Can someone please explain...

[capt jack]

After much (too much) iffing and butting, I am on the look out for a good 945.

My main reason for wanting one is that they do seem to be stonking good value. Yes - they are old school, yes - they lack the 'classic' charm perhaps of the 240, or a Merc W124, and yes - the perception is of a big old gas-guzzler. But I know (having owned a 1992 944 many years ago) that they are terrific cars.

I'd cheerfully hand over up to £1500 for the right one right now, but from what I've seen so far you really do have to be careful. Even though they are Volvos, the very youngest ones will be 18 years old now, and are 1980s engineering and technology. If a 945 has been properly looked after then that's not really a problem, but it seems that many 2nd, 3rd and 4th owners of old Volvo estates treat these cars as 'workhorses' (that word crops up in most if not all 940 ads, especially for the particularly knackered ones) and treat them accordingly. The chances are that at that age someone else has already had the best out of the car. So missed services, pig-sty interiors, missing and broken trim, etc etc etc are all par for the course. This I think adds to the general perception that these are just cheap old cars, to be driven into the ground.

But it was the same with 240s a few years ago - and boy look at them now. You can't get a decent 240 for small change any more!

Looking at it all, personally speaking it seems to me that the best 945 will be sub-150,000 miles, have no aircon or sunroof, have had a maximum of 3 or 4 owners, be a 2.3 litre non-turbo model, and for me at least, have an automatic gearbox. Added to that, as with any old car, a decent service record and a fairly 'clean' MoT history. Oh and something that doesn't require a trip to the back end of beyond to view!

If I don't find a 945 then I'm open to the idea of a 965, an 854 or a p1 V70. I don't worry about RWD vs FWD, what bothers me is finding a car that I can use from day 1 and keep for many years to come. And that means finding one that someone else has looked after properly.

And that I think is the nub of the question when it comes to 900-series values. As so many haven't been so well cared for in their latter years there's a perception that they are old sheds - and that is a great shame.

Jack

[triang]

Originally Posted by Prufrock

Have contributed to the club magazine on this subject and this is the short answer. The 945/965 is a car of utility and is not regarded as a classic by the wider community and is therefore not desirable, so prices are kept artificially low compared for example, to a W124 or 5 series touring of the same era (late 80s, early 90s).

Jon
700/900 Register Keeper VOC.

That sounds right to me speaking as someone who bought a 940 GLE Turbo Estate 2 days ago!

I'm a classic car "buff" and have been for 30 years , owning at least a dozen practical classics and a few impractical ones!

I was in the market for a large estate as I need to haul stuff 100 miles to my daughter's new flat ( and help renovate, carrying ladders and carpets etc ). My own personal car is a 2 seater sports and my wife has a nippy hatchback (which see uses for work so only available sporadically) were both impractical and hiring a small van was going to cost around £250 for a long weekend.

Having had a '73 145 in the past and also a string of MB Estates from an R class down to a '97 C180 I was considering either a E230 W210 or a 940.

What made my mind up was tat I couldn't find a good W210 for under around £3k whereas a good 940 could be had for around £1k.

What Donald Trump would call a "no-brainer"...

[Dirty Rooster]

Originally Posted by Prufrock

The 945/965 is a car of utility

Too right is is!!

The only reason I drive one is because there is no other cheap car available of the same size, reliability, galvanisation and safety.

All the extra goodness is just that. Extra goodness.

[Prufrock]

I know I said it

Jon
700/900 Register Keeper VOC.

[bournricha]

I have not driven my 940 much yet ,still under overhaul ,but it was almost out of fuel when I got it .I put thirty quid in at edinburgh ,drove across to the west coast (about 90 miles ),went on an outing of about sixty miles and it seems to have at least 10 pounds fuel left .So 150 miles for twenty quid does not seem bad to me .Not extravagant fuel consumption anyway .I never knew they were reckoned to be thirsty ,but seems ok to me
I wouldn,t knock myself out over past maintenance etc .Only current condition matters, and you will be giving it a bit of an overhaul anyway I suppose .Any car this old is bound to have good times and bad times

[woodfordhalse]

Originally Posted by capt jack

After much (too much) iffing and butting, I am on the look out for a good 945.

My main reason for wanting one is that they do seem to be stonking good value. Yes - they are old school, yes - they lack the 'classic' charm perhaps of the 240, or a Merc W124, and yes - the perception is of a big old gas-guzzler. But I know (having owned a 1992 944 many years ago) that they are terrific cars.

I'd cheerfully hand over up to £1500 for the right one right now, but from what I've seen so far you really do have to be careful. Even though they are Volvos, the very youngest ones will be 18 years old now, and are 1980s engineering and technology. If a 945 has been properly looked after then that's not really a problem, but it seems that many 2nd, 3rd and 4th owners of old Volvo estates treat these cars as 'workhorses' (that word crops up in most if not all 940 ads, especially for the particularly knackered ones) and treat them accordingly. The chances are that at that age someone else has already had the best out of the car. So missed services, pig-sty interiors, missing and broken trim, etc etc etc are all par for the course. This I think adds to the general perception that these are just cheap old cars, to be driven into the ground.

But it was the same with 240s a few years ago - and boy look at them now. You can't get a decent 240 for small change any more!

Looking at it all, personally speaking it seems to me that the best 945 will be sub-150,000 miles, have no aircon or sunroof, have had a maximum of 3 or 4 owners, be a 2.3 litre non-turbo model, and for me at least, have an automatic gearbox. Added to that, as with any old car, a decent service record and a fairly 'clean' MoT history. Oh and something that doesn't require a trip to the back end of beyond to view!

If I don't find a 945 then I'm open to the idea of a 965, an 854 or a p1 V70. I don't worry about RWD vs FWD, what bothers me is finding a car that I can use from day 1 and keep for many years to come. And that means finding one that someone else has looked after properly.

And that I think is the nub of the question when it comes to 900-series values. As so many haven't been so well cared for in their latter years there's a perception that they are old sheds - and that is a great shame.

Jack

I paid £700 for mine from a dealer and it was the frist 940 I had driven. It was a special delivery car imported by volvo military sales back in 1995, one owner with full service history. The interior is mint ( no aircon but a working sunroof ) , no rust , a set of spare winter wheels with good tyres , detachable towing hitch , it came with a set of new front discs which ive now fitted. Ive ironed out the niggly issues and its been a great car . Ive covered 13k in the last 12 months without any issues . I like driving it much more that the boring works Skoda its been a great car !

[rogerthechorister]

Get one with all the Sh1t, preferably a Sport Edition (or if you are prepared to tweak it any turbo). Be prepared for large money on aircon but it's worth it. Be prepared for HUGE money on Nivomats - but they are worth it. Then hoon it and watch the amazed faces - and after 5 years watch the price rise.

It is ALWAYS the top spec cars that go up in price, not the bean-eaters.

[jonnyf90]

Originally Posted by rogerthechorister

Get one with all the Sh1t, preferably a Sport Edition (or if you are prepared to tweak it any turbo). Be prepared for large money on aircon but it's worth it. Be prepared for HUGE money on Nivomats - but they are worth it. Then hoon it and watch the amazed faces - and after 5 years watch the price rise.

It is ALWAYS the top spec cars that go up in price, not the bean-eaters.

Waiting for my '96 940 to do precisely that - maybe 10 years for my "Classic" spec?

[Prufrock]

Originally Posted by rogerthechorister

Get one with all the Sh1t...

Bruv, where do you get one of dose ? I'm gonna need one with all dat Sh1t.

Jon.

[GreenBrick]

Once my insurance claim is settled, I should have a set of one year old nivomats and springs for sale. Should keep another 940 riding high.

I would get a 940 over a merc because they are so much more solid and don't rust anything like as much. My 940 saved my life, I doubt a rusty merc would have resisted the rear impact quite as well.