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There isn't any reliable visual test for a timing belt to assess it's reliability. That's why they specify its safe service period in terms of mileage. Because of the design of the B6304 & 5 cyl variants, it does not pay to guess about this matter. The belt is cheap and pretty easy to change in the rear wheel drive car you're dealing with anyway, so if you don't KNOW it has been changed, then change it.
FCP Groton is a good source for the parts you need. They do sell some aftermarket pulleys that are somewhat cheaper; like ~$50 each vs $75-$80 for the OEM parts. Be aware that if the tensioner shows ANY sign of oil leakage out of the top where the seal is, then you really must replace it. That's ~$110 and I wouldn't trust an afermarket part on that excepting the Febi-Bilstein part, but it costs about what I cited.
I haven't trusted aftermarket water pumps either on this, but I think the Volvo part is only ~$100, which is pretty reasonable for a part that reliably lasts 100k+ miles.
By the way, there is an easy fix to mitigate the A/C syndrome you cited under acceleration. It's as easy as plugging a vacuum hose under the dash on the driver's side.
The car you have has a pretty rugged transmission and rear axle design and has a pretty mechanic-friendly engine layout. The suspension is not very complicated. One has to get more creative with the plastic parts that crack/break. I've had pretty good success with an epoxy/fiberglass mesh reinforcement technique that can be done on the back side of panels in the vicinity of cracks.
For a car to be reliable and have a low cost of ownership, it needs to be simple; very simple. They don't make cars like that anymore, so if you get an old early 60's Mercedes, you'll have a simple car, but it will be 40 years old! It'll still be an adventure.
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