u/capkirk123

https://www.reddit.com/r/VolvoRWD/comments/1tc3fuj/

Following up from my previous post, I test-drove the Volvo 960. It looked and felt great, everything worked (auto climate control, power seats, power mirrors, etc.), the engine ran smooth and transmission shifted smooth, and it felt pretty much the same at 35 mph as it did at 75. The rear shocks feel a little worn (although it could also just be the set of winter tires in the trunk) and there's something a little loose in the front suspension, but that's nothing I haven't dealt with before.

Of course, then it sprang a catastrophic coolant leak. It started pissing coolant into the passenger footwell, and only by turning off the heater did we manage to stem the flow and get it back home.

I assume this is a heater core. I've already looked into it and seen that pulling the dash is mandatory for the job. I have pulled a dash before, and the guy seems willing to negotiate. Is there anything I should know before I decide to commit and condemn myself to the Volvo dash torment nexus?

I found a cheap (<$3000) 1995 960 with 270k miles on Facebook marketplace. I want a Volvo wagon for road trip purposes, I was actually looking for 850s because late-model RWD Volvos are pretty hard to find, when I found this one.

The body seems pretty clean and the pictures show there's no serious leaks or anything. I'm of two minds, on one hand that's a lot of miles (and I'm familiar with high mileage cars, I have a 250k Accord daily driver and 240k turboed miata). On the other hand, a car that's lasted that long has clearly been cared for at least, and the whiteblock seems to have a good reputation.

The only issues listed are the fuel gauge not working (broken fuel sending units seem to be a common issue, and are unfortunately unobtanium?), the A/C not working very well (I'm willing to bite the bullet and just replace the entire system if it comes down to it), and the heat being not very good (could just be a heater valve, but also could indicate greater cooling system issues?).

I'm looking at it this weekend, is there anything I should look out for? Is the 960 more comfortable than an 850? The better fuel mileage of the 850 is tempting.