Considering 740/940 for practicality & adventure.

[Morton]

Hi
For various and boring reasons, it's occurring to me that I should start looking to downsize my everyday car (not words I thought I'd ever use) but we fairly regularly make use of the loadspace that a big estate offers. I've also been getting increasingly keen on a bit of adventure so getting a small car and then an older Volvo seems good to me. I'm considering a manual, 940 or 740 estate because I've always liked them, we've loved our other Volvos, reasonable values, low depreciation, practicality for transporting big stuff, good to work on and an image that I like. I'd go for an original, well serviced, 'adult owned' one when the time's right and the thought of drifting/generalnobbingabout horrifies me.

Down the line, we're planning a few roadtrips, the first of which would take us up to the Arctic Circle (from Devon, UK) and which we would look to undertake in the 740/940. After that, we have a trip planned to much hotter climes. This is going to require reasonable heaters/cooling in the car - is this too much to ask?

For long roadtrips, is there an advantage of one over the other? Am I right that the 960 24v seems very thirsty. Is one more comfortable than the other? Is one better to work on? Which is the better engine to go for? Is there a kind of 'cold climate' pack that Volvo put on cars in Sweden that we don't get in the UK or do they all just laugh in the face of subzero temperature and get on with it?

I do appreciate any help available especially from anyone who knows both cars.

[Laird Scooby]

For what you're planning, go for the biggest engined, best overall condition car you can find for your budget.

The 2.0 (even in turbo form) is underpowered in a car that weighs about 1.5T (give or take, depending on exact spec) and the bigger engines are better suited to the weight of the car so give not only better performance, but usually better economy too. The larger engines tend to be more relaxing to drive as well because as the output of the engine increases, the final drive ratio increases - for example a 2.0 n/asp might have a 4.1:1 but a 2.8 V6 will have something like a 3.73:1 - not sure on the 3.0 24v straight 6 in the 960 but would expect a 3.54:1 or 3.73:1 giving around 25-30mph/1000rpm instead of 20-24mph/1000rpm on the 2.0 n/asp with a 4.09:1 diff.

As for Sweden, aside from things like block heaters and/or manifold heaters, both of which heat and circulate the coolant to keep the engine warm overnight, the answer to your main question is................

it's a Volvo, it deals with it.

In other words, as long as it's correctly maintained, it will do it and keep doing it.

[john.wigley]

Completely agree. All the seven series cars that we have owned over the years have been 2.3 N/A Autos. The low down torque and broad power band coupled with the auto box suits these cars very well, making for a very pleasant and relaxing drive.

Regards. John.

[Dirty Rooster]

Originally Posted by Morton

Down the line, we're planning a few roadtrips, the first of which would take us up to the Arctic Circle (from Devon, UK) and which we would look to undertake in the 740/940. After that, we have a trip planned to much hotter climes. This is going to require reasonable heaters/cooling in the car - is this too much to ask?

Whatever you do, start a thread with load of pictures!
I recommend a four-cylinder turbo (2.0 or 2.3) but that's just me.
The heater on mine works so well I only have it set halfway hot in the winter.
(Cooling? I have no idea, never had one with AC)
The good thing about the arctic circle is you can ask your fellow bandmembers to help you out if you get stuck ... Norway isn't far.

[slowprop]

Originally Posted by Dirty Rooster

The heater on mine works so well I only have it set halfway hot in the winter.
(Cooling? I have no idea, never had one with AC)

I've noticed the heater on mine is very good. In fact probably better than on my nearly new car. Which I've had hardly driven since I got the 940. My wife has now claimed our other car.

[Morton]

Thank you so much, all. This is a really helpful and friendly place and it's appreciated.
I'm erring towards a manual, petrol 2.3 if I can find one when my search begins - manual for slippy stuff, petrol because diesel seems to be increasingly frowned upon and 2.3 for more relaxing long haul.
Are there any particular weak points I need to look out for? What's a clutch replacement like to carry out? I'm still reeling from the cost of the clutch & DMF on my 02 V70 D5 a few years ago.

My big plan is to see the Northern Lights. If I can achieve that by driving up to the Arctic Circle with a big old Volvo for protection, I'll be happy and I'll definitely keep everyone informed with progress. After that, it's going to be visiting family and friends around Europe and I've got an idea about going and looking at Venice one day which would be an interesting drive. With that in mind I vaguely remember back in 1991(ish) seeing that the 940 floats for a reasonable amount of time if in water. Can anyone confirm that? It's not a big requirement for me just interesting!

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by slowprop

I've noticed the heater on mine is very good. In fact probably better than on my nearly new car. Which I've had hardly driven since I got the 940. My wife has now claimed our other car.

A thorough back-flush, new 'stat and coolant on both would yield improvements all round i reckon!

I do that with every coolant change (every 2 years) on both of mine and the heater on my "modern" always outperforms the heater on my Volvo. Not by much admittedly but both are exceptionally good heaters.
As for cooling, the A/C on my modern is very good but i don't use it as often as i'd like because of a noisy clutch bearing on the compressor clutch. I have a new bearing to go on but it's a long and fiddly job to renew it.

The A/C in the Volvo is currently not working, something to do with the fact the previous owner had the evaporator removed!
Hoping to get it re-gaassed this year now i've reinstated an evaporator so fingers crossed, the cooling will function as intended again.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Morton

petrol 2.3 if I can find one when my search begins - manual for slippy stuff, petrol because diesel seems to be increasingly frowned upon and 2.3 for more relaxing long haul.

Manual for slippy stuff? I've always found autos are better in snow/ice and even mud than manuals as the torque converter cushions the driveline shocks that can cause traction to be lost.

Over the past few weeks, i've noticed diesel is increasingly expensive as well. I run both my beasts on super unleaded and always used to loook at the price of normal unleaded and diesel to get a feel for how much the super was likely to be. Super unleaded used to be the same price, sometimes 1-2p/L cheaper than diesel but now diesel is much dearer. Recent example, normal unleaeded 118.9p/L, super 122.9p/L and diesel was 128.9p/L - a full 10p/L or 45p/gallon dearer than normal unleaded.

Still too cheap for diesel IMHO, we've suffered deadly-diseasel fumes for the past 35 years thanks to the government not listening and we now have rampant breathing difficulties and a horrendous increase in cancer.

[Morton]

Laird Scooby, I'm interested to read you prefer an auto box on slippy stuff and your reasoning makes sense. I've always favoured manual after sliding down the hill past our driveway in our old Auto Pajeiro following a downshift further up the hill to control the speed that caused everything to lock up. We once lived where it occasionally snowed and a couple of friends who each had auto V70 D5s couldn't go out but it was no problem for our manual one. Maybe it was their level of skill behind the wheel?! I'm guessing by your username that you're somewhere snowier than Devon so have done much more driving in slippy stuff than I have which is reassuring because my search for a good 7 or 9 doesn't need to be made trickier by eliminating autos.

Thinking about it, I'm sure if Volvo Autos couldn't cope in the white, they wouldn't sell many!

[TonyS9]

The redblock 2.3 Turbo post 94 is probably the most reliable and long lasting engine (in the world ever). You shouldn't get mechanical failure or wearing out.

Turbos need a recon occasionally, and some of the bosch sensors/pumps will fail. I've just had a pump and fuel relay fail so far on my 95 car after about 150K miles.