Hi...I have a 1995 850 Turbo Wagon with 206K and multiple issues...needs CV halfshaft, shocks, and some potential transmission issues. I have the chance to buy a 1997 850 Wagon (non-turbo) with 330K miles with no known issues other than body work it needs & a battery. It also has 2 new axles, tires and a new windshield. I'm wondering how compatible the 2 cars are and is it worth it to buy the 97 for a parts car for mine? Or is the 97 a better bet to drive - I'm worried about the 330K miles on it. Thoughts?

 

Meh, exterior and interior pieces will be direct swap. You can swap the transmissions, that's about it I think. Under the hood wise, there's some interchangeable parts, but the motors themselves are not without some modifying. I remember reading somewhere that the axles are different sizes. You can use turbo axles on a non turbo transmission, but you can not use non turbo axles on a turbo transmission, something like that, coming from a manual swap thread, so I don't know if that would relate to this or not.

 

Thanks! What's your opinion of the 97 with 330K miles? How long do engines typically last in the 850's?

The 97 is only $150 so I'm thinking it's worth it in the long run...lol

 

They can last a long time if properly taken care of. I mean, if it's running great, but is this something you want to buy to drive for a while? 330k is a lot. You say it needs body work? I dunno, I guess if depends if you want to put money into it or not. Or you could take that 150 dollars and stick it into the one you have now.

 

Holy COW! BUY IT, BUY IT, BUY it......... The wheels alone are worth that all day every day! The motors in 850s turbo or not are great and can last 500k all day if properly maintained! That's a great deal for that wagon.

 

Thanks for the advice...=) I think we're going to take the 97...may need it anyway instead of my 95...hopefuly we can figure out how to get the hood open (broken cable) so we can get the codes off it. Right now it's stuck on the side of the road, with no shifting ability...lol So maybe the 97 will be the main vehicle, 330K or not...lol