1997 Volvo 940..scrap or repair

[carpedeum]

I own a 1997 Volvo 2.3SE Saloon. It has been losing coolant over the past three months, through the heating system at the firewall behind the steering wheel and leaking into the drivers footwell. Now the head gasket has gone... probably related to the loss of coolant! My trusted mechanic tells me that this will cost c. €2000 to put right! Do I have other options? Engine replacement? is there a Volvo 940 enthusiast out there who would be interested in making an offer?

I really don't want to get rid of this great car as I know, being a father of three kids, I couldn't afford a car of similar spec or one that would provide as much enjoyment... or safety.

The car is in otherwise great nick - 98K genuine mileage (I take the DART to work), unmarked alloys, colour black, body perfect, never in any accident, 4 new tyres and brake pads, 5-CD Changer, 2.3 turbo, electric sunroof, heated seats etc.

 

[Pique318]

€2k seems quite a lot for a head gasket repair.
You may need to skim/shim the head and replace the water pump but you may not. The parts are cheap (head set for £35, water pump £26.50 from www.gsfcarparts.com) with the other sundries, I reckon €200 could have all the parts needed. The major cost is labour (and the skimming) as the head will have to come off and it's a fair bit of work.
Having said that, I had the cyl head of an old BMW replaced for c.€200 a couple of years ago by an independent (ex-bmw) mechanic...including all gaskets. I just supplied the head and he did the rest.

There could be a little wrong, or a lot as it's a turbo and compression is higher...hard to know.

You can shop around to other mechanics to verify the cost or even find out the price of a reconditioned engine...it may be cheaper to drop a new lump in and have many more years of happy motoring.....

Check for Volvo forums and see what they suggest. Buying a s.h. from the UK could well be a smart move too....an 850 T5 Estate should suit your needs