1995 850 GLT, only 63K miles - $5500 - a good buy?

[dbk]

I have long been a fan of Volvo - they're expensive to fix at times but they run forever with a little TLC. I used to have an old 1984 740 GLE until it was totalled by a girl on a cellphone....

Anyway - we have now found a small dealer who has a 1995 850 GLT for sale (auto trannie). I checked the odometer twice - it only has about 63 K miles on it. (of course I'll do a carfax check to make sure it wasn't tampered with). Everything electrical works - heated seats, sunroof, pw, pl. No problems with the remote keyless entry - works just fine. Interior is in mint shape, the paint has a couple of scratches that I really had to look for. No signs of any fender-benders. When I drove the car, the only thing I noticed was a rhythmic noise coming from the wheels, which the dealer has in the shop now for replacement.

If that's the only problem with this car, it looks like an awesome deal. However, such a low price?? Any car will fall apart if it's been abused... of course I'm going to take it to a Volvo mechanic before any final decision, but can anyone tell me what are some telltale signs I can look for to sniff out any problems? I'm sure he'd let me test-drive it again, and he's holding it until we decide...

Also, there is a 1996 850 -R at another dealership for sale, with a couple problems with the paint, also only around 63K miles but the sunroof is acting funny - they said they'll fix it, and they offered it for $6500. Other than the sunroof, it also ran great and all the other electrical things worked. I don't need the turbo though, I'd rather pay $1000 less and get the 1995 - its paint is certainly in better condition and both cars have the same mileage.

some advice from the experts would be appreciated!

Thanks!!

-Dee

PS - we are in Colorado, if that means anything in regards to price, etc...

[Tsquared]

In buying a used car it is a good idea to get an independent shop to check the car over. They will put it on a lift and inspect the underside, go over the engine/transmission, and know what to look for as far as scheduled maintenance items that should have been serviced. They will also be able to give you an estimate on future maintenance costs and items that need attention.

If the dealer does not want you to get it inspected by an independent shop you don't need to do any business there. The money spent on the inspection is good insurance on not getting a good-looking problem. It also helps build rapport with an Indy shop as a customer who wants value but doesn't want to piss away hard earned $$.

[matthew1]

The only difference between the cars' longterm outlooks (both cars being unknowns to me across the internet) is that the R is likely to have been driven harder.

The turbo in and of itself is not going to add much in the way of future headaches. Volvo turbos on the 850s and 70s are bulletproof. There has been mention of 1 or 2 failures on this forum, total, in 3+ years if you count the older forum (now called archives) and this one together.

In other words, don't let the turbo in and of itself cause you to pass on the R. Let other factors do that (or not). And Tsquared nailed it: have it checked by an ind. repair shop.

[kenk]

have a compression and leak down test done, it'll run you about 100 bucks including the rest of the inspection, but ensure that the engine is in good condition. even with low miles you never know.

rear main seal and auto tranny are other things to look, take a look at the tranny fluid dipstick, is the stuff clean, how does it smell? Same with engine oil, if it smells burnt its getting burnt by something.

[prienzo]

If you're trying to see if the price is good, I just bought a 93 volvo 850GLT with 68k miles for $4700. It has nothing wrong with it and runs perfectly. It is an automatic with all the good stuff on the inside. I hope you can try to compare with this. I also got it from a dealer.

[Smash2]

Also for comparison - I bought a mint, I mean mint, 94 850 GLT from an online dealer - delivered to my door for $4700.

I've since replaced normal wear/tear items.