Vladimir,

I discovered yesterday that I have a couple of bad drivers in my computer. I hope to have it fixed soon. I might have to uninstall and reinstall them. I'll send you an email when it's fixed.

Overall, it sounds like a nice car. I did find it on Craigslist (I live on Cape Cod). Is it that nice dark blue color? Looks similar to my 95 which is dark green/blue and has the same dark gray or black leather interior. My car is a GLT Sportwagon and is loaded for a 1995. Probably has almost the same equipment as the 97.

Okay, onto the problems. Coincidentally, my 95 has the two that you mentioned!

The tailgate needs new struts. This is a DIY job. No, I don't believe that the tailgate needs to come off. There is a tutorial out there somewhere on repairing them. I forget whether it is on Volvospeed.com or matthewsvolvosite.com. BTW - If you have not discovered them both sites are great for 850 and S/V70 repair and maintenance! I need to fix my tailgate too. For now I use a ski pole to prop it open.

Front door stop - Is the stop hanging off the door and not attached to the frame anymore? If so, the weld is broken. Or if it is like my 95 and still attached, then the door stop simply needs to be replaced or repaired. If this is the case, sometimes they can be fixed. First, try loosening the door stop from the frame using a Torx wrench and resetting it making sure it is centered and tight. Then clean and apply some white lithium grease all over to the stop. This didn't fix mine (apparently it can) but it should at least keep it from pulling away from the frame. At the very least it is a good temporary measure. The door panel has to come off to replace the stop. The stops are $30-40. I plan on buying one from Tasca Volvo (tascaparts.com) since some of the aftermarket stops come w/o bolts or something else you need to attach it properly. Search the BB archives for more info on this.

Both of these jobs are going to wait until spring and warmer weather.

Sounds like you found a pretty good car for the money. Good luck with it if you decide to pull the trigger....:)

Jim