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Dear bomhauer,
Good p.m. I can add nothing to Mr. Ringlee's advice on radiators, so I won't.
I would suggest that if you do not know when the timing belt was last changed, you should do that, as well. A timing belt breakage on a 960 engine ruins the head, instantly. The timing belt change is not hard to do or costly to get done.
If you have the Carfax Report for your "new" 960, it should tell you where the car "lived". You can call Volvo dealers in that area - there not likely to be more than half a dozen. Ask for the service department. Give them the last 6 or 8 digits of the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number), which is found on several places (the car's title, a metal tag visible through the windshield, etc.).
From the VIN, the service department will know if they worked on the car. If so, tell them you now own it, and would like to pay them to send you copies of their records, with the previous owner's name blacked-out. The last item is very important. You telling them to "black out" the previous owner's name will will re-assure them that you have no interest in the previous owner(s), whose name(s) you likely have already from the car's title. If the car was maintained at a Volvo Dealer, you could get lucky and get a long run of records.
Also, if the previous owner's name is on the back of the title, you might be able to contact the previous owner. They might have kept records and be willing to send them to you, if you'll cover the postage.
Ask the used car dealer if, perchance, he has the maintenance book. Chances are he doesn't, because it was removed during the auction process. Still, it doesn't hurt to ask. If he has it, and there are entries, you can call the garages, whose names are mentioned, and ask them if they have records.
IF - AND ONLY IF - you get hard, black-and-white proof that the radiator, hoses, etc., have been changed, should you not follow Steve Ringlee's advice to the letter and at once.
In these matters, the previous owner's statements alone are worthless: you must have a receipt for the radiator and timing belt changes, and it must have the VIN for your car on it.
Doing this detective work will take you a few hours. If you find that the radiator has been changed - and you get hard proof of that - fine. If not, then you know what to do, and you'll know that you're not wasting a penny, but rather protecting a nice machine.
Many happy miles!
Yours faithfully,
spook
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