I read through the first 10 pages and didn't see a post similar so I appologize if this is a repost.

I'm looking at buying a 1996 GLT turbo wagon and was looking for any buying advice you may be able to offer. I used to own a 245 DL years ago and am familiar with the basics of Volvos but wanted to avoid any pitfalls or common problems witht the 850 series.
Is there anything I should really look for when looking at the car. Any common problems that I should watch out for?

Particulars are: 1996 850GLT turbo wagon; 112,000 miles; auto tranny; and two owners. It has the fold third row seat, traction control, adjustable suspension, sunroof, etc.

It seems to drive very well with good, smooth power and shifts well.

They're asking $5,800.

Thanks for you insight,

Daniel

 

There are quite a few threads in this forum to help you determine what to look for. If it hasn't had a timing belt change in the last five years/70K miles get one right away. Look for oil leaks. They are fairly common on the 850. Look for service records. You want a car that has been maintained properly, and that's probably the most important thing. I would definitely run a carfax report and if everything is looking good and you are serious about buying, pay an Independent Volvo mechanic or dealer to do a prepurchase inspection at your expense. It's money well spent because it will tell you anything that might be wrong with the car. If it's nothing real bad, it may give you some bargaining power with the seller too. If he finds something major, don't buy it. You will be out about $60, but not sitting there with a money pit.

Look the car up on kbb.com and get a feel for the price. I always try to buy right around the Private Party price for a car in good condition. Very few cars that old are classified in excellent condition. But kbb gives you a good feel for what you should be paying.

Good luck!

 

Hello Daniel,

Greetings from frozen Chicagoland.

Listen to Jim, Jim has said pretty much all you need to be aware of in buying a Volvo. I have nothing much to say, so I'll just list some threads that may be of some reference to you:

https://volvoforums.com/m_51284/tm.htm
https://volvoforums.com/m_50652/tm.htm

DON'TBE STINGYon paying a Volvo technician for an inspection, even if it costs you $100+. This money is a protective insurance from getting a disastrous "lemon".

Good luck finding a good Volvo!

Regards,


JPN

 

1. Carfax just to make sure title is clean.
2. Independant inspection as Carfax doesn't catch everything.
3. Maintenance records if they have them.
4. The most common problem problem from what I've been reading is:
a. A couple members (including me) feel the brakes are too soft. We're thinking it's a master cylinder problem, but we're waiting for confirmation (Some guy's getting it changed).
b. Heating/AC
5. Although the previous are some of the common problems I've seen, maintenance is key. If the car doesn't look like it's been maintained well, forget about it.
6. I got my 1995 Turbo Sedan for $3500 w/ 124k miles. It is a good car, but the brakes are soft, and suspension is orignal and it's pretty shot.

 

Good advice and much appreciated. PPI is definately in order then.

How difficult is it to work on these cars (particularly the turbo models)? The most difficult car I've worked on was the Porsche 944 thurbo (951) I owned for several years. I was able to work on most aspects of the engine to include turbo changes, headgaskets, timaing and balance belts, etc (most things that didn't involve getting into the block). I did suspension and brake work (easiest part of the car to work on)....so I can't imagine the Volvos being much worse for owners performing maintenance.

Thanks,
Daniel

 

Hi Daniel,

If you could perform those maintenance on a Porsche, working on Volvo is not much more difficult. I find it pretty much straightforward to work on Volvo, except electronic controls that are over-sensitive to slight input changes (emission controls and ABS). However, try not to work on it without a service manual, there are certain procedures that have to be strictly followed, especially when you change the timing belt & peripheral components. Also, Volvo seem to use a lot of non-reusable self-lock nuts on suspension components. Some of them seem reusable even though manual says they aren't, but it's not a bad idea to spend a little extra and get new nuts.

The most difficult task I ever encountered was removing the ball-joint clamp bolt, which was frozen to the steering knuckle due to catastrophic rust. I had to heat it up with a portable propane torch, spray PB Blaster, hit it, abuse it, persuade & convince it. In the end, I resorted to a hammer & chisel violence and I won. Ah, the joy of having new ball joints!

That's all for now. Oh, make sure to have a good quality breaker bar (3/8" & 1/2" drive), hammer & punches & chisels, you'll need them. Most of the time I use socket tools and the only time I used a wrench was when I removed the sway-bar link rods, the lock nuts have a portion behind the nuts where I had to keep from rotating with the nut. I believe it was 16mm or 17mm, open-end.

Good luck,


JPN

 

It can't be much harder than a Porsche 944.

The two cars are actually kinda similar. Turbo and interference engines so you should have some experience already...

The hardest thing about this car is the turbo piping kind of gets in the way sometimes, and there's some plastic parts, which you have to be careful to not break.

Parts availibility wise, there isn't a ton of aftermarket, but it's there (especially performance, check the FAQ/Stickys). Parts also can't be as expensive as the Porsche.