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Sounds like a good deal, but -- as the others said -- be prepared to invest a few dollars over the next several years in both repairs and routine service.
130k miles is low, low, low (for a Volvo). Engine barely broken in.
Where did the car grow up during the last 19 years?
You can find a replacement driver's seat and swap it in -- four bolts and a small electrical connector (if it has bun warmers). If you're motivated, you can repair/rebuild the seats, no special tools required. Not hard to work on.
Transmission should give no trouble other than possible leaks. ***One likely leak spot is the steel cooling lines that go to the radiator. They're prone to chaffing under the clamps (at the support bracket), causing pinholes and severe leaks. This can be forestalled by wrapping electrical tape around the lines and then reinstalling the clamp, squeezing on the tape (tape cushions the pipes, prevents vibration). If now leaking, the worn spot can be cut out and a 5" long piece high quality Neoprene fuel injection hose substituted. (I drove my '83 over 100,000 miles with that repair -- no further trouble with it.)
Another problem area is the engine harness, which tended to have bad insulation for the (approximate) years of '79 to '88, or so. First symptom of this is a flakey oil pressure light (or maybe charging problems) caused by decaying wires near the oil filter, behind the alternator. Easy to repair.
Steering rack should ordinarily be fine on a low-mileage '84. But the car might need ball joints, steering tie rods, etc. Normal stuff over the years.
Rust is the big issue.
Remember to replace the timing belt at 50,000 mile intervals. (Check the PO's service records to learn the last replacement). Change at 150k, 200k, 250k miles, and so on. If it breaks, NO harm done except that you're stranded.
Expect the normal things:
Tires
Exhaust
Brakes
Shocks
Radiator, water pump (maybe)
None of these should be overly expensive (if you have an honest shop).
Oh, yes ---- one more thing on a wagon.
The wiring harnesses that go through the tailgate hinges tend to fail after 15-20 years, causing weird symptoms. These include the rear wiper running when the lights are on, and so forth. This is caused by the insulation failing and the various wires (to wiper, lights, defroster, electric lock) touching each other and "cross connecting."
New harnesses are about $20-25 (on Ebay) and take about 1-2 hours to replace. Easy repair.
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Don Foster (near Cape Cod, MA)
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