Life with my 960 Estate

[nemesisthewarlock]

I have now replaced the last two of the six Coil Packs and with all six replaced finally, the engine is running smooth and has noticeably more grunt!

The Green Goddess is now giving me even more smiles per gallon

She goes off to have the tin worm dealt with on the 6th of September and will be gone for 3 days

The quote is £700ish which includes some paintless dent pulling and touch ups here and there as well as dealing with the rust on all four wings and painting the repaired area to match which I know I would not be able to do.

Then it will be my turn to go under the knife on or around the 21st September! Bit scary to say the least and I expect to be in for at least 6 weeks...

Once/If I get back on my feet my plan is to do a full service including engine and gear box oil changes. By do I mean let my local garage do it!

Then it's MOT in February 2022 and the interior trim plus sorting the leather on the drivers seat.

She's a pretty Daily Driver now and should be a good 6ft looker by next summer... that is she'll look real good from 6 feet away

[arctan]

QUOTE/ The heat has exposed the weakness, lack of chill in my Aircon, at best it vigorously blasts out tepid air. So a gas refill seems to be in order?

Other good news has been my success in sourcing Tape Cassettes on eBay; so far ACDC, Def Leppard, INXS and Aerosmith have joined the mixed rock tape I found in the centre consule.

Also nice to see my average MPG has been hovering around 20, which given the new coil pack/leads and hopefully my less leadened foot should improve.. watch this space

So all in all a good week so far, when my next PIP and Pension Payments hit the Aircon will be the next item ... bye for now from a slightly sweaty but very happy VOC member. [/QUOTE]



Loathe as I am to mention Halfords in this hallowed forum, but, my other car, an Accord estate, had poor air con. Someone said try Halfords for Diagnostics, not for a recharge. 34 quid as opposed 50. They confirmed what I hoped for, a very small leak in the condenser (80 plus labour to fix elsewhere or with them), and TOPPED up the system! This was a few months ago, it's still very cold, and I'll get the rad done when then summer goes. Hopefully yours is an easy fix. . .
My first 9 series (I'm on my fourth) was a 3 litre 960 and I still miss it.
It was called 'Spitfire'. I loved 'booting it' at the lights, while others struggled with their contraptions! The eventual replacement was a redblock 960, called 'Merlin'. Then on to 940's. (Kojak and Clint).
Fingers crossed for you on health matters. Regards, John.

[nemesisthewarlock]

Originally Posted by arctan

Loathe as I am to mention Halfords in this hallowed forum, but, my other car, an Accord estate, had poor air con. Someone said try Halfords for Diagnostics, not for a recharge. 34 quid as opposed 50. They confirmed what I hoped for, a very small leak in the condenser (80 plus labour to fix elsewhere or with them), and TOPPED up the system! This was a few months ago, it's still very cold, and

I'll get the rad done when then summer goes. Hopefully yours is an easy fix. . .
My first 9 series (I'm on my fourth) was a 3 litre 960 and I still miss it.
It was called 'Spitfire'. I loved 'booting it' at the lights, while others struggled with their contraptions! The eventual replacement was a redblock 960, called 'Merlin'. Then on to 940's. (Kojak and Clint).
Fingers crossed for you on health matters. Regards, John.

Well the aircon is coldish... definitely suffers under load as it all but stops if you put the pedal to the plush carpet

I suspect there's a small leak somewhere but since when the sunshines I revert back 30+ years to my 20 something self, arm out the window with Patti LaBelle blasting out from the Beverley Hills Cop Soundtrack Cassette... It's not an issue I am too worried about.

I do think I have a Volvo straight six rear drive fetish; since I just love the way it looks, goes and the exhaust note is lovely.. another reason to have your arm out the window.

The evil speed daemon inside me has even looked at putting the twin turbo'd short six in but it looks like the transverse to inline conversion is a PITA..

So for now I am just smiling with each mile and fingers crossed after they whip my cancer buddy out of me and I survive.. fingers crossed .. I will have many more smiles per gallon

I went by Wyboston Lakes on the A1 on Friday that's a whole lot of Volvos ending their lives to keep others going made me sniff back a tear whilst salivating at all the precious to be found!

Incidentally I seem to have acquired a 745/945 taillight unit



If anyone wants it PM me and we can talk turkey with added postage

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by nemesisthewarlock

Well the aircon is coldish... definitely suffers under load as it all but stops if you put the pedal to the plush carpet

I suspect there's a small leak somewhere

There is but not in the gas side of the A/C system, it's on the control side and is probably the NRV/check-valve between the inlet manifold and the nylon tubing that carries the vacuum to the HVAC controls.

[nemesisthewarlock]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

There is but not in the gas side of the A/C system, it's on the control side and is probably the NRV/check-valve between the inlet manifold and the nylon tubing that carries the vacuum to the HVAC controls.

Thanks mate, you are the font of knowledge I will get round to sorting it out sometime ... when it matters more

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by nemesisthewarlock

Thanks mate, you are the font of knowledge I will get round to sorting it out sometime ... when it matters more

If it's only dropping the direction and temperature out under WOT at the moment, it will get worse and winter's coming, you'll need the A/C to demist the front screen! Also having the direction/temperature control working will be useful too!

[nemesisthewarlock]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

If it's only dropping the direction and temperature out under WOT at the moment, it will get worse and winter's coming, you'll need the A/C to demist the front screen! Also having the direction/temperature control working will be useful too!

I guess what I really mean is surgery will be a big deal 2 weeks min intensive care/hdu then another 3 to 6 weeks before coming out if at all ... and it may end up that the Aircon will become SEP - somebody else's problem

My Brother has a v70, XC90 and a S70 in his harem so my 960 may end up with him for a while/permanently

[Dippydog]

Can only hope that all goes well for you and you can enjoy many more years of 960 motoring.

[nemesisthewarlock]

Well she's back and looking lovely around the wheel arches and the doors look fantastic without the added carpark dents.. some people

Anyhow the blend on the paint work is seamless pics tomorrow; hopefully and all in all I was very please to get 4 wheel arches and 2 doors done for £840 all in; with labour, paint, dent removal, sundry items and vat included.

When I went to pick her up with sun glinting off her paint all the admiring looks were at my 26 year old big mamma whilst the Chelsea tractors and Vorsprung Dork Uber Allies surrounding her were ignored.

Ah old(er) Volvo ownership definitely has its rewards... although I am noticing a hankering for a 740/940 LPT - My name is Ben and I have a Volvo Problem...

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by nemesisthewarlock

Ah old(er) Volvo ownership definitely has its rewards... although I am noticing a hankering for a 740/940 LPT - My name is Ben and I have a Volvo Problem...

Hmmm, no such animal as a 740LPT and the 940 LPT is only 135bhp - about 70bhp shy of what is under the bonnet of your 960 at the moment.
There was a 740 GLE and GLT, both shared a B230E K-Jetronic 131bhp engine so near enough the same as the 940 LPT and were passably lively. If you wanted some more grunt out of a 7xx Volvo, it had to be either the 16v GLT (B234E) or the 740 Turbo (rare as unicorn poop) or a 760 Turbo, B230ET that pushed 185bhp.

I subscribe to the theory that there ain't no replacement for displacement so would rather have a bigger normally aspirated engine than a smaller forced induction jobby.

All that said, glad to hear your 960 is now looking as it should again! Often if i've parked anywhere if a few people stop they definitely aren't admiring the Euroblobs and although mine is in fairly good condition for 33 years old, it's not perfect but presentable enough (when it's clean anyway) to turn a few heads, rather than stomachs as the Euroblobs do regardless of condition.