be a hard "yes" or a hard "no" depending upon a whole roster of conditions.

As lev said, the 960 line is quite unloved by many. We got hold of our sedan for a couple of deciding reasons: body rust resistance and crashworthiness. The latter has paid handsomely with serious injury averted on no less than two consecutive encounters with daily four-wheeled idiocy; while the former is quite valued in a region with exuberant annual salt rituals. After all of these miles, I'm sure you can agree there are worse choices carwise.

However, there is an EOL factor to consider here with an older car. I personally cannot imagine being able to hold onto one of these vehicles in an economical fashion without having hands on all of the care personally. Parts range from cheap to criminally expensive; and many repairs are tough as Hell to perform. There are design flaws with this line which antagonize until resolved or worked-around. Then there's the matter of keeping it all "legal" with goofy digital crapola asserting itself as the occasional insoluble trouble "code".

I heard once that any car can be made durable, given enough time and resources. By extension, this is a durable car when given proper and timely ongoing care. How much of this can be afforded by you as the car greys and you get more involved with other things will be a large part of the determining factor in your decision to keep it or move it along.

Moneypit-wise, well, all cars are a losing proposition to one extent or another; but there are definitely worse offerings, even amongst those trusty old Volvo 240s:




Best wishes to you; and have a great day.

 

I can't argue with much of what's said. Too many factors enter into "good car, bad car" discussion, in the end it's all about generalities. Even so, for a good reason Civics and Camrys cost a ton and sell quickly-- they are trouble free, economical and easy to live with, while old Euro luxo boats like the 960, S class Mercedes, BMW 7's and such cost next to nothing and nobody wants. Well, people want them but common sense keeps them from buying them, and with good reason. A ten yr old Civic costs less than a same age Mercedes that cost over $100k new! In Volvo world , a 25 yr old 240 is much more desirable than a 10 yr old S80!

 

Where do you live? I might want to buy your car. Send pics please. to my e-mail.

 

For $10 throw a 1/2 can of Sea Foam Tranny fix in it. Can't hurt. Just might help. When I first picked up my 96 960 the tranny had problems. Did the Sea foam thing with good results. Eventually other problems popped up. I yanked the tranny out and gave it to a local shop and had it bench repaired for $300. Transmission repairs tend to be way overpriced.