Quote:
Originally Posted by barrybritcher
I know they go for mega bucks when restored but this one looks a lot of work. Maybe get an s60r as a base to start from instead. Cheaper to buy and will be future classic
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I can't work out if that's written in jest or not?
Taking on a rough 850 is fine if you're handy with spanners and have the space and time to invest time and money into it. I think people tend to forget how old these are now and thus, maybe it's best to see it as a 25 year old car and thus, it will need work to bring it up to scratch but what you want from the car and what you can achieve really comes down to personal circumstances - can you fix it or can you write checks and get a man who can to fix it?
An S60R will never be a future classic. For a start, nobody really cares about fast Volvos that aren't estates... the whole "thing" is the fast estate and an S60R is just a pretended to that throne. Add to that, they are seriously complicated and thus if you think an rough 850 is dear / hard to get up to scratch, you should try taking on an S60R that has suffered neglect over the years. Yes they're very good when they work but as an investment, no chance. If anything, buy a manual V70R instead.
Basically, it comes down to the individual... nothing is beyond saving but it boils down to your abilities, be it DIY or be it to throw cash around. Bolt on parts are simple on an 850 and they're not dear. They very well engineered cars but I'd be more concerned about the oil leak and rust as contrary to what many say, Volvos do rust and rust very well at that. Maybe best go back with somebody who knows them and then make a worst case list of what it needs and what it'll cost to be brought back to a standard that you'd be happy with. Then decide if that's something you're in a position to do. If not, walk away or it'll just be an unachievable project that will consume time and money.