Hi All,

I've been looking out for a large diesel automatic estate car for a while, eventually narrowing it down to Volvos or Mercs.

I've got the chance to buy a '96 850 Diesel Auto estate for €1500, its got 134000 miles on it and would prob pass one of our Car tests no prob. It's in very good condition, but the auto box is in trouble. When cold it will just move the car, but drive gradually goes as it warms up eventually coming to a complete stop. The seller tells me the fluid is up to level and relatively clean (ie not burnt).

What does the group think? Is the box repairable or is it terminal? What are they like to repair & fit? I'm fairly handy with cars and can do most jobs (engine swaps, clutches, brakes,etc), even though it takes me little longer than most!

These 850 estates are fairly rare here in Ireland, so my other option is import one from the UK.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

All the best,

Rich

 

134K is reasonable mileage, depending on how well the car was taken care of. I personally wouldn't buy a car with a bad tranny, unless that was reflected in the price I was paying. A friend of mine just bought a very nice 1998 MB C240 Turbo Diesel station wagon with all the accessories. Wow, what a wonderful car! I was impressed when he took me for a spin.

 

Had no idea Volvo ever made an 850 Turbo. Sounds like a very unique car, but I don't think I would buy one with a bad tranny unless there is some sort of warranty.

 

Agree with above, I think I would pass on this one.

 

Since you say you can swap the engine, maybe you could swap the tranny yourself. Have you counteroffering at the dealership? They won't be able to sell the car with such a bad tranny without taking a considerable hit on the price. If they have been stuck with the car in the lot for a long time they might accept a ridiculous offer. Try going there with a formal offer with a personal check. You might be surprised.

 

Hi Folks,

I am sort of thinking along the lines of the group, it seems like a bit too much hassle.I did bit of research, ringing specialist garages, etc. and many of them said don't even try and repair only do a swap if you have to. Even then it's fraught with difficulties if you're not familliar with these cars.
So, I think I'll pass, even though it's a good deal but I do need the car relatively soon.

Thank you all for the advice and opinion.

All the best,

Rich

 

If you're looking for a big diesel sedan, go for a Mercedes. They last forever and have a more classic look.

 

Hi Folks,

I am tempted by a Merc, but there's just somthing about the Volvos that I really like. I think I might start to look for a good example in the UK to import into Ireland. This tends to be very expensive, as the Irish Government slap a 30% vehicle registration tax on imported cars, for a car like this it's about €1000, all based on 'their' valuation of course! [:'(]

Thank you all for the advise, I really appreciate it.

All the best,

Rich