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Right now I drive a Saab 9000, but I am thinking about buying a 1992 Volvo 960 sedan for commuting. It is a southern car, 156K miles, A/C works great (important where I live), needs new tires and brake rotors and pads. My mechanic is selling it and is asking $1000. I think the timing belt has been done recently, too. I drove it and it shifted fine and had decent power. What I want to know is if you guys would recommend it and if there are any crucial things to check out before purchasing. Also, how expensive are parts? Thanks in advance!
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The 960 gets a bad rap. However, I've owned 2 of them and had good luck with both. I'd own another if a decent one comes along. Do avoid one that's been neglected. They also get better than 17 mpg at cruising speed, will get into the 20's. The smooth power is as good as it gets.
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just make sure you change timing belt when or b4 its needed, engine gets wasted when it lets go
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I've re-considered buying that 960. I saw it again yesterday and it will definitely need new tires, front brakes, and a timing belt. Also, I am not sure about the gas mileage. If I am looking at 17 avg for good fuel economy, ouch. My Saab gets 27 avg. Anyway, thanks everybody for the advice, happy thanksgiving.
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I beg to differ on the issue...I have 120K on mine, and very soon I'll get the T-Belt done, along with the rest of the timing components. I have a minor antifreeze leak, but other than that, and the usual stuff, brakes and oil changes, along with the replacement of the fuel rail due to leakage, there is nothing wrong with the car. It has a very nice ride, and handles well. Very few rattles and squeaks for a 13 yr. old car, and well built, I think. I have done the majority of the work so far myself, but I'll get the local Volvo indy to do the timing stuff. Extremely comfy leather seats, best I have ever sat in. I say, if the price is right do it. Preventative maintenance should be done on any car. Take care of the 'ol Swede, and she'll take care of you and your family. Just my 2 cents...Dave
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you plan to and have the money to maintain the engine exactly as volvo suggests.
or if you plan and are able to do such upkeep yourself.
the engine is imo the weak point in the car. the car is essentially a 940 with a 850 body look in front and a much faster 6 cylinder engine. apart from the minor difference in looks and the reality it is much faster than a 4 cylinder non turbo 940.... the cars are the same. the difference in interior appointments between the 960 and 940 are more bling than any thing else.
the engine will give you no room for error or mistake if you are sloppy in upkeep. if the po was sloppy you have just bought a hand grenade with a loose pin.
the engine will self destruct if the t belt breaks so spec upkeep is critical. the oil passages in the block and head seem to clog up much easier than the red block 4 engines. ergo if oil was not changed religiously to spec watch out.
if it was me i would not go any closer to a 960 than it took to say hello and continue walking. if you can not live without this car at least do a serious oil pressure check on the engine at hot idle and hot cruising speed.
since you know saabs the 960 imo compare very similarly to the mid 1990's series of 900's that came with the infamously crappy V6 GM opel engines which had t belts break every 30 or 40k miles and which the resale on is junk compared to the saab 2.0 turbo or non turbo equipped car of same years.
go find yourself a nice 940. if you desire more oomph off the line get a well cared for 940 turbo. you'll thank me in the long run
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Thanks for the responses all. I am already a stickler for making sure the proper maintnence (oil changes especially) has been kept up with. trichard, I am still a little unclear as to why the 960 is one to avoid so specifically. If the t-belt breaks on any car, it's toast. Same with infrequent oil changes. I am also still unclear on how much I can expect to spend on regular maintnence, for example t-belt repacements. Thanks again!
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a broken timing belt DOES NOT mean death to the engine on every engine.
on the volvo 4 cylinder red block engine (92-95 940's, nearly all 240's and many 740's) you can break a timing once a day for a year and cause nothing more than inconvienence to yourself.
other engines where the timing belt ensures the valves and the piston do not come into contact will self destruct if the belt breaks.
the 960, all 850's and i think all volvos after the last 940 are interference engines. the red block engines do not use the t belt to keep the valves and piston from contact because they never occupy the same space at the same time in an ignition cycle unlike the 960 engine and many saabs. actually i have a number of 900's with the 2.0 engine and do not ever recall damaging them from a broken chain. in my experience all twin cam engines use the timing belt or chain to keep the valves from contacting the piston. single cam engines ...with 2 valves per piston normally do not have this trouble
figure you will spend twice as much for t belt change ($300-400 minimum versus $150 or if you do it yourself under 30 dollar on a red block) for a 960 over a 940. you can do t belt on a 960 your self for 30 dollars but you MUST be EXACT in the timing sprocket setup or misery will ensue upon startup. on a red block you can be OFF a tooth or more and only cause lousy performance.
actually i think you can count on spending at a minimum 50% more for upkeep than a na 940 or even a 940 turbo.
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$300-400 does not sound so bad for a t-belt. I was just concerned it might be around $1500, like it is on Audis! Even better if I could do it myself. At any rate, I am going to see the car again on Wednesday and will give it another look over.
I appreciate your advice and caveats. I am just glad to hear there isn't a rear main seal issue, like on 850s. My wife keeps telling me to buy something Japanese, but I am a sucker for Swedes.
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Timing belt is definitely a DIY job on a 960. IIRC the '92 960
has a 30k timing belt change interval, so after a few years owning
a car like that you would be able to do it with your eyes closed. :-)
Takes a bit longer than an oil change, and putting a timing belt
back on requires some patience, but definitely a job that a backyard
mechanic can handle.
Some pre-1995 960 are known to suffer from a block porosity problem,
not sure how to check for that since my car is newer, but check some
older posts and the 700/900 FAQ. I would also be concerned about the
condition of the suspension (like on any older car) since the cost
to replace worn shocks, bushings etc (with labor) can easily top
the asking price of the car.
I think most common parts for Volvos are definitely not overpriced
compared to other brands (check fcpgroton.com, eeuroparts.com to
see for yourself), definitely it should not be more expensive than
to service a Saab...
Vlad
--
'98 965
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I own a 92-960...very nice car, I did the t-belt myself for $300 more or less, because you should include the water pump, rollers and tensioner if possible.
These are not a must but once you are there why not replacing something that can cause a big deal later.
You have to be patient with the t-belt replacement, not very difficult if you have some experience, if in doubt with the timing marks you can do your own marks with white corrector, turn the engine with your hands 3 times with the new belt and confirm the marks match all the time.
If you go to the dealer it will be like $1200.
One very expensive item with the 960 is the rear shock absorbers, the Nivomats suspension are $280 each side, parts only, check it's not sagging in the rear, it's normal after 100K miles. There's no aftermarket for them.
That 6 cyl engine is a beauty, but loves synthetic oil and it's not very efficient, only around 17 miles/gallon if everything else is ok.
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posted by
someone claiming to be V70driver
on
Sat Nov 22 16:42 CST 2008 [ RELATED]
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