Any good 940 2.3 turbos for sale
 

So I have had two 940s in the last two months, both with a fair few issues. Both described as mint, both bought from opposite ends of the country 400 miles away from me.

So the first one that was ‘mint’ had lacker peal on the roof, several little dents all over. Cracked and dull rear lights, a water pump leak, the overdrive didn’t work, ripped rear seats, 1 black door card, all the rest grey. So I fixed the water pump, a couple of second hand clear rear lights, some second hand matching good rear seats, all belts changed and a full service, including antifreeze charge and flush which mysteriously cured the overdrive problem.

Now the latest, has a vibrating noise (see other post) some light surface rust underneath, the sump plug has been welded up, looking through the history in 2011, it’s got service receipts since, so I’m guessing oil must have been sucked out, the indicator is not fixed to the headlight, aircon nackered, again several small dents. I have this one to tidy up now!

But I really want to find one that’s very good condition, and not a stupid price. I am probably with all I have done and what I have spent and got back at about £1400 so far. I just wish I had gone straight in ad spent £1800 and got something better. If such a thing exists? Anyone know of anything? Are there still really good examples around?

First of all Dan, stop buying all the 940s in the world!

Second, i've left a comment on your other thread, between what i've suggested and/or what the other person who has commented has suggested, you should find the exhaust problem. Failing that, Demand Engineering can make you a stainless steel one that will do what you want it to and never need replacing - just down the road from you in Ipswich.

Third, do you still have the secondhand set of clear/red rear lights? Might be interested in doing a deal on those if so.

Last of all, any 940 is going to be 20+ years old now. Unless you're exceptionally lucky, there will be minor body imperfections. Also likely to be trim niggles and so on.
However there shouldn't be any major damage or missing trim - one door card in a different colour counts as missing as it needs replacing, either that or it's 3 bits missing, depending which way you look at it.

The air-con sounds like a regas unless there are more symptoms?

The indicator is quite common too, had to replace the indicators on my 760 because the fixings were broken. One was still ok but i got a good deal on a pair of clear so went with that. Might even have the old "Tango'd" indicator/sidelight in the shed if i can find it.

Bottom line is, your best bet is find a decent car for a base and spend some money on that to make it right and keep it, you can run round chasing your tail trying to find a perfect one, it's either going to cost you a lot of money or won't exist. ;) :D

I have to agree with Dave here, unless you want to spend major money on a cherished or recommissioned car, it’s unavoidable that as any 9/700 series is going to be at least 20yrs old, most are going to need some work.

It sounds like your current 940 isn’t a million miles off, personally I’d change the engine and gearbox mounts as a first port of call for the vibration. Could the diff be a potential culprit too? Worth cracking open the filler bung and checking if it needs some juice.

Sump wise, I’d get it in the air and drop the sump out (changing the O rings in the oil pump whilst I was at it) and replace it with one from a breaker. Faffing about with no drain plug sounds like a nightmare.

Air con is sortable relatively inexpensively, as are the indicator/headlight issues.

I’d keep it, spend the money it needs and make it as up together as possible. That’s the approach I've taken with my 744, and although it hasn’t been a cheap undertaking, it’s a great project and it’s “my” car, as it were.

You could keep buying, fixing and flipping cars all year long looking for the “right” 940, but even that will have bits that need to be sorted and the odd issue that needs ironing out.

Yes I guess I was spoilt the last time I bought and owned a 940 was 10 years ago, that was a 93 car, so 15years old, but it was the first car I looked at and found at that point was £450 and absolutely sold, no rust, good condition, I sold it to my dad probably 8yrs ago, he used it for two or three years, and it now sits on his driveway, but it’s still more solid and better condition than either of the two I have recently bought. This one is more the rust that I would prefer to have less of, mostly only surface, but the two front arches (battery tray area) are a bit spongy. The first of my recent purchases was the most solid out of the two and actually probably the better car, but was basic. This latest one is a CD and has everything. There are many other small things, wiper arms are rusty, headlight wiper motors don’t feel like they are attached to the lights underneath, as they spin, when you go from dip to full beam when it’s damp the car wants to stall, and if standing still it does.

Sorry I don’t have the rear lights, the new ones to me I had fitted to the car, the old ones, one was broken, so got binned, the other I left in the rear well of the car with spare bulbs and holders in, for if a bulb blew. The guy I got mine off had a few pairs, I picked the best two at the time, but he had more and they were all pretty good, I could get you his details if you would like, he wanted £40 for the pair. That was at the BKV, so guess he would want something for posting.

The aircon is the pump, but Wright’s at Attleborough said the pipes that connect on to it are quite crusty and would probably cause problems connecting to a new pump. And then it goes on!

The cat innards sounds very interesting!

Thanks

Yes thanks, I have covered a few points you have made in reply to Dave’s post. Yes going to change the diff oil, so therefore make sure it’s up to the mark. And yes, going to change the oil pan, will do the o rings in the pump then too.

Dave has actually made a comment on my other post that is spacific to the rumble problem about the innards of the cat possibly being removed, that makes a lot of sense.

Thanks for the comments. Not really decided what to do.

Forgot to say about the cat - if you crawl under and tap the cat with your fingers, if it sounds hollow then it almost certainly is. If so, almost certainly the cause of your rasp.

Surface rust underneath is easily dealt with, wire brush to get rid of the loose stuff then your choice of underbody rust killer/preventer/seal. It's a dirty and messy job but once it's done, you won't need to re-do it for a while.

What evidence have Wrights provided that it's the pump/compressor?

They was going to re gas, but it leaked. I haven’t had time to properly look at any of it yet. It’s a mad life I have!

Will have to get under and see if it sounds hollow. Yes could treat the rust, if I do decide this is the one I will. If it wasn’t that 240s were so slow I would probably go back to one of those, I have a few!

Here’s a thought...if you have a sound 240, would it be worth chucking the turbo mill and box from the 940 into it? Stiffen it up a bit and you’d have a car with the build of a 240 but the grunt of a blown 940. Might require some investment but you could put the NA lump from the 240 in the 940 and move that on for a few extra notes to put into it...just a wildcard thought!

Yes my ultimate dream, but it’s just a time thing, I have a lovely 1980 chocolate Brown 244 45000miles that is pretty mint that I would love to make quicker and more usable as a weekend car (I have my own van for work) it’s just time, but one day!

Alternatively, leave the 940 as it is and drop in a 1-UZ V8 from an early Lexus LS400 - that would liven the 244 up a wee bit! :shocked: ;) :D