Volvo RWD 200 Forum

Noticed in a craigslist ad for 1996 Volvo 960...

"The 1996 is the best model year for Volvo 960. 1996 960 is comparable in both safety, reliability to the legendary 240s. This car will make a perfect college car. "

That oughta get your eire up!

Does this mean that there are forums where one can BELIEVE the seller? If so, I have this nice retirement/investment property you'd be a fool to pass up.....

Aah yes, the 9x0 series is an incredibly safe car, certainly more so than the 240. That being said, the 960 has an interference head where a broken timing belt or bad timing belt tensioner will total the car. I'm going on way-back memory here, but if I recall correctly, a 960 needs a new timing belt and tensioner every 30K miles. The 240 book states 50K miles for a belt, but many belts have made it over 200K+ miles without breaking, oh btw. if the TB on a 240 breaks, you need to replace the timing belt rather than building a new engine for it.

Just my few pennies worth of opinion considering that I'd be a widower if it wasn't for an 89 240 that saved my wife's life. If she had been in a 9x0 with an air bag, she would have been able to walk away rather than spending six months in a bolted on neck brace due to a broken neck.

jorrell
ps. find a 240 (90 or later) with air bags or a 940, skip the 960... bad engine design.
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92 245 250K miles, IPD'd to the hilt, 06 XC70, 00 Eclipse custom Turbo setup...currently taking names and kicking reputations!

Well, the 960 *will* blow the 240 out of the water in therms of safety... and the 960's are pretty darn reliable. A little more maintenance hungry and more sensitive than the red-block, but not terrible.

What I really don't like is seeing people naively assume that the 240 is the safest thing since sliced cheese. Too many people shoot for a 240 as a "first car" 'cuz it's so safe. You really ought to wrap your 16 year-old up in a 1993-1995 940.

-Ryan
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Athens, Ohio
1987 245 DL 314k, Dog-mobile
1990 245 DL 134k M47, E-codes, GT Sway Bars, GT Braces, Draco Wheels
1991 745 GL 300k, Regina, 23/21mm Turbo Sway Bars

Actually, the air bag system on any vehicle before 1999 is overpowered and has resulted in several decapitations. They're especially dangerous for children and smaller adults. They're designed for a 180 pound, unbelted, adult male.

The Craigslist ads that bother me are the ones that say "250,000 miles, but that's really nothing for these cars. These things last forever!"

Well, yes, . . . but no. 250k miles is significant for ANY car, including a Volvo redblock, and you cannot ask top-dollar for your 240 just because of the myth that "these things last forever." A more appropriate statement would be, "These things last an extremely long time if well maintained."

Too true! :-)

-Ryan

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Athens, Ohio
1987 245 DL 314k, Dog-mobile
1990 245 DL 134k M47, E-codes, GT Sway Bars, GT Braces
1991 745 GL 300k, Regina, 23/21mm Turbo Sway Bars

I always use carfax and I'd say 7 times out of ten if the ad says 130,000 miles the carfax shows that was in 2004 and then the guy tells you about how the odometer maybe is broken but it's really a good car and will easily last for decades.

Then I'd say three out of ten, the mileage is actually rolled back.

The worst offenders are these dealers masquerading as private sellers on autotrader and craigslist and carfax won't let you put names and address in their comment section when you do find these con artist