Volvo Community Forum. The Forums of the Volvo Owners Club

Forum Rules Volvo Owners Club About VOC Volvo Gallery Links Volvo History Volvo Press
Go Back   Volvo Owners Club Forum > "Technical Topics" > 850 / S70 & V70 '96-'99 / C70 '97-'05 General

Notices

850 / S70 & V70 '96-'99 / C70 '97-'05 General Forum for the 850 and P80-platform 70-series models

Information
  • VOC Members: There is no login facility using your VOC membership number or the details from page 3 of the club magazine. You need to register in the normal way
  • AOL Customers: Make sure you check the 'Remember me' check box otherwise the AOL system may log you out during the session. This is a known issue with AOL.
  • AOL, Yahoo and Plus.net users. Forum owners such as us are finding that AOL, Yahoo and Plus.net are blocking a lot of email generated from forums. This may mean your registration activation and other emails will not get to you, or they may appear in your spam mailbox

Thread Informations

Help needed with buying advice after viewing an 850R

Views : 3140

Replies : 37

Users Viewing This Thread :  

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old Nov 7th, 2019, 22:35   #21
Gonzobard
Member
 

Last Online: Oct 6th, 2023 08:12
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Reading
Default

I can’t comment on the car you are looking at but can tell you about my experience of buying an 850R (to replace a ‘12 plate Passat which was dull). I bought a ‘97 850 R with 145,000 miles. Good bits - new wings, engine rebuild with new rings, turbo re-built, new B4 dampers, converted to manual. Bad bits - in need of general tlc, subsequently replaced heater matrix, springs all round and new cat, paintwork marked in places, couple of dents need pulling, not on original alloys. I have really enjoyed the car so far, it looks good, I like the interior, has a stainless exhaust which is louder than stock and I enjoy the noise! It is certainly fun to drive. Rather than a reasonable R I had also thought about looking for a really nice T5 as Given that a reasonable R is likely to need work, a good T5 can be upgraded with the same money (re-mapped ECU, lowered etc.). I have spent money on mine, but no more than the Passat has cost me in depreciation over 18 months. Oh, and my wife hates the Volvo!
Gonzobard is offline   Reply With Quote
Old Nov 7th, 2019, 23:22   #22
Volvo6
Master Member
 

Last Online: Mar 23rd, 2024 13:47
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Winchester
Default

Loads of good advice here.

Personally I've come to the conclusion that with these cars now being c.25 years old, there are not any right or wrong answers to whether one should 'walk away' etc or not, unless there are some obvious terminal signs.

If I were looking for a 850R right now there would be very little that would put me off a car, assuming the price was right. As others have said, terminal engine failure is rare. Although the oil leak is concerning, with the relatively low mileage of the one you are looking it seems unlikely it is something that cannot be fixed or mitigated. The condition of the top mounts suggests that the car has not been well looked after, but again the effects of neglect can normally be fixed.

I have sometimes consciously bought a car needing a bit of TLC knowing that it would probably end up costing more in the long run than paying a bit more for a nicer car up front. The upside is the lower price and the fun of doing it up. The P80 Volvo population is increasingly polarising between sheds that haven't quite found the scrap heap yet and minters that are being cherished and increasingly go for money that would have been absurd a few years ago.

This one seems somewhere between the two, but probably worth saving. Have a good look around at what else is available, but if you don't want to spend a lot getting a mint one, I'd go for it with eyes open and knowing it will cost a bit to make it back into a nice motor. Should you need to spend on it gradually and be a bit selective as you go, it is probably unlikely to leave you in a cloud by the side of the road as a result.

Don't know how much your friend wants for it, but I wouldn't pay more than £2k.

The nice T5 vs. R is also a very good point, all depends on how much you want the 'R' factor really. Similarly, the later S60/V70R are really nice cars, but they don't (for me at least) have the same appeal as the P80 platform.
__________________
1971 1800E, 2019 XC40 D3
Volvo6 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old Nov 7th, 2019, 23:35   #23
Gonzobard
Member
 

Last Online: Oct 6th, 2023 08:12
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Reading
Default

Pricing cars is always difficult and can only ever be what the car is worth to you. Before I bought my R I went to look at a 100,000 mile manual T5 - it was unmolested, I would say in good condition but needed some cosmetics, leather treatment, PCV etc. It was on e-bay, it sold for £2,700. I think the reaction on here would be that it was over-priced, but someone was prepared to pay it. When most of my mates are driving new cars on hp or pcp, I think these are still cheap cars to buy and run.
Gonzobard is offline   Reply With Quote
Old Nov 8th, 2019, 10:41   #24
DomF1
Member
 

Last Online: May 29th, 2023 11:26
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: London
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by barrybritcher View Post
That is a good looking car... I was looking at the one with orange interior on Ebay

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2003-Volv...53.m1438.l2649

kills my budget though.
DomF1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old Nov 8th, 2019, 10:47   #25
DomF1
Member
 

Last Online: May 29th, 2023 11:26
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: London
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Volvo6 View Post
Loads of good advice here.

Personally I've come to the conclusion that with these cars now being c.25 years old, there are not any right or wrong answers to whether one should 'walk away' etc or not, unless there are some obvious terminal signs.

If I were looking for a 850R right now there would be very little that would put me off a car, assuming the price was right. As others have said, terminal engine failure is rare. Although the oil leak is concerning, with the relatively low mileage of the one you are looking it seems unlikely it is something that cannot be fixed or mitigated. The condition of the top mounts suggests that the car has not been well looked after, but again the effects of neglect can normally be fixed.

I have sometimes consciously bought a car needing a bit of TLC knowing that it would probably end up costing more in the long run than paying a bit more for a nicer car up front. The upside is the lower price and the fun of doing it up. The P80 Volvo population is increasingly polarising between sheds that haven't quite found the scrap heap yet and minters that are being cherished and increasingly go for money that would have been absurd a few years ago.

This one seems somewhere between the two, but probably worth saving. Have a good look around at what else is available, but if you don't want to spend a lot getting a mint one, I'd go for it with eyes open and knowing it will cost a bit to make it back into a nice motor. Should you need to spend on it gradually and be a bit selective as you go, it is probably unlikely to leave you in a cloud by the side of the road as a result.

Don't know how much your friend wants for it, but I wouldn't pay more than £2k.

The nice T5 vs. R is also a very good point, all depends on how much you want the 'R' factor really. Similarly, the later S60/V70R are really nice cars, but they don't (for me at least) have the same appeal as the P80 platform.
All really good advice on this thread... I'm going to put in a low offer (probably <£2k) and see what happens, I think the only way I'm could make this work and not feel like I've bought a nail is to get a good price... I think the comment on the fun of doing it up put it more in perspective; I've been looking for a project and a hobby car for a while as new car just bores me so if i see it as something to work on then it makes more sense, I don't particularly need it to get me anywhere so it can be slowly slowly brought back to glory.

If it all works out look out for the project thread as it will certainly need one of those!
DomF1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old Nov 8th, 2019, 11:08   #26
acshortt5
Volvo Nutcase
 
acshortt5's Avatar
 

Last Online: Jul 14th, 2023 13:57
Join Date: May 2007
Location: N/A
Default

From my experience it is far more cost effective to pay more up front to get a car that has been looked after rather than buy and do up.

Depends on your budget though - if the only way to get there money wise is to buy a cheaper car and gradually replace things over time as money allows then fair enough if you are dead set on having a particular car.

Having said that it all depends on what your priorities are as well. e.g. I bought my MX5 which most would describe as a shed as it had done 100k miles and didn't look like anything had been changed during it's life apart from brake pads and tyres however I was buying it for purely a weekend/track day car and quite happy to pay less up front for the car as I was going to overhaul everything, replace the suspension, brakes etc anyway and would be doing the vast majority of work myself. In addition I knew I wouldn't be having to undo anyone's previous bodges.

For a daily driver I would look to get the most looked after/lowest mileage/youngest car I could afford.

Going back to 850's costs for parts (assuming they aren't discontinued which seems to be creeping in more and more) are fairly reasonable with good aftermarket support. However this particular car looks very much like my MX5 when I bought it - it's fine to buy for the right price if you want a project but you are going to be replacing a lot of parts and if you aren't doing the work yourself it is going to add up to a lot very quickly.

The oil leak(s) could be from a large number of places. Most likely are the cam seals on the throttle body end of the engine (about £30 each for the seals and 2 hours max to change - easy to do). Turbo return pipe seals.
At the front it could be the oil cooler lines (they leak from the crimped joints - these are expensive parts). If you have a big turbo oil leak then it could also be oil dripping out of the weep hole of the intercooler.
The cam seals can leak without the PCV being blocked from personal experience....
I'd also ask what type of oil has been used - if it's too thin or even fully synthetic that can lead to leaks. 10W40 semi is ideal.

I have to disagree with the people suggesting the S60R - with those they are a potential money pit on a whole other level. Unlike the 850's many parts are exclusive to the S60R such as the brakes and shocks and are therefore considerably more expensive (as they are made in much fewer numbers).
They also have far more electronics/sensors which are IMO more things to go wrong. If you are going to work on it yourself you WILL need VIDA/DICE. They have major fundamental problems such as the engine block cracking, the 4wd angle gear failing, the boot space is appalling, they can rust along the tops of the doors behind the seals, the interior feels more cramped (especially in the back) and the turning circle is more akin to a cruise liner.
It's why I'm sticking with my S70 although the turning circle on mine isn't brilliant.
__________________
Andrew

1998 S70 T5 CD AUTO
Previously a 1990 240 GLT-R
acshortt5 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old Nov 8th, 2019, 13:00   #27
barrybritcher
Flaccid Member
 

Last Online: Mar 22nd, 2024 15:14
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Norwich
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by DomF1 View Post
That is a good looking car... I was looking at the one with orange interior on Ebay

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2003-Volv...53.m1438.l2649

kills my budget though.
yea that Lichfield company seem to have 90% of the S60 R stock in the UK
__________________
2001 Volvo S60 T5 SE 2.3 Geartronic (Scrapped)
2007 Volvo S60 T5 SE 2.4 Geartronic (Sold)
2008 Volvo V70 D5 SE Sport Geartronic (Current)
barrybritcher is offline   Reply With Quote
Old Nov 9th, 2019, 14:15   #28
amazondean
amazondean
 

Last Online: Mar 25th, 2024 19:27
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Nettleton Market Rasen
Default

Regarding the top strut mounts. They look knackared. If they are, you should here a loud clonking noise. To check if they are knackered, just undo the top nut and remove the plastic washer. You will be able to see if the rubber mount is split, but my guess is they are well and truly shot!
__________________
There are only two things in life that is easy. One's lying down and the other is handing your credit card over. everything else has a degree of skill.
Volvo 850 TDI, 850 TDI, 850 TDI
Volvo V70 TDI, V70 TDI, Volvo V70 XC, (99)
amazondean is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to amazondean For This Useful Post:
Old Nov 13th, 2019, 21:44   #29
Bigfella666
Premier Member
 

Last Online: Feb 12th, 2024 22:22
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: London
Default

Dom

Where about sin town are you happy to have a look if I can find a couple of spare hours

All the advice you have had to date is spot on, even without a gander I would suggest £2k is absolute tops for this girl
Bigfella666 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old Nov 14th, 2019, 17:42   #30
turboboy
Master Member
 
turboboy's Avatar
 

Last Online: Dec 15th, 2023 09:44
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Twickenham
Default Top Mounts

Quote:
Originally Posted by amazondean View Post
Regarding the top strut mounts. They look knackared. If they are, you should here a loud clonking noise. To check if they are knackered, just undo the top nut and remove the plastic washer. You will be able to see if the rubber mount is split, but my guess is they are well and truly shot!
I would second this. Those on my V40 looked exactly like those and I could press sideways with my thumb against the top of the piston and quite easily get considerable movement.

Managed to get some money off the purchase price because of that.
__________________
Turboboy

Current: 1998 Volvo V70 2.3 T5 Auto.

Previous: 2000 Volvo V40 T4; 1981/2 265 (x2); 1988 740 Turbo Estate.
turboboy is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 15:39.


Powered by vBulletin
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.