Hi. I am looking for some opinions on the car in the topic. I found one today while browsing for used cars, private sale. It has 210,000 kms and it is in good condition overall. A few spots of surface rust on the paint, nothing rotted thru, it had been smoked in, but the interior is still fairly clean and does not stink. Took it for a test drive, the engine runs smooth and is plenty powerful for its size, seemed to handle well for its size. I noticed a few small quirks, such as the rear hatch will not open from the outside, the rear pass. power window switch goes down but not up from the center console switch up front.
Here is my main concern after doing some research on the internet. Apparently the engine is an interference type and pretty much every person who has wrote a review has mentioned that the timing belt should be changed at an exact interval, 7 years or 112,000 kms. Now, seeing as how this car has 210,000 kms, it won't be much longer until the timing belt needs replacement again. Which brings me to my first question. How much money would I be looking at to have the timing belt, water pump, belt tensioner and anything else that needs to be replaced? I've already priced the water pump, which is either $74 or $125 depending on the engine serial number, the tensioner is $90, there was no listing for the timing belt and so far I've heard quotes from $300 - $500 for dealership costs. This may be a repair I can do myself, as I am an avid backyard mechanic. Unfortunately I am more familiar with domestic cars, and have not dealt with many imports.
Now, the plus side of this car is that the price is only $3000, which I think seems like a good deal given its condition. I think I can probably talk the owner down to $2700, but I want to find out first (if it hasn't already been done) whether the second timing belt/water pump service has been done, and if it hasn't, how much it is going to cost me. The smaller items I can fix myself, and I will probably just have the paint touched up. Overall, the car seems as if it should be a very reliable car that will last me 4-5 more years with regular maintenance.
Any replies are appreciated regarding the timing belt replacement and overall reliability of these cars from mechanics/owners who are more familiar with Volvo vehicles than I am.
Sharky