Wellllll I used to read the board a lot but havent in a long time so I wont bother figuring out how to search the archives and will instead just start a new post.

I am going off to college in the fall and we have decided we need to sell my old '93 GLT (133-ish K) because my mother isnt confident in its ability to safely and reliably transport me the couple hours between there and home. It runs pretty well, no major tranny issues or anything and we just fixed that damn air conditioning for good.

We found a '97 850 T-5 sedan (!)at a dealer in town with 88.5 K, an auto, cd, leather etc. etc. etc... for $5,900. Great, eh? Well, the problem is that its a Total Loss Claim and the title is branded as Salvage Rebuilt. Theres a pic and it looks good and the ad says it drives well also. I have emailed the dealer to see what kind of accident it was in and if there are, in actuality, any problems. We arent really worrying about the resale value at all since it will end up just being a college student beater.

Questions are:
1) Is it stupid to consider such a car even if it is new, cheap, low-mileage, and a turbo?
2) What are the inherent problems with turbo cars? MPG, reliability, cost to fix, longevity etc..
3) Is it really really worth it to find a turbo car as opposed to a regular n/a car like the one I have? (this may be a stupid question, I assume it is)
4) Anybody else have a car they want to sell me? (near-ish to central NC)
5) Or should I work extra hard on my parents in order to buy http://adcache.collectorcartraderonline.com/10/4/4/79503744.htm instead?

Thanks a lot guys!

FWIW, I had the chance to buy a "gorgeous" 854T (obviously garaged it's entire life) for my daughter at a decent price with a regular, not salvage title and I declined it when the routine service history couldn't be located.

I'd suggest diagnosing and fixing the problems with the '93 and then investing in the AAA "Plus" road service which includes 100 miles of free towing, and identifying good Volvo indy shop at both ends of your trip.

The "salvage" T5 might be even more trouble than what you have now.

-BTC

'98 V70 T5 5-speed, 159k mi, front IPD stabilizer bar, rear factory HD bar, Bilstein HD, Volvo strut tower brace and skidplate, e-codes, V-1, Mobil-1 since new

"The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at or repair." -- Douglas Adams (1952-2001)

For what it's worth, I sent my daughter off to college with an '81 240 with over 500,000 miles; it had over 650 when the odo quit. She did have to replace the brakes once in the interim (did it herself in the dorm parking lot!). I'd suggest you spend the time and cash to diagnose and fix what you have.
--
We have met the enemy and they is us. [Pogo] S70 T5 cop car : Rough Rider suspension, Walmart fog lights, eBay speakers, ambiance by Pall Mall, trim by Le Duc d'Tape, 8-channel THD by OEM amps

Tell your mom there is somebody in NY who drives 2 hours to work and then 2 hours back home in summer and winter (home is in the Catskill Mts) and has 300,000 and still running.

It would be a lot wiser to find why the 93 cuts out on you. Might be as simple as an old battery that needs replacing or a cam position sensor. A salvage title generally will just mean trouble. Bent frames, paint that will be peeling in a year, who know what internally has jusy been 'patched' - are there still air bags in it or just the cover?

Plus a turbo will get maybe 20 mpg if your lucky (being salvage I'll bet something expensive will make it more like 15). I get about 30 mpg with my '93. Something to consider if you are doing a 2 hour ride to college.

Not to mention insurance might be less for non-turbo.

Personally speaking, I'm sending my son off to college in a Volvo for safety - a '88 240. Having been a college student I know better then to send him off with a turbo. I got in enough trouble in my '71 Camero with only a 307 V8 (the GM version of non-turbo back then - for turbo type fun my friend had an Olds 442 w/ hurst shifter etc, but that would be for another post)

Save the money and take your 93 to a good shop, not a dealer.

Hah, my father took an Olds 4-4-2 to college. Hurst, higher gearing, cragars with slicks... Yes, for another post.

Just for grins, my two (now one) 97 850 T's got 26+ miles on the highway. 20 in town all the time. However, I probably wouldn't touch that one unless I wanted a project car.

Hi,
Ask the dealer for photo's of the car prior to repair.
Insurance claims adjuster or dealer himself should have those on file.
If the dealer won't help then forget it.
In a lot of cases a "branded" car is just fine after repair provided
that the repairs have been completed fully and professionally.
Good luck,
Armie
--
'94 850 154000kms '86 760GLE 272000kms 95 Silverado4x4

Why would you spend nearly 6k on something that has been banged hard and most likely the frame is out of alignment when you have one that you know, love and has half the milage of the 91 740 I just picked up(perfect body). 133k is just breaking in. There is a site where you can plug in the VIN number and they can tell you pretty much what the car has been through. If you are worried about reliability, I wouldn't want a turbo. They cover these issues well in the 700/900 buying a used brick section. I would have someone good go through the car maybe a month before school and you will save yourself money in the long run. Joe Mato

I'm not a huge fan of my wife's 97 850 T5, as it has had almost every 'common' problem, and I would hate for you to experience those same issues.

I would only consider a salvage title in this situation if you can get pictures of what the car looked like when it was wrecked. For all you know, the salvage title could be a 'flood' damaged car, in which case you could be in for chronic issues.

I would keep looking...

What is so dreadfully wrong with the 93 car?
Yes, that would be stupid to purchase the salavaged vehicle.

Mark

The 93 car does stuff like... shut down in the middle of city intersections and refuse to start for five minutes, then act like nothing happened.

Stuff like that.

We had a salvaged car before and were fine. I am not sure yet if this one was actually in an accident or may have been a flood car or something else. etc.

Yeah - that is the problem - you don't know. You got lucky before but you may get stuck with this car that has been brought back from the dead. The '93 problem you describe has been mentioned by others - fixing that should be a lot less than $6000... Good luck.

In my opinion, $6,000 is a lot of money to pay
for a vehicle with a salvage title. $100 maybe
$500 - $1,000 it would have to be a really
good deal, but $6,000 is way too much - even
if you know what you are getting into.

Spend some more time and keep looking, what
you want will show up eventually.

Good luck!


--
1990 240DL - 185K, 1994 850 Wagon - 140K, 1989 Ranger 235K

that cutting out and then restarting after 5 minutes, That is a no brainer usually. your car has the correct mileage and age for that to simply be the fuel pump relay!
No need for a shop! Just a torx driver and a new Volvo relay!
for fun you can pull the relay out! Gently pry the little plastic tabs away to lift off the relay cover! They get your lighted magnifier out and look for the very small not easy to see( at first )cracks that will show up in the solder joints at the circut board! the first to go are the most important! These are the joints were the coil wires attach to the board! Do not bother to re solder them! Yes it works for a short time! Just install a brand new $30 relay and go drive it!
The relay is in th ehot engine compartment! The car warms up and so does th elittle board inside the relay! When th eboard expands slightly th ecoil loses its source and drops out! Sometimes they might restart right away! Other times it takes minutes! Many shops charge millions trying to find this one as they can never recieve the car in the failed state! As you said it clears up and there are never any codes stored!
The 93 can be made trouble free with just a handfull of parts and more important a solid inspection by a volvo Nut!
Keep the 93 at least until you put some volvo miles on it! Those miles just barely have her broken in!
Also if you want to feel like a new car! I installed the 94 tail lights and washer nozzles on my last 93 then drove the tires off it!