Looking for an older wagon.
I'm not sure what years gens started and ended, or motor options.

I'm looking for the most basic information. Where to buy from? What to look for?
Any years I should stay away from? what motor options are best?


Thanks,
Nicholas

stay away from pre-1988 6cyl b280 motors, there not good at all.

look for rust, oil leaks, how the engine runs if it knocks or anything, the transmission if its a standard and hums in 5th gear, stay away from it. the main place for a volvo to rust is behind the pedals at the seam, and also the trunk bottom can rust if your rubber plugs are missing.

basically if i was buying one, i'd pull back the carpet in the trunk and check out the fuel system, i'd check all around underneath for bends, rust, check how the breaks & ebrake works ( the pivot can rust out and break off )...um check all the suspension bushings and shocks. if the rear shocks are gone and its riding a bit low, you'll need new coils as well. theres a good post at the top of this forum about buying a used volvo. check it out.

I would suggest looking at a late model 700 series wagon. The best one is the 91 740. They are reliable, easy/cheap to repair, and relatively inexpensive to buy. Get one with the fewest amount of miles on it. If you are looking for performance, consider the turbo but know that it will require more maintenance. I love my V6(b280) but I wouldn't suggest it as it is expensive to fix and uses way more gas. If that doesn't matter, consider a 1990 760GLE estate wagon. The V6 does give you more power and is WAY more smoothe than the 4cyl(b230). The 900 wagons aren't bad but I would stay away from 800 wagons. Most 850's require more maintenance than 700's and are harder to work on. If style is a concern or you are looking for something more modern and you have the money, I would suggest the V70 wagon from the pre-Ford era.

Thanks! I'll keep all of this in mind.

I think we're looking for something a little newer now, really whatever we run into that looks decent. But this should help.