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'83 760 Turbo diesel, (6cyl) should I buy it???

Drenman

New member
Joined
May 15, 2017
https://hudsonvalley.craigslist.org/cto/6134233736.html


Given the price of diesel gas,....but lordy lordy, it's what I wanted. Just newer 960, add the turbo, and reg. gas. Still... it's got mad style. 138k miles.

Am I nuts? I was thinking more along the lines of a 94-95 B230FT wagon for my fun time, go fast car... then this pops up.

I'm not sure if that's one of the years Volvo used the "eco" friendly wiring, that was a nightmare...
 
it is the eco friendly wiring. But someone seems to have kept it going this long.

Says "original owner for 30 yrs."
What's a wiring harness. The Diesel scares me though... never owned one, and the price of gas, plus I have NO clue what performance would be.

If I could get it to run off of used frying oil...that would be boss.
 
Slow few guys locally have modded them. If it isn't leaking coolant go for it. And check maintenance.
 
I know the heads typically go on these things. They sound great, not very fast though. Guys in Sweden get good power out of them. I say go for it, I want one but I can't find one local to me.
 
My Google-Fu came up with this...

The diesel engine was actually sourced from Volkswagen and was used primarily in their trucks. Most Volvos were four cylinders, and most diesels were five cylinders, so this relatively large 6-cylinder turbocharged engine must provide a healthy boost. Refined? No. But these rear-wheel drive cars were surprisingly fun already, so the extra torque will go a long way.

It's sure as hell not a redblock, and those I know, which is why I buy them. 15 so far... Stock specs says 109 horse
 
Unless you want to devote a large part of your free time learning how to keep one of them running and are willing to buy the tools to do maintenance, I would steer clear of them.
They are neat engines and nothing sounds better than one of them, but they are a hobby car these days. I would not depend on one of them to get me to work every day.
 
weren't you just complaining about not being able to drive stick?

Absolutely I was. Bear with me here, it's a "complicated" situation...and I do have holes in my brain. Literally.

My daily driver, has to be auto-reliable. My "fun" weekend car/Father&Son project, I can clutch as long as it's weekend traffic highway miles, or farmer's markets in the Hudson Valley or Vermont, off to Gillette Castle or the Adirondacks, it'd be "nice" for an auto, but I can handle normal highway non stop and go MT stick. My right medial meniscus is torn in half, surgery isn't an option due to my body's love of scar tissue, but it's rigid orthotic braced so, some on and off the accelerator isn't going to kill it, as long as it's "some". And my bones are like wet chalk I generally break a long bone once ever 3-9 months. That being said,....

I was dying, living in hospitals, making out wills and crap, and when that didn't happen,
I'm having fun, so I'm a little all over the road with the want factor and shiny new toys, easily distracted by ideas. This is something I've wanted to do for years and finally can.

I LOVE the older early 80's body styles, and I also love 940s for the fact that I can drive them to the Adirondacks and not want to be put in a medical coma, and drive fire roads in confidence. I like my rear wheel 940s w/snows better than the Ford XC's in winter.

I looked at a stock Bertone, and a '79 Bertone with a Chevy small block in it. The small block guy raised his price, so it's a no go.

Most sensible thing would be to get a 94-95 940 B230FT w/good sheet metal or at least my skill level of repair/restore, because of the parts, I've already got two, but it's the sexy factor. I'd have to do a lot to get that thing to move fast. I'd like to get 300-350 on the "go fast" project. That motor I know nothing about. Diesel too...

Ideally I should be patient, find someone else's "project" car, and finish/rebuild it right. Instead of buying new parts at full retail. Kinda like I did with your Neighbor's all those wheels, that system, and the cam...I can tell the things been taken apart and put back together, but it seems like it was done right. That thing makes me smile, I find excuses to go grocery shopping so I can listen to my all my metal/hip hop at ridiculous volumes. In fact a box from FCP came today. It'll be rollin' soon. There's an '83? or '84? Coupe sedan on Long Island for CHEAP. Turbo... that's a redblock, and a project. Getting it to East Haven...I'd have to rent a car trailer from Uhaul, but it comes with a box o' parts. Turbo isn't working, and electrical problems.

The '83-'84 maroon sedans square lights, are hotness... I apologize for being long winded and scattered. It's the brain trauma...but that's where I'm at.
 
Sounds like you have a crush on the wrong car.
Get an auto redblock and save yourself both mental and physical pain.
 
I don't know that VW/Volvo engine but my suggestion is that if you REALLY want a Diesel get a 300 D or SD Mercedes (that's the engine I run in Mutt the Race Truck). Avoid the early non-turbo engines as they just don't make adequate power. As long as you stay away from rust they're tough as nails and pretty reliable. Also, there's lots of support, especially on-line, along with good parts availability. If you REALLY want a Volvo Diesel mate the Mercedes engine (or engine/trans assembly) to a Volvo body.

These engines (Mercedes designation "OM617") in their turbo form make about 125ish hp and can be modified to make more if you're interested. The 4 cylinder version (OM616), offered in the 240D in the 'States, was never offered in the US in turbo form (I'm not sure in Europe) and are laughably slow - I'd skip that one.

Dan
 
Every time I want another I just watch this video and it gives me some relief. It's music to the ears. I still don't want another one though.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tT9XE9Wl-JE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
I don't know that VW/Volvo engine but my suggestion is that if you REALLY want a Diesel get a 300 D or SD Mercedes (that's the engine I run in Mutt the Race Truck). Avoid the early non-turbo engines as they just don't make adequate power. As long as you stay away from rust they're tough as nails and pretty reliable. Also, there's lots of support, especially on-line, along with good parts availability. If you REALLY want a Volvo Diesel mate the Mercedes engine (or engine/trans assembly) to a Volvo body.

These engines (Mercedes designation "OM617") in their turbo form make about 125ish hp and can be modified to make more if you're interested. The 4 cylinder version (OM616), offered in the 240D in the 'States, was never offered in the US in turbo form (I'm not sure in Europe) and are laughably slow - I'd skip that one.

Dan

You're not the first person to tell me that, and I fit in those too. 6'5" spine of a 7'10" man, legs of a 5'8"... I heard, oddly enough that the '85-'95 years were "good", but I don't know. They are swanky. The wagons are rare, but I love them. Seems like the last of the real steel/non plastic fantastic Merc's, but again not my area of expertise.
 
There's a certain appeal to Diesel cars and I'm generally a fan, but IMHO the VW diesel engine used in those cars is a bit of a turd. It's very obscure, parts are hard to find, knowledgeable people are hard to find, the performance is lackluster at best, even compared to a NA 4 cylinder gas Volvo. The fuel economy is reasonably good but personally I'd go for a NA B230F equipped car. My mom's '86 245 gets over 30mpg on the highway, owned since new, has around 340K on it now. I swapped in the M47 in place of the AW71 about 170k ago and that resulted in an immediate boost in fuel economy of around 5 mpg.
 
There's a certain appeal to Diesel cars and I'm generally a fan, but IMHO the VW diesel engine used in those cars is a bit of a turd. It's very obscure, parts are hard to find, knowledgeable people are hard to find, the performance is lackluster at best, even compared to a NA 4 cylinder gas Volvo. The fuel economy is reasonably good but personally I'd go for a NA B230F equipped car. My mom's '86 245 gets over 30mpg on the highway, owned since new, has around 340K on it now. I swapped in the M47 in place of the AW71 about 170k ago and that resulted in an immediate boost in fuel economy of around 5 mpg.

WELL IT'S GONE. NOT TO ME, KILL THE THREAD... I know in a few years I'm gonna be like, "WHY DIDN'T I BUY THAT DAMN....

I bet someone here snagged it. Good for them.
 
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if you want a diesel get a 300SD. The 300D is too small and im pretty tiny. I've owned a dozen or so W126 cars over the years and the 300SD/W126 car are the mercedes equivalent to volvos. Parts are relatively inexpensive, easy to work on, very reliable and incredibly safe. I still have 2 W126 cars but they're AMG gas cars. Just avoid the 350SDL like the plague.
 
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