I think I want a Volvo wagon, please educate me

[JimBee]

Last summer I found a '96 855 wagon for $1000.00. It looked pretty sad with a seriously worn lower control arm and worn tire on that side. Filthy interior, dirty engine oil, shot front brake pads. But all the seals were dry and there was no evidence of oil leaks. The engine idled smoothly and quietly. The working odometer showed 132k miles and it's a 5 speed manual. Shifting was smooth. Including new TB and roller kit from Volvo, new plugs and cap, radiator flush with Calgon (4x to get it clean), Amsoil in the tranny, full-synth flush and fill in the crankcase, and new Pirelli's on the front, all fixes totaled around $800.00. I drove it on a 2300 mile round trip and I can say I've never felt more secure at 70 mph in a car than I did on that trip. Oil consumption: a little less than a half quart. The wagon has steel wheels and plastic wheel covers, not real fancy but the dark green paint is mostly clean (except for some bumper stickers on the lift gate which I need to remove b/c they piss off the occasional trucker who gets on my back bumper. Gearing up for another one this summer. When I first began driving it, the back area felt cavernous but I became very fond of that space. When I went back to my '93 854, I felt like I was in a small box (for a while).
I have another '96 wagon I'll probably sell this summer. It's pretty clean. Red with 16" sport wheels. Has a few blemishes and a tink in the engine, but ran well on a 70 mile highway cruise. It has erratic idling when cold. I bought it to tinker. I assume the idling problem is a vacuum leak. I'm in Minneapolis if you're in this area and would like to look at it pm me.

[Captaincat]

Hey chev,

I know this is now a year old. Did you ever find the volvo wagon of your dreams?

I'm aso in need of a reliable wagon for small daily commutes to school and work. My budget is around 3,000

I'm currently looking into a '96 850 wagon with only 160k/100 miles on it asking $2,700. The problem is I have to drive about 100 miles to inspect it.

It's my first car purchase and I've so far learned (from these forums, thx to everyone) about the advantages and durability of these cars and also what to look for (regular maint., timing belt changed around 70k, no clunking or coolant smells).

Is there anything anyone can advise about these specific models? The asking price seems very reasonable considering such relatively low mileage on the vehicle.

Latest repairs were new brakes, rims, and headlights, anyone got any advice

Thank you!