For Sale: 1997 850 sedan (base) - $1000 - Shelburne, VT

[morgant]

I'm selling my black 1997 Volvo 850 4-door sedan. This is a well running, safe, front-wheel drive car that gets 17-25mpg and has been a reliable commuter car for me for a number of years. I just purchased a different vehicle and don't have the time or money to put into repairs to get this inspected (expired in June). Due to its age, it does need some work and is not really a candidate for restoration.

The odometer broke at around 125k miles (a common issue) and while I repaired it, I didn't bother correcting the mileage. It had 218960 when I manually read the mileage from the computer in September of last year. I've been commuting from Shelburne to Waitsfield until two months ago, so it's probably closer to 240k miles at this point. This is the non-turbo model, so you don't have to worry about that failing.

The good. I have repaired/replaced things as needed, including:

- PCV system cleaned & replaced this past winter (a common, major issue on these models)
- Battery, positive & negative cables replaced last year
- ABS module (a common failure) replaced with rebuilt module a couple years ago
- Thermostat replaced and coolant flushed a couple years ago
- Timing belt replaced and full tune up (plugs, wires, distributor) within the last two years
- I replaced the transmission fluid when I bought it
- Upgraded to full trip computer with MPG, temperature, time, etc.
- Glove box lock/latch replaced (common, annoying problem)
- Front brakes (incl. right caliper) and rear brakes done in the last year or so
- Rear parking brake shoes were replaced a few years ago
- Inner tie rod, sway links and alignment have been done
- Exhaust patched
- Cabin & engine air filters recently replaced
- All electronic controls work, incl. sunroof, windows, cruise control, seat, etc.
- No check-engine, ABS, etc. warning lights!
- An engine/transmission skid plate installed a few months ago

The bad:

- The front-right CV boot is torn and needs to be replaced ($20 in parts, plus labor to rebuild it, or just replace the whole drive axle on that side; the left CV boot will probably tear soon considering the age)
- The front left brake caliper (The one not replaced) locked up for a short period of time and was freed, but warped the rotor. So, probably needs replacement and the rear calipers are very rusty so may need replacement.
- Most of the clear coat peeled off the paint years ago
- The front fenders and trunk are starting to rust (they can be replaced; the body is galvanized, so very resistant to rust)
- The exhaust tends to get a pinhole where the patch was welded in and probably needs to be touched up again
- The AC compressor died a few years ago and was bypassed (ran cold at the time)
- The cabin blower fan only operates on high
- The headliner is sagging and can blow open
- The rear seat leather is torn
- The driver's side sun visor doesn't stay up (common problem and I have a replacement, but never installed it)
- The cassette deck & CD changer are no longer functional
- The radio antenna only goes up half way
- The usual cracking plastic in the interior (interior door pockets, dash side vents, etc.)
- It needs a deep clean as I have a Siberian Husky who goes everywhere with me.

If you're mechanically minded, this should pass inspection with not too much work.

$1000 takes it. Photos show a Thule roof rack that will not be included.

Available mid August, but you're welcome to come look at it in the meantime. Start with an email and we'll go from there.