Volvo: volvo 960, vacuum hoses, 1995 volvo 960

Question
So I bought a 1995 volvo 960 with 125,000 miles. It had nothing done to it in 2 years including oil etc. When I would go to start the car sometimes it wouldnt start up right away but always after 2-3 tries. The idle is high when not moving and a putter is heard.When I would come to a stop it would putter a little more but never shut off completly. My mechanic friend said this was probably because the fuses were so old...Today we replaced the fuses, the oil and the oil filter. When I was driving it home white smoke was coming out of the exhaust. There was a burning smell and then a strange smell that came once or twice. When we were working on the car my friend said he thought I might have a blown gasket because of oil leakage around the engine? Any idea on what this problem is with the idle/smoke?  

Answer
some water vapor is normal in cooler weather from the exhaust, but if it's very dense white smoke, it's a leaking head gasket, you should perform all of the maintenance items in the owners manual, when you get a new car you should change spark plugs, wires dist. cap/rotor , you should also check for leaking intake system, leaking vacuum hoses