^^ that's ironic considering Volvo started as a bearing company!
fiatracer,
Dec 17, 8:35pm
why! what relevance is the label on it! older volvos had engines designed by Porsche - the inline 6 in the 960. The 5 pot is the same engine minus 1, is it not! The current volvos have engines shared with Ford. somewhere along the line there was a Mitsubishi tie in was there not!oh, shit, yeah, maybe stear clear hahaha
racetoy,
Dec 17, 9:13pm
Any company that enters a bloody great station wagon in a touring car series .has gotta be cool .i have a customer with a mint red 850r wagon its kinda cool in a strange sorta way
thejazzpianoma,
Dec 17, 9:13pm
The key thing to consider with yourself foxdonut is that I suspect you will think nothing of ordering any parts online. Done that way parts become quite affordable and really you are only waiting a week or so which is not usually an issue at all.
Its quite different for someone who really is not an enthusiast at all and loaths spending a few minutes ordering what they require or does not understand enough about cars to know what to order.
The more I think about it the more I reckon you should try one of each over time. I totally agree with the adage that you are not a petrolhead until you have owned an Alfa. and really the same should go for a Volvo as well. Its something that should be experienced, even if it isn't as exciting as the Alfa.
russ6,
Dec 17, 9:23pm
Volvo parts on-line from the USA, FCP Groton, super efficient dispatch and very good pricing.
russ6,
Dec 17, 9:24pm
and the 850R goes 'quite well' ! 240ish hp should guarantee that.
thejazzpianoma,
Dec 17, 9:28pm
You hit the nail on the head there "Carefully Chosen". No badge guarantees reliability if the car in question has been abused/not serviced properly. It becomes even more pronounced when the vehicle in question is as sophisticated as an S80.
My folks have a Fiat Stilo Abarth Selespeed which are renowned for annoying little problems. Theirs has had "by the book" servicing since new with all the records, when you go through those records there are no actual "repairs" only servicing.
russ6,
Dec 17, 9:29pm
FCP Groton price a whole rear hub and bearing assembly FAG brand at USD$120. Seems ok.
thejazzpianoma,
Dec 17, 9:33pm
Yes I ordered the following for the major service on an S60 from them a month ago.
Set of spark plugs Two oil filters Oil Filter wrench Complete genuine cambelt kit incl tensioners and all seals Air filter Genuine waterpump Fuel filter And probably a few other bits I have forgotten
Price around $750 including freight and GST from memory.
russ6,
Dec 17, 9:36pm
Just need to anticipate what parts you may need in the future. That's the hard bit because even a week+ with car off the road is not acceptable to most folk. But the savings are huge and genuine parts not Chinese/Taiwan knockoffs.
thejazzpianoma,
Dec 17, 9:44pm
You raise a good point and I was concerned about the same. However so far what I have found is that the only parts that have required replacing are "maintenance items" so it has not been an issue. If on a rare occasion you found you needed a part urgently because the car would not operate without it, then its probably not going to matter paying the premium for it. Given the context of how often (if ever) that happens and how much money you saved on the initial purchase compared to other vehicles.
That said, its worth saying again. They are economical to service only if you are savy enough to be able to order your parts online. Not a car for someone on a budget who also does not have a basic understanding of car mechanicals to the point where they can arrange their own parts. (unless they have someone in the family who can do that for them)
sub13,
Dec 19, 6:56pm
Hi All, if looking for a garage to service your Volvo try Newdane Automotive. They did some work on my car after I went to the Volvo dealer a few doors down from them who by the way quoted me a price that was 70% the value of the car - yeah right! The company I went to is Newdane Automotive. Great bunch of guys and very knowledgable.
blackcat17,
Dec 20, 1:38am
BTW the 80's called, something about wanting a 'boxed set of old stereotypes' back.
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