1996 Volvo 960

Wagon

2.9L 2922CC l6 GAS DOHC Naturally Aspirated

Automatic

YV1KW9605T1031174

Clear

GAS

Ok. . . I really need to get rid of this wagon. Not because it's a scourge or a pox upon me or anything, but because I have a two car driveway and this is a third vehicle. I'm the fourth owner of this little wagon, I bought it from a nice, young Chicago couple in the summer of 2013 who entrusted its stout chassis to the care of their precious three little girls during yearly east-coast trips to see grandma. They bought it from a neighbor who really didn't do much driving, who bought it from a wealthy dentist whose wife was an alcoholic prone to DWI (he apparently purchased it for her to mitigate any physical harm she might inflict upon herself). It was garaged mostly, and each of them took excellent care of it, even if their downtown parking lot neighbors didn't. . . yes, it's nearly 20 years old and its paint shows a few dings from those Chicago drivers who seem to "park by Braille." Still, this 1996 model shows less wear than Madonna did when she was 18. But I digress. The car is clean. Almost entirely free of rust, you have to search for it. Never been smoked in. I had it detailed/vaccuumed/steam cleaned last Fall to remove any dust, dander, detrius... so if you've got allergies, don't worry. This 960 sports Volvo's bullet-proof 2.9 litre, straight-six engine. It's eminently serviceable and durable, and will run for hundreds of thousands of miles if cared for. (Read about it on the internet -- if it's on the Internet, it must be true). Timing belt was changed 20k miles ago. I also put in a new battery last Fall because my Farmers Almanac predicted a bitterly cold winter and I wasn't going to get caught with a dead battery. (It was right. It was bitterly cold, and my trusty Swede cranked over every morning!) It has had repairs. I replaced the radiator, its aging coolant hoses and the serpentine belt (for the hell of it), as well as all 6 spark plugs and a faulty COP assembly*. (I know, I know, not all COPS that assemble are faulty -- don't beat me, Mayor Daly... wait, this isn't 1968). Hey, it's only got 130,000 miles on its ticker, so it's just barely broken in. (The stuff that got replaced are considered wear items). Despite its engine's gregarious 180 hp and hefty torque curve, fuel economy is still good and will help mitigate any Toyota Prius envy you might experience. It's a rear-wheel driver, too (and an IRS**, to boot!) so it's by nature durable and tough as nails (and never prone to auditing your driving habits). Ba-bump-bump. Thanks, I'm here 'til Friday, try the veal. And it's got that long-lived Volvo 4-speed automatic that shifts gears as crisply as Sr. Agnes changing subjects from religion to math. From a functional standpoint, this car has all the necessities you could want, such as an in-dash cassette player and a stereo radio that's already pre-tuned to NPR. It's got 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS, dual airbags and side-airbags (SIPS), power steering, cruise, intermittent wipers, power brakes, power mirrors, power windows and power locks are also included. It's even got heated seats and heated side mirrors, too, and a power sunroof with shade. The previous owner bumped the front end into a semi-truck and damaged the headlight washer arms, bent the chrome radiator grill and scratched the hood, but you probably wouldn't notice if I didn't tell you. If you've got a young child, you'll be happy to know that the 2nd row seating includes an integrated child seat that folds out of the center seat. Very convenient for your aspiring marine biologist. This 2nd row bench split-folds 60/40 for versatility, too, and it can be folded flat resulting in a cargo area that balloons to Mammoth Cave proportions. In fact, I daresay it's large enough to ferry a polar bear off a melting ice burg -- or smuggle in six fevered foreigners from Sierra Leon. The car has air conditioning with auto climate control, too, but sadly something sprung a leak years ago and needs repair. At least the R134 that escaped into the atmosphere didn't eradicate the ozone over Greenland. . . although I bet Senate Democrats probably noticed and blamed W anyway. I had the rear windows tinted to prevent Chicago's street cams from violating my privacy or the privacy of any of my rear passengers' nose-picking shenanigans. I also donated to Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, the Jerry Garcia Memorial Fund and the Democratic National Committee, although I admit to just verbally saying outloud that I'd donate $50 to the DNC. Because I figured one of the NSA's hidden microphones that populate the shrubbery outside my garage would pick that up and report it immediately to Debbie Schultz... I'll also admit to burning the five DNC solicitations that then dutifully showed up over the next five weeks in order to increase the carbon content of the atmosphere around my neighborhood. So... I have been changing the oil with Mobil 1 synthetic and high-quality Bosch filters, and I installed 4 brand new Michelin Defender tires. The tires are amazing(ly expensive) and promise 90,000 miles of motoring. Wow. The previous owners had done other preventive maintenance like changing the timing belt and brakes, and when I brought it to my mechanic, he inspected the vehicle and gave me a comforting thumbs-up. This baby is ready to roll without any special attention for many, many more miles. The leather interior is incredibly clean. No rips or tears, but the driver's seat leather *is* showing cracks and wear. I've done my best to refrain from farting in them, in an attempt to retain that newly cleaned car smell, and I gotta say that although taut leather seats really reverberate after a White Castle lunch, they are amazingly all-day comfortable and probably have the Chiropractic seal of approval somewhere on them. The interior has many thoughtful touches, such as a rear wiper, rear defroster, large dashboard clock, center console with cubby storage and a center armrest. Unfortunately, the center armrest's cupholders don't work so well, so place your Starbucks there at your own risk. And the darn top of the center armrest broke off its hinge, so it's really just sitting atop the center storage bin. Of course, this wagon has the rooftop carrier rails so you can park a giant clamshell, lockable storage container atop it to practically double the cargo volume of the car. If that's not enough space for your three-week camping trip Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller, then you've got more than the 1.3 kids that the world population council recommended. It's a great vehicle, and one I wouldn't hesitate to drive to Burning Man in Nevada. So why am I selling it? Because I'm really good at buying cars, fixing them up to make them reliable and fun, and then losing money on them when I get bored with 'em. Would I make a great House Democrat or what?!! Seriously. This is a good vehicle. It's not perfect, but what in life is?? I’ve got the title in hand and two sets of keys with working remotes. It’s being sold “as is.” Still, I would like to sell this car to someone who knows the value and worth of this "last of the true Volvos. . ." (It was gestated under the loving care of Swede engineers before Ford Motor Company bought them out in the 90s and euthanized their longitudinal engine with RWD chassis designs). I want to sell this wagon to someone who needs a reliable, large -- but fuel efficient and safe -- vehicle to transport loved ones or make a lengthy commute more enjoyable. Someone who obstinately wrote-in "Al Gore" for the third consecutive time in the '12 presidential election. Someone who believed Prez Obama when he said "If you like your health plan, you can keep your health plan." (and still does). It's a great vehicle. I promise. If you like this Volvo wagon, you can keep this Volvo wagon. Interested? Make me an offer via email. And be sure to include your current carbon footprint data. I'll return those messages that my psychic feels are worth pursuing. Peace. Love. Co-exist. ================= *COP means "coil on plug" ignition. A really great engine advancement that was leading-edge back in 1996 and used on all the best engines today. **IRS means "independent rear suspension," something that provides a more supple ride and better handling. Cheap, rear-wheel drive cars use a solid rear axle because its cheaper, but results in ride compromises -- unless you're a Ford Mustang. Wow. Expensive RWD cars have always used IRS's (ie: BMW, Mercedes, Volvo).On Oct-22-14 at 04:42:23 PDT, seller added the following information: Looks like I'm the fifth owner of this vehicle (according to vehicle report). Vehicle is listed locally, so I may terminate auction if sold before closing. Thx.