1994 960 Opinions needed - should I buy?

[Ethan Rode]

Johnny,
Just to clarify: the timing belt synchronizes crank timing with cam timing. A timing light will show you ignition timing on a car with a distributor, which 960's don't have. The timing belt on the 960 is a piece of cake, but the right tools are a must!

The 960 is a fantastic car, but they aren't as abuse-resistant as a 240.

[sanfelice]

One rather big correction on the timing issue: on pre-95 cars, the belt is a different design than the Gen 2 models, and is rather narrow, and therefore the change interval is far sooner: 50k miles between changes, IIRC, but you are lucky it's not a 1993 which was only 30k miles.

The belt on 94s is exactly the same as as 96-97 850 as is rhe timing set and water pump. They use a 23mm 142 tooth belt.

Volvo decided to modify the system with a exhaust pulley dampener (which was fitted at the dealer servicing points) which extended the belt life to 80k miles.
As a result the 30k miles on the 92-93 went up to 50k miles.

Interesting about the 1994 models, I have never read that before.

Around here (USA) all dealers recommend belt and water pump service at 70k miles on 95-98 models.

[johnny volvo]

THE END OF THE STORY

I backed off this car after inspecting it. The things that concerned me the most were an almost empty transmission and a depleted radiator. What little trans fluid was left didn't really look like coolant was in it, but I wondered if there wasn't a leak in the trans, and I already have that with my 240.

The A/C wasn't cold, barely cool. All things being equal, it looked fairly easy to recharge.

The trans and coolant issues had me concerned, the resonator in the exhaust system looked rusted out, and the sun roof didn't close all the way. I realize that it wasn't going to be perfect, but it was plain that the car hadn't been maintained.

I thank you for your input.

By the way, can you tell me if changing the timing belt and water pump on the 240 is as easy as on the 960?

Thanks again.

[precopster]

You DID check the transmission fluid with engine warm and running ??

Guess the a/c is a big turn off for anyone. The evaporator is an easy pull from the passenger side behind the glovebox however sunroofs are not my domain, other than to check the rails for obvious obstructions.

It's definitely not easy to find a good example at this age. The 960 is a car that should be loved and coveted. When they're in the hands of a non-enthusiast things tend to deteriorate quickly.

With regards to a 240 there are lots of cumbersome fan belts with manual slide tensioners to remove before even getting near the timing belt. This would add another 30 minutes. On the 960 it's 5 minutes to remove the accessory belt and one bolt for the cover and you're in.

Otherwise the 240s are even simpler to replace than the 960 as the water pump is accessory driven.

[johnny volvo]

Hey Mike,

Thanks for your follow-up.

I did check the trans fluid with the car running. What concerned me most was where did the fluid go?? I didn't get so far as to check for leaks; maybe I should have.

I was also concerned in that same way with the coolant; there was none in the reservoir.

The a/c was a minor concern. I could feel a bit of cool, and I saw where I could recharge it. If that would have been the only thing, I would have taken the car. Even the resonator being rusted wasn't that big of a deal; I know a shop the would weld a new one on. The muffler and catalytic converter looked okay.

The sunroof scared me, because of the rains we've had, the interior couldn't escape getting soaked.

I see that, after my visit, he dropped the price $250 (down to $950), but that's not enough to fix a leaky trans.

I've got my eye on a 1994 850, but it's out of my price range. One owner, 207,000 miles. From the pictures, it looks immaculate. He even went so far as to say the timing belt needs changing after another 6,000 miles. Also considering a couple of '94 Honda Accords. It's a money thing.

Anyway, to all, thanks for the input. I'd welcome more.

[Ethan Rode]

That's a bummer,

The A/C on the 960 is actually very easy to work on, especially if it is already discharged.

In my estimation it is easier to do a timing belt and Water pump on a 960 vs 240. There is a bit more to "know", but everything fits together so nicely on the Whiteblock engines, and no V-belts!