Good evening ladies and gentlespoons,
I've been offered a mint-looking (I've only seen photos!) 95 'M' Volvo 940 2.3 SE Turbo. It has 184k miles but I'm not sure about service history. The seller assures me that everything has been done when it should have been. When I say mint-looking, I mean mint-looking. There's no dents or rust (then again, wasn't this car galvanised?) and the engine bay look clean with no apparent oil leaks. The seller is asking in the region of £350.
I've always fancied a big old Volvo but what are spares prices like? How about likely garage bills? And what is the likely mpg that I can expect? I do mainly town driving with the occasional 100 mile round trip.
Any help you can give would be much appreciated.
Cheers
Rob.
Edited by Pugugly {P} on 17/10/2007 at 23:46
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Can't really comment on the car itself but parts wise i'd imagine GSF and eurocarparts should be able to supply pretty much any part you could ever need for it at suitable prices.
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Had the same year diesel estate and in fact my sis still has it.
I like em. agree with BH that most parts can be easily obtained and they are pretty straightforward to work on, as discussed on other threads imo this era of quality vehicles produced some of the best and long lasting vehicles i think we will ever see.
Right then obviously you'll check as much as you can, but do a rear bounce test as the estate car self levelling dampers are very expensive.
It will drink fuel and it should go like a scalded cat, with handling ponderous but not dangerous and you can make surprisingly fast progress with one of these...try keeping up with the lady gb if she's in one!
Insurance will be quite expensive as i think they are in group 16 or higher.
Rust should not be a problem
Tyres nice sensible reasonably priced size (not Chinese blimey Mavis he's done it again)
The engine should be the old volvo 2.3 unit and be very easy to work on unlike the Audi diesel they fitted which wasn't.
Mrs gb says the only thing wrong with the 940 is that they don't still make it!
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I would generally agree with the above. The "trouble" with these proper Volvos is that the body and mechanicals are so long lasting that electrical problems tend to surface at this age. Things such as the engine control ECU will be near the end of their fatigue life and replacements are pricy - even if a rebuilt unit is fitted.
A friend of mine has been around this loop - he paid up for a replacement ECU because he likes the car so much. I think it's a fuel drinking barge and wouldn't swap it for my Euro III turbodiesel which outperforms it an all respects except load space. He kept it because of its load space.
659.
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Can't comment on the turbo, but I bought a 740 2.3 estate at 5 years old and 79,000 miles, ran it for nearly 10 years and gave it to my daughter nearly 3 years ago. It has just passed it's MOT again with very little work.
They are amazing cars and represent the zenith of Volvo's achievement. They don't handle, they're thirsty, but their simplicity and engineering integrity means they will virtually outlast anything else on the road (except perhaps the Merc W124).
Rust is non-existent - my old car is now nearly 18 years old and has NO rust!
HectorG
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I forgot to add that I eventually 'upgraded' to a V70. Big mistake!
I bought a V70 2.4D SE diesel geartronic a few months old and with 4000 miles on the clock from a maindealer*This car was in showroom condition ( an ex-Volvo management car) and was £11,500 off list price! That should tell you all you need to know about the car- i.e. they are about £10k overpriced.
Although the V70 diesel is an excellent long-distance cruiser, it is deeply flawed in many areas. It is not a car that is a good long-term proposition like the 740/940 series. Too overloaded with suspect electronics and the front suspension is fragile and costly to maintain. Also, servicing at main dealers* is a rip-off. I would happily recommend a high mileage 740/940 over a moderate mileage V70. I got rid of the V70 for a reasonable price fortunately (after only 9 months) by trading it for a new VW California Camper. A great vehicle, but that's another story I may elaborate at a future date.
I recently missed a very nice V90 and gave up trying to find a nice one within a reasonable distance as they're so rare. So I bought a 3 year old Subaru Forester 2.0 XT. Great car and it inspires me with the same confidence that I got from my Volvo.
HectorG
* Attempts to use a forbidden word altered, let me know if I picked the wrong one
Edited by Pugugly {P} on 18/10/2007 at 06:18
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Thanks for your replies so far. I forgot to mention - it's the 2.3 Turbo petrol not the diesel. The seller tells me that I can expect up to 35mpg - what's the likeliest 'around town' figure?
Cheers as always
Rob
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35 sounds about right with gentle driving. Around town, or with your foot down all the time, expect 30 or worse.
Don't be put off by the mileage. I bought a 240 with that mileage 10 years ago and have just passed 380,000 miles and going strong. Volvo don't sponsor 500,000 mile badges for nothing!
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Ha - 35mpg (maybe on a steady run at 56mph). Around town - you'll be lucky to 25mpg.
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I have recently been given a Volvo 740 2.3 Estate 18 years old - sailed through it's MOT (needed a tyre) trouble free engine is good expect 25 around town and 30 plus on a run
Things you need to do (Best friend is a Volvo Mechanic)
only use their coolant (from dealers or Euro Car Parts) must be changed every two years.
Oil Change every 3-5K with 10 or 15w/40 semi and use the Volvo filters as they are double welded. Some cheeper pattern ones don't take the pressure well.
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I've been offered a mint-looking (I've only seen photos!) 95 'M' Volvo 940 2.3 SE Turbo. The seller is asking in the region of £350.
If it's got a long MOT and it works and has reasonable tyres and you can fuel it (look on the'net for MPG figures) and you want it then just buy it. Not a hard decision IMO!
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>> If it's got a long MOT and it works and has reasonable tyres and youcan fuel it (look on the'net for MPG figures) and you want it then just buy it. Not a hard decision IMO!
Do you know, think I might! I'll let you know how it goes! Thanks again for your feedback.
Cheers
Rob
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