960/s90

[RollingThunder]

Hi Paul, not really. The 13c turbo seems to wear out between 100-125k miles, but otherwise there is no difference in reliability between them. Maintenance is the key as always - do a stage 0 service asap after buying one and it'll be reliable despite its 20+ year age. The redblocks were massively over engineered, particularly the bottom end, and it shows

In turbo engines, the exhaust valves are sodium filled to help the heat transfer from the exhaust valves to the cylinder head. The 'T' profile camshaft is common to all turbo redblocks - in fact, barring the wastegate actuator there is no difference between the turbo engines, regardless of engine bhp output - its just the wastegate actuator that controls the differing boost pressures, and hence the bhp produced. Otherwise everything is common between them - even the ECU and injectors etc.

IMHO, the best NA engine is the 2.3* with a 5 speed gearbox as the 2.0 just feels like its struggling with the weight all the time, even as a manual car. I had a test drive of a 2.0 auto, and it was so... painful... that I didn't go any further I'm not a fast driver by any means, but it just felt like I was pushing the car all the time.

I found little difference between the 2.0 turbo and the 2.3 turbo. I found both to be willing and responsive engines, and both are equally easy to tune up to say 170-180bhp which IMHO is ample for these heavy cars.

* The other NA option in the UK is the 2.3 16v, which is said to be very responsive, revvy and great fun - rated at 155bhp IIRC. But its an interference engine, and getting it set up is supposedly a bit tricky. A lot of Scandinavians fit the 16v heads when going for big turbo power on their redblocks. I've never owned one, so can't comment on a first hand basis though sorry, but its certainly a worthy temptation if you see one.

[Paulk]

Thanks for the informative reply - it is good to hear from experience!

Paul

[Forrest]

I've got two 940s each well over 200k miles and both on their original turbos. I put this down to annual oil changes, sensible driving style and always letting the engine idle for at least 30 seconds before switching off.

I also own a V90 Mk1 which I bought last year having driven 940s for over twenty years. I agree with most of what has been said already in terms of the differences. The V90 certainly seems more refined and tends to be my preference now for long journeys.

[Belal960]

Originally Posted by RollingThunder

I've had a few 940 and 960s over the years, as both saloons and estates. Because of this I've noticed a few things that generally don't go mentioned...

The 940 generally feels a lighter car to drive. Its very noticable when you go from one to the other. I reckon the extra weight of the engine, the slightly heavier gearbox, the extra sound insulation and big heavy seats cause this. It makes the 960 feel a bit lumbering compared to a 940, even one with a similar leather upholstery spec, which has always confounded me

On the other hand, the 960 is far more civilised - the whiteblock engine is a fabulous unit and is every bit as reliable as the redblock if well maintained. Its the maintenance that differentiates the ongoing reliability - a redblock will continue running very well without maintenance, whereas a whiteblock tends to show it is unhappy a bit sooner. If a cambelt snaps on a redblock, its no big deal - the engine is (mostly) non-interference, whereas a snapped cambelt on a whiteblock is catastrophic as they're all interference engines and most have 20/24 valves (5/6 cyl).

Its pretty straightforward to improve the performance of a redblock turbo engine, and the bottom end is massively over engineered. The non turbo whiteblock engines are harder to tune and in truth you'll be pushed to get more than maybe 30-40 bhp more out of one without resorting to a turbo conversion.

Spares are becoming an issue as Capt Jack has mentioned. If you buy any 940/960/x90 you'll need to be prepared to search literally worldwide for some parts. Even then, some parts will not be available anywhere at any price, particularly if its an unusual item. The more mainstream models aren't quite so bad (but even then I understand standard x90 Nivomats are NLA), but this is the main issue that put me off buying an S90 Royal recently.

With my history of both 940s and 960s, would I buy a 960/S90? Absolutely! They're magnificent cars, just make sure you keep your eyes open when viewing - buy by condition not mileage. They're still under most people's radar, so prices haven't gone ballistic... yet. But I'm sure their time will come - you can't beat pukka Volvo build quality (ie when they were independent, pre-Ford & Geely), Porsche designed engines, and classic styling IMHO.

useful info thanks