What do I do?

jackmac94 · Post by **jackmac94** » 01 Aug 2013, 16:34

Hello, I am new to the forums by way of posting, I have been reading up on this site for quite some time now to resolve issues and I have a 1995 Volvo 855 GLT.
Currently I am working on it and almost complete, thanks to this website. But it has shown its age(suspension is out, the brakes up front are aftermarket, I recently replaced the radiator but not without some hiccups, leather is ripped and cracked up front, service light is on, brake light on, a/c doesnt work, the driver side door shuts with a loose cable or something inside the door)
I am in a bit of a bind as to what i should do, here is what I am talking about.

I recently came across a great deal on a used 1995 Volvo 850 T-5R with 71000 miles on the clock, but speaking with the dealer he said it has 81000 miles due the infamous odometer gear breaking. Anyways it has a Carfax report, and has (supposedly) been garage kept and maintained in pristine condition. I am not on this specific forum to advertise but it is $3988. It is located 10 hours from where I live but the dealer said he would drive it down to me if I bought it from him. I could also possibly trade in my breadbox to lower the price if he is so inclined.

I was also informed of a friend of mine selling a 2006 Volvo S60 2.5T with 190000 miles for $4800. I have known my friend long enough to know how well they maintain their vehicle. It is in GREAT condition from what I can tell, but I am no Volvo mechanic and I have not done a full inspection of the car. I would think that is a good deal but it means I would have to sell my vehicle myself and deal with that can of worms.

Like I said I am not here to advertise those vehicles but to get an opinion. I am moving in a month from now up north and I REALLY want to stick with a Volvo of some sort because my current car has made me become fully involved in Volvos. I have learned so much about them and about cars in general and have acquired a few tools along the way that help especially with Volvos. With all of that said, I ask any and all of you Volvo gurus, gearheads, specialists, enthusiasts, etc.

WHAT SHOULD I GO WITH? A newer vehicle with a lot of miles? an old but awesome vehicle that I may be taking a chance on? my current vehicle and fix it from the ground up? WHAT?

Any suggestions relating to this problem would be really helpful. If I need to move my post please let me know, I figured this would be a good place to post this sort of thing since it's not really a problem with my car but more so my situation.

Thanks in advance for any help, I would surely appreciate it.

Post by **Ben850** » 02 Aug 2013, 07:40

Buy the R, it is barely broken in. Keep the GLT for parts.
Your situation may not allow for two vehicles, but I found I couldn't stop at just one.

ChiNorm · Post by **ChiNorm** » 02 Aug 2013, 09:59

+1 for the R with less than half the miles. Easy choice. Presuming of course that the car is as presented.

Good luck.

Post by **jblackburn** » 02 Aug 2013, 10:00

Agreed - that R is a good deal, especially if it's well maintained.

But expect to set aside a little bit for maintenance for things that wear out over time.

I'd avoid that S60. I'd never buy a used car with that many miles.

jackmac94 · Post by **jackmac94** » 02 Aug 2013, 12:26

Thanks for the the quick responses so far. I guess I will be selling some stuff and doing some overtime if I want to get the T-5R. If all goes according to plan I should be getting some pics of the vehicle today. I would like to get everyone's opinion of the vehicle if anyone is interested in seeing the photos. I will post them on this thread unless this will need to get moved to the 850 section. I'm still waiting on more opinions from others on this question just to get a balanced view of the matter.

Thanks guys!

jackmac94 · Post by **jackmac94** » 14 Jan 2014, 22:06

This thread is officially closed for me. The 850 T-5R is off the market now.
But a nice 2006 S60R just showed up on my horizon!