Mechanic Suggestion Volvo 740 Turbo 88

How about a factory authorized dealer maybe?

Hmm, never been in one in my life. I have the idea that autorized dealers are out there to get you and are incredibly expensive for any thing regardless of how trivial. I figure it is probably not so generally speaking, but I don't feel like risking it. The car costed me $1500 and I want to keep my expenses within reason.

Thanks for the suggestion though.

cc

snipped-for-privacy@cs.com wrote:

Not in my experience. Generally they are going to correct the problem with factory parts which may be more expensive than after market, but the quality in in many instances equal or better too.

When I have brakes done at volvo they use factory pads, which may not last quite as long as the much harder after market pads. But they are generally quieter and rotor wear seems lower.

Think of $1,500 as money that is sunk, gone. As with any other used car the repairs are what it costs to have transportation. You could go pay money for another used car and be faced with yet other repair expenses. My opinion is that you will be money ahead by paying what it takes to keep this inexpensive car running for as long as possible.

For a nearly 20 year old car? You'd have to be nuts to take it to the dealer for work, well or have more money than sense.

Some dealers won't work n older cars.

No, but I'll tell you how you can find one.

Look in the Yellow Pages under "Auto Parts: Import"

Call several different store and ask the guys there for a recommendation.

If the same name pops up: Bingo.

You could try checking with members of the Illinois chapter of the Volvo Club of America.

Chapter links can be seen here:

Assuming someone other than the owner is going to do the work, why not the dealer? In my experience they charge about as much as the good independent mechanics because they are using volvo parts.

Don't forget what he is paying for is transportation, and it really doesn't matter whether the car is 20 years old or 5 years old. A car is not an investment, but pre-paid transportation expenses. If he can keep a 20 year old car going by spending $1,000 he is far better off financially then spending $40k for a new one. Said another way the fewer times you repeat the process of shelling out the price of a new car the lower your total cost of car ownership will be.

Ask any financial advisor - you are almost always better off keeping the old car and repairing it. It isn't as much fun as a new car tho.....

Around here the Volvo dealers are infamous for incompetence and obscene prices and if you bring in an older car they'll quote you sky high and try to sell you a new car. A good independent Volvo specialist works on these old beasts every day, they know where to get deals on OEM parts. It might well vary by area but the only time I ever go to the dealer is to pick up parts that I absolutely can't buy OEM elsewhere. The key is to find a Volvo or at least European specialist, not just some random Joe's Garage.

Yeah, around here, there's no 850s outside the front of the dealer, let alone any of the older RWD cars. Couple that with the high personnel turnover, and there's not too many dealer mechanics that have worked on the older cars. The mechanics that were at the dealer back in the day have all started their own shops - those are the guys a 740 owner needs to find.