960 Project Pt. 4 - End of Spring Almost Summer Updates
Since my last update back in February, I have had a lot of changes happen in my life. I went from an office job, to working full time for a local Volvo shop. I now do the marketing and classic car & car parts sales for Hailey Import Service. Due to this, I have been busy but lots of mods have been happening to my 960. My last update I had done a few comfort modifications, but I have upgraded the car even further. The car got a new dash carpet, full steam clean (again), and some much better air fresheners to remove the old musty smell. Using the ozone generator followed by an order remover disk I was able to neutralize the mold smell caused by the water leaks in the car. A re-sealed sunroof has also helped reduce water entry into the car.
Over the past few months, I have been driving the car on an almost daily basis, slowly building up a trust in its reliability. I have been able to do 2 round trips to visit my family in Charleston, SC and the car had no hiccups from the 4 hour drive each way.
Safety has also been improved with new lighting and taillights. I used LED upgrades in the lights and the difference was significant. Fahren LEDs were used for the headlights, and SNGL LEDs were used for the fog lights. Both kits were ordered with a 6600k color tone to give the car a clean white look up front.
One of the major issues I have had with this car have been the abused cosmetics. The paint is in rough shape in a lot of locations around the car, and does show signs of a respray at some point. During a washing session, the power washer took the paint on the rear drivers door clean off revealing a white door underneath. Since then I have begun the process of using vinyl wrap to cover the worst affected panels on the car. Avery gloss black has been used due to its cheap price, as well as its very close color match to Volvo 019 black color code.
Side shot showing the painted drivers door vs. the wrapped rear door.
The hood before. Note the clear coat spots and “crows feet” marks.
After, not 100% color accurate but much better.
Other additions to the car have mostly been cosmetic. A set of used corner lights from the UK were imported. I have always liked the clean look of clear lights up front. The set cost me about $80 when all said and done. Expensive, but around the going rate for a set in the US. A bonus was that they came with the sockets for a single filament bulb instead of dual like ours require.
1997 Volvo 960 Project Pt. 0 - $800 Worth of Headaches
If anyone who reads this follows me on social media, you will know that I recently picked up a 1997 Volvo 960 wagon off of Marketplace. The body is in pretty good condition, but its definitely a little rough around the edges. The car itself has over 190k on the clock, and all of its history up to this point is a mystery to me. Surprisingly I am only the 3rd owner of the car, and I intend, or at least hope to, get the car back into a running / driving condition.
While I was able to drive the car home, it definitely needs a lot of work before I would consider actually driving it anywhere. As it stands it needs (in no particular order):
Timing Belt and Serpentine Belt
Oil Change and Fluid Flush
Oil Cap Gasket
New Spark Plugs and Ignition Coil (Misfire on Cylinder 3)
New Idle Air Module
Headlight Bulbs
New Taillight Assembly and Bulbs
New Brakes
New Front Suspension
Fix Seat Rail Motors
Interior and Exterior Deep Clean Detail
There is likely other stuff, but these are the items I would consider to be the ‘bare minimum’ of what needs to be done to at least get it running and driving around. There is a good list of cosmetic items that I also have planned like fixing the missing trim and fuel door. Thankfully this car, and its parts, are dirt cheap and will allow me to experience the world of RWD Volvos. I’m hoping to do some videos and a lot of write ups on this car. Much like the P3s, there arent a ton of enthusiasts around the 900 series cars, much less the inline 6 versions. So stay tuned, and if you have any recommendations or tips for me please feel free to send a comment below!
Archive
-
2025
- May 5, 2025 Volvo 700 Series In-Tank Fuel Sender Assemblies - Whats the deal? May 5, 2025
- Apr 28, 2025 Store Update: Shipping Rates and Carriers Apr 28, 2025
- Jan 1, 2025 Cash for Clunkers and Todays Car Marketplace - A Mathematical Analysis on Why Cash For Clunkers Doesn't Matter Anymore. Jan 1, 2025
-
2024
- Nov 25, 2024 11-16 Ford F250 / F350 Super Duty - Definitive Flow-Through Center Console Install Guide Nov 25, 2024
- Jul 30, 2024 13-16 F250 Steering Wheel and Audio Control Upgrade / Retrofit Guide for Dummies Jul 30, 2024
- Mar 13, 2024 Misc. Project - Volvo P3 Desk Chair Mar 13, 2024
- Jan 16, 2024 The Definitive P2 XC90 External Transmission Cooler Writeup Jan 16, 2024
-
2023
- Aug 8, 2023 TFT Display with P3Tool Guide Aug 8, 2023
- Aug 4, 2023 Facility Upgrades and Updates Pt. 2 - Tow Dolly Aug 4, 2023
- Mar 27, 2023 Facility Upgrades and Updates Pt. 1 - John Deere 165 Hydro Restoration Mar 27, 2023
-
2022
- Sep 27, 2022 P3Tool - Volvo Hacking Takes Its Next Big Step Sep 27, 2022
- Aug 25, 2022 Project Nashville Pt. 3 - MOST Excelent! Aug 25, 2022
- Jun 28, 2022 NordCarolina Shop Update! Jun 28, 2022
- Jun 20, 2022 Project Nashville Pt. 2 - Tech Talk Jun 20, 2022
- May 12, 2022 And I Would Drive 500 Miles - Project Nashville Pt. 1 May 12, 2022
- Mar 14, 2022 On life, cars, and business. Mar 14, 2022
-
2021
- Jul 19, 2021 Volvo 960 Project Pt. 6 - Still Alive Jul 19, 2021
- Mar 12, 2021 Volvo 780 Bertone Project Pt. 2 - Why buying another persons project is the WORST. Mar 12, 2021
-
2020
- Dec 7, 2020 Volvo 780 Bertone Project Pt. 1 - In Over My Head Dec 7, 2020
- Dec 7, 2020 Volvo 960 Project Pt. 5 - Taking my time. Dec 7, 2020
- Sep 11, 2020 A Very Volvo September Sep 11, 2020
- May 15, 2020 960 Project Pt. 4 - End of Spring Almost Summer Updates May 15, 2020
- Feb 3, 2020 960 Project Pt. 3 - Always Remember Your Oil Feb 3, 2020
-
2019
- Dec 17, 2019 Nord Carolina - Starting my own E-Commerce Platform for Volvo Enthusiasts Dec 17, 2019
- Nov 20, 2019 960 Project Pt. 2 - I built it one piece at a time... Nov 20, 2019
- Oct 2, 2019 960 Project Pt. 1 - Diving In Oct 2, 2019
- Sep 20, 2019 1997 Volvo 960 Project Pt. 0 - $800 Worth of Headaches Sep 20, 2019
- Aug 3, 2019 VDASH Pt. 2 - Cloud Based Car Tuning Aug 3, 2019
- Jul 2, 2019 VDASH Pt 2. is coming.... Jul 2, 2019
- Apr 1, 2019 VDASH Pt. 1 - A new tool for a modern Volvo hacker Apr 1, 2019
- Mar 18, 2019 2013+ Shifter Retrofit Project Pt. 2 - Reconstruction and Installation Mar 18, 2019
- Feb 17, 2019 2013+ Shifter Retrofit Project Pt. 1 - Preparation and Disassembly Feb 17, 2019
- Feb 2, 2019 The P3 Common & Uncommon Repairs Documentation Project Feb 2, 2019
-
2018
- Dec 28, 2018 Mini-Post: New side skirt. Dec 28, 2018
- Dec 8, 2018 Driveability and Performance Report: December 2018 Dec 8, 2018
- Oct 8, 2018 Audio Modules & The Return to Boostmoose Oct 8, 2018
- Jul 28, 2018 The Final Report: 850R Beauty Shots Jul 28, 2018
- Jul 17, 2018 Mid-July Summer Update Jul 17, 2018
- May 15, 2018 Summer Progress Update May 15, 2018
- Apr 1, 2018 850R - Stage 0 Dreams Pt. 2 Apr 1, 2018
- Mar 18, 2018 850R - 960 Throttle Body Upgrade pt. 1 Mar 18, 2018
- Mar 14, 2018 850R - Seat Restoration Mar 14, 2018
- Jan 18, 2018 S60R - Wrap Repair + Driving the Eastern Shore Jan 18, 2018
- Jan 1, 2018 S60R - Vinyl Wrap Jan 1, 2018
-
2017
- Dec 4, 2017 850R - Better and Brighter Tail Light Installation Dec 4, 2017
- Dec 4, 2017 S60R - Holiday Charity Laps at Virginia International Raceway Dec 4, 2017
- Nov 16, 2017 850R - Junkyard Pulls for Performance & New Rear Lights Nov 16, 2017
- Nov 15, 2017 S60R - Scheduled maintenance.....yawn. Nov 15, 2017
- Nov 3, 2017 850R - Stage 0 Dreams Pt. 1 Nov 3, 2017
- Nov 1, 2017 850R - Firestone Fixes CV Axle while Suspension Nears Completion Nov 1, 2017
- Oct 28, 2017 850R - Axle Removal and CV Boots Halt Progress Oct 28, 2017
- Oct 27, 2017 850R - Air Tool Woes and Broken Brakes Oct 27, 2017