I blundered into Volvo ownership with a $500 turbo wagon. It's pretty rough, so I kept looking for a parts car, and I came across a 1995 GLT with a manual. They said the timing belt broke. I bought it for $450, and it turned out every single part on it was better than the wagon, so it wasn't exactly what I had in mind.

To make a long story short, the timing belt was on it. It sort of sounded like it had jumped time - fire out the exhaust occasionally, otherwise did not run. The distributor had caught on fire internally, and the rotor button was destroyed. That is an $11 part, but of course I just put the one from the wagon on it first, and it fired right up. The fuel for the fire was oil. The oil seal on the cam under the distributor blew all the way out of its bore.

Probably needs PCV work.

So now I have two running $500 volvos.

I like the idea of the GLT, but it needs syncronizers in 4th gear, and i have already read here you can't buy them. It is incredibly slow, but I find that amusing, in a way. The wagon must have double the power, but it feels like triple.

 

 

Where are all the oily spots in your driveway?

P.S. I saw after I posted this that RSPI had experienced the camshaft rear seals blowing out also, both sides. for all I know, I may have them blown out on both sides.

 

I park cars over them.

Camshaft seals blow out when there is too much crank case pressure and it cant escape. You should check them all then address the PCV