Volvo 850 GLT coolant/head gasket?

My daily driver Volvo 850 GLT has been mysteriously losing coolant.

From the film on the inside of the windshield, I figured it was the fairly notoriously leaky but easy to replace heater core, so I did that.

After that, the coolant disappearance increased if anything. Can't find any evidence of leaks anywhere in the system. Changed the oil last night, and after adding fresh oil, I found a little bit of coolant milkshake at the bottom of the dipstick.

Guess it's head gasket time...or Bars Leaks and prayer to the Norse gods. But I don't have a backup car right now (actually, it's locked in storage until spring and needs a new steering rack and power steering pump). So I would either a) have to drop more than the book value of the car to have a shop do the head and rent a car, b) DIY and rent a car for a week or three, c) buy another beater while DIY.

Open to suggestions that don't involve lots of money, because the really stupid part of me noticed a leftover 2016 Fiesta ST at a dealer nearby.

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Andrew Steere
Lyndeborough, NH
KB1PJY

Are you sure it was coolant and not just cold weather condensation?

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Pete Remner
Cleveland, Ohio

1984 RX-7 (rallycross thing)
1978
Silence is golden, but duct tape is silver.

It's losing coolant, I can't find a leak, and it gets run 45 minutes to an hour each way on my commute and I'm not afraid of using my right foot and the boost.

I dumped 3/4 a can of stop leak in it. We'll see what happens. Worst comes to worst, I'll either increase my debt load with a car payment or start hoarding similar cheap Volvos in the hopes of having at least one that runs at any given time.

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Andrew Steere
Lyndeborough, NH
KB1PJY

Volvo is still running, but the lack of Anders Green's Save Rally thread is troubling...

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Andrew Steere
Lyndeborough, NH
KB1PJY

Volvo 850 will save rally!

Watching a Swedish rally compilation, it was funny how many times we'd see a Volvo blow through a corner and then get stuck, and suddenly front tirespin. "Oh, it's an 850. Still awesome though"

Time to go sell off teh S40 since I bought teh S60R and can't have too many volvos littering up the place.

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Pete Remner
Cleveland, Ohio

1984 RX-7 (rallycross thing)
1978
Silence is golden, but duct tape is silver.

Quote
fiasco
Volvo is still running, but the lack of Anders Green's Save Rally thread is troubling...

It's still there.
http://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?4,24930

It's not off-topic, its central to the survival of the sport.

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

Phew, I thought it was in OT.

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Andrew Steere
Lyndeborough, NH
KB1PJY

I'm still driving this thing...I added up the "what it will need in the next 12 months assuming I'm actually commuting regularly" (I build portions of medical devices, so my job will be "essential" until it doesn't exist).

• Rear calipers, pads, rotors. Left rear caliper was sticking, I managed to free it up, but still seems wonky.
• Front pads, maybe rotors.
• Misfire/turbo solenoid problem that I HOPE is a busted vacuum nipple on a $110 plastic hose. JB welded brake line into plastic hose and attached line temporarily, but need to get on the highway and do the 70 mph 3/4 shift to see if it falls on its face.
• Turbo is getting smoky at 190k miles.
• Steering rack leaks.
• Exhaust is original, 13 months ago I got told by my "lickem and stickem" inspection station it would need work in a few months.
• I should really re-cover and reinstall the headliner before I slice another finger or my head.
• I fear taking off the rocker cladding on a 24-year-old car for fear of what's underneath.
• Because of Covid-19, I've been skipping the state inspection due last month.

I added all that up and it's twice the market value of the car...ugh.

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Andrew Steere
Lyndeborough, NH
KB1PJY