Hello! I put this in the new members area first but thought I would come here to the 850 forum as well.

Long post ahead, hope you can help out.

So, now, I am just about ready to buy a 1996 850R over here in Muscat, Oman. The car came over from Europe and has maybe 110,000 miles on it (OD is broken)

I've read a few threads on things to look for but thought I would give a couple of specifics having just seen the car today.

- it's got the 850R badge on the back but the VIN has 57 in the position where I read in another thread it should say 58. Maybe this is a Euro spec VIN and not N.A.? I'm not too concerned - it' s still a turbo and feels pretty quick.
- it's showing its age of course, interior is well worn but electricals working
- a/c is cool not cold, needs gas likely
- there is a leak in the coolant pipe somewhere, small hose at the back, can't quite see it, under some cover of some kind. owner says he tops up the water every other day when he uses it. ( the car has been sitting for several months)
- steering felt heavy - but the low profile tires need air. Thought I heard some noise from the power steering, slightly worried
- possible issue with the fan - owner says it has had work and may need it again, quite vague.

Otherwise, the car feels pretty good - pulls strong, tracks straight, brakes feel ok and I could pick it up under 2000 $

Here in Oman, there Volvo dealer is actually a bit clueless and you don't see hardly any older cars out on the roads. The service has been done at a hole in the wall garage with well meaning, cheap and enthusiastic guys who make things work. This is often the case with car service here, quite cheap, a bit hit and miss and parts are hard to get.

The upshot is, I have a lingering affection for Volvos and this is a bit of a classic. But, realistically, I can't pour money into it and need it to run well, cool inside and not leave me stranded. I'll give it as much love as I can but not really set up or able to tinker much myself.

Any advice? thanks in advance.

 

Its an R.

Nothing bothered me other than the coolant leak. If its just a hose why hasnt the owner replaced the hose? Since we know that the head gasket is a concern when someone mentions coolant missing you should use that as a bargaining chip. How does he know that its just the hose? You should work the price so that you feel comfortable if you have to replace the head gasket. Somewhere around $1500 would be acceptable with you taking the risk that it may be more than a hose.

 

It is NOT an R. The R's have the 58 in the vin, all over the world. All because someone has installed the lower lip and the rear tail fin doesn't make it an R. The R's have the following:
- Upgraded ECU
- Upgraded interior with leather/suede seats
- Upgraded tighter suspension.
- Upgraded stereo system with power amp.
- Front lower lip.
- Rear tail spoiler.
- 17" Volan wheels.

Other than the fact that it is NOT an R, I would suggest that you NOT walk but RUN. From what you have written about the car it needs a LOT of work. Coolant issues, freon issues, fan issues, interior deteriorated, and the list goes on from there I'm sure. Those issues alone can add up to $3,000 at a shop easy.

These 850's are great cars when well serviced. If neglected you are looking at a money pit unless you have EASY access to parts and like to tinker yourself. Both of which you describe as a negative for your situation. Every single month there is some issue with my car that I need to deal with to keep my car in tip top shape. May it was a wheel bearing, June is was a CV axle, July it's the climate control panel flashing lights at me. All of which can/would cost me in excess of $400 at the dealer. Can you handle this monthly? The bearing at the dealer is $270 (part no labor). The axle at the dealer is $523 (part no labor). Not sure about the AC issue but I'm sure they will run it up somehow.

I'm willing to bet all of the money you can make in a year that the car has many other issues that are un-covered yet. Bad suspension parts, needs timing belt job, and much more. See the BUYER'S GUIDE thread in the DIY sticky.

 

Thanks for the feedback so far. Just went for an extended drive tonight, about an hour and dropped into one of the small garages I know where this guy had serviced the car on the cheap. Drives very well on the highway, strong acceleration, rock solid steering feel. But....

The main issues:
- needs new radiator, corrosion on the main connection, has to go
- timing belt -no indications but highly recommended by mechanic
- engine mounts need replacing ( in drive at low rpms or under braking and engine is not pulling the car, quite horrible vibration noise)
- a/c gas, compressor ok
- lots of small things but willing to overlook so I don't just start pouring money in

The thing is, I will never be able to bring this car back to its former glory but if I can run it safely and comfortably, allowing for the creaks and groans and eccentricities of a 17 year old car, then I might be willing to spend 1300-1500 on it and put another 500 into it.

 

+1
What I do is leave the one or two non drivability issues alone because if I fix em, something else is gonna fail, these cars like to give monthly chores whether you like it or not....poor me.

OP you've been warned. Lol

 

Yes, I have tried that. It doesn't work on my 850 but does on my daughter's S70.

 

Thanks again, and warnings received -as I expected. My internal alarms are on but it's good to hear from experience and expertise.

What to do though, when foolish desire constantly hammers away at reason? I expect there are a few on this forum who know what I mean. The temptation is very strong - last night's drive, although not very comfortable with weak a/c and this vibration on low speed braking and idle, was pretty awesome. Whipping along the highway, the sound of the turbo engine, great visibility and the seats are so comfortable, worn in like an old baseball glove....

Any idea on the parts cost for a radiator, timing belt and engine mount kit?

When I had my '66 wagon, it was so easy to work on and never once gave me a moment of doubt. Wish I had that one back...

 

try sites like ipd, fcp, eeuroparts for parts

 

I have no idea what parts cost outside of the US.

 

Take a picture of the interior and post it up. The R interior seats looks different from the regular turbo models.it would have been easy if it was a sedan with a different spoiler.the R spoilers kind of slants up at the tip.

 

Plus the vin has 57 not 58.its not an R.

 

Sure, I'll post some more pics soon. Did a VIN check and it's just the turbo wagon, although some vin sites say it's a 2.3 and others say it's a 2.5.

VIN is here if you have a trusted vin check that you know of:

YV1LW5726T2177509

I'm pretty sure the seats are full leather, not the suede side trim that I have seen on R models. Looking for engine mount parts and I might pick some up at Chapman in Victoria, BC when I go home for vacation in August. Any idea which of the mounts might be the most likely trouble? My first guesses are the two hydralic type ones on either side or the rear vertical mount. The passenger side mount gets more weight and abuse I've been told. Going to have a look at it again to see if I can tell.

 

It's an normal T5 2.3l with automatic transmission.
The R had the suede in the middle of the seat, T5R on the outside. In my gallery you can see how the R seats look.
The R had also either the very dark wood trim or a very light one.
The R had the handbrake lever covered with leather.
It is also not a big deal to replace the interior done this a couple of times
I would try to reduce the price with the fact that the car is no "real" R.
Cristian

 

What he said⬆.price wise try and talk him down

 

Got some additional infos about the car :

The car was initially produced for the canadian market.
It had leather light beige interior 3960, sunroof.
The T5 engine and Automatic transmission are also from the factory.
The color is silver sand metallic 419
Engine number 538690
Automatic transmission number 95EW-91420 (you can check them in order to see if the original engine and transmission are still fitted).

The only option which was ordered additionally was TRACS.

Hope it helps you
Cristian

 

Hey, great! Thanks for the info Cristian. Built for Canada, well, then it should be doing just fine over here in the 45 degree weather

The interior description is spot on, so I'll check those engine numbers as well. Probably going to get some engine mounts from Victoria when I'm home and a few other bits and pieces.

I think I'll get it for 1200 - 1500$ so that will help me to put another 400-500 into it to get it smooth again, then I will wait and let the creeping obsession over every other detail slowly consume me and my wallet.

Thanks for the advice so far everyone, glad to have joined this community!

Mike

 

Hi Again Cristian, that VIN check that you did for my 850 showing the market as "Canada" - what service is that? do you know of another web site that can tell me more about the history or ownership of the car? The reason I ask is that in a couple of years I will be moving back to Canada and would like to ship the car home. If it was made for Canada market, that will allow me to ship it but i need proof that the car matches the Canadian MVSA standards

Thanks,
Mike

 

Hi Mike

The information gave me a buddy of mine who has an official VIDA acount. With it he can enter the VIN and gets all the information Volvo has about the car, mainly the options the car had when it was purchased.
Market Canada means that the car was initially build for the canadian market, however it is possible that some changes occured afterwards due to the owner(s).
For example if a car is build for the UK market when you import it to Germany you need to change the headlights and make sure the cluster has KM for the speedometer.

Normally any Volvo dealer shouild be able to give you the same information which I provided but in printed form which I think it should suffice for the reimport...

Good luck
Cristian

 

Anyone know of an aftermarket parts source for Volvo in either Oman or UAE, please speak up! I mean local brick-and-mortar store, not online (shipping of heavier parts can be too expensive). Thanks in advance, Yuri in Muscat