Hello -

I am contemplating the purchase of an 850 wagon. Non-turbo, 5-speed, leather, sunroof.

Looks to be all original and well-kept. Photos in ad appear to show excellent condition.

I'm looking at the car tomorrow or friday, and wonder what specifically I should be looking for in terms of service items and weak links. I have been a 240 owner for many years, so the 850 is a completely new bird to me. The car has nearly 200k on it, so looking for any weak points or work that needs to be done that would break the bank, or what to look for in a pre-purchase inspection.

Many thanks!

Aaron

At 210K the car is due for a timing belt - check for last change of same - many owners do the water pump and serpentine belt tensioner at this time.

Yes, and that is an expensive job if you don't do it yourself!

I did my timing belt, s-belt, water pump and all tensioners at 213K on my 95 855 GLT.

A lot of good comments.

I agree that 3K is too much loot, since you'll certainly need to
attend to various items that need replacement with mileage and time.

No one has mentioned doing a compression test. That would give some solid
info about the engine and doesn't take too long. When you look at the car
see if there's any oil puddles, since a rear main seal is a deal breaker.

The 850 is a good car to restore, since you don't have the usual rust problems
with galvanized body parts, that alone is a huge plus. But there's a series of
items that need attention. Depending on how well the car was serviced does
mean a lot.

You might take the sellers service records and the car to an Volvo indy for a
check out. An Indy could probably survey the car in an hour and help you a lot.

Good Luck, Bill

Service history! When was the clutch replaced ($$$). Check the clutch by pushing down and feeling when it engages 1st gear, the closer to the floor the more the wear. One person operators can get 200K from a single clutch.

The A/C may not work, the evaporators tend to develop a leak and replacement is not fun.

On the 1995, it is easy to check the actual miles. The odo gear tends to fail between 130-150K, and service history may show a discrepancy.

The car appears to be clean and straight. But 3K for a 200K car? Not without a lot of current maintenance. Speaking of which, the T-belt interval should be soon.
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Keeping it running is better than buying new

Door stops;
Exhaust;
Delta link bushings;
Trailing arm bushings;
Engine mounts;
Timing belt;
Valve seals;
ECC module;
Seat recliner cable;
General suspension components;
Heater core;

Some of these items are easily fixed and others can be a challenge.
Keep in mind that these cars are not worth very much anymore.
But if evertythig is sorted, they are very nice cars.

Thanks for the feedback! The car has almost 200k on it, and seller is asking $3000. Seems a bit high, even for a pretty well sorted example. I'll ask the seller about items you mentioned, plus the clutch service history, and if it drives well will offer something in low $2000s. Does that price seem reasonable?

Don't know if you're handy with a wrench, but Volvo of this vintage can get very expensive to fix if you're relying on an outside mechanic.

I would only pay $2K if the car was in OUTSTANDING(!) condition.
My opinion is tainted though because I've had few nibbles on my '95 850T sedan with 256K miles. Still looking for someone who thinks it's worth $450.
It's in good shape, but needs a number of wear items replaced.
It seems like there's just not many people out there any more that are interested in fixing cars on their own.

Unfortunately, I think a date with the donation wrecker is imminent.

BTW -What year is it?

Bearing in mind that Volvos are priced higher in the PNW than almost anywhere else, I still believe that the price is too high. Here in N.E., even a low mileage, mint NA 850 wagon would have a hard time bringing anywhere close to $3000. Maybe a limited edition model like the "R"'s might - still doubtful though.

If it is in excellent condition and well maintained, I think it is an $1800-2000 car at best. Remember that it is a 20+ year old car with almost 200k miles. Inevitably there will be some expensive repairs sooner rather than later...

The car is a 1996. Here's a link to the listing...

https://helena.craigslist.org/cto/d/volvo-850-glt-wagon-1996/6420645599.html

Thanks for the advice! I do think there are any number of repairs that could be significant enough to be not worth doing to a car of this age. I'll keep your numbers in mind!

Thanks again,

Aaron

Keep in mind if you plan on doing your own maintenance that these cars are a lot harder to work on compared to a 240 .....
FWD, engine is in sideways, interference motor (240 is not).
Almost everything is more difficult to get to and work on.
But they don't rust like a 240 & are more comfortable to drive ....

"Almost everything is more difficult to get to and work on."

Have to disagree with this comment. Owned a 240 for 11 years and now the 850 for 8 years. I do agree that overall the 240 is easier to work on but I have done many repairs on my 850 that are easier than on a 240.

This is true of any 'newer' car. The engine bay is more cramped with emissions and electronics. The transverse engine and front wheel drive add their own complexity. You could compare the complex 240 to the evermore simple 122 or 544, where you can actually see the ground!

If you think the 850 is hard to work on, wait until you see the engine bay of the 2018 V70. No wonder the mechanics have to rely on computers to know what is wrong with the car, they can't even see the engine! Change the oil without a dipstick? Flush the tranny? A coil over every spark plug? 6 or 7 computers? 10 miles of wiring and 3 separate fuse boxes? And you wonder why there is no "green book" to help you diagnose problems...

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Keeping it running is better than buying new