So I picked this old gal up about a week ago for two grand. Just over 220k, but all the mechanical high-points were taken care of less than a month ago by a trusted mechanic, so it's almost to zero-tune status.

http://imgur.com/hquq6Rt

It handles and drives better than I had anticipated. Accelerates well, even at freeway speeds, though response from the slushbox transmission leaves a lot to be desired. The suspension is squishy. Oh boy is it squishy. So much so that I can't launch with more than about 60% throttle or the front tires lose traction, something that should not be happening on a bone-stock N/A motor. In addition, there is so much body roll that I really feel it would roll before understeer became an issue.

That said, I really like this car and plan on honing it into something civilized enough to take the kids to school in, but still fun to take to weekend track days. With that in mind, I have a seven-step plan of action.

1: Chassis reinforcement. Definitely needs swaybars. Any places I can make the underlying chassis stiffer will make it feel less like it's going to fly apart during spirited driving.

2: Suspension. Probably coilovers. The car sits far too high, which is causing some of that body roll. Also the stock suspension is so soft that it just can't do anything about the streets in New Orleans, so I will happily trade the rattle of my old shocks falling to bits for the rattle of a track-spec suspension on city streets.

3: Wheels/brakes. The OEM brakes may not be utter rubbish from the factory, but after 18 years they are really showing their age. Time for new stoppers on all four corners. Also the stock wheels have got to go, because quite frankly they look like crap.

4: Exhaust. A full cat-back system of about 2.5" diameter with a decent baffled muffler should let the car breathe better while still remaining somewhat clean and retaining the overall "cop camo" aesthetic that really first appealed to me about Volvos so many years ago.

5: Intake. The stock box isn't terribly designed, hence the lower priority here than exhaust. Still, a good CAI would guarantee the engine breathes well enough.

6: ECU Reflash. This is as far as I will go modifying the stock engine. Anything further and I may as well buy a turbo model. Which brings me to 7.

7: Sell up or swap out. There's no telling how I will feel about this car in several years and after thousands of dollars, but at some point I will be faced with a choice to either continue the build by starting on the engine and transmission, or sell the 850 to buy something that can be built more to my liking. I've been on the lookout for a 960 to build into a drift sled for a few years now, but the right car hasn't come along at the right time yet.

First step is the swaybars. That will set me back about 400, which will take a bit of time on the laughable pittance they call my pay. More photos to come documenting the process.

Thanks,

Steve


Tl;dr: I bought an 850 and it's slow.

 

I dont think Ive heard of anyone flashing the ECU in an N/A model..

 

never mind, I stand corrected
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