Hi all,

from what I'm picking up here, it looks like buying a 760 is the equivalent of shooting myself in the foot? I'm looking at an '84, with 120K miles on it. From what I understand about volvos, that means it's got a lot of life left in it. On the other hand I don't want to get nickled and dimed to death fixing little stuff on it...already, the guy is telling me that AC doesn't work, and the rear electric windows are 'funny'.

Looking for a reality check!

Carol

chances are you'll need this on that car soon:

new exhaust

new front and rear suspension

a/c, blower motor

new brakes/rotors

engine trans mounts

wiring harness

fuel pumps

alternator

new radiator

Unless you can trace the mileage with the records from 1984, the od may not be accurate. And the fact that the engine (PRV) is not well liked by most volvians. Rust! Walk away. Look for a 740 87 onwards.

Haroon,

Your list made me laugh, I've replaced/fixed all of these items (swap the radiator for a transmission rebuild) in the last 2 years on my '92 Ford Explorer (98,000 miles) to the tune of about $4000. I lived through that, so I guess I can handle this. Believe me, if I could find something younger I would, but everything I see has 200K miles on it and I'm just not willing to get THAT used!

Carol

Don't be afraid to look at Volvo's with around 200K if they have 4 cylinder engines and maintenance records. The engine and transmission are usually not the problem at 200K, but the rest of the car (suspension, brakes, cooling system, etc) may need work. With whatever car you decide to buy, have a mechanic check it over for anything that will need imediate attention, and anything that may need replacement in the near future.

Good luck.

carol,

run away, run very fast away. nickel and dime? it will be more like hundreds at a time. very old get yourself a nice honda civic with airbags and ac that works and leave the repairs for the real volvo mechanics who can really work on something like this,,, run away.....

Any 17 year-old car will have a fair number of troubles. Many will be accessories: electrical, seat motors and switches, window motors, air conditioning, etc. These require an intimate acquaintance with a boneyard such as B&D in Shirley, Mass, otherwise the parts costs will start to quickly mount. The other troubles will be engine and tranny. If this car really has only 120k miles, then it has been driven only 7k miles per year, probably all short drives. You will have to plan on cleaning the engine of sludge and varnish (look for a Bilstein Engine Flush at a service station, and I would ask them to do it twice) and use some BG engine cleaner or similar with frequent oil/filter changes at the outset.) As John points out,if the engine is the V-6, then cam troubles are possible. You can avoid these by using full synthetic 5-30 oil after cleaning the engine with the Bilstein and BG flushes, as well as using some CD-2 oil detergent regularly. All these will gradually dissolve the crud. Plan as well to drop the tranny pan and clean it, change the screen, and flush ALL the old fluid out with fresh fluid. See the FAQ for details. Other troubles include worn suspension parts. Don't pay too much and you will make out OK. Finally, find a real good and honest indy mechanic with Volvo expertise and learn to love them.

Are you contemplating a 760T, or a straight 760? They have very different engines. The 760T has a B23FT engine, a very rugged turbocharged four cylinder engine, while the 760 has a normally aspirated six cylinder engine that has a history of cam troubles. The six cylinder is known as the PRV engine, as it is a Peugot, Renault and Volvo combined effort.

A 760?

Is that with the famous (or infamous) V6 engine, or the turbo 4?

As a "newbie" in the volvo world (owned a 1989/745 Turbo for a month)I'm learning quick that if you don't or won't do your own repair work you either learn to live with the minor stuff that needs help or prepare to be nickeled and dimed to death for sure. For those of us that are mechanically disadvantaged (in automotive terms so to speak) we are at the mercy of our mechanic (even if he is someone we trust)it cost $$. The joy of driving these cars is hard to describe though. Weigh that benefit against the long term costs. The people on this site have been great. They, for the most part will provide answers and direction (even to dumb questions). At the very least you can be well informed, it's very helpful even if someone else does the work (maybe more so!!). As I also have learned, read the FAQ's for 700/900 cars. It helps in asking questions that have not already been addressed. Since I don't have the experiance to comment on whether your decision is the right one, I have to base it on how much I enjoy my turbo in the short time that I have owned it. Volvo ownership in itself is a trip & lifestyle (some say cult or culture). Either way Good Luck!!

Mike,

I totally agree, the FAQ section is a big help! I've printed it all out, and will memorize it before I take the car in to get checked out tomorrow. Being a chick, I find it makes a huge difference if I walk into a mechanic with some idea of what I want him to be looking for.

Being the daughter of an MIT engineer, I'm not terrified at the idea of doing my own electrical work. Luckily, that seems to be the big problem on these cars. Hey, if these guys here can make periodically fixing the electrical switches on your windows look like fun then I guess I'm in the right place! I'm just not up for tackling major mechanical stuff.

Either way, it's worth it to get rid of the pretentious Eddie Bauer that my ex-husband bought! Considering that I've sunk nearly $4K into that in the last 2 years, maybe a 760 will seem cheap to me!

Carol

A typical dealer, and many mechanics will rob you fast fixing up an old beast like that. One thing though, the 84 760 has the "rare" B23FT (available 1 year only, at least in the US), the Volvo hot rodders engine of choice. It will always be worth money for that reason alone. However, if I were you , I would be thinking like $1000 for the car?

It's a GLE Sedan, 4 door. I don't know if that tells you about what engine it has.

"It's a GLE Sedan, 4 door. I don't know if that tells you about what engine it has..."

Carol, if it has the V6 engine, DO NOT buy the car unless you really, really want to spend piles of $$$$ getting the engine repaired on a regular basis.

Yes, some have had good luck with that motor -- but most folks have bad luck with it. If the car body is in good shape, it's a candidate for a 4-cylinder or Mustang V8 transplant. I wouldn't buy it expecting a reliable daily driver.

John is right of course about the non-impressive V6 in GLE's, but was there a GLE in '84? If so, then it is not the engine I was referring to. I thought all '84's were 760 turbos.

A GLE has the V6 engine.

So, I have a mechanic that I trust. He's worked on my cars before. If I take this to him and have him check it over (he works on volvos amongst other things) I'm assuming that he can give me a good idea of how much work it would need?

Did I just pick the total loser model out of every volvo available? I see people out here selling wagons with 200K miles on them for $3-4000! Why is this such a dud?

Carol

carol,

people have got to be crazy to spend 3000 for any car with over 200000 miles on it. they may be great safe cars but they still need work. I just killed my 240 with 230000 miles on it monday, blew cat converter, exhaust system the ac did not work, fuel guage did not work the clutch which was the original was slipping badly, the windshield leaked the fuse box was rusting out and this was a 1992 model. Dont get me wrong this car was\a work horse for me but when it would not start in newark,nj after work you know its time. This vehicle is going to volvo heaven via a used car dealer someplace in northern nj I got 300 for it 300 dollars I do not see how anyone would have given me one more dime for the car. The body was pretty but the guts were shot

ohh Al I would have given you 300 smackers for that car

The 700 series is highly reliable. It is just the poor track record of the PRV engine. I have never owned, or worked, on this engine. Others on the brickboard with far more knowledge than me have written that this engine will do fine if the oil is changed regularly. If the oil has not been changed regularly, expect cam trouble$. Get an opinion from your mechanic.