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Car Forum / Volvo Cars / May 2004Need your opinion on a used volvo...
I wanted to get an opinion from both the frugalites and the volvoites on an opportunity that is being presented to me. My buddy has a 1987 volvo 760 turbo wagon that is in pristine shape. Hardly a nick on the body. No rust. It has 212,000 miles on it and pretty much everything but the engine has been replaced or rebuilt (shocks, struts, exhaust, tires, alternator, transmission, cooling system, etc.) within the last four years. In fact, probably the only original part in the car is the engine. My buddy loves this car, but is selling it. He has treated it like his own child (obsessively taking care of it). He has been saying that he would sell it for a couple years now, and I've been patiently holding out for it. Finally, he has made it available to me. I have driven it and it drives like a dream. It doesn't seem almost 20 years old. I will get it checked out by a mechanic familiar with volvos. The big sticking point might be air conditioning (I need it--a dealbreaker if it doesn't work). He has it on the car, but never used it, and it is currently not working. Apparently, there is refrigerant in the A/C, but needs a new intake fan for it to work (help me out here volvo guys--does this make sense? will this be expensive?). I will be getting it checked out this weekend by an auto A/C specialist and a good auto mechanic. He is asking $2000 for it. My dad, who is a car expert, frets about the age and the miles on the vehicle. Obviously, the MPG will be poor, but the car will not be driven very far or very often. I just need it for occasional transportation. I guess I want the opinion of the experts out there. I think this car may be a great deal, since it has been cared for so well and has served it's previous owner well. But, every time I tell somone about the age and milage, their eyes get big and freak out. My dad is especially concerned. I trust his instincts, yet my gut says that this may be a great way to enjoy a luxury vehicle at a yugo price. Just FYI, my buddy is my best friend and was the best man at my wedding. He has been very thorough, telling me all its faults (few and minor) in painstaking detail. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Mike -- To reply via email remove the X's from my email address: aXeXnXeXaXs@gwis.com Ok, speaking as a long-time Volvo owner and the wife of a former Volvo Master tech: This car is not a super great deal at $2000.00, if you need to spend money to get the AC going. If the AC is not working, it will cost about $600.00 to get it going. That includes a compressor, an accumulator, and a 134 conversion kit and possibly a front condenser fan. See if he will come down to $1500.00 and that will give you the leeway to get the AC fixed. Age and miles are really not an issue with Volvos. I'm currently driving an '89 760 turbo sedan with 218K miles on it , and it doesn't miss a beat. Our last one was a 740 wagon (standard shift) that had 200k+ miles on the odometer when we sold it and the buyer didn't even blink an eye. The Volvo interiors (seats, carpets, etc) hold up well and if this car has been babied as you say, these should be quite nice. I'd much rather drive a used Volvo than any new car out there. The mpg might not be as poor as you think. I average 16-18mpg for mine (6 cyl turbo), as long as I don't stomp on the gas and engage the turbo a lot. If you have any questions please feel free to email high261 at comcast dot net. Good luck! > I wanted to get an opinion from both the frugalites and the volvoites on an > opportunity that is being presented to me. [quoted text clipped - 41 lines] > To reply via email remove the X's from my email address: > aXeXnXeXaXs@gwis.com Thank you very much for your reply! The $2000 is the initial asking price, and he said he would consider the costs for A/C or other repairs in negotiating a final price. I need the A/C, because my health isn't that great and a hot car will make me very ill. We shall see what the costs for the A/C is. The A/C expert (they do much of the dealer work in this area--I know 'cos the dealerships have taken my cars there) place said that conversion isn't recommended, and R-12 freon is currently running at $60 a pound (which is surprisingly reasonable--actually rather suspicious if you ask me). Maybe their using Freezone--an R12 compatible non-CFC refrigerant. I'll find out what the estimate will be. If it is only the condenser fan like he says, it might not be too bad. $600 is actually much lower than I expected for such a refit. That shouldn't be a dealbreaker if it would be that low. The only interior parts that are showing any age are the front seats. There is visible cracking in the leather. Is there anything I can do to repair/replace/or hide (color the white cracks black?) the cracks in the leather? Thanks again, Mike -- To reply via email remove the X's from my email address: aXeXnXeXaXs@gwis.com > Ok, speaking as a long-time Volvo owner and the wife of a former Volvo > Master tech: [quoted text clipped - 71 lines] > > To reply via email remove the X's from my email address: > > aXeXnXeXaXs@gwis.com > The only interior parts that are showing any age are the front seats. There > is visible cracking in the leather. Is there anything I can do to > repair/replace/or hide (color the white cracks black?) the cracks in the > leather? http://www.leatherique.com/dyeinst.htm There's plenty about on the net on leather restoration. It's amazing to think that wet and dry paper and sanding down your seats is the way forward. I've used the Leatherique oil and cleaner and I like it. David. > The only interior parts that are showing any age are the front seats. There > is visible cracking in the leather. Is there anything I can do to > repair/replace/or hide (color the white cracks black?) the cracks in the > leather? I have had the very same experience. That is the reason I will never buy another Volvo with leather seats. When you sell the car the seats are the only thing in the car that looks bad. Also, they are hot to sit on in the summer and cold in the winter. Cloth seats are much better. I would subtract from the value of a car with leather seats. One trick to make the seats look better is to switch the left and right seats since most of the wear is on the outside of the drivers seat.  SignaturePardon my spam deterrent; send email to rhodyman@earthlink.net Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA, USA Owned '67,'68,'71,'74,'79,'81,'87,'93,'95 & '02 Volvos. The '67,'74,'79,'87,'95 and '02 through European Delivery. http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman/volvo.html :> The only interior parts that are showing any age are the front seats. There :> is visible cracking in the leather. Is there anything I can do to [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] :to make the seats look better is to switch the left and right seats :since most of the wear is on the outside of the drivers seat. i always put sheepskin covers on the front seats of my volvos. they are cool in the summer, warm in the winter, < $200 per seat last i recall, and well worth it in comfort. never liked the feel of the leather as a seating material. the plastic which preceded it in the 140s was even worse. if it were possible i would do the same on the rear seats. Signaturegetting out of bed in the morning is an act of false confidence - jules feifer to email me, delete blackhole. from my return address > i always put sheepskin covers on the front seats of my volvos. they > are cool in the summer, warm in the winter, < $200 per seat last i > recall, and well worth it in comfort. never liked the feel of the > leather as a seating material. the plastic which preceded it in the > 140s was even worse. if it were possible i would do the same on the > rear seats. You should try the Volvo cloth seats. They are free with every car. They are very comfortable and look like new after 200,000 miles. SignaturePardon my spam deterrent; send email to rhodyman@earthlink.net Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA, USA Owned '67,'68,'71,'74,'79,'81,'87,'93,'95 & '02 Volvos. The '67,'74,'79,'87,'95 and '02 through European Delivery. http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman/volvo.html > You should try the Volvo cloth seats. They are free with every car. > They are very comfortable and look like new after 200,000 miles. I'd love to know how to get cloth seats free with every car when buying a 16 year old used car... > > You should try the Volvo cloth seats. They are free with every car. > > They are very comfortable and look like new after 200,000 miles. > > I'd love to know how to get cloth seats free with every car when buying a 16 > year old used car... You need to buy the next car I sell. SignaturePardon my spam deterrent; send email to rhodyman@earthlink.net Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA, USA Owned '67,'68,'71,'74,'79,'81,'87,'93,'95 & '02 Volvos. The '67,'74,'79,'87,'95 and '02 through European Delivery. http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman/volvo.html > > The only interior parts that are showing any age are the front seats. There > > is visible cracking in the leather. Is there anything I can do to [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > buy another Volvo with leather seats. When you sell the car the seats > are the only thing in the car that looks bad. Sheepskin. Always comfy and look and feel nice. SignatureCheers, Bev ------------------------------------------------------------------ It doesn't matter who you vote for, the government always gets in. > > The only interior parts that are showing any age are the front seats. There > > is visible cracking in the leather. Is there anything I can do to [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > to make the seats look better is to switch the left and right seats > since most of the wear is on the outside of the drivers seat. Can't do this in a 700 (and it looks shitty in a 200 for that matter) because the 700 has the seatbelt buckle attached to the seat and a compartment on the side which houses the power seat switches on a 760. > Thank you very much for your reply! The $2000 is the initial asking price, > and he said he would consider the costs for A/C or other repairs in [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > expected for such a refit. That shouldn't be a dealbreaker if it would be > that low. 700 series uses a GM AC system that works quite well, R134 conversion works great, it's the only way to go IMO, cheap, universally supported, and environmentally friendly. Just make sure you get the kit from Volvo to do the conversion. > I wanted to get an opinion from both the frugalites and the volvoites on an > opportunity that is being presented to me. [quoted text clipped - 37 lines] > > Mike It would be a pleasure to drive this car since it's that clean. And considering the low usage it might work out. My concern would be the cost of repairs. Where does your friend take it for repairs and what do they charge? It might be helpful to inquire about the cost of some of those prior repairs. You say almost everything has been replaced in the last four years. I think you're going to replace the rest. I bet Volvo parts are expensive and may be hard to get. That is one of the nice things about the car as well. I would also inherit my friend's mechanic. He is very happy with the mechanic, and the guy is both reasonable and knowledgable. He's one of those mechanics that you keep for life, and is worth more than a good spouse (just like that Seinfeld episode). :-P Thanks, Mike >>I wanted to get an opinion from both the frugalites and the volvoites on an >>opportunity that is being presented to me. [quoted text clipped - 45 lines] > the last four years. I think you're going to replace the rest. I bet > Volvo parts are expensive and may be hard to get. Get it. You only live once. Volvos have a lot of character and personality, like a Saab or Peugeot. Parts will be higher than a domestic car but worth it to drive an interesting car. If the seats are shot, just go to a fabric store and pick out some cool fabric to make seat covers out of: like with aliens or UFO's on it and have someone in your family with a sewing machine make 'em for ya. That's what I did to my '84 Peugeot 505 wagon. You'll love all the extra room you have in a big, boxy wagon. > That is one of the nice things about the car as well. I would also > inherit my friend's mechanic. He is very happy with the mechanic, and [quoted text clipped - 58 lines] >> in the last four years. I think you're going to replace the rest. I >> bet Volvo parts are expensive and may be hard to get. > I wanted to get an opinion from both the frugalites and the volvoites on an > opportunity that is being presented to me. [quoted text clipped - 37 lines] > > Mike It's not a wonderful price, especially if you're going to have to pump money into that AC system. Volvo parts and repairs are not cheap, and at its age, it will need fairly regular work to keep it running well. The Volvo intercooled turbos can be a blast to drive, even with a wagon body. Gas mileage may be as good as the mid-20s if you're light-footed, but of course that takes away the fun of shutting down the kiddies in their rice-burners. SignatureChris Green > I wanted to get an opinion from both the frugalites and the volvoites on an > opportunity that is being presented to me. [quoted text clipped - 37 lines] > > Mike I fixed the AC in my '87 700 series for under $200, I'd hardly call it a deal breaker, even a shop should be able to do it for under $500. My opinion would be buy the car, I'd buy it myself if I had space for a 3rd Volvo. > I fixed the AC in my '87 700 series for under $200, I'd hardly call it a > deal breaker, even a shop should be able to do it for under $500. Well, I just got a quote from the A/C specialist for $580. I think that's high. Apparently, the vacuum line was worn through and the freon leaked out. He said it looked aftermarket. He wants to replace the accumulator, craft the line by hand (since it's not standard), and replace the freon. I think I can get it cheaper somewhere else. Thanks, Mike |
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