I have had quite a few 244s and 245s over the years. For college I got a 242 5 spd and have been driving bricks ever since. UNTIL..... last spring, I sold my last 244 to my brothers girlfriend and haven't been okay since. I only charged a thousand too and it was cherry. Her dad drives it now, he's a music professor. So I am sick of driving this 4Runner SUV every day. I am also about to take a new job with a short commute and could use the increase in fuel economy so I have been looking at 965s.

I am not too bad of a slacker so I have read most of the faqs relating to the 960 series. I have also found the answers to some of the questions I had.

I have a chance to buy one for $2500 tomorrow. It is a 1995 960 wagon with the third seat and sunroof. Tan leather seats and champagne? paint. The car has been for sale for a few months with no buyers and the guy just knocked it down from $3000 for me this morning. I want to get it really bad but it has a few problems. I don't have any experience with this make so here's what I noticed off the top of my head.

When he was driving off after the test drive, I noticed that the hood didn't seem to be closed all the way on the right side. Is this a common problem? Is this good evidence of a wreck? I noticed the hood struts were shot cause he held the hood up the whole time I was looking over the engine compartment and checking fluids.

I drove the car for 10 miles and it drives great. It was smoking a little when he left it idling and got out to talk to me, but we met near his place so the temp hand hadn't even moved at that point. I know that the car has been sitting undriven and lonely for a while so any tips on this? After the short drive and during, I never noticed smoke on acceleration or anything.

Both door panels on the left side look awful at the top. Completely pulled out of the weatherstripping. Can I take the panel off and repair this fairly easily? At least to a passable appearance? if not, what is the current dealer price for this job, anyone know? Also the seat cover is pretty cracked on driver seat only. Are these seats as easy to rebuild as the 240s? If so I will find my pliers and start sharpening hog rings.

Besides changing all belts and fluids, (including and especially the timing belt), right away, and a quick all over tune up and brake job, what should I do immediately for this model to establish a good baseline for a maintenance schedule?

I am used to the Volvo way of life. I can change a timing belt out on a 240 on the side of the road in an hour. I have been in these things since 1990. I actually am an automatic transmission specialist. I haven't ever had to work on one of my own vehicles transmissions though. Coincidentally, the vehicle I am considering had the trans replaced about 10,000 miles ago. Hopefully they replaced all relevant seals and locktited or thread sealed the flywheel bolts. That will be one thing I don't have to do for a while. At that point the brake booster was also replaced.

Any comment will be appreciated. Sorry so windy.
*edit* I forgot to say it has 154,000 miles so in my opinion, if it were a 240 series I consider that like new condition for the drivetrain. I have had 3 240s over 300,000 miles and bought two of them at 250,000. How does the 960 compare?