Hi there. My name is Steve and I just joined. I purchased a '96 850 GLT last week, my second Volvo - the first being an '03 S60 2.5T.

I have great plans for my humble 850, which I will document in a build thread over the course of whatever ridiculous amount of time it takes for me to turn this luxo-brick into a decent performer.

 

Cool, welcome to the forum.

 

So after a week of driving a few issues have cropped up. First and foremost, the suspension is shot. Riding on springs all around.

The wipers crossed over one another in the middle of a massive rainstorm and the passenger side sheared off. Pretty sure the motor is burned out.

The locks are wonky. If I get in after only unlocking only the driver's door, the alarm goes off. Also sometimes after I unlock the doors, they re-lock after I remove the key. Not a huge problem, more of a minor inconvenience.

There is a mild vibration that suggests at least one bad motor mount.

First things first, the suspension needs a total overhaul. New struts, shocks, swaybars, the whole nine yards. Then all the rubber stuff under the hood needs to go. Brakes will follow that, with intake and exhaust rounding out the package. The good news is that the timing belt, PCV system, and plugs/wires were all taken care of at the same time that all of the fluids were replaced, just over a month ago.