looking at 850 glt 1996 with 149k miles for my son. what do i need to look at and know. we have had volvos for 10 years, but always new.

Wouldn't recommend getting this car for a teenage boy. It's a S L O W car and he'll end up switching the tranny to the "sport" mode and revving the heck out of the engine. Probably won't hurt the engine, for a while, but the tranny will take a beating.

"sport" mode needs to be used around town, just to get the engine oil splashed around the crankcase and get the oil hot to burn off impurities. "economy" is desired on the highway, so that it doesn't downshift easily at higher speeds.

I have to disagree about the low bhp, a teenager doesn't need to have 222bhp come on at 3500 rpm. They don't have the experiance to negotiate torque steer on slippery pavement at full throttle. Besides, trying to drag race is only going to get him in trouble with the law, or jepordize health and others.

A 13 year old car will have issues. The fluids need to be replaced, the shocks and struts probably need to be replaced, the plug wires and rotor/cap are old, a fuel pump relay needs to be in the glove box, the front end needs to be aligned, the AC probably leaks, the cabin temp sensors are covered in dirt, and if the radio doesn't have a CD player builtin it needs to be replaced with a newer radio.
The door check strap will fail, the bottom window guide will break, and the Ebrake probably doesn't work properly. The cup holders are probably broken or the window switches are full of dried coffee or Coke :)

Other than the above, it is a great car for a teenager. Safe and good outward visibility.

If he buys this car, I suggest he also buy a Haynes manual and start performing his owm maintenance. It is an easy car to work on and the experiance will last a life time.

Klaus
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The more I learn, the more I forget. So why learn?

Klaus,


The above reasons are why I would never sell my '96 850 to any teenager. If I do sell the car, it has to be to a fellow Volvo enthusiast and no one else.

I had to laugh at your comments about the broken cup holders and/or the window switches being full of dried coffee or Coke. My car has neither, and for one particular reason: I do not, under any circumstances, allow anyone to eat, drink, or smoke in my 850. And that rule applies to myself, too. If one has muddy or dirty shoes, they are required to remove and wipe said pair of shoes before they even think about getting into the car.

JuanP, you are anal about your car!!! :)

The only time your car gets wet is its daily bath. We are talking about a used version with 150K miles and who knows how many prior owners.

I just took my 2008 XX up Pikes Peak, the last 1000 feet of elevation was covered in 1 inch of mud. Needless to say, after a carwash in Colorado Springs and driving back to the twin cities, I wound up with a couple of extra pounds of mud on my driveway when I washed off the under carriage. And I had to take the cloth mats out and hose them down also.

I would rather have a teenager drive an 850 NA than a mustang V6!!!

Klaus
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The more I learn, the more I forget. So why learn?

Hey Klaus,


I know, it's a weakness and I can't help it! Heck, I don't even let my own mother drive the car unless she really really needs to use it.

How did your '08 XX perform going up the mountain? Sorry, I'm a little ignorant, I admit, but what does XX stand for?

My XX is an SUV which seats 7 and is a diesel, so not Volvo. Easy, 2nd or 3rd gear up and down. They still check brake temps half way down and my rotors were 109F. Not bad.

Klaus
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The more I learn, the more I forget. So why learn?

What then would you recommend, an 850 Turbo? The NA car's 168hp is plenty for anyone. Speaking as a former teenage boy that's probably already too much.

I'll bet there's plenty of folks out there that never switch out of "Sport" mode. With proper maintenance it'd take the abuse just fine.

-Will
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854 - 244 - Mini

check under the tailgate because there are two water drain holes that in my 850 when water would come through it it would just sit on the top of the bumper where the tailgate meets it and rust away at the paint

of course check if smoke is coming out of the oil filler cap on top of the engine when started and look at things like the plugs and wires to see if they need replacing soon

check if the antenna works if it is a electric one since replacements are expensive

most importantly check the tranny fluid because some people don't know how important it is to replace

Have the car inspected, pre sale, by a mechanic you trust that knows Volvos. If there is anything on the list of problems that you cannot fix in your garage, keep looking.

The AC probably no longer works. The ABS module will need replacing soon. The timing belt gets replaced every 70K miles. The tranny gets flushed every 50-60K miles. The driver's door hinge will probably be broken. If you slam the driver's door shut and hear a rattle, the window guide is broken, etc.


Klaus
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Common sense trumps a PhD