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780?

2K views 7 replies 7 participants last post by  towerymt 
#1 ·
I know this forum is basically inactive, but my '89 740 GLE just ate it, looks like the starter's done for, the o2 sensor needs replacing I've been doing with out it for a while, a tire blew, it's leaking oil and the garage claims it'll take 400 just to fix the oil leaks, the roof is (of course) falling down, I've already been in an accident the dented the frame on the bottom between the front and rear wheels making resale a pain, I found someone who'll give me 1000 to use the car as parts so I'm thinking about just replacing it with another used volvo, and I saw a listing for the 2 door '87 780 Turbo, which I've never heard anything about before, it's in good condition with only 120,000 miles on it for 3500, anyone more knowledgable than I am know if it would be worth it? Are the engine's in the 780's trouble?

Thanks
~Ed
 
#2 ·
I don't know all that much about the 780, but I will give it a shot:

In the 1987 model year, the 780 was sent to the US in fewer numbers, so they are fairly rare cars. The car that you are interested in uses the B230FT 4-cylinder engine, with the Generation-2 turbo I think. This engine is pretty reliable from what I understand, as long as it has been well maintained. The more records you can get on the car, the better!

One interesting thing is that the 780 has one of the nicest inteiors that Volvo has ever done.

Check out the website below for the best source of 780 info:
http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Garage/6570/

-Drew
 
#6 ·
If it's a Turbo, that's not a bad buy. If it's a V6, don't buy it. The 780 has a LOT of parts that are exclusive to that model, so replacements can be very expensive, including:
front clip (headlights, grille, fenders, etc)
front seats
dash and trim bits
taillights
doors

An '87 B230FT is still the "weak" engine, but it will last a long time at the stock power level. It also has the AW71 auto trans. If service records are present and the car checks out, it sounds like a pretty good deal.
 
#8 ·
quote:

Originally posted by mbz380se:
BTW, how many miles can one expect out of a "weak" early B230 FT? I have an '87 740 Turbo with 172K, always been very VERY well maintained, stock boost level, etc
The highest I know of is 290,000+ miles on an '86 740 Turbo. It still has the original non-watercooled turbo too. Your '87 should have a watercooled turbo, which helps longevity.
 
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