Volvo 960 CD Auto 3Ltr Saloon (97 Model)

[gardner2l2]

Hello all,

With much reluctance I am offering for sale my 1997 Model 960 CD Saloon. The vehicle was first registered in December 1996 and remained in first ownership for the best part of 16 years. The gentleman concerned only parting with it because, at the age of 80, he was only doing a few hundred miles a year and living in a small North Yorkshire Village, did not need such a large car. In fact he traded it in at the local Village Garage (Vauxhall) for a Corsa. The Garage concerned had maintained the car for the previous 5 years and confirmed that during that time it had wanted for nothing. Prior to this the service book indicates that it was serviced predominantly by Volvo and in accordance with the servicing schedule. It was bought from the Village Garage by a local chap who dabbles in buying and selling second hand cars. He intended to use it himself but ended up just storing it in a large lock-up and then decided that he had too many cars and enter yours truly.

To cut a long story short I was not looking to buy another 960 / S90 having owned three of them previously but this struck me as being to good to miss and having done a fair amount of research on it, including speaking to the first owner and the Village Garage, off we went to the far side of the North Yorkshire Moors to complete the purchase.

I was not disappointed, it drives and handles superb as it should do and whilst the original owner denied looking after it parked outside and not garaged he critically had it serviced and maintained properly and that is the key. We have changed the infamous PNP Switch and cured the squeaky front windows by replacing the plastic blue square things; whilst doing this we noticed that the inside of the doors are like the day the car was assembled. There is a set of mud flaps that we did not get to fit.

It’s not immaculate, the cover on the door cards (like many of these) has rippled due to the bizarre low quality of the covering that Volvo chose to use and there is the odd scuff and stone chip marks here and there but they are few and far between. It had been my intention to return her to factory condition or better and then take her to the meetings and shows. Unfortunately circumstances have changed and we now need to go in a different direction.

I would dearly like the car to go to somebody who will appreciate the quality of what I consider to be the last of the real cars built by Volvo and who will enjoy absolute luxury at a fraction of the original cost and a fraction of the cost of such luxury today. This vehicle is not for the faint hearted and fuel gauge watchers should steer well clear. She is Taxed and MOT and can be driven away. It all works including the aircon.

The car is on for £950 on the forecourt of our business but I would let her go to a member who will look after her and perhaps achieve what I wanted to do, for £600. The car is currently located Nr Boston Lincolnshire.

PS: Look out for our 1990 740 Td Estate Automatic also about to go on the market.

[gardner2l2]

Well the 740 has sold but no interest whatsoever in this 960, which I have to say I am a little surprised at given overall condition. I don't think we have her over priced but perhaps I am wrong?

[m0bzy]

I think its the saloon via estate thing , Volvo estates have always sold better than the saloons. I have a v90 Estate that I bought for £350 two years ago still reliable @ 213000 miles.
The rippling on the door cards is not because of low quality materials , it is caused by ultra violet light , my car has been kept in a garage for most of its life with the result there is hardly any creasing, my last V90 had spent all its life outdoors and was badly creased.

[gardner2l2]

Originally Posted by m0bzy

I think its the saloon via estate thing , Volvo estates have always sold better than the saloons. I have a v90 Estate that I bought for £350 two years ago still reliable @ 213000 miles.
The rippling on the door cards is not because of low quality materials , it is caused by ultra violet light , my car has been kept in a garage for most of its life with the result there is hardly any creasing, my last V90 had spent all its life outdoors and was badly creased.

Hi m0bzy, thanks for your thoughts = estate viz saloons and yes I have seen some very acceptable 960 Estates at knock down prices myself. £350 is not much for a lot of car.....

I understand your thoughts on the rippling but it's odd that only the 960 seem to have been blighted by this. We've had 240's, 740 Estates, 850, V70, S80 and 4 x 960 / S90 Saloons and only the 960 / S90 have had this problem, as best I can recall.

[john.wigley]

Take heart, 'gardner212', I'm sure that it will sell to the right person!

This is exactly the type of car that I would be interested in if anything happened to my trusty 745. In standard fettle, it has much more appeal to me than a modified car - no matter how well done - and is, as you say, an awful lot of car for the money.

Being recently retired, our annual mileage is now only 8 - 10K equally split between two cars. Fuel consumption is much less relevant at this sort of mileage than it was when I was doing 20K or more per year on business.

My wife has a Saab 9000 'Griffon 3.0 V6 which she has now owned for three years; ever since her own 744 went to the big car-park in the sky, after 14 years in her ownership and with over 250K on the clock. She would have jumped at yours had it been available at the time, especially as she prefers saloons to estates for security reasons.

It is, I feel sure, just a case of waiting for the 'right' person to come along, someone who knows and values these great cars.

Regards, John.

[gardner2l2]

Originally Posted by john.wigley

Take heart, 'gardner212', I'm sure that it will sell to the right person!

This is exactly the type of car that I would be interested in if anything happened to my trusty 745. In standard fettle, it has much more appeal to me than a modified car - no matter how well done - and is, as you say, an awful lot of car for the money.

Being recently retired, our annual mileage is now only 8 - 10K equally split between two cars. Fuel consumption is much less relevant at this sort of mileage than it was when I was doing 20K or more per year on business.

My wife has a Saab 9000 'Griffon 3.0 V6 which she has now owned for three years; ever since her own 744 went to the big car-park in the sky, after 14 years in her ownership and with over 250K on the clock. She would have jumped at yours had it been available at the time, especially as she prefers saloons to estates for security reasons.

It is, I feel sure, just a case of waiting for the 'right' person to come along, someone who knows and values these great cars.

Regards, John.

John
Many thanks for your words of wisdom.
Yes I'm sure someone will take her on eventually.
For my own part and for that matter my wife's, we have agonised over the decision to sell (as we did our 740 Td Estate) especially after my Garage man bought it back to me from some service or other and the first thing he said when he stepped out was "that drives superb and so quiet" We both get a real sense of enjoyment out of driving it and we notice that we step out after a journey as fresh as we stepped in.
If we had a big garage where the car could rest up for the coming winter with space to get all the way round we would probably take her off the road and carry on bring her towards original condition. Unfortunately we don't have such a luxury and we have to many other vehicles, which are practical if not as enjoyable to drive as this 960.
Cheers

[Big Boaty]

Hi,

Is the 960 still available please?

[xc70jason]

Hello gardner212, just a question out of curiosity please.What's the 960 like on fuel?.

Regards

Jason

[Big Boaty]

Unfortunately I'm not yet permitted to send a PM, but if and when you read this gardner212 please shout me if the 960 is still available...

[gardner2l2]

Originally Posted by Big Boaty

Unfortunately I'm not yet permitted to send a PM, but if and when you read this gardner212 please shout me if the 960 is still available...

Hi
Yes we still have her and still agonising over to let her go or not but yes is still available...