359446634 I need to replace my 92 bluebird with something showing less age and this caught my eye.
carkitter,
Mar 8, 7:37am
I would get a Pre-Purchase check done first. And a '99 Volvo is not the current safest car in the world.
brummoi,
Mar 8, 7:42am
Thanks and yep, I would definitely get a pre-purchase check. Does it seem reasonably priced for age! At 12 years old, seems a tad pricey to me
toyboy3,
Mar 8, 7:54am
113000k and needed another motor
brummoi,
Mar 8, 7:59am
I think they mean the cambelt but I'll ask
clark20,
Mar 8, 8:00am
New Engine Drive Belt! Not new engine, I think they mean cambelt
andy61,
Mar 8, 9:02am
Drive belt doesnt sound like cambelt,sounds more like power steering/alternator belt.
thejazzpianoma,
Mar 8, 10:30am
brummoi, You do realise that an S80 is a super complicated and potentially very expensive car to fix don't you! I say this as a Volvo fan BTW.
Do you have any knowledge or understanding of Volvo's at all!
Don't get me wrong they are a lovely car but there are some things you need to be aware of and the S80 is not the car to get if you just expect to take it to your local Volvo dealer for a cheap fix if something goes wrong.
thejazzpianoma,
Mar 8, 10:36am
First of all I would suggest you determine if this is an ex-singaporian car. With that engine combination it more than likely is. This is a definite negative as the climate over there can affect the incredibly complicated electronics.
Even if this car shows no ill effects of being a Singaporian import there is still a real stigma attached to them which will affect resale.
Singaporean import versions of the S80 go very very cheap, sometimes for just 2 or 3 thousand dollars. This one does seem to have lowish km's and if its really tidy may be worth closer to what they are asking but you should be aware of how low some of these go for.
thejazzpianoma,
Mar 8, 10:44am
Volvo is also one of the few Euro vehicles in NZ which actually does have expensive parts. This is due to a lack of third party importers and Volvo NZ takes advantage of this by charging absurd prices for things.
You can however import your own parts cheap enough but you need to be willing to do that and plan ahead. FCP Groton is an excellent U.S Supplier of Volvo parts that I use regularly.
Some parts can be sourced locally O.K as well from the likes of euroline etc but you still need to be a bit savy.
Buying a Volvo is not necessarily a bad thing in itself, in fact they can be a lot of car for the money and I recommend certain models regually. However I would advise you slow down and do your homework carefully. You may find the S60 is a more manageable risk having less electronics etc.
When buying a Volvo it can also be well worth while getting it put on a Volvo diagnostic scanner and having the automatic transmission carefully checked over.
Many Volvo's of that era also suffer from throttle body problems which you should do some reading about and check carefully when purchasing to determine if the throttle body has been upgraded/replaced etc.
If you are prepared to put the legwork in you could come out with an excellent vehicle for the money but tread carefully if going for a S80 in particular. Also carefully consider the VW Passat and Audi A6 as alternatives. The VW/Audi group cars enjoy much cheaper parts sourced from multiple 3rd party importers. There are also less singaporian imports and the high spec VW/Audi equivalents of the S80 are generally cheaper and easier to sort out than the S80.
Food for thought, hit me up with more questions if you need.
brummoi,
Mar 8, 11:01am
Wow! Thanks so much for the detailed and excellent advice. To be honest, I'm just looking for something a bit better than my 1992 bluebird which is starting to look and generally fall apart a bit too much (although it has been a great car).
I certainly don't want to be getting into super expensive repairs so will steer clear of the S80. My probably unrealistic preference is something about the same size as the bluebird, 2 litre, auto and bullet-proof and from about 2000. The $8750 for the Volvo was always looking a bit pricey for me but I don't mind paying something close to that.
Thanks again, I really appreciate the time you've taken to point me in the right direction
phillip.weston,
Mar 8, 11:02am
I had no electrical problems with my Singapore import Volvo. I did have the roof lining sagging though which I haven't seen in any other Volvos of that era.
thejazzpianoma,
Mar 8, 11:13am
I got the impression from your opening post that you were after something along those lines. If your needs/situation was different I would likely be more enthusiastic about the S80.
Definitely check out the Passat as its likely a really happy medium being excellent value for money but affordable and predicable in the maintenance department. Its likely to be very close to your criteria. You should be able to get a "facelift" one with either the excellent 1.8 Turbo or bullet proof V5 in your budget. Also like I said perhaps not rule out all Volvo's, a nice tidy kiwi new S40 or S60 could be an option.
Moving to a European brand could be an excellent way to make your money go a lot further, just make sure you do your homework.
Best of luck!
thejazzpianoma,
Mar 8, 11:20am
Perhaps not this exact car but this is the sort of thing that I am thinking of 358746352
brummoi,
Mar 9, 8:24am
I was talking to a chap at work today with a 5 year old Passat. He said it was an awesome car but repairs were expensive. The air con crapped out a while back and it cost $3000 to replace! Is that kind of money typical or would a jappa be cheaper in similar circumstances!
thejazzpianoma,
Mar 9, 8:40am
The air conditioning is the one big expensive thing to replace and does not reflect the service costs of the rest of the car. Also, its not the only car that is expensive to have that same job done. Its just due to the labour to get to the valves which are buried under the dash.
If you take the simple precaution of using the air conditioning regularly and making sure it works well when you buy the car chances are you willbe absolutely fine.
Overall the VW/Audi products are some of the best in terms of cost of parts (assuming you order from the likes of Qualitat) and the regular service jobs are easy to deal with. They are particularly good for doing the major service on too.
It might be worth your friend checking on what he has been paying for servicing etc. There are a few dealers (like the one here in Tauranga) that charge obscene amounts for sub standard work. Luckily the VW is simple enough that any competent mechanic can deal with it. Simply a matter of finding one and making sure they source genuine parts form Qualitat or similar and not BNT etc.
thejazzpianoma,
Mar 9, 8:44am
I think the vast majority of them will be just fine. but if there is say a 15% failure rate on the electrics and they are a fortune to fix would you take the risk!
brummoi,
Jul 3, 9:00am
Thanks jazzpm - I'll keep these on my possibles list. The labour to get to the AC reminded me of a guy on TV years ago who'd modded his Transit so the engine rolled out on a sort of trolley. I guess it must have broken down a lot to want to do that!
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