hello board - on Friday i will finalize purchase of a '96 850 wagon. it's a base but is in fabulous shape. one owner, 140k miles, full service history from original purchase through today. the owner has spent over $18k in repairs over the last 19+ years. in fact, he's having the ABS module and pump replaced as we speak.

this car will be my daily commuter and hobby. i plan to work on it progressively over the next several months/couple of years. start with the simple stuff like new sound system, new wheels and tires, paint it (it's currently white), maybe have a panorama roof put in, would love to be able to add the 3rd row, etc. looking forward to the hobby.

i was a long time member of a bmw board when i had a 5 series wagon so i know these forums can be valuable sources of info and ideas.

looking forward to being part of the community.

 

Well, howdy!

 

Welcome aboard.

 

picking her up this evening. already have a list of cosmetic things i want to do: window tint (this weekend), tires/wheels (next week?), new sound system (want to play with the current one to see how it is), roof rack, new paint job (in a few months - have too many color ideas running through my head right now), etc.

 

personally I think the white color looks great.

Ideas for stereos: the car takes a "Double DIN" size - some put in a standard DIN then plate off the free space or find something else to put there. My choice was to get another Volvo unit from a newer model with more power and built in CD. You can also check out the Grom MP3 connector (eBay/Crutchfields etc). It plugs into the CD changer port so you can iPod.. For roof racks, there are factory Thule bars that have pins which fit into the door frame (open the door and at the top you will see a 1/4 inch hole - that's for roof racks!). For tires/wheels - stick to the recommended +1/+2 tire sizes (205/45-17 or 205/60-16s). Offsets and wheel widths can be found at wheel-size.com. If you go with a 7 inch rim, you want an offset in the 38mm range with a 205 tire.

 

thanks mt. i'm going to probably take my time on the audio options. i know a good audio guy so his advice will help too.

 

mt - do you have a pic of your radio head? would like to see how it looks with the newer model radio. thx.

 

mine looks factory... The factory radios came in either gray or black, so if you ebay for a replacement, make sure you find your color and get a radio with the security code (if you don't get the code, you will need the VIN of the donor car). I did an SC816 in black to match the interior of my '95 850 and an SC816 in gray for my '00 S40... Check out the SC901 (found in the C70s) if you want an in dash CD changer. THe SC816s have the remote CD controller which makes them a good candidate for the Grom.

 

if you REALLY want to step into the 21st century (and dont mind a bit of elbow grease):

In Dash 7'' 2Din Quad Core Android 4 4 Car DVD Stereo GPS Navi Radio WiFi 3G Cam | eBay

Keeping with the theme of the "near luxury wagon", it only seems fitting to add a rear cam and touchscreen to the car....

Install instructions for a dual din/speaker upgrade:

Stereo System Replacement - 95, 850 Wagon - Volvo Forum : Volvo Forums

I'm looking at the same setup, although I haven't decided on what speakers I plan to upgrade to yet. Pretty low on my "to do" list currently, have some other maintenance/repair items to address first and foremost before I get into "pleasure/comfort" upgrades like this. While the carpet/headliner are out of my car I want to sound deaden first before I upgrade the stereo system (a couple rolls of u-seal go a long way lol)

 

thanks 97-850. i'd never use all the features in that Android system you linked.

not sure what i'll ultimately get. talked to an audio guy i know and he suggested just getting a head unit with bluetooth for pandora type listening. but i also really don't like the look of most modern head units - too flashy and boy racer-ish.

i've only had the wagon a few days so i'm still pondering . . .