850 Estate for sale on Isle of Wight - £500

[Boxer88]

The full ad is on Wightbay - https://www.wightbay.com/ventnor/car...rpump-5903335/
This brilliant Volvo just needs an MOT, battery and tax, and then it will do another 150K miles with no issues. It gives 35mpg. Paradoxically, it's big enough to move house with, but a doddle to park.
It should pass an MOT with no problem. It has NO RUST. I bought it in 2015, and used it to swish up and down the European motorways to my home in France. What a load-carrier! The tow-bar is strong - the only thing I ever towed with it was a two-wheel trailer, full of books, when I moved. The car didn't even notice.
Then I lent it to my dad when he needed a replacement car, here on the isle of Wight. Sadly dad is no longer with us, and my lovely old Volvo, which I thought I'd have forever, and maintained it as such, is surplus to requirements. Unfortunately, it stood on his drive, and that's not good for a car - they are best when driven regularly.
Mechanically, everything that needs doing has been done. When I bought the car, I decided it was for the long-term, and undertook the following, as preventative maintenance:
Tyres are the best -Michelin - fitted in France, new in 2016, so they have about 15k miles in total so far (500 Euros)
I replaced the PCV system myself, all parts are new (£200)
I replaced the cambelt and tensioners as well as fitting a new water pump
I replaced all fluids: engine oil (it's always clean and clear) and Mann filter; brake fluid; coolant; automatic transmission fluid flushed and replaced.
New radiator hoses - again, as preventative maintenance.
Cabin filter and air filter are new.
New brake calipers and pads on the front.
New NSF wishbone (for an MOT in 2017).
New HT leads and spark plugs.
New rotor arm and distributor cap in 2016. I replaced the cam sensor as a precautionary measure. Also replaced thermostat and fuel-pump relay, simply because these commonly stick on these old 850s.
As you can tell, I took a lot of trouble to get this car up to standard, so that I wouldn't have to ever think about it on a long run (to get to France, I did 800km door-to-door per day on several occasions - the car never missed a beat.)
V5 is in order, in my name and at this address.

Bad bits:
It needs a new battery. It's been sitting around. This one is good enough to start it, but I would recommend changing it.
The glovebox is held shut with a shoe-lace and the dash has slightly warped in the sun in one corner (see photo). Neither of these has ever caused me any consternation, but I prefer to be honest about it.
The central locking solenoids are old, and a bit pricey, so I just took out the relevant fuse and now it's a manual-locking car. You lean over to unlock the doors; it's not rocket science.
There's one minor ding on the bodywork, see photo. I Waxoyld it to prevent rust.

[Wagon Sailor]

Why not MoT it and get a better price for it?

[Kev0607]

Lovely car. Best of luck with the sale.

I think you'd get more interest & possibly a better price if it had an MOT though... Just a suggestion. Not having an MOT may put potential punters off.

[Boxer88]

Thanks for your replies, both of you. Good point about the MOT. I'm just so busy; but you're right.

[ASt85]

Originally Posted by Boxer88

The full ad is on Wightbay - https://www.wightbay.com/ventnor/car...rpump-5903335/
This brilliant Volvo just needs an MOT, battery and tax, and then it will do another 150K miles with no issues.

NB if the MOT ran out in the last few months ie after lockdown/30 March but prior to 31 July 2020 it doesn't need an MOT for 6 months after the last one ran out.

[Boxer88]

Originally Posted by ASt85

NB if the MOT ran out in the last few months ie after lockdown/30 March but prior to 31 July 2020 it doesn't need an MOT for 6 months after the last one ran out.

Thanks for the tip! Good thought. Unfortunately, I missed the deadline by... 9 days, darn it.

I think I'll just go ahead and MOT this car, even though I'm pretty sure I'll just then want to keep it. It's much better quality than the one I bought to replace it.