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Volvo 850 Wagons

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#277 of 491 Hoo boy. by lancerfixer Jun 22, 2003 (6:24 pm)
I write this as the owner of an older ('89) Volvo 740...I love my car, but it's gotten to the point where age, not mileage, is taking its toll. Maintenance has been heavy, especially over the past six months. It drives nicely and is wonderfully comfortable on longer trips (two trips from Cedar Rapids, IA to the Boston area and counting), but a maintenance-free vehicle an older Volvo is not.   To give you an example, this is the list of things I've done in the couple years I've owned my car:   Brakes (rotors and pads) $780.00 (I splurged a little and got Brembo rotors when OEMs were a little less.) Exhaust $300.00 Tuneup $100 (bought the parts and did it myself) Thermostat $100 Repaired exhaust manifold gasket leak $120.00 Battery $100 Tires $450   Stuff that really should be done:   New steering rack ~$600 (slow leak in the present one) Fix faulty A/C $? (I'm afraid what they'll tell me) Shocks ~$500   This is in addition to regular oil changes and routine stuff. A lot of the items on the list are wear items and can be expected to be done to any car, but Volvo parts are not cheap (you can source them yourself for some savings...there are many good websites for this.) My point is, although these are really great cars, very safe, etc., they're also progressively more expensive to keep running in top form as they age. This is true of any car, but European cars tend to cost more to maintan than their domestic or Asian counterparts. I'm not trying to dissuade you from buying a Volvo; I'm just giving you fair warning so you know what you're getting into.   Oh, and you should be able to get that '93 850 (I'm assuming it's a sedan; there was no '93 850 wagon) for about $4,000.   Good luck.
#278 of 491 As a Lover and A Friend- by FREDERICK Jun 30, 2003 (9:47 pm)
No way would I shop for a 150K used 850 on a budget.   Mind you, I have just spent $500 on a new set of not over the top tires, a third set of brakes brakes etc. know very well what a really nice older 850 can cost. I love the car and probable would do exactly as Lancerfixer has for his 940. However I have to agree that one should never own a modern Volvo on a budget. (BTW-a 93 850 is included as modern although barely)   After the trans has been replaced then you'll need a new airconditioning unit......which then after replacing that there always seems to be incessant rattles in the dash.....etc., etc., etc.   Do not buy a modern Volvo on a budget, they are seriously a luxury car with a low brow snob appeal. Believe it or not I bet we'd buy another one when our 96 850 is dead. Now how is that for a mixed review? Most modern Volvo oweners could have chosen and afforded a BMW or Mercedes but they simply liked the Swede better. Don't think you are buying some sort of modern European Chevy Caprice when you go for a Volvo these days.   2 cent from a low brow-   Peace,   F.   Now.... post that on your Volvo's bumper and people will believe you mean it.
#279 of 491 95 850 TURBO BUY? by phillyguy3 Jul 15, 2003 (8:38 am)
JAVADOC & FREDERICK: You seem to know these cars. My semi-retired father is looking at a sedan with 150K, Owned by a Volvo Master Mechanic for the past 3 years. A friend purchased another Volvo from him last year (760 Sedan) with same mileage and only had to replace the rotors. Price is $5,000 with new Turbo, Ac evaporator. He's also willing to repair anything up to 1 year for parts cost and he lives 1 mile from me. Yea or Nay???
#280 of 491 philly... by javadoc Jul 15, 2003 (11:53 pm)
A '95? I don't know... $5k isn't a huge risk is it? I like that it has a new evap. Those will set you back some bones when (not if) they go out. What about the abs module? Is it functioning properly?   How's the rest of the car? I can't imagine w/ 150k it's pristine, but has it been in a major accident? How does the transmission operate? What about the suspension? It'll ride stiff (turbo, and 850s in general do), but shouldn't have rattling suspension pieces.   However, $5k isn't a ton of money, right? But, that's just my opinion.
#281 of 491 Re:95 by volvomax Jul 18, 2003 (10:36 am)
The new evap is great, the 850's always had to have those replaced. What worries me is the new Turbo. The turbos in the 850's were pretty reliable, it should not have needed to be replaced. I'd take a long hard look at hte rest of the mechanicals.
#282 of 491 95 850 Turbo Purchase by FREDERICK Jul 21, 2003 (3:10 pm)
Philly-   I like the idea of the way you found this car and the verbal agreement that this seller is willing to stand by and fix the probalems at no labor charge. Does he own the shop?   The 850 is the "new" Volvo platform from which most current Volvo's are derived. The old rear wheel drive platform are completely different machines. They were more Chevy Caprice in their nature and Swedish road going tanks. The new Volvo's are quite buttoned down and sportier in nature.   Do not relate your friend's 760 experience to what you might expect with an 850.   Javadoc- maybe you can jump in here but it is my understanding that the 850 engine was a totally new power plant. Along with the fact that it is a front wheel drive car it was a nearly ground up new design from the Volvo's we'd known before.   My final concern is that you have documented proof of the work that is claimed to have been done on this car. An automatic transmission replacement on 93-95 850's has been a common complaint and it alone could cost $2,500-3,000, of course a lot of that is probably labor.   I own a 96 850 auto wagon with 82,000 on the odom. I have seen none of these problems with my car that you are reading about. If Dad is not a big mileage guy and the tranny is good, you probably are not too far off for $5,000.   Best Wishes,   F.
#283 of 491 Fredrick by javadoc Jul 21, 2003 (8:13 pm)
Yes, from what I know, the engine in the 850s was a new design, being an aluminum block/head design as well. I know of no issues w/the motor itself. I think I've heard it referred to as the 'white' motor, and the old iron block motors being referred to as 'red' motors... I assume that this is b/c of the aluminum (white) and/or iron (red) block materials.
#284 of 491 850 Wagon Brake Shudder by cap99 Jul 23, 2003 (11:18 am)
FREDERICK: I also experience an occasional deep hum.shudder to the brakes. It seems to happen after I've driven for more than 20 minutes and at longer distances/higher speeds. When it does happen, it's when I apply the brakes halfway and come to a rolling stop. The car almost feels like the bottoms dropping out. I have also had a pad replacement weeks ago. Anyone else with ideas on this?
#285 of 491 by javadoc Jul 23, 2003 (12:02 pm)
Warped rotors, would be my guess. Did you have the rotors turned/resurfaced when you replaced the pad?   I had all kinds of warpage issues w/the stock rotors, until I installed some quality slotted units. Haven't had the problem since.   my .02
#286 of 491 Slotted Rotors by FREDERICK Aug 01, 2003 (3:54 pm)
So that is your dirty lil secret.   My car is on it's second set of rotots since new. The first set was resurfaced just before we bought the car the second set I assume was Volvo certified since it was done at a dealership. Where did these slotted rotors come from Jav and how much did they cost?   My car's brakes still hum when you apply moderate pressure while stopping on a decent but I've been assured that this is most likely the ABS working. The car stops no problem and there is no shudder felt in the steering wheel so I left it alone.   Peace,   D.

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