The midtown 960

[T101]

Meet my latest rescue.

1996 960, 184,000 miles.
All the usual plastics and dings and dents.

Slapped a battery in her and drove out of the high rise parking garage in downtown Atlanta.

At my buddies house pulling the timing belt cover because the belt is 13 years old and I ain't risking it.

You'll never belive what I paid.

@beigepower I'll be getting some coils from you soon it seems haha. She is very wandery and clunky.

 

[T101]

 

[T101]

Needs strut mounts.
Needs all fluids.
probably do a timing belt as the sticker indicates this belt is from 2010.
I was going to bust this car up and start the long hard road to a whiteblock...but she is pretty clean.
Some bushings are worn / torn but I think I can slap some aftermarket garbage in there and have an amazing DD.
Trans shifts between the three modes, no idea what that changes other than shift points?
I see a few awesome threads to read through about BMW headers and exhausts.
Needs door cards pulled and window tracks inspected.

 

[doucheNozzle]

Looks pretty clean
Good DD

 

[HiSPL]

Transmission is

E: economy

S: Sport

W: Winter or Weather. I’ve heard both.

Basically there isn’t much difference between E and S, but S will hold the gear to a slightly higher rpm.

Weather or Winter makes it start out in 3rd gear to avoid tire spin. The torque converter has a really high stall speed and can handle it.

Its also a 4 speed trans with a lockup converter. Its an Aisin Warner AW 30-40 in Volvo speak, but most of the world calls it an AW340. It was used in a bunch of Toyotas including the Supra.

Things to look out for is the neutral safety switch which does more that just sensing neutral. It’ll get flakey and throw the car into limp mode sometimes. If you’re lucky you can slam the gear shift back and forth a few times to get it to go again.

 

[HiSPL]

BTW, If you need a daily there’s not much better.

This car has the most unbelievable turning radius.

It rides very well and has great seats. As long as the HVAC is working and the rest of the car is in decent shape I’d rock one of these as a daily forever.

 

[DET17]

Nice Midtown score! I dated a gal down there for a year, and enjoyed some good food & Piedmont Park.

The 9's are underloved, when actually they are excellent machines. Should make a great DD with proper stage zero maintenance. Don't know if the 96 has IRS or a live rear axle?

 

[blkaplan]

One thing I experienced with my 95 960 is the radiator blew every 60k. The first two times the upper neck on the radiator cracked off. The last time it happened around 180k the trans cooler tank blew internally and took out the transmission since it got filled with antifreeze.

All 3 radiators were Volvo branded units.

Beyond that the car was really solid and a joy to drive and only need standard maintenance

 

[blkaplan]

Nice Midtown score! I dated a gal down there for a year, and enjoyed some good food & Piedmont Park.

The 9's are underloved, when actually they are excellent machines. Should make a great DD with proper stage zero maintenance. Don't know if the 96 has IRS or a live rear axle?

Everything 95+ has the leaf spring setup.

 

[h20ham]

Two complaints with my 95 965 is the transmission doesnt seem to have the grunt to tow our little Boston Whaler Rage 15 Jet out of the water, whereas all the 7/945’s do.
Dont know if the problem is torque converter, or something to do with the Canadian package shift. I have of course tried all three settings.
Fluid changes havent made it better either.

other thing is the seats are too high/tall, I am 6ft and maybe average torso height. Think it has to do with all the motors, my 1988 965 is not a problem.

I do approve of the locking rear diff, no clue if thats a Cdn package thing or not.

&, I am mixed about the transverse leaf spring. I want Nivomats or the like because I carry a load or trailer for work.
but, she sure does drive like a dream. The 6 cyl, and independent rear, also The Poi‘s paddle shifter (or just buttons) makes so much sense. And the ease to make turbo’ed, something much more difficult with post 1995.

I have had mine 15 years now, but drive the 745’s more for work.
I think it’s the most comfortable luxury and well built Volvo.
and a BlueTooth double din brings it a bit modern. Have a cheap Pioneer FH-S520BT and powered subs.

 

[okoye]

Dont know if the problem is torque converter, or something to do with the Canadian package shift. I have of course tried all three settings.
Fluid changes havent made it better either.

other thing is the seats are too high/tall, I am 6ft and maybe average torso height. Think it has to do with all the motors, my 1988 965 is not a problem.

I do approve of the locking rear diff, no clue if thats a Cdn package thing or not.

&, I am mixed about the transverse leaf spring. I want Nivomats or the like because I carry a load or trailer for work.
but, she sure does drive like a dream. The 6 cyl, and independent rear, also The Poi‘s paddle shifter (or just buttons) makes so much sense. And the ease to make turbo’ed, something much more difficult with post 1995.

Some came with nivomats. I actually will be parting out a wagon with IRS nivomats.

The locking rear diff does typically seem more common in cold weather climates (1065) and a few of the warm weather cars , Ben Kaplans old red 95 960 and my gold 97 960 wagon are both 1055 differentials which are both open. I swapped both of the cars to 5 speed and it makes a huge difference on power delivery and economy. 500 miles highway going at 70mph in the red car. The wagon consistently gets 20-21 around town.

 

[T101]

Some came with nivomats. I actually will be parting out a wagon with IRS nivomats.

The locking rear diff does typically seem more common in cold weather climates (1065) and a few of the warm weather cars , Ben Kaplans old red 95 960 and my gold 97 960 wagon are both 1055 differentials which are both open. I swapped both of the cars to 5 speed and it makes a huge difference on power delivery and economy. 500 miles highway going at 70mph in the red car. The wagon consistently gets 20-21 around town.

If I go full goober and want to get coils from @blkaplan I might need some of the bits from that nivomat rear.

Do you have a sale thread for that partout?

 

[T101]

 

[HiSPL]

Looks really straight! Hope the paint is nice under all that dirt...

 

[okoye]

If I go full goober and want to get coils from @blkaplan I might need some of the bits from that nivomat rear.

Do you have a sale thread for that partout?

No I have to drag the car out of the house it’s at. It’s donating interior and some other parts to keep my daily alive

 

[HiSPL]

Numero uno priority is Timing belt and tensioner. Then PCV and vacuum system.

The T-belt breaking kills more of these cars than anything else. The cost to rebuild the head is just too high for most people after a timing belt breakage.

 

[T101]

Looks really straight! Hope the paint is nice under all that dirt...

It goes to my Detailer tomorrow!

Numero uno priority is Timing belt and tensioner. Then PCV and vacuum system.

The T-belt breaking kills more of these cars than anything else. The cost to rebuild the head is just too high for most people after a timing belt breakage.

Yessir, I pinged @blkaplan before I even started it and he indicated to look at the belt before doing anything.

I'll be replacing the timing belt, and replacing the PCV with a catch-can setup. also, I have a external trans cooler for a P80, so I might see if that fits a 960.

When you say Vacuum system, you mean rubber and evap and vacuum lines?
The rubber on this car is in amazing condition

 

[T101]

No I have to drag the car out of the house it’s at. It’s donating interior and some other parts to keep my daily alive

I am not apposed to a road trip once I figure out what I'm doing suspension wise.

 

[T101]

Timing belt, catch can, brakes, radiator and hoses, front and rear seals ordered!

 

[HiSPL]

When you say Vacuum system, you mean rubber and evap and vacuum lines?
The rubber on this car is in amazing condition

Yeah just basic vacuum hoses, coolant hoses, and gaskets/seals. Of course if you service the PCV system you shouldn't have too much trouble with seals and/or oil leaks.

When the PCV gets clogged it tends to leak oil around the cam seals. It can get so bad that it pushes the seals out of place in extreme cases. A good functioning PCV will keep the crank case at a negative pressure.