Hi guys im new to the forum and looking at purchasing my second volvo. I am looking at a 1996 Volvo 850R with a 16t turbo upgrade. It only has 85k original miles and looks to be in good shape. The only issue is it has a salvage title due sub frame damage on the passenger side in front of the shock. He is asking $3300. My questions are is this a good price? what should i be suspicious of? any concerns? any input would be greatly appreciated.

 

Look in the sticky DIY area and check out the buyer's guide.

 

I think you will find mixed opinions on the salvaged title. I would be against it. Post some pictures though...we all love to drool over them regardless.

 

I would not purchase a salvaged title car for any more than trade in value. Once they dig a title it'll never sale for a decent price. I'm not totally against purchasing them though.

 

Here are some pics that i was sent. What do you guys think?

 

Someone has jacked some parts from that car - the headlight wipers are missing (hence the holes under the lights)....who knows what else?

Personally, I would not buy a salvaged vehicle and would definitely not buy a car with known frame damage. If you do decide to go for it, definitely have it inspected so you know the full history. You should be able to knock the price down a lot...even though it is low milage, the salvage title takes a huge chunk of value. As a point of reference, I got my 96 850 R Wagon for $3800 - it had over 100k miles but had never been in an accident.

 

The only difference between the vehicle you're looking at and one some one has abused, bent and mangled but not claimed it on their insurance is you know that one has damage, the title screams it. Take it to a body man/shop/frame shop and get their opinion. It may be ok as is. It may be easily repairable or it might be garbage, they would be the experts, they would actually see it and be able to touch it and they would be the people I would trust.
My wife had an accident in our 95 Thunderbird supercoupe. It just isn't replaceable and it's still under 55k miles today. She was at a stop waiting for someone in front of her to turn and someone piled into the vehicle at 45-55 miles per and never hit the brakes. The insurance co. and I fought often on it but finally they ok'd the repair. They cut the roof off and the rear of the vehicle behind the doors. Pretty much cut it in half. That body shop did a wonderful job and it still handles beautifully when pushed over 100 mph.
BUT, I've also had friends have small accidents and I was horrified when I say the underside of their car or pulled back the carpeting and saw the way the body parts where butchered back together. It's not so much what happens to a car body as it is who fixes it and how they do it.
That being said, the time I'd run is if that salvage title was from water. There is NO way to figure out what you'll need to replace and when electrical stuff will start to fail or where it will end. If the wiring harnesses get soaked it's just a matter of time before the computer goes crazy or dead from the added resistance from corrosion in the wire.
Bent metal for the most part is easy.

 

I got the price down to $2800. I know its gonna be a risk but do you guys think it would be worth it? Im just looking for a car i can use as a daily driver for a few years. Im not worried too much about the re sale value of it.

 

I'll echo the advice I gave before - get a professional inspection done. If inspection indicates that there are no real issues, then go for it. I'm sure you will love the R, it's a fine machine.

 

Blue book value - {$2,800 + (price of repair)} $$$ If this number is zero or it's negative you just got screwed.

If this number is positive it's the amount you saved and in that case it's a "deal".

That being said no one can say if it's a good deal as it's a used car and if the transmission or engine go out tomorrow it really doesn't matter if you bought it for 5 bucks, well unless you happen to have a transmission or engine laying around and you can do the work yourself.
I bought my 95 850 turbo wagon for 350 and though it was a great deal. Couple thousand dollars later and I'm still happy with it but it's not quite as good a "deal" but then I do have all new parts in places that matter. It accelerates well, stops great and I like the way it handles but if it wasn't for this site and Matthews Volvo it would of eaten me alive to have someone ease do the work. That two grand is just in parts, no labor.
Did you get a deal? If you like the car it doesn't matter so much what you paid. Hopefully in six or twelve months it's still running good and you have no second thoughts.

 

The buyer's guide is very helpful. I think any car that runs well and looks decent is worth $2,000. My deal is this, any car will cost you $400 a month at a minimum. So, if you pay $2,800 for it, it should last you at least you 7 months. If you have to put a little money in it, no big deal. But, as you have read several times, get the car INSPECTED by a trusted mechanic.

When I purchased my yellow sedan, I had it inspected by a professional car inspector. While they were inspecting it, the radiator blew up and several other things were pointed out which helped me save money off the price. When I sold the car the lady had it inspected by a mechanice whom advised her against buying a Volvo, then told her that the car looked great and gave her the green light.

When I purchased the wagon, I did not have it inspected but got it at a price that it did not matter (for what I was getting). I know a guy that rebuilt Volvo's for over 30 years. As far as I know, all of those cars were good and drove for many years with the salvaged title. All I'm saying is that you will likely NOT get more than trade in value for a car with a salvaged title. Really, the salvaged title situation is no worse than an accident report on the carfax/autocheck. I promise you, any Volvo that gets into any accident worse than a finder bender will result in having a salvaged title if they get it fixed. The blue book on these cars are so low that any 20 mph accident will send them to the bone yard.

How old is the salvage title on the car? It is likely that the car has been on the road for more than 2 years post repairs. On top of that, there is a large risk when buying any 16 year old car. My nephew just purchase an '02 Malibu that looked very clean. A week later had to replace the motor, cati, and something else. Repair cost more than the car, clean title and all.

GET IT INSPECTED. Cheap insurance.

 

Oh, I'm also a little nervous about purchasing cars that have had preformance upgrades. In the hands of the young, that is a sure sign of abuse.