Question about purchasing a 940 Turbo

890 Views 6 Replies 3 Participants Last post by ncS60, Apr 7, 2009

ncS60

Discussion Starter · Mar 23, 2009

I am thinking of purchasing a cheap 940 from a guy at work to save some miles on T5 S40. I am new to the "940" world and have several questions about the problems I KNOW about the car. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated!!!!

The Good:

1. He want's 500 for it
2. Just passed inspection
3. 233k miles
4. Doesn't use any oil
5. Runs strong
6. Everything works except AC.
7. Oil changed fairly regularly
8. He has had for 5 years with little problems

The Bad:

1. Intercooler connection hose/rubber clamp is cracked on driver side and it's "oily", on the oil cooler is covered with oil
2. Transmission shifts VERY FIRM and holds 2nd gear a fairly long time.
3. Top of oil pan is very greasy/sludge?

The Ugly:

1. The front suspension is junk.
2. bad clunking noise when driving on front of driver side (ball joint, end link or who knows?)
3. When coming to a stop and applying the brake, the steering wheel turns to the right and the front suspension shifts right?
4. When you let off the brake from a stop, the suspension & steering shifts back left?

Just curious what everyone thought about a $500 car with this much work in it. My confusion is really not knowing how much the suspension work would cost. I am use to working on all of my cars/trucks, so would these repairs be DIY or shop work?

Sorry for all the questions but I like the idea of a second car for cheap, provided I don't have to spend more than $300 in repairs right away. Plus, I really like driving the old 940!

Thanks!

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gdill2

· #2 · Mar 23, 2009

Re: Question about purchasing a 940 Turbo (ncS60)

Skip this one.

Do you want sedan or wagon?

Turbo or no?

What is your budget high and low?

How far will you travel for the right car?

George Dill

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ncS60

Discussion Starter · #3 · Mar 24, 2009

George,

This would ONLY be a secondary car to keep the mileage and maint. Intervals down on my S40, so the budget is very low. Basically $900 or less. I wasn't even looking for a car but this one is from someone I know, otherwise I am not sure I would purchase. Answers to your questions:

Sedan or Wagon -- Either would be fine

Turbo -- Either would be fine

Budget -- Very low, it would just be an extra car

Travel -- No more than 250 miles due to time.

Thanks for the suggestion. I would love to find any older volvo (940, 960, 740 or 240) in SOLID mechanical shape. I am not concerned with the cosmetics of the car or minor flaws.

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scootss60

· #4 · Apr 7, 2009

Re: Question about purchasing a 940 Turbo (ncS60)

Quote, originally posted by ncS60 »

The Bad:

1. Intercooler connection hose/rubber clamp is cracked on driver side and it's "oily", on the oil cooler is covered with oil
2. Transmission shifts VERY FIRM and holds 2nd gear a fairly long time.
3. Top of oil pan is very greasy/sludge?

The Ugly:

1. The front suspension is junk.
2. bad clunking noise when driving on front of driver side (ball joint, end link or who knows?)
3. When coming to a stop and applying the brake, the steering wheel turns to the right and the front suspension shifts right?
4. When you let off the brake from a stop, the suspension & steering shifts back left?
Thanks!

"The Bad" isn't that big of a deal.. All are very fixable - the stiff tranny shift is very likely to be a worn kickdown cable. I had mine replaced at 190K; car now shifts so smooth you hardly notice. The cracked IC hose/nipple is common with age; easy fix. #3 can be cleaned or replaced, not too expensive. The ugly isn't so ugly - all this can be corrected by a competent mechanic. $500 is chicken feed; I'm not sure what the body/paint looks like, but if you sunk a grand or so into it, you'd have a reliable alternative to your S. Haha, it might very well outlast your other car, I hate to say. I drive a 93 940 Turbo which is used for long weekend road trips to keep the miles piling up on my S60 R. I've easily invested $6 - $7K in preventative maintenance over the past 50,000 miles; the body has a total of 3 minor dings and flawless paint. I just love driving the thing and even if you pass on this offer, you would really love a turbo. I had a natural aspirated 940 as well a few years ago but it lacked the sport suspension and the turbo which really improves driving pleasure. Good luck!

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ncS60

Discussion Starter · #5 · Apr 7, 2009

Thanks for the input. I ended up buying the car ($500 was too good to pass up) since it had a great service history.

I had a Volvo mechanic look it over and he decided these were the items that needed to be fixed asap:

Both ball joints bad
Strut Rod bushings GONE
Front struts
Alignment

I am planning on replacing all of it myself (with the alignment exception). I will check on the kickdown cable as well.

How difficult is the kickdown cable to install?

Thanks!

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gdill2

· #6 · Apr 7, 2009

Re: (ncS60)

Below are info sites on kickdown cable.

George Dill

http://www.volvoclub.org.uk/fa...ement

http://www.volvoclub.org.uk/fa...tment

http://www.volvo-forums.com/in...kdown

http://www.volvoclub.org.uk/te...l.pdf

http://caunter.ca/volvo960/ip14814.pdf

http://volvoforums.com/forum/a....html

http://volvoforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3335

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ncS60

Discussion Starter · #7 · Apr 7, 2009

Thanks for the links. I had read the one on Brickboards FAQ section before but I didn't realize there were so many options.

Thanks again!

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