RARE! YELLOW VOLVO 850 T-5 R

Old 850 owner here and need advice trying to get back in an 850. This guy claims he is not part of any online community. The yellow 850R sure is attractive but I recently found out about a few problems. The most concerning ones are:

-Timing belt needs replaced in the next 5,000 miles
-Car is burning 1 qt every 1000 miles of unknown origin
-Both heated seats don't work
-Owner threw away previous owners service records (how hard is it to just keep those filed? This seems a little odd to me)
-I haven't seen the carfax but the guy mentions multiple fender benders
-Paint job is spot faded in certain locations

The whole oil situation is terrifying. My old 850 went through oil too but maybe only 1/4 of a quart every 1000 miles. That is so much oil loss, it means every 3000 miles when you go to change your oil, you have already replaced 2/3 of the oil in the car so you may as well not do an oil change (other than filter of course).

Please weigh in. I was super excited about this car but find myself running the other direction now.

 

its also not stock. Im just talking about the metal dash inlays, but things like that lead you to wonder. I think this car was discussed on here not too long ago on the rarity thread.

 

Turns out this guy is clinically insane. He is unwilling to budge from the $5800 price tag he has it set at. KBB for this car is $3900 in EXCELLENT condition. this car is far from excellent. Doing the math, he expects 148% the actual value of the car (assuming excellent condition). I know rarity play into cost but 148% is obnoxious.

I think he actually had the car priced higher because he updated his craigslist post after not selling it for a month. I've honestly never dealt with someone more unrealistic than this. Good luck selling it! Sorry if I wasted anyone's time but I felt I needed advice.

 

My guess is the high price is trying to recoup some of the cost for mods like that and the grill and the IPD wheels. Someone needs to tell this guy that's not how it works.

Also I did the math on the oil loss and in my 20 mile trip to work I would burn 4 teaspoons. So round trip to work I would burn 8 teaspoons. Converting to tablespoons since they are more familiar, it would burn 2.6 tablespoons a day. Dayum.

 

Just like 97Black850 said it was recently discussed in the T-5R rarity thread.

And as he states it is not stock, which turned me off right away.

It sounds like to me the engine needs a major overhaul, and with no service records! His asking price is ludicrous in my book from what you describing and again the fact the car isn't stock....

Also that he hasn't sold it yet should say something. Also that he states only a 185 were made, completely false. 185 yellows were imported to the US out of a total of 904

If its burning oil most likely needs the PVC system replaced, oil pan most likely has to be pulled and then the timing belt job, I was quoted $800 for a timing belt job at the dealer in my town for my yellow, and he was already in there doing the entire pvc system.

No imagine if the head has to be pulled resurfaced and exhaust valves replaced.

In my opinion save your money, wait for a better one. I don't think I would pay half of his asking price for it.

 

Haha I offered $2k and totally offended him (partially on purpose). Back in 2007, my brother bought a '95 T5 with 85k miles for $2k. He did get a good deal. I am sorry, I did not know this forum had a rarity thread.

I cannot believe he did not keep the service records. He even told me that he had the previous owners records, but threw them away. Who on Earth does that? How much of a burden is it to file the records?

I thought the price was beyond ludicrous and I made sure to let him know about it. He came back at me by saying "I am a Volvo tech and I pretty much know more about these cars than ANYONE out there". I can quote the email if you don't believe me. If he knows so much, shouldn't he know that 1qt/1000miles is not normal? He claims it is normal for the car's age. Shouldn't a Volvo tech very easily be able to repair the heated seats? It all doesn't add up.

Buyer beware on this one for sure but I don't think there is a buyer stupid enough to pursue this.

Can anyone kindly link me to the rarity thread? Can't find it.

 

https://volvoforums.com/forum/volvo-...numbers-12661/
In case you're curious. The talk about that car should be closer to the end.

 

Call me retarded, but I can't find where this particular T5R is mentioned

 

i just looked over it again. i think he deleted the ad which makes it confusing

 

Then he is a liar too. He claims he has never posted on a community forum before. That's assuming he posted the ad and not someone else.

 

i remember seeing pics of that car

 

https://volvoforums.com/forum/volvo-...hi-town-70863/

That might have been the same car IIRC.

And he has deleted his original posting already.

I guess you got to him Saleen9090!

 

Wow, I can't believe he actually took it down after being up since early June. He must check these forums because why else would he have taken it down literally hours after I bring it onto the limelight? He will probably repost it but wanted to take it down so the link in this thread goes dead.

Or maybe I talked some sense into him when I called him a lunatic to expect $5800 out of it. I can't believe he used to have it priced at $6300. This guy really is crazy. I have respect for him for actually outlining some of the problems and not lying to me but at the same time, shame on you. What bothers me the most is you can sense his confidence that he will sell it for $5800 even with $2000+ in repairs needed as soon as it is purchased. He scoffed at my $2k offer. I have emailed him since then asking questions and he won't respond.

 

To true, and from what I remember the front seats where only leather, not the two tone seats that come in the T-5R.

 

No, they were two tone, I saw them in pics. They weren't in the best shape though. Still considered "good" condition for the cars age but if I owned an 850R like that, they would have stayed immaculate.

BTW, I currently own an S60R which I do love but also wanted to revive my passion for the 850 since it originally got me started with Volvo.

 

You'll always run across those people who think that they should recover everything including the cost of oil changes on their used car. They see it all as an investment. All you can do is try to slap them with reality and if that fails walk away.

To me it's the same as someone with something broken trying to sell it for near working price because they "think" (guess, hope) it's something easy and cheap and you can try to fix it cheaply and you have a deal.
My thinking is if it's that easy why don't you fix it and just sell it for a little more.

Note to people selling their classic car, old doesn't guarantee classic !!

 

I guess some people see cars as an appreciating investment

 

So I saw the car is now posted back on craigslist. The owner has gone from an asking price of $6300 to $5800 to $4500. Sounds like reality is finally setting in. "Asking $4500 FIRM", lol ya right. It's still priced higher than KBB. I think $4500 would be a perfect asking price for this yellow R in pristine condition but as mentioned earlier in the thread, it sound like it has some major issues that need to be addressed.

http://chicago.craigslist.org/wcl/cto/3961945598.html

 

I didn't or don't remember seeing the original ad, did he drop off the stuff he knows needs work in the new ad ??

 

Ya I am sure he dropped from $6300 in the first ad to $4500 in the third ad. He does not mention a single problem in the new ad. He is honest if you ask him but I hate sellers that say "don't waste my time" then hide information so the buyer wastes his or her time getting involved. Just lay it all out on the table.

I have a feeling since he thinks the car is worth so much he will start hiding information just to get an interested buyer. I hope not, but I could see that happening. He just needs to come to the realization that his car isn't worth his asking price.