Hey Guys,

So, I've been a lurker for quite a while. Signed up for an account not too long ago. And, now, here I am.

So, a bit of backstory. I'm an early 40s guy. Wife, two kids. Living north of Dallas. I've been driving an '08 Infiniti G35 sedan. 306 HP. 5.5 sec 0-60. And a $500 a month car payment. I am just tired of it. So, my wife and I were talking about cutting back. Car payment and insurance were a no brainer.

But, what to get? What to get? I've always been drawn to..."oddball" cars. I looked at Mercedes w123. Too old and my wife didn't like them. I moved on to BMW e38 and e39 wagons. Not bad, but they weren't unique enough for my taste. What else was there?

Just after 9/11 I was laid off, between jobs, and I took a job selling Volvos at (what we were told was) the highest volume dealership in the US. I'd not had much experience with Volvos to this point. My cousin had a 240-ish wagon 10 years earlier. A buddy of mine had a 240 turbo sedan in high school. Apart from that, nothin'. My time at the dealership really opened my eyes. I was selling early models of the S60, S80, V70, and C70. I loved it. I also spent time over on the used car side and I heard rumblings of a high performance version of the sedan and wagon from five years back or so. I was intrigued.

Fast forward 12 years or so and here we are. I got a line on a 1996 850 R, 158K+, that was at least worth a look. From the seller's original photos on AutoTrader, I thought it was OK, but it was overpriced.

Then, I went by and looked at it. Good God the paint on the hood, roof, and trunk were AWFUL.


http://images2.snapfish.com/23232323...3B889239ot1lsi
http://images2.snapfish.com/23232323...3B888239ot1lsi
http://images2.snapfish.com/23232323...A5%3B239ot1lsi

But, the car ran well. The owner was a mechanic and, over the past 18 months, he'd addressed the timing belt, the PCV system, installed new struts, new tires, replaced the "gasket" on the valve cover, and put on new brakes. He had bought the car from the original owner, who was also a customer at his shop.

I decided that this was worth taking a chance on.

So, I purchased the car for $2900. Was it a great deal? No. Was it pretty fair? Yeah, I think so.

I get the car home and, the next morning, clay the car. It's still awful. I'm thinking through my options. The car runs great, but it looks like crap. Well, for Christmas last year, my wife bought me a Griot's Garage polisher. I head off to AutoZone and pick up some Meguiar's 105 and give that a shot.

HOLY CRAP!!!!!

Well, the paint isn't great. There is still clearcoat failure on the C pillars and a bit on the front fenders. But polishing made ALL the difference.

I did about 12 hours worth of detailing on the car. Probably 3 hours on the interior - it was pretty gross. Then, the remainder on three stage polishing (Meguiar's 105, Griot's Machine Polish 1, Griot's Machine Polish 3), and wax.

Here is a walkaround I did for a friend of mine. He's about an hour away and hasn't gotten to see the car yet.

YOUTUBE VIDEO:
So, I have had the car for a total of 4 days so far. I've not put a bunch of miles on it so far. I'm loving it though.

My first thing to do is to switch out the stereo. I'm on the fence between double and single DIN. I care nothing about GPS, phones are far more updated and current. I prefer buttons over touch-screen.

Next, I have to address the wheels. I'd love to get a set of Titans or Volans, but I'm not married to either.

As the video shows, the clearcoat failure is still there. I also need to explore my options there.

But, I look forward to any feedback, advice, or comments that you might have. I've gotten quite a bit from you so far, I only hope that I can give back and be a productive member of this community.

Thanks.

 

Nice, glad it is in good running shape. I think the price was fair for it's condition.

Welcome to the forum.

 

Welcome!

 

Nice! Volvos are oddly popular on craigslist here in E. TX, though I hardly ever see them on the road.

In fact, saw a '96 850R wagon for sale about a week ago I thought was interesting, even though I haven't the money to actually buy anything. Tons of S/V70s and of course, being Texas, XC90s are popular craigslist items too. Even get a 960/S90 fairly regularly too. All those pale in comparison to the 740s and 240s running around...

Welcome!

 

Don't put back to black on the bumpers. It should be grey from factory and www.showroomnewproducts.com sells the stuff to make the grey look awesome!

 

Back to Black is a temp conditioner that will last a few weeks.

If you want a permanent fix you can dye it with Showroom new as mentioned, go black like I did with Forever Black, or you can paint it with a bumper coating paint that comes in both colors as well. They all work good and will make the car look great.

 

 

What is going on with the radio? Many of the other Volvo radios will fit, however I can understand updating. My OEM radio sounds great. I got mine from a 960. Your car should have a power amp behind the dash.

 

turbo isn't different than other turbos, different ecu. also, let me know when you wanna get rid of those rims also, lexol is great for this seats if you're looking for a conditioner

 

Thanks for the welcome guys.

That's the first I've heard of that. I'll check it out.

The radio powers on, but the sound (radio, tape, and CD) has a lot of interference in it and when I hit a bump, it pops quite loudly. But, even if it had great sound, I'd still like something with greater functionality. The sound doesn't necessitate the change, just moves it up on the to-do list.

Ah, THAT's where the difference comes in. I thought that I had seen it was a different turbo, but thanks for the heads up. I've heard good things about Lexol. Right now, I'm using Meguiar's, but I'll check Lexol out. Does anyone have experience with any leather repair products? It would be nice to have smoother leather.

 

I have used Lexol for years. As for leather repair... more like replacement. The Lexol can soften it a little and stop it from getting any worse, but won't really repair it.

There is a guy that uses the site that makes new seat covers, check the classified section.

 

Boxpin seemed to have success with that stuff he used, if anyone remembers what it was

 

https://volvoforums.com/forum/volvo-...r-seats-52544/

 

nice car congrats, I think you got a great deal for that price.
you don't have a Texas accent in the video though.

 

Thanks, man. No, I think hours of Mr. Rogers when I was growing up drove my accent out of me. And I grew up in Georgia and Tennessee - it should be worse.

 

Heck, I grew up in Pittsburgh PA and probably have more of an accent than you do.

 

I just can't see past your username. I hope dogs within a mile of you have been and will stay safe...lol

 

Welcome!

You've got a fun project there. I'm working on a 97 855R myself. Fixing little things as I go. Making progress. I need to get a good polish on my paint, but at this point, am planning on tackling that in the spring!

The factory radio and amp make pretty good sound with decent speakers. The originals in my car were shot. I'd love to find a radio that can hook up to my iPhone like my wife's Flex does with Microsoft Sync.. I'd pay good money for said functionality!

 

I live on the West coast of Canada and do a lot of boating, we have fog often........ that's my story and I'm sticking to it.........

 

:-P you're cray!