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Steven--I bought a white 97R wagon in May with only 49.9 K miles on it. Truly a beautiful work of art. Last of its kind. A week after I started driving it, it got warm, and I noticed the A/C started clicking on and off every few seconds. Yes, the evaporator was shot. No, I don't have fifteen hundred to throw at it. Will tear into it this fall when it cools off and I have access to a garage. Last week my ABS light started coming on and going off. Jerked the unit and sent it to Victor Rocha for repair. $145 plus second day shipping. Got it back day before yesterday, reinstalled it, but managed to kick on the check engine light by disconnecting the MAF lead because it was in the way, forgetting about it, and starting the engine. Hope it goes out or I'll have to buy an OBD-2 code reader to erase the code and turn off the light. Thank God it isn't spilling any oil out through the seals yet. Knock on wood.
Would I keep it, especially after reading your litany of troubles? I'm sixty-six and am starting to make poor judgements in traffic, like miscalculating the oncoming speed of a car when I'm passing. I own to 97's--an R wagon here in the States, and a GLT wagon (light pressure turbo) my wife drives in Norway. The turbo has saved me two or three times doing highway driving in Norway where all the roads are twisty with very few passing lanes to speak of. And, admit it, those suede bucket seats in the R are beautiful to look at and a relaxing joy to sit in on long trips. There are two things I don't like about the R wagon (and the GLT) though. One is that it is a bit too low for a person my age, starting to get arthiritus. The XC wagons are easier to get in and out of, being two inches higher, but they only come AWD, and the bevel gear replacement if you don't keep all tires perfectly matched makes replacing the evaporator or engine seals pale in comparison. Only FWD for me (and also better mileage). The last complaint is more serious. The car is low, and incredibly stable. But the price you pay is having semi's in rainy weather throw a sheet of water over you, blinding you for two or three seconds. Something that makes your hairline recede every time it happens on a rain-slick highway locked into 65+ mph traffic. Makes you wish you'd bought one of those gas guzzling Explorers or Yukons where you sit up high enough to see over the white cloud of death.
And finally, I went to a couple of wrecking yards last week to score a pair of seats for a friend of mine's 96 T wagon. The leather was shot. I looked at about a dozen wrecked 850's, some of them really severe, but the passenger compartment in all I looked at was intact. You really can't beat the safety factor of that car. With traffic on the highways increasing exponentially, it's safety record is exceptional, despite its poor electronics, vacuum leaks and other expensive annoyances. My vote is keep it. Dick
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