So I have to decide on a car to get.
I've driven a few, and right now there are a couple deals too good to pass up.
Both cars are $1500, give or take a few pennies.
Car 1:
1994 Volvo 850 Wagon
Teal Green with Tan Leather Interior
5-speed manual transmission
205,000 Miles
Mechanically sound
Cosmetics needs:
- Driver's seat is torn.
- Rear seat bench is torn.
- Minor exterior cosmetics such as gas cap, a couple minor dents (nothing too terrible).
- New armrest desired.
Pluses:
- Engine seems great.
- It's a wagon, has the third row seat.
Minuses:
- Non-turbo 850's are slugs, this is somewhat better due to the stick but still it's pokey.
- It's a 1994, pretty much the oldest I'd go.
- Front tires are goodyear, rears are generic. It'd need snows for the winter, and maybe new tires all the way around.
- It's too damn cold to know how well the AC works, although the heat is just fine and the AC doesn't make any noise, the AC is known to fail in Volvos. It did in my 960 at around 100K.
Needs:
- Driver's seat: $100-$250 depending.
- Misc. Trim Bits: $100 total.
- Hard-core detailing.
- Maybe rear tires.
- AC? Unknown.
- Rear Seat Bench: $100
- Armrest: $50
Total cost:
- $2000 plus maybe rear tires, and definitely snows.
Car 2:
1995 Volvo 850 T-5 Sedan
White with charcoal leather interior
4-speed automatic transmission w/overdrive
230,000 Miles
Mechanically needs:
- Radiator
- Belts
- Left front axle
Cosmetics needs:
- Driver's seat side bolster is worn. Needs leather repair or new cover.
Pluses:
- Engine seems pretty solid.
- It's a T-5. It goes like STINK.
- Sensible aftermarket upgrades, the kind that make it a better car, such as a K&N airbox, and Bilstein lifetime guarantee sport shocks.
- Recently redone front suspension - the axle on the left is the last part to need replacing.
- Relatively recent exhaust.
- AC completely rebuilt last year.
- Newish Toyo sport tires on the car, plus mounted snows on a spare set of rims.
Minuses:
- Gets a couple MPG less than the non-turbo (19/26 versus 20/28).
- It's got another 20-25K miles on it. The odometer busted at 215, it's been driven about six months since then.
Needs:
- Radiator: $250-$300
- Left front axle: $100
- Alignment/balance: $75
- Belts/misc: $50
Total cost:
- $2000ish, done deal.
So clearly the wagon represents the greater cost. I'm torn. Now this assumes that neither one turns out to have a hidden problem when I have the dealership check them out. We'll see. But it's a tough call. On the one hand... wagon, kids... on the other hand the other car is arguably nicer.
Thoughts?
I've driven a few, and right now there are a couple deals too good to pass up.
Both cars are $1500, give or take a few pennies.
Car 1:
1994 Volvo 850 Wagon
Teal Green with Tan Leather Interior
5-speed manual transmission
205,000 Miles
Mechanically sound
Cosmetics needs:
- Driver's seat is torn.
- Rear seat bench is torn.
- Minor exterior cosmetics such as gas cap, a couple minor dents (nothing too terrible).
- New armrest desired.
Pluses:
- Engine seems great.
- It's a wagon, has the third row seat.
Minuses:
- Non-turbo 850's are slugs, this is somewhat better due to the stick but still it's pokey.
- It's a 1994, pretty much the oldest I'd go.
- Front tires are goodyear, rears are generic. It'd need snows for the winter, and maybe new tires all the way around.
- It's too damn cold to know how well the AC works, although the heat is just fine and the AC doesn't make any noise, the AC is known to fail in Volvos. It did in my 960 at around 100K.
Needs:
- Driver's seat: $100-$250 depending.
- Misc. Trim Bits: $100 total.
- Hard-core detailing.
- Maybe rear tires.
- AC? Unknown.
- Rear Seat Bench: $100
- Armrest: $50
Total cost:
- $2000 plus maybe rear tires, and definitely snows.
Car 2:
1995 Volvo 850 T-5 Sedan
White with charcoal leather interior
4-speed automatic transmission w/overdrive
230,000 Miles
Mechanically needs:
- Radiator
- Belts
- Left front axle
Cosmetics needs:
- Driver's seat side bolster is worn. Needs leather repair or new cover.
Pluses:
- Engine seems pretty solid.
- It's a T-5. It goes like STINK.
- Sensible aftermarket upgrades, the kind that make it a better car, such as a K&N airbox, and Bilstein lifetime guarantee sport shocks.
- Recently redone front suspension - the axle on the left is the last part to need replacing.
- Relatively recent exhaust.
- AC completely rebuilt last year.
- Newish Toyo sport tires on the car, plus mounted snows on a spare set of rims.
Minuses:
- Gets a couple MPG less than the non-turbo (19/26 versus 20/28).
- It's got another 20-25K miles on it. The odometer busted at 215, it's been driven about six months since then.
Needs:
- Radiator: $250-$300
- Left front axle: $100
- Alignment/balance: $75
- Belts/misc: $50
Total cost:
- $2000ish, done deal.
So clearly the wagon represents the greater cost. I'm torn. Now this assumes that neither one turns out to have a hidden problem when I have the dealership check them out. We'll see. But it's a tough call. On the one hand... wagon, kids... on the other hand the other car is arguably nicer.
Thoughts?
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