I mistakenly got the year & model wrong when my husband looked at this car, and went back last night to check it out. It is a 1997 850. The body is in pretty good shape, with only 2 rust spots that I saw. Haven't popped the hood because the car was locked. Leather seats in the front are cracked, but the rear ones are fine. It is loaded with all the bells & whistles, sun roof, traction control, power everything.

The only problem is, the engine, which has 220k miles on it, is shot, and would need to be replaced. The owner says it is an interference engine, & I'm not sure what that means. I have been checking used engine prices online, prices range from $800 to $1600. They come with and without air pumps, & I don't know if this car needs an air pump or not.

My question is, if the engine is replaced, is this a good deal? It's a classy car, and they are only asking $600 or best offer. For some reason I can't get this car out of my head.

Thank you for any advice & info.

 

How much are you willing to spend on the car in total?

Volvos can last forever, but they still require maintenance. At 220k miles you will be facing all kinds of problems, if the previous owner hasn't taken care of them. Just to name a few - struts and spring seats, control arms, tie rods, heater core and possibly even radiator. All of these things are known to go bad on these cars. Make sure you check them out before you buy the car.

 

yes, you'll need an air pump to not throw a CEL. At 220k miles, I would say to pay around 500 for an engine, and then probably another 500 for parts that you're going to have to replace while pulling and putting in the engine.

 

If your going to keep the labor in the family then maybe its an ok deal. I would definitely talk them down.
Interference engine in a nutshell means the pistons will hit the valves if the timing belt breaks. Wondering why the owner said that. Did he say the timing belt broke?
What do you classify as 'shot'? If the belt broke you can replace or repair just the head.

If it were me I would drive it home that the engine has to be replaced, bring in prices and what the car is worth if it were in a sound running condition. For $600 the owner knows it toast and currently a block of metal in their driveway, I am sure they want it gone. Scare tactics netted me a 850 two weeks ago for $280 from the $600 asking price. I can tell you right now they are expecting to go down $100 just from the listing price.

IMO - as it sits, if you have to replace the engine the price is to high.

 

Needs and engine, has some rust (most don't) and the leather on the the front seats are shot. Is it a Turbo? If not, you can pick these cars up for around $1,000 to $2,000 in fairly good shape. If it's a turbo it's worth more like $2,000 give or take.

Most all of them have the sunroof and power everything with leather interior. These are good cars, but they did not hold their value well at all. So just look around and see how much you can get a decent one for.

JMHO

 

I wouldn't buy a chep used car that needed an engine, used Volvos are so cheap you'll end up losing money doing an engine swap unless you get the car sub $500.
It won't just be the cost of teh engine, I guarantee there'll be lots of other small parts that need replacing.
Also, I'd never buy a used car I couldn't test drive. Do you know if the trans is O.K? Brakes? ECU's, CV joints? Any of those items needing replacing will put you way behind the purchase price of a good used 850.
Way too much of a gamble for a car that can be had cheap in great condition.

 

Well, I did get the car for less than $500, got it for $400. I talked to the mechanic who had been doing the work on it for the 9 years the other people had owned it. They have taken excellent care of it (with the exception of not getting the timing belt changed, and then driving it when it slipped...ouch!) Struts, tie rods, brakes, wheel bearings, radiator, etc. are all new, as is the battery, which is dead from sitting. Rust spots are negligible, they are only on the surface, and don't go into the metal at all. I'm not worried about the worn leather seats, that's what they make seat covers for. I did find an engine locally for $700 with 65k original miles on it, and a 30 day warranty. If I have them install the engine, then I will get a 90 day warranty. Labor would be $650.

Volvo's aren't cheap up here in central NY. I did look at a 96 S70 with 328,000 miles on it, they were asking $1500 with a blown engine. Average price around here for that year is about $4,000, with close to 200,000 miles on it. So, I think I got a good deal, and for another $1500 or so, will have a good car that will last me for a long time.

 

Wow, sounds like you got a good deal if those are the regular prices. Post some pics of the new-to-you car and start a thread to cover the engine work!

Head over the the For Sale section and take a look at Bobec's post of new seat skins - sounds like you can afford them with all that dough you saved!

 

A bit of a risk, but sounds like you weighed the odds well.I think it is worth the money if all the other parts don't add up, and get you upside down. I didn't realize they sold for that much, maybe I ought to list my 850 when I'm ready to get rid of it in NY. (jk) My car has 155k, good running engine, non turbo, and those same darned cracked seats, which I hope to repair this spring. I will let you know how that turns out if successful.