Would you rather?

[deeman940]

I always keep an eye on 940 values just out of interest....
i have seen a few examples of late 2.3 manual and auto cars for sale at what i would call ridiculous money like 4500-6000...most of them are low mileage like 30-60k typically.
i wondered to myself, as a base for a project, would i rather have 60k mileage car which is liable to need ALL the common 940 issues sorted shortly or a 160-200k mile car that has been looked after by an enthusiast and had all the issues sorted? i am still thinking the latter considering the price difference although i have at times questioned my wisdom of buying a mint high mileage car (150k),
I just wondered what other peoples thoughts were....
i doubt anyone here would pay 6k for a 940!....

[monkeh]

Mind you, with some of the sub 6k 940's coming from japan, They come with factory locking diffs, All top spec, 40-60k babied by Kenji who cherished its existence and got it serviced, lack of rust... The 6K is a pretty good investment. I wouldnt have an issue buying a high mileage either. I bought my '98 celebration with 198K on it for £1600. The redblock with a proven service history will last and last.

BUT, with an ultra low mileage unit, I would be inclined to bring a rocker cover gasket and ask to whip the top off to check the condition of the cam.
The thing I would also knock the 6K UK dreamers down on would be the common issues, like puckering door cards, Aircon, Seat heaters, exhausts, any form of blemishes. Jap imports, would be approached differently.

[aardvarkash10]

Originally Posted by deeman940

...
i wondered to myself, as a base for a project, would i rather have 60k mileage car which is liable to need ALL the common 940 issues sorted shortly or a 160-200k mile car that has been looked after by an enthusiast and had all the issues sorted?

All else being equal (storage, servicing, type of use etc).

Common issues that are age-related - hardening plastic (I'm looking at you, radiator end tanks!).

Common issues that are mileage / hours of use related - bloody near everything else.

Depending on the project, the initial capital cost of the vehicle is relatively minor. The expense comes after that. On that basis, buy the best condition, lowest mileage, best-documented vehicle you can find in your price range plus 25%.

[MiniNinjaRob]

Well personally my car was bought at 175k and it had been well looked after. EVERYTHING that was a common failure point had been replaced as it was in daily use for years and I havn't seen any of the issues that others have seen.
My car has had a full SS exhaust put on it, new (and I mean new) turbo, PCV unit, heater control valve (yes I have a new Volvo one!) and loads more.

I've continued on this tradition and put all new suspension and brakes on and did a stage 0 refresh - dizzy/plugs/leads/oil/filters etc etc and nearly everything I replaced looked in good nick when I took it off. When I took the throttle body apart it was very clean already. Whenever I've seen something marked as a "common issue on these cars" I've checked it on my car and found no problems or it had been sorted in the previous ownership.

Drives like a dream!
Yes I've had to do a few niggly repairs along the way but nothing major, just stuff that wears out on all cars.

Looking back at the records most of the work was done 90k+ miles onwards as you would expect.

Cars do not like not being used. 940's were designed for long comfy journeys on motorways so short trips to the shops by a retired gent will not do them any good at all. Turbos will suffer, engines will wear faster, exhausts disintegrate, seals perish etc etc.

The b230 engine will do huge miles if looked after - this does not mean not being used! I'm quite happy my car will go to 300k and more if it continues to be looked after as I, and previous owners have done.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by MiniNinjaRob

Well personally my car was bought at 175k and it had been well looked after. EVERYTHING that was a common failure point had been replaced as it was in daily use for years and I havn't seen any of the issues that others have seen.
My car has had a full SS exhaust put on it, new (and I mean new) turbo, PCV unit, heater control valve (yes I have a new Volvo one!) and loads more.

I've continued on this tradition and put all new suspension and brakes on and did a stage 0 refresh - dizzy/plugs/leads/oil/filters etc etc and nearly everything I replaced looked in good nick when I took it off. When I took the throttle body apart it was very clean already. Whenever I've seen something marked as a "common issue on these cars" I've checked it on my car and found no problems or it had been sorted in the previous ownership.

Drives like a dream!
Yes I've had to do a few niggly repairs along the way but nothing major, just stuff that wears out on all cars.

Looking back at the records most of the work was done 90k+ miles onwards as you would expect.

Cars do not like not being used. 940's were designed for long comfy journeys on motorways so short trips to the shops by a retired gent will not do them any good at all. Turbos will suffer, engines will wear faster, exhausts disintegrate, seals perish etc etc.

The b230 engine will do huge miles if looked after - this does not mean not being used! I'm quite happy my car will go to 300k and more if it continues to be looked after as I, and previous owners have done.

I was looking at YOU Tube the other day at Banger racing , Probably 15 - 20 900 salons and estates getting wrecked each race here and on the continent .

[volvo always]

I bought an unloved 1996 940 LPT SE estate auto 4 years ago for £250.

It's my workhorse for my self employed business.

I have had new disks and pads all round.
Full service items.
New rad and Turbo/rad hoses.
Water pump and cambelt/tensioner.
New Tyres. (Michelin)
Full aftermarket exhaust and cat.
Fitted Good door cards
Gearbox/ axle oil renewed.
AC Condenser replaced.

Needs servicing now and plan to tidy up bodywork soon and replace damaged AC clamp and re gas AC. Fit my lights, footwell carpet, door pocket and bumper trim and also paint mirrors.

Nearly on 203,000 miles and been faultless.

I wouldn't get much for it as bodily challenged, but not selling!

I wouldn't pay more than 2k for one.

James.

[Laird Scooby]

The 940 is a bit new for my liking but the same principles apply, buy a higher mileage one where all the common stuff has already been done and then run it as Rob has renewing bits when they fail with the best quality available at the time.

Aside from that, regular servicing and use is the big thing andshort runs on choke aren't good either! If they are a necessity, make sure it gets a good run every so often to keep the cobwebs at bay.

[aardvarkash10]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

Aside from that, regular servicing and use is the big thing andshort runs on choke aren't good either! If they are a necessity, make sure it gets a good run every so often to keep the cobwebs at bay.

This is where the Japanese import stuff has its value. In Japan you don't drive to commute - that's what public transport is for. You drive in the weekends, mostly for some distance. Consequently, a low mileage large (by Japan standards) car like the 2/7/9xx series will have done most of its mileage hot, and have comparatively little "around town" mileage.

Moreover, it will have been serviced - the service record is almost a part of the licensing/registration system in Japan, and in part that's why we impoverished nations pick up the Japan cast-offs. Their vehicle standard testing at 5 years and 7 years eliminate cars from the road in huge quantities.

It will NEVER have been driven on salted roads!!!

So for a project car (and this was the original question, not a daily, not a banger racer, not a garage queen, a project) a good low mileage jap import is hard to beat