I'm looking at picking up a 91 Volvo 940 Turbo. The car has just under 100k on it. the outside is in decent condition, but does have some dents, and paint issues. When I started the car, it fired right up, but then the rpms dropped and it stalled out. I added a little gas and after that the idle stayed rock solid the entire test drive. The speedometer is intermittent, and when it isn't working neither is the odometer. (right now the odometer says 97760). The interior also needs work, but thats stuff I can slowly do on my own. On the interstate the steering wheel shakes, and the front tires need to be replaced.

Is there anything I should be worried about getting this car? Also what would you pay for the car? and can anyone run the vin for me?

4/21/2011 12:46:04 PM

turbo'd volvo inline 4s are not known for longevity. Now the non turbo'd motors will run forever. Plan on dumping a grand into replacing electrical sensors (maf, oxygen, etc) within the next year. Buy yourself the bentley manual, a good multimeter, and plan on learning alot about auto electrical.

Personally I love a good running older volvo, but the electrical systems are for shit.

4/21/2011 1:08:20 PM

Damn not what I wanted to hear. The car is going to be for my girlfriend to get to and from campus as a grad student. So about 15 miles a day tops. Think the turbo would still be a good choice? Also what price would you think is fair to offer him?

4/21/2011 1:13:28 PM

think of it this way? who usually drives volvos...

I'd say 90% are mechanically declined females and males that forget to change their oil and take mechanical equipment for granted.

There is nothing wrong with the car... but finding one of the 10% that wasn't driven 30,000miles per oil change and was actually taken care of... nearly impossible those people love their cars and keep them forever.

Turbos Cook oil making it impartiality to change your oil at the recommended intervals or before. Using a good synthetic also helps as a safety factor.


[Edited on April 21, 2011 at 2:17 PM. Reason : .]

4/21/2011 2:15:01 PM

the 740s are bomb proof. Sensors don't fail and the only one that does is the fuel sending unit.

They run 300k miles plus if you take care of them. The engine and mechanics are about the easiest set up known to man.

4/22/2011 6:17:03 PM

If there's one person on this site that knows a thing or two about Volvos, it's Houston. God knows, he's had enough of them. That and International trucks.

I'm always very leery of late '80s/early '90s turbo cars...simply because owners rarely knew how to properly look after a turbo (double for cars like Volvos because usually those are the owners that bought the car based on its "bulletproof" reputation and are therefore a million times more likely to never have touched the damn thing or properly took care of it).

I don't know one single European car with an electrical system worth a damn.

4/22/2011 6:23:02 PM

haha

did you hear that Lucas Electrics tried to develop a line of vacuum cleaners? It was their only product that didn't suck.

4/22/2011 6:30:38 PM

Re reading my iPhone posts makes me laugh.

4/22/2011 10:55:49 PM