In MN: 1996 850 wagon, MT, black/black, 297K, needs clutch and alternator
The clutch and alternator on my sister's car gave out last week while she was here in MN visiting my folks, she needed to get back to Chicago with her harp in time for a bunch of gigs, and she found a suitable replacement car for a good price, so I'm now tasked with disposing of the old one, although fixing it to keep as a spare hasn't been ruled out.
The car has never been smoked in; it was bought new by my parents, my sister bought it from them about 10 years ago, and she's kept it in great shape - much of it looks nearly pristine. The leather looks fantastic (and I think the rear bench has almost zero wear as she took it out of the car when she first got it), she's kept it in very good repair (and has about three thousand dollars' worth of receipts for parts alone, just since April of 2013, to prove it), and the body looks undamaged and rust-free.
The inspection sheet from Glasgow Auto states that it needs a clutch, that the car won't start unassisted (the battery is an Interstate from sometime in 2013, so I assume the alternator crapped out and the battery is discharged), the front brake hoses need replacing, and positive crankcase pressure indicates that it needs oil trap and intake mani gasket replaced and ports cleaned.
Obviously, having a "real" garage do the work using Volvo parts would cost more than the car is worth, but on the other hand, FCP has a Sachs clutch kit for $175, an aftermarket slave cylinder for just over $100, and a Bosch 100-amp alternator for $165, for starters. (I'm too busy/lazy to look up everything, but I wanted a few ballpark numbers.)
When the car first died, my dad swapped the wheels before having the car towed to Glasgow as my sister had spent ~$750 on Nokian WR G3s less than 4000 miles ago. Right now it's on the spare plus three other steelies and would need tires, and my sister would prefer to keep the Nokians but could swap them onto other wheels and include the original Volvo alloys with the car instead of the steelies. Alternatively, I think I could get her to consider including the Nokians for an extra ~$600 so she could go buy another set for her replacement car - I think that would be less hassle for everyone. Obviously, she'll need to keep her IL vanity plates and you'd have to apply for new ones ahead of time, unless you know how a private party can acquire a temp tag as I have no idea.
Exterior shots (any discoloration on the paint is salt/dirt, not rust or damage):
There are two spots of minor trim damage: the strip under the hatch glass is pulling out, and there's some peeling of the rubber strip on the roof:
The headlights are still perfectly clear:
The original Volvo head unit has been replaced with a single-DIN Alpine stereo:
There's some discoloration of the steering wheel, from use and sun, but all gauges and switches/surrounds are in good shape:
Interior shots - there is some wear on the driver's seat pan, but everything else looks close to new:
(The rear bench is in storage at my sister's in Chicago and can probably be brought to MN at Christmas.)
The cargo area has some dirt/leaf debris like the rest of the car, but looks surprisingly unworn after years of loading/unloading the harp:
The cloth lining on the sunroof cover kept coming loose and jamming back when my dad had the car, so he cut it off, exposing the vinyl liner:
So... are there any DIYers out there who'd like a solid, reliable daily driver in great condition (or a safe, easy-to-drive first car for a teen)? Or alternatively, does anyone have other suggestions for selling or fixing the car, or input on how it should be priced? It's hard to sell this car to the uninformed masses without a test drive, as they generally don't understand how great a Volvo can still run at ~300K.
I’m moving across town on Monday so I’d like to get this wrapped up by then if possible; I’d rather not leave the car sitting out on the street in front of a house I don’t live in any more.
TIA for your input.
