Time for another car ... Volvo 960 or Volvo 850?

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussion' started by *dim*, May 12, 2012.

  1. clueless1

    clueless1 member... yep, that's what I am:)

    Joined:
    Jan 8, 2008
    Messages:
    17,778
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Here
    Ratings:
    +19,598
    I think Volvo introduced an anti-theft system after the 850 that meant many of the components are coded up and the car just wont behave unless the computer is happy that everything is above board. I could be wrong on that, its just what I read. In any case, both the 900 and the 800 series pre-date that, which I think might be something Ford funded after they bought Volvo in 1999.

    [Tangent alert]
    Once my 940 broke down and because I didn't have my tools with me, I had no option but to call out Green Flag. The man arrived, and started poking about pretending he knew what he was doing. He looked at the warning light on the dash, and said 'ah yes, the ECU is not happy, it says the lambda sensor has failed'. I replied, 'well lets ask it shall we' and led him to a little black box of tricks under the bonnet. I put a jumper wire into a certain hole, pressed a button, and watched an LED flash a code at me, and then said 'its telling me that the MAF sensor signal is missing out of range'. The chap was puzzled by this, and asked if this box was a custom mod. I told him (truthfully) it was a standard feature on most 940s. 10 minutes later, the MAF sensor was off, cleaned, and refitted and I was on my way. I later discovered that the gadget in the air box that regulates air temperature into the engine was dead, so it was always sucking hot air, so I bolted into the cold air position (12 pence repair cost) figuring the hot air feature might be necessary in a Swedish winter, but not usually in the UK. That made a massive improvement to both performance and fuel economy. I then decided to overhaul the entire ignition system, so about £25 spent meant she now had reliable ignition. Then I spent £1 on some carb cleaner, and in less than 1 hour I'd dismantled the entire air intake system, including throttle body and idle control etc, cleaned it thoroughly, and refitted.

    I only paid £300 for my Volvo, with over 250,000 miles on the clock. Spent about £30 and 2 hours work max, and she just ran like a dream after that. She ran well for the most part before that, but 17 year old ignition parts usually misbehave from time to time. I let her go because I was skint, and her clutch was slipping, and I'd bust a back shocker and couldn't afford to put her right. Biggest mistake ever. I'f Id put those 2 bits right she'd have still been going strong.
     
  2. Folly Mon

    Folly Mon GC Official Counselor

    Joined:
    Dec 17, 2011
    Messages:
    1,805
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    starting new busniss in new year
    Location:
    House on the Hill
    Ratings:
    +2,409
    Volvos am HARDER THEN MIKE TYSONS HEAD!!!!! :pcthwack:

    I Used to crush cars for a living in a bayling crushing machine i worked for the UKs biggest salvage company

    This machine was capabull of crushing 2 cars at the same time and crushing them in to a squire box even 2 cars at the same time

    UNLESS IT WAS A VOLVO!!!!

    Every Time it was a Volvo DONT MATTER WOT MODEL

    The Machine STRUGGLED TO CRUSH THE CAR!!! THEY ARE THE STRONGEST CAR ON THE PLANET!!!! Well Built More Safty Features The The Goverment Hand Book on Helth n Saftey :WINK1:

    Thats my only experance with them

    I WOULD DEFANTLEY TRUST MY FAMERLIE IN ONE :dbgrtmb:
     
    • Like Like x 2
    • clueless1

      clueless1 member... yep, that's what I am:)

      Joined:
      Jan 8, 2008
      Messages:
      17,778
      Gender:
      Male
      Location:
      Here
      Ratings:
      +19,598
      Volvo as a company has always been at the leading edge when it comes to safety features. I believe they were the first to add side impact protection bars, way before it became a Euro NCap standard. They had real crumple zones before everyone else I think. When the 940 came out without a drivers air bag, and the media asked why, a Volvo spokesman remarked that an airbag is not necessary, if the car is designed to take the force away away from the driver in the first place.

      Nowadays Volvo, even though they are now owned by Ford, are still at the forefront of safety. Their newest cars don't wait for the driver to hit the brakes if they are on a collision course, and in some of the top models, if you do crash, a Volvo call centre automatically gets a full description of what's happened, where, how fast etc, so they can pass it on to the emergency services. Apparently it even reports if you're upside down in the middle of a field, how many times you rolled, how many people are in the car, etc etc. so that by the time the emergency services arrive, they already know exactly what to expect.

      Going back a little bit, there is a photo floating around the web somewhere of a Volvo 740 estate (the 700 series was the 900 series predecessor). It had gone off the road and cartwheeled down a hill, flipping several times end to end, before rolling several times sideways. The driver had a broken thumb.
       
    • shiney

      shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

      Joined:
      Jul 3, 2006
      Messages:
      64,880
      Gender:
      Male
      Occupation:
      Retired - Last Century!!!
      Location:
      Herts/Essex border. Zone 8b
      Ratings:
      +127,070
      When I used to have the Volvo 240 I got hit by a drunken driver coming round a bend who was way over the centre line. It wasn't head on but he hit me where the driver's door is hinged to the front wing. I was doing 30mph (slowing down as I was only 200yds from arriving home) and they reckoned he was doing 60+. so a combined speed of over 90mph.

      The collision threw my car into the ditch (I remember trying to steer the car upwards as it was going along and down into the ditch) and I was, almost, totally unhurt. The only damage to me was from flying glass from my door mirror as I had my window open. Apparently, I looked a lot worse than I was as there was blood pouring down my face but they were only tiny cuts on my forehead!

      When the car came to a stop along the ditch the engine was still running, all the windows were still OK and I just opened my door and climbed out of the ditch. The damage to the car was the front wing (headlight still OK), the drivers door and all four wheels.

      The other driver's car ended up in the ditch as well. It was a total write off, all windows broken, the headlight section was almost back to the windscreen, the roof bulging upwards and petrol running out of the broken tank. He was conscious (sort of) and I and another driver dragged him out through the, now empty, windscreen. He had concussion, broken ribs and a broken leg.

      The police said that the side crash bar in my car threw his car off mine and also, probably, saved his life by deflecting him and reducing the impact.

      Great car for safety, a pleasure to drive (fast, slow, motorway, country roads) and very comfortable. :dbgrtmb:
       
    • *dim*

      *dim* Head Gardener

      Joined:
      Jun 26, 2011
      Messages:
      3,548
      Location:
      Cambridge
      Ratings:
      +1,593
      http://community.preloved.co.uk/fuseaction-reviews.showreview/productID-1066/ec003ebd.html

      snip:

      It's been said that Swedes don't like to bet unless they're sure they're going to win.
      So when Volvo advertised an accidental loss of life insurance policy for all '96 models, you can bet the Scandinavian auto maker had some data to back up the offer.

      For example, Volvo will tell you that no driver deaths occurred in single-vehicle crashes or rollovers of the Volvo 240 during 1990-94. Not one. The insurance policy, by the way, pays £250,000 to the estate of any occupant of any '96 Volvo who loses his or her life in an accident, up to a total of £1 million. It remains in effect for 48 months
       
    • HYDROGEN86

      HYDROGEN86 Head Gardener

      Joined:
      Jul 17, 2011
      Messages:
      1,868
      Gender:
      Male
      Location:
      in the shed
      Ratings:
      +883
      I dont even drive but i want a volvo now :snork: I suppose this is why the police use them too Dim for motorway patrol cars....
       
    • *dim*

      *dim* Head Gardener

      Joined:
      Jun 26, 2011
      Messages:
      3,548
      Location:
      Cambridge
      Ratings:
      +1,593
      got home last night .... saw the post ... was not in the mood to open the envelope as that normally means some or other bill to be paid ....

      opened it this morning .... I have a received a cheque for tax rebate from HM revenue and customs for £1618.21

      that changes things considerably, .... and that amount added to my initial budget will get a much newer car with less miles ... my search initially was for a volvo 960 ....

      then I started looking for a Volvo V70 T5 geartronic .... saw one a few days ago, made an offer but was rejected .... now I have enough cash to get a decent T5

      it pays to have a good accountant ....
       
    • Fat Controller

      Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

      Joined:
      May 5, 2012
      Messages:
      28,575
      Gender:
      Male
      Occupation:
      Public Transport
      Location:
      At me 'puter, GCHQ Ashford Office, Middlesex
      Ratings:
      +53,786
      Dim, good as as V70 is (I know of a couple of friends that have had them, and they had no trouble), can I just throw a curveball in? Take a look at a VW Passat B5.5 1.9TDI - you should easily pick one of those up ('03/'04) with your budget, and the 1.9 TDI engine is a real workhorse. Plenty of usable grunt for both town and motorway work, whilst returning anything up to 60 mpg.

      I've got the newer model (B6), which ironically isn't anything like as reliable as the older one - however, I have had little trouble with mine (touches wood), and its a really likeable car.

      Oh, and if you are hell bent on a Volvo, take a look at the D5 engined ones (modern diesels really are that good!), and be very careful with the tiptronic gearboxed models (Geartronic as Volvo call them) - great when they are working, cost a mint when they don't, and will require regular maintenance in addition to the normal 'run of the mill stuff'
       
      • Like Like x 1
      • *dim*

        *dim* Head Gardener

        Joined:
        Jun 26, 2011
        Messages:
        3,548
        Location:
        Cambridge
        Ratings:
        +1,593
        thanks for that ... will have a close look
         
        • Like Like x 1
        • shiney

          shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

          Joined:
          Jul 3, 2006
          Messages:
          64,880
          Gender:
          Male
          Occupation:
          Retired - Last Century!!!
          Location:
          Herts/Essex border. Zone 8b
          Ratings:
          +127,070
          The T5 is likely to have a high insurance rate, so best to check first.
           
          • Like Like x 1
          • *dim*

            *dim* Head Gardener

            Joined:
            Jun 26, 2011
            Messages:
            3,548
            Location:
            Cambridge
            Ratings:
            +1,593
            Hmmm ... my heart wants a flash car ... my mind (and wife) say I should look for a bargain ... bank some of the change, and take the wife and kids on a long weekend trip in the UK (maybe lake district or Cornwall) ... we have not had a family holiday in 4 years

            there's loads if you search .... here's 3 that my son found today ... (his recomendations for cheap)

            http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...radius/1501/page/1/postcode/cb246bl?logcode=p

            http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...page/1/postcode/cb246bl/radius/1501?logcode=p

            he is pushing me to buy this mitsubishi (he will end up getting it soon as he is doing driving lessons at the moment)

            http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...postcode/cb246bl/page/1/radius/1501?logcode=p

            :scratch:
             
          • clueless1

            clueless1 member... yep, that's what I am:)

            Joined:
            Jan 8, 2008
            Messages:
            17,778
            Gender:
            Male
            Location:
            Here
            Ratings:
            +19,598
            I too had my eye on a Saab 9-5 turbo estate for ages, until I learnt something shocking. Under the skin they are a Vauxhall Vectra, revision B or C, I think, the revision that drops to bits.

            Can't say much about the Volvo, except that its Volvo, and just old enough to actually be Volvo rather than Ford. So good.

            Why is the mitsubishi in the list? Is it just because of the performance stats? Because if it is, you should know that you can get more horses than that in your original choice of a 960 (204bhp). The VW Passat 2.5 one also does better, although it will be a bit pricier.

            Did I understand correctly that your son is going to end up with something like that after he passes his driving test? If I got that right, then lets hope he (or you) is extremely rich, because no insurer is going to want anything to do with a new driver in a car with 160+ bhp.
             
            • Like Like x 1
            • Fat Controller

              Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

              Joined:
              May 5, 2012
              Messages:
              28,575
              Gender:
              Male
              Occupation:
              Public Transport
              Location:
              At me 'puter, GCHQ Ashford Office, Middlesex
              Ratings:
              +53,786
              Of that bunch, I would pick the Volvo - the SAAB is based on the Vauxhall Vectra platform (Vectra B if memory serves), which is General Motors speak for 'dull as ditch water'

              The Volvo should be fairly robust, however it is getting on in years - not necessarily a problem as long as its been cared for; check suspension rubbers etc though, as once you start replacing them you end up doing the lot and it can be a costly business.

              The Mitsubishi is nice, and being Jap will be fairly bullet-proof, however it is going to be a killer on insurance (and I doubt your son would get insured on it until he has three clean years under his belt), and will drink like an alcoholic in a brewery with that 2.5V6.

              Mondeo Diesel Estate worth a look?

              V70 with not too much leg on it

              Surprisingly well built, and luxurious, despite the badge (could be thirsty though)

              And to be honest, out of over 130 pages of ads under £1k there isn't a hell of a lot about at the moment worth looking at.

              Take your time and choose carefully - one repair on cars of this age and value can effectively make them economic write offs
               
              • Like Like x 1
              • *dim*

                *dim* Head Gardener

                Joined:
                Jun 26, 2011
                Messages:
                3,548
                Location:
                Cambridge
                Ratings:
                +1,593
                after all that .....

                on the spur of the moment, I bought a Saab 9-5 2.0T estate with all the bells and whistles ... low miles and full service history and was only £900

                hoping to collect it tommorow

                Saabs are cheap now, as they went bankrupt ... but rumour has it that there is a buyer who will take over the factory

                I have never bought a bad used car ... but not sure about this time round ... if I can get 2 years good service I will be happy

                :dunno:
                 
              • clueless1

                clueless1 member... yep, that's what I am:)

                Joined:
                Jan 8, 2008
                Messages:
                17,778
                Gender:
                Male
                Location:
                Here
                Ratings:
                +19,598
                They didn't go bankrupt as I understand it. GM sold it because it was running at a loss, and it was running at a loss because Saab refused to fall into line and make cheaper, but inferior cars.

                Saab has now been sold to a consortium consisting of some Chinese investors, and a Swedish manufacturer. The latter is very likely connected in some way with pre-Ford Volvo.

                Anyway, I hope you enjoy your new motor. Let us know how you get on when you get it. Its a car I had my eye on for a while but was put off because I heard it was a Vectra underneath, but I've since heard that its only loosely connected to the Veccy so it might be alright.
                 
                • Like Like x 1
                Loading...

                Share This Page

                1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
                  By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
                  Dismiss Notice