Hello all,


I recently acquired a 1989 740 GL sedan, to replace the 1991 740 that I sold to a friend of mine.

In brief, I'd like to describe the new-to-me '89 740 - it is a completely original, one-owner car that I purchased for $975. The owner, an older lady, was moving to Florida and was contemplating donating the car when a friend of a friend informed me about it - I immediately went over to her house to see the car. There, I was struck by its superb condition - totally rust-free, clean interior, no torn upholstery, carpets very shiny, etc. Best of all - the 740 had just 110k miles on it. Yes, that's correct - 110k original miles. Apparently, she never drove it in the winters, always covering it with a blanket in her garage and not taking it out again until she was absolutely sure that all the salt on the roads (we live in Northern Virginia) had been washed away. So this car was clean. I also discovered that it was a "Special Delivery" car, because it had the sticker on the rear window. She had bought it at the factory the day it was built. The color is Wine Red, with a color code of 409 (I think), which is rare because I've never seen another Volvo that was Wine Red.

So I took it for a test drive, found that it was a good fit for me and bought it. Upon bringing it home, I noticed that the water pump, thermostat and radiator are the original, 26-year-old parts that came from the factory. I plan on using this car as a daily driver (except during winters of course) and on long trips, as I travel home to Vermont a lot. Do you think it would be prudent to replace said water pump, thermostat and rad? And on top of that, the timing belt?

Also, the sunroof is electric but I don't like sunroofs. Is there a way that I can disconnect a fuse or a wire to prevent the use of the roof?