General: 850: 850 buying advice- honest opinions please!

[JustCruzin]

My poor 740 looks like its on its way out and I've come across an 850 which looks like a good buy but I'll be honest I know very little about this car (guess I'm too old).

I've seen a 1995 850 2.5 GLT 71k for about £2000, auto. Is this a good engine? What do I need to look out for? The mileage seems good for the year but as I know all too well low mileage can mean very different things if poorly maintained.

My old faithful 740 has 17x8 rim volvo canisto rims off a C70 with 225/45 R17s on (with spacers). These have a 43mm offset I think- will they fit an 850 without the need for spacers?

Does the 'T' in GLT mean anything. Can I mod this engine any further? What makes a T5 a T5 which this engine is not? I'm not after F1 performance, just something reliable and zippy!!

I'd really like some advice from you- new to this car but a diehard volvo fan.

Cheers JC

[Roger Jennings]

Hi JC,

I went from a 740 GL B200E to a 2.5 20 valve 850 GLT and there is a vast difference in the drive in virtually every aspect. The 850 is by far a better 'drivers' car than the 740 although maintaining the comfort levels you would expect and I had no problems with mine whatsoever. I do not think the bodywork is as robust as the 740 as mine seemed to collect minor dents from car parks etc. I believe I have read in earlier threads that crankshafts can have problems in the 2.5 when up on miles but I kept mine till about 113k and it was as good the day it went as the day I bought it. As always service and regular maintenance are what to look for. I am not sure about the T5 but I think it is turbo'd and possibly a 2.3 engine but don't quote me.

Best of luck and prepare to be surprised.

Regards

[t5john]

Generally the 850 is hard wearing and should last well over 200k if well maintained , without serious replacements.
The best advice I can offer are basic common sense checks.If you are pleased with the appearance (body and panels straight etc) I have not seen any rust on an 850 wings,doors, sills are plastic, then its down to mechanics.
1 Starting up from cold- should be no rattles from the engine, check oil filler cap for sludge etc.
2 Let the engine idle when hot , then rev. to check for blue smoke at exhaust.
3 Check that everything works electrically -- and ALL the instrument lights should come on when the ignition key is turned, and ALL go out when the engine is running.
4 The key must be in the drive. Does it drive smoothly, change gear smoothly , with no body clunking or rattles?
5 71k is very good for the year, but I would still expect to haggle for a hundred or two less.

Finally if you really need something zippy, then a T5 is the one to buy, the difference in acceleration between the two engines has to be tried to be appreciated, the T5 being turbo charged.

[caveman]

hi, i used to have a '90 745 gle 2.3, ive now got a '96 855 glt 2.5 10v, and in terms of performance the 855 is quite a bit faster, road holding is lots better, but comfort... thats a different matter! the 745 is lots more comfortable! build quality the 855 isnt as good as the 745, if i were you id take a look at a 940 2.3 turbo! as for the t5-thats another animal completely, 2.3 turbo, 225bhp and handling to match!
regards
cavey

[MIKES T5R]

Originally Posted by caveman

hi, i used to have a '90 745 gle 2.3, ive now got a '96 855 glt 2.5 10v, and in terms of performance the 855 is quite a bit faster, road holding is lots better, but comfort... thats a different matter! the 745 is lots more comfortable! build quality the 855 isnt as good as the 745, if i were you id take a look at a 940 2.3 turbo! as for the t5-thats another animal completely, 2.3 turbo, 225bhp and handling to match!
regards
cavey

Get a t5 manual. Mines a t5r manual,which is 240bhp standard.Had a rica304 upgrade so now good for around 300bhp.It will knock twenty years off you

[JustCruzin]

So the T5s a bit of a goer!!

Can the 2.5 GLT be turboed or is this a no no? Oh, hope this isn't a silly question, but will my old 17x8s with 225/45 R17s fit ok?

Thanks for all the advice!

Cheers JC

[caveman]

i think pedro fandango has 8x18"s on his 850, but im not sure on the rubber, have a search on the forum-you might find something there!
regards
cavey

[caveman]

Originally Posted by JustCruzin

So the T5s a bit of a goer!!

Can the 2.5 GLT be turboed or is this a no no? Oh, hope this isn't a silly question, but will my old 17x8s with 225/45 R17s fit ok?

Thanks for all the advice!

Cheers JC

i think the awd is a 2.5 turbo, but has got less power than the t5, the trouble that youd have turbo charging a n/a engine isnt worth it, for the money that youre prepared to pay for the glt you could just as easily get a t5!
regards
cavey

[caveman]

Originally Posted by MIKES T5R

Get a t5 manual. Mines a t5r manual,which is 240bhp standard.Had a rica304 upgrade so now good for around 300bhp.It will knock twenty years off you

if you upgrade the turbo on the 2.3lpt 940 you wouldnt be far off the power of a t5! and rear wheel drive IS more fun!
regards
cavey

[Jod T5]

Originally Posted by MIKES T5R

.Had a rica304 upgrade so now good for around 300bhp.

hi mike..., 300 brake eh?..sorry could not resit....

yeah mike is right the 850' are great cars, loads of room and that feel that only a brick can give....
the 2.5 in the 20v guise is a very decent car and the one you are looking at appears on the face of it to be expensive but this could be maybe justified by the apparent lack of miles...for this to be a factor i would seriously investigate its service history which can be obtained for a fee (of course) from any volvo dealer...
a quick couple of 850 points...
FSH
A high mileage Volvo is nothing to worry about, these engines if looked after
and are well maintained can go on for 200k+ miles without any major problems.
The service book should be stamped and up to date and performed every 10k miles by either a reputable Volvo Specialist or Volvo Dealers. However, do not be put off with cars that have been personally looked after by their owners, these cars are often looked after at a higher standard than with the Dealer networks, they will have folders full of receipts and spreadsheets of the parts that have been changed.

Dash warning lights
Check that all the warning lights that should be on when the ignition is first turned on work. It is not unknown for unscrupulous persons to remove the bulb from warning lights such as the Lambda light to mask an expensive fault. Compare with the user manual - it will tell you what to look for.
Check for ABS/TRACS light coming on when driving.

Aircon/Climate Control
Ensure that the air conditioning is functioning as it should. If it isn't it could just be it needs re-gassing but there are other more expensive reasons why it may not get as cold as it should. Check the aircon compressor cuts in and stays in. If it short cycles gas is low. Could be a condenser (approx £100) as they are prone to holing. If it is the evaporator it is a full dash out which will cost approx £500.

Cambelt
Cambelts are due every 70-80k miles or 6years, depending on year. Costs for a cambelt change are £100+. Check there aren’t any unusual noises coming from the cambelt side of the engine, also visually check the condition of the serpentine belt. If appropriate, make sure that a Cambelt change has been documented in the service history.

Auto Gearbox
If it is an auto check the fluid for level and colour. Should be red and clear and not smell burnt. If not walk away as there could be expensive problems ahead. This must be changed regularly and should have been part of the dealer service schedule.

Exhaust
The only part of the system that will rust is the rear hangers near the back bumper. Easy fix but a good bargaining point.

Test Drive
See if the engine is completely cold before starting her up. Expect some slight
condensation/white smoke, this is fine as long as it isn’t excessive. Blue smoke
can occur on start up form cold that is related to valve seals. Idle should be
approx 900 rpm and be steady.

thanks to blackbeast for a little copy and paste...

cheers
jod