Volvo Cars

So i'm looking to buy a wagon for the family. a used one that is. i've been looking at different Volvos and it seems like they all have high mileage 160,000K+. However, in talking to people it seems like this is normal for volvos and that they still have some good life left even at that number. i've seen some turbo models but i don't think i want to get one of those. without proper care to those models it can be expensive to fix. I've seen some 87-90 and also like 1993-1998 that are within my price range, 740's 850's 940's and 240's. With that said, any advice on what to look for, avoid?

Ouch! Rusty Caprice to a high mileage Volvo is like "out of the pan and into the fire" :)

haha. The older Volvos are solid and reliable (stay away from Turbos... they are often abused and expensive to fix). Their engineering is straightforward, pretty simple and a bit primitive, (This means they are fairly easy to fix) yet they handle surprisingly well.

The problem with Volvos is the cost and availability of parts, which is often worse than domestic makes. But the Internet helps a lot. Try shopping on-line, like Rockauto for common parts, like brakes, waterpumps, rads etc. and see how the prices compare for other makes.

For car shopping, if you do not have much money..... look around for the best deal.... the best, lowest mileage car for the least money. Do not get hung-up on any particular brand.
Generally, stay away from higher mileage cars. All cars, regardless of brand will accumulate wear-related issues and repairs, when you get much above 100,000 miles. Also, often, such older, cheaper cars are being 'run into the ground', that is, usually, maintenance and repairs are neglected, the owner is squeezing as many miles as possible out of them for the minimum cost. But there are rare exceptions to these rules.

For example, if you want an older, mid-sized car, look at all available cars that fit the description, from all manufacturers.
I have found the best deals are the ones that are not advertised. Perhaps a friend or relaitve knows someone who knows of a senior citizen who does not drive their car anymore, but has not sold it yet..... or look at estate sales, that sort of thing.

Another thing..... some body styles seem to be very unpopular.... and thus really cheap, particularly mid-sized wagons from the 80's........ and older, compact and full-size rear wheel drive vans, like the Chevy Astro. (compact) GMC Vandura (full-size) etc. Look for the passenger vans, not the cargo vans. If you can find a really nice one, you can get a great deal.

Also, look at www.carsurvey.org. a great site for reviews on older cars. When reviewing cars on this site, don't judge a model on 1 or 2 reviews. Look for repeated issues that occur on many reviews for a proper insight into problem areas.

funny you mention that site. i ended up on it when looking up reviews and info. as for make and model, i'm stuck on this one (volvo) because it's the one my wife has always liked and would love to have. i can't give her a new one but i hope to find a good used one.

one in particular, has 162,000 miles, 2nd owner, 87 gle wagon, all maintanence records (not sure if from 1st owner too) for less than 2k. body looks to be good but have to see in person. i would prefer a later model with more options and newer styling but something tells me this one may be a good buy. i've searched other wagons like taurus,sable but they seem to be more problem prone and accords are out of my $ range.

as for the caprice, that was all my fault. i purchased it great condition in 2007. then i lost a job and it all went downhill as the car became a daily driver and i barely had gas money to get to the new job an hour away let alone money to clean and maintain body. in hindsight i see what i could have done better and have learned good DIY tips thanks to you guys. now i just have to find another canvass to work with.
Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows CE; IEMobile 8.12; MSIEMobile 6.0) VZW:SCH-i910 PPC 240x400

oh and i have been looking at astro vans. i want a conversion one which we'd use for long trips. if i manage to get a wagon, i'll probably skip the astro van and look for a full size conversion van. i've seen those for <3k. they have mileage like 110-130k but i would think that's to be expected as vans like that are in my opinion used for long trips.
Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows CE; IEMobile 8.12; MSIEMobile 6.0) VZW:SCH-i910 PPC 240x400

reply from seller:
"There is no rust on the car, mechanically the car runs very well, and there are no known concerns with the car.* It was my wife's car and we kept it up*well.* It's a good car.**The air conditioner freon*leaked out a few years ago and the radio doesn't always work.*"

i think i saw somewhere about check the ac with volvos. can anybody confirm that and if so, what is it indicative of? thanks
Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows CE; IEMobile 8.12; MSIEMobile 6.0) VZW:SCH-i910 PPC 240x400

It's very common for older cars, particularly in the northern states to have broken AC. Any AC system has many potential leak points, especially around AC flex hoses and O-rings. Compressors also leak, occasionally.

If you fix the AC on such an old car, you will have to convert it to the newer R-134A systems. My rough guess is plan on $500+ to fix the AC properly.