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Another "Should I buy this 850?' post 850 1996

I have been looking at moving from my beloved 240 wagon to an 850, and found the following 1996 850 for $1000 on craigslist:

"1996 white Volvo 850 Wagon with gray leather seats. Recently passed smog check & replaced the transmission, but apparently there is a new hole in the exhaust now so it makes a very loud noise when accelerating and needs to be fixed -- this is why we have listed it $1500 below blue book value. It has a third seat (with the additional cushion). It also had the built-in car seat but it broke -- would not be difficult to fix though if you want it.

Otherwise, the body is in really nice condition -- no major scratches or dents, and we have put a lot of money into the car to keep the engine in decent condition. The "check engine" light goes on sometimes but our mechanic assures us it is a malfunctioning light, not the engine. These things were built to last indefinitely, and we have raised our 3 kids in it. This Vovlo only has about 200,000 miles, so the engine is just about broken in by now. :-)"

Just looking at similar recent posts, I read that issues could be timing belt, flame trap, abs controller, ball joints. Oh, and the cracked exhaust!

What do you think? Is it worth it?

Thanks for your input!








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Another "Should I buy this 850?' post 850 1996

While I'm at it, I found another 850 wagon that is just 10 miles away!

Check it out:
1996 850 wagon $2250
"This is a very nice Volvo 850 Station Wagon GL. It runs perfect with a recent smog and is currently registered. This is the non-turbo model thats gets good gas mileage (26 mpg highway). ~ 165K miles

I am the second owner and have ALL OF THE ORIGINAL SERVICE RECEIPTS SINCE PURCHASED NEW INCLUDING OIL CHANGES.. YES A WHOLE FILE SINCE NEW.

New radiator replaced at Morin Bros in SLO. A/C, Power Windows, ABS, Dual and Side Airbags, integrated rear child seat, premium sound radio.

Paint looks good and is still glossy.. car does have some clear coat peeling on the mirrors but no rust and rest of car looks amazing. Few door dings and minor scratches for a car of this age.

Known Problems.

1. Power lock system works intermittently
2. Passenger side winshield wiper does not work (just stopped last week)
3. Odometer quit 2 months ago but speedometer still works .. Currently reads 160k as documented by service station in June. I estimate the car at 165K because I only use it to get to work in SLO. Easy $75 fix for parts and common on the 850 but no time to fix it.
4. Driver side seat showing some wear with a minor tear on the lumbar but very minor"

Thanks again for all your help!








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850: skip the first, consider the second 850 1996

The first 850 on your list sounds like it is worn out. I love the line, "our mechanic assures us it is a malfunctioning light, not the engine." That's like people who take the battery out of a smoke detector because they assume it is malfunctioning. Hmmmm. The second car may be worthwhile in light of the fact that it has been owned by people who were methodical enough to keep repair receipts. But it has a lot of miles. Any chance you can go up a step to a car from the 2000s and with far fewer miles? This may be less frustrating on the long run.








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850: skip the first, consider the second 850 1996

V7driver-

Thanks for your advice!

I have seen several v70 and XCs in my price range ($3000 or less), but they typically have over 200k miles. How much of an issue is that?

Just looking at a few of the 850 posts, it seems like the transmission typically goes out around 200k. Are there any other big expenditures that are common for 850s over 150k? I am thinking that I could get two or three years out of the $2200 850 without major maintenance (knock on wood!), at which point I plan on having a little more money to work with.

Now I have a 1990 245 with 260k. It is getting poor mileage (between 15-20 mpg), has an exhaust leak somewhere around the exhaust manifold, barely passed smog (California) two years ago, needs new tie rod ends / ball joints / alignment. I am new to working on my car (DIY is now a necessity due to my financial situation), but I have enjoyed learning as I go, changing my timing belt, seals, water pump, rear springs, flame trap, trans fluid, (thanks to brickboard and Mr. Bentley), simple things that I had no idea about a couple years ago.

Given that it is a 20 year old car, it seems like there could be other issues that might appear sooner or later. It is fun and satisfying to fix something that is broken and actually have it work, but I don't have as much time to do this now as I did six months ago.

The seller of the second 850 ($2200, 2nd owner with full maintenance records) emailed me back: the AC works, the transmission has been flushed regularly, the front suspension components are reasonably new, the timing belt was changed recently, flame trap cleaned, tires are good, no issues with the ABS light coming on.

I am thinking that I could spend a couple grand now to upgrade to a newer brick, sell the 245 for $500 or so.

I'm planning on going to check it out in the next couple days. Anything in particular to check out?

Thanks for your help!








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850: skip the first, consider the second 850 1996

A 1990 245 with only 260K miles? And you want to get rid of it? I'll take it :)

Before you plunge into the old used car market, cars older than 10 years, consider that it will cost you close to $1,000 to get everything right and trustworthy during the first year.

Get your exhaust fixed, clean/replace the flame trap, get new plugs/points/rotor/cap, AND have an independent shop "inspect" your 'old' car. The mechanical inspection will give you a list of possible repairs that will be needed down the road and possibly point out what is wrong with your car that makes it get such poor mpg. The mpg should be better than any 850 by one or two miles/gallon. Just for kicks, replace the differential fluid if you didn't do that at 200K.

And call Volvo's 800 number and ask for a free 200K emblem, they might also give you a 300K one if your are nice and polite, with a smile as you talk.

Klaus
--
Proud owner of a 220S. If I had more room, I would have more Volvos.








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850: skip the first, consider the second 850 1996

Your poor mileage and poor smog results on your 240 are probably directly caused by your exhaust manifold leak.

It looks like you could sort this all out for about <$200 in parts.

Say $200-300 for labour and you're laughing. If finances are a worry, $500 for the car you already have is much more sensible than $3000 for taking on a 'new' used car (which I have found to be quite expensive in the first year of ownership). If you plan on having money in a couple of years, stretch the 240's life to get there and make your purchases then. I don't know where you are, but here in NB you'd pay ~$400 in tax to buy a car for $3000, and you can fix your current ride for about that much.

(some of this would be optional, I'm just listing it for an idea...)

Alignment - $70

Exhaust
manifold - ~$25
gaskets


From FCP:

tie rods - $10 aftermarket/$20 OEM

ball joints - $12 Aftermarket/$35 OEM

exhaust
gaskets - $10

Exhaust
manifold - $30
studs
and nuts








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850: skip the first, consider the second 850 1996

Thanks V7, Klaus, Jadnhm for your helpful responses.

Yeah, financially it does make a whole lot more sense to fix these items on my 240, get it in better shape rather than dropping a few k on a newer used car with unknown issues.

Theoretically, 240s can keep running past 500k on the original engine, right?

In the mean time, I will begin nickle and diming the old tank back into fighting form...

Thanks again!








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850: skip the first, consider the second 850 1996

How long it runs depends on the setup and how the car is used and how well you take care of it, like anything else.

But the engine, transmission, and drivetrain on that car can easily last to 500k as far as I'm concerned.

I think the nickel and dime approach is a good bet for you. The newer cars are more modern to be sure but they have their own set of headaches.

You've got a really great ride for riding out hard financial times, esp if you learn to do the main maintenance items yourself - oil, brakes, etc. Those cars can be impressively inexpensive to keep running.







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