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I have a 92 wagon I bought in 97. It now has 162K miles on it. The 92 model is now 14 yrs old. Most of the porous block problems have been weeded out by now. Take a look at the 700/900 FAQ. There is a section on buying a used 960. MOre than likely the 92's you're looking at have 80K to 120K miles on them. You should, say, check on the color of the antifreeze. Brown is not good. Green is not good if it's the cheapy Prestone stuff. Ask what kind it is. Volvo's stuff is what's needed. If the oil filter is a Fram, that's not good. Ask him about his maintenance. When's the last time the timing belt's been done. On a 92, it was originally 20K miles and then, with a mod, upped to every 30K miles. This is a must! Has he replaced the serpentine belt and the tensioner? What about a radiator replacement or any troubles with the transmission? When you drive it, turn on the A/C, see if it gets cold, then stomp on the accelerator and see if the air stops flowing thru the vents. If so, that's a repair that's due. What about the shocks, springs and tire wear patterns? These things just give you leverage on the price or the alternative to go to a 93 to 98. Having said those things I still love mine today. My daughter drives it to school daily. My car is a 97 S90 and my wife's is a 2000 V70AWD. The 92 is still the fastest and the smoothest of the 3. I never regret my time driving the car. Check EBay under ebay motors volvo other models. There are always some 960's from 92 to 98 with low miles. Check them out, risk $75 to $100 on one or two to have a mechanic check them out and bid accordingly or simply use the listings to help bargain a better price.
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