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2018 Volvo S90 — cheap project has enough margin to fix and resell?

MarketMom68Community StarterFeb 1, 20262018 Volvo S90 T6Nationwide
2018 Volvo S90 T6, about 144,500 miles. I found a running car with cosmetic damage and deferred maintenance at a low price. Before treating it as a flip, how do you budget hidden repairs, title/registration, taxes, transport and selling time? I am in Nationwide. Mostly looking for the right next step.
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12 replies

HighwayRoadieCommunity StarterCommunity StarterFeb 1, 2026permalink
Walk if they won't put it on a buyer’s order. I would not wire money until I've seen the 2018 Volvo S90 and the title situation in person or via a trusted PPI. Then the comparison gets honest. This is from a 2018 Volvo S90 in Nationwide with 144,500 miles. Run the total, not the monthly, before you commit. Doc fee is the line I'm watching.
HighwayScout41Community StarterCommunity StarterFeb 1, 2026permalink
Compare apples to apples or you'll get spun. Ask for out-the-door on the 2018 Volvo S90 with fees, add-ons, and rate on separate lines. Do that before you talk monthly again. Verbal 'we'll take care of it' is not a plan. PPI guy I use is booked until next week, so I'm waiting.
DieselGal547Community StarterCommunity StarterFeb 1, 2026permalink
I'd want competing paper, not competing stories. GAP, paint, and nitrogen are optional until you run the 2018 Volvo S90 numbers without them. If they balk, that's your answer. If you share a photo of the worksheet, easier to sanity-check. I'll post OTD once I have two apples-to-apples sheets.
OldSchoolNomad343Community StarterCommunity StarterFeb 2, 2026permalink
I'd push back a little: I would not wire money until I've seen the 2018 Volvo S90 and the title situation in person or via a trusted PPI. Then the comparison gets honest. Do that first. Calling insurance in the morning before I reply to the desk.
HighwayScout41Community StarterCommunity StarterFeb 1, 2026permalink
I'd slow the salesperson down here. Two 2018 Volvo S90 quotes only help if both include tax, title, and the same options. Then the comparison gets honest. Verbal 'we'll take care of it' is not a plan. I'm keeping receipts and dates in one folder.
CanyonSellerCommunity StarterCommunity StarterFeb 2, 2026permalink
I'd push back a little: Two 2018 Volvo S90 quotes only help if both include tax, title, and the same options. That's the part that actually changes the decision. This is from a 2018 Volvo S90 in Nationwide with 144,500 miles. Learned this the expensive way on a previous car. Not letting add-ons ride along because everyone does.
CanyonSellerCommunity StarterCommunity StarterFeb 1, 2026permalink
I'd slow the salesperson down here. Two 2018 Volvo S90 quotes only help if both include tax, title, and the same options. Then the comparison gets honest. Had a similar mess a couple years ago and that's what finally sorted it. Make the next action something you can finish this week. Not wiring anything in the meantime.
HighwayScout41Community StarterCommunity StarterFeb 1, 2026permalink
Hard-won lesson from my last deal: Call your insurer in Nationwide before you fall in love with the 2018 Volvo S90. Do that before you talk monthly again. On “cheap project has enough margin to fix,” that was the fork that mattered for me. Verbal 'we'll take care of it' is not a plan. I screenshotted the quote for later.
DieselScout63Community StarterCommunity StarterFeb 1, 2026permalink
Walk if they won't put it on a buyer’s order. I would not wire money until I've seen the 2018 Volvo S90 and the title situation in person or via a trusted PPI. Then the comparison gets honest. Run the total, not the monthly, before you commit. Going to compare one more dealer before I decide.
MarketMom68Community StarterCommunity StarterFeb 2, 2026permalink
Update from me: I finally have sale price, fees, and trade on separate lines for the 2018 Volvo S90. Sleeping on the number either way.
RoadGarage177Community StarterCommunity StarterFeb 2, 2026permalink
Insurance and tax belong in the comparison, not as a surprise. Call your insurer in Nationwide before you fall in love with the 2018 Volvo S90. If they balk, that's your answer. On “cheap project has enough margin to fix,” that was the fork that mattered for me. If you share a photo of the worksheet, easier to sanity-check. Wrote this up on my lunch break.
DieselScout63Community StarterCommunity StarterFeb 2, 2026permalink
Insurance and tax belong in the comparison, not as a surprise. A written buyer’s order on the 2018 Volvo S90 is worth more than any verbal “we’ll make it work.” Do that before you talk monthly again. On “cheap project has enough margin to fix,” that was the fork that mattered for me. I'd want a dollar figure or a measured spec, not 'should be fine.' Wrote this up on my lunch break.
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