1996 Volvo 850R Wagon: The OppositeLock Review

"twochevrons" (twochevrons) 03/17/2015 at 18:50 • Filed to: opporeview, oppositelock review, review, volvo, 850r

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Nearly a year ago, I impulse-bought a rather forlorn Volvo 850 R station wagon. With undiagnosed engine-electrical issues, and fairly scruffy cosmetics, it was on the edge of being a basket case. I didn’t even have much of an idea of what it was, but it was for sale locally, and I was looking for a cheap beater, so I went and took a look.

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , and before I knew it, it was sitting in my driveway, with the title in my hand. A couple of new sensors fixed the electrical problems, and although it’s still a bit rough around the edges, a good clean and polish did wonders for its appearance. It has had the odd issue here and there over the past winter, but overall, it has proven to be far more than the cheap beater that I was looking for.

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Full disclosure: Volvo wanted me to drive this car so badly that they leased it to somebody important enough to have a carphone, then sold it to somebody else who later sold it to a local attorney, who sold it to me for a very agreeable price after an unfortunate incident in which it broke down on a test drive. In the intervening 18 years, it had racked up 212,000 rather hard miles, lost several bits of trim, and accrued its fair share of dents and scrapes, as well as having its wiring harness hacked to bits by the addition and later removal of said carphone.

Introduced in 1993, the 850 was a great departure for Volvo – their first full-size front-wheel-drive offering, with an entirely new platform and a new five-cylinder engine, based on the 24-valve twin-cam straight-six that had debuted in the 960 a few years earlier. In true Volvo style, the 850 was packed full of safety features, with driver and passenger airbags, as well as seatbelt pretensioners, fitted as standard, and an innovative structure that transferred side impact forces into a deformable box section in the centre of the floorpan. Later, the 850 was the first car to be fitted with side airbags, receiving them as a standard feature from 1996 onwards.

As clever as all that is, the 850 is better known for its rather surprising role in motorsport history. Volvo partnered with TWR to enter an 850 station wagon in the 1994 British Touring Car Championship. While they only placed eighth, their unusual entry, along with a number of stunts (including placing life-size toy dog in the back of a car) led to a PR victory – just about everybody has seen that photo of a BTCC 850 wagon up on two wheels as it rounds a corner. Rule changes in subsequent years forced a change to the less-distinctive four-door 850, which actually did quite well, even if it wasn’t quite so iconic.

Image source: !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

In order to cash in on their newfound motorsport prominence, Volvo introduced a limited-edition high-performance 850. Sold in 1995 only, the T-5R took the regular 850 Turbo and turned it up to eleven, with sportier suspension and a more aggressive tune that upped the power output from an already-respectable 220 bhp to 240. The T-5R was a roaring success, and in 1996, it returned to their lineup with a few tweaks as the 850 R, continuing until the 850 was discontinued the following year.

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The 850 was the last Volvo to be styled under the leadership of Jan Wilsgaard, who oversaw the exterior design of every full-size Volvo design since the 1960s. While it could never be called beautiful, its unfussy, minimal styling has its own appeal. Every line and curve is there for a reason, and unlike many station wagons, it looks as though it was designed to be a longroof from the beginning. I’d even go so far as to argue that it looks better as a wagon than as a four-door, especially with the wagon’s striking bumper-to-roof tail lights, which, although incongruously radical on such a conservative design, give the car a surprisingly modern look. Overall, I think that the shape has aged fairly well. While it definitely looks like a product of its time – a final gasp of the folded-paper design trends of the ‘80s – it carries its straight lines and sharp angles well, looking more like a timeless, well-pressed suit than a dated throwback to the years of shoulder pads and power dressing.

Befitting its sporting pretensions, the 850 R gained a few styling tweaks – gigantic-for-the-time 17" wheels with low-profile tires, discreet front lip and tailgate spoilers, and a square exhaust tip. Overall, they work well – anything more extreme would look a bit silly on such a staid-looking car, but they definitely make it look more purposeful and sporting.

While time and miles have not been particularly kind to my car – witness the front lip held together with zip ties and duct tape – the quality of the bodywork is quite remarkable. Despite having lived its entire life in Minnesota, where roads and cars alike spend half the year encrusted in salt, the only rust on the car was confined to a couple of small spots where parking damage had scraped the paint. Not bad at all, especially compared to most mid ‘90s cars on the road here!

Interior: 8/10

As with the exterior, the interior is best described as functional and unadventurous, rather than particularly attractive or interesting. The ergonomics are excellent, with controls falling easily to hand, and the dash controls are all slightly angled toward the driver, BMW-style. The instrument cluster isn’t terribly sporting, with a large front-and-centre speedometer and a tiny tach off to the side, but it makes up for that by having a factory boost gauge.

Visibility is amazing, and the cabin has a lovely airy feel to it, which is helped by the light-coloured trim. The dashboard’s birch-veneer finish is somewhat unusual, but it has grown on me, and definitely reinforces the car’s Scandinavian origins. The seats – unique to the R model – are supremely comfortable, with decent-but-not-excessive bolstering and alcantara seating surfaces, which work together to provide excellent support through all but the most spirited cornering exercises. Both front seats are heated, with memory power adjustment, and manual lumbar support controls. The back seat offers plenty of legroom, but headroom is a bit limited thanks to the sunroof mechanism. Due to the shape of the doors, the rear windows can only be lowered halfway, which is a bit of a shame.

With the back seat up, cargo space is excellent, and with the seat folded down, it becomes utterly cavernous. There’s a lockable compartment under the load floor, and a handy retractable cargo barrier that extends from the seat back. The back seat folds down in a 60/40 split, and it is possible to fold the back seat squabs up (or remove them completely) to give a completely flat load floor. Unfortunately, it isn’t quite long enough to sleep in the back, but it’s close, so there must be only slightly less than 6' of load space. For particularly long loads, the front passenger seat can also fold flat, making it possible to, at a pinch, carry 8' lumber with the tailgate closed – who needs a truck?

Unfortunately, interior quality doesn’t quite match that of the bodyshell. The alcantara seats don’t hold up terribly well to wear, and end up looking filthy no matter how hard you try to clean them. As with almost every car of its era, the interior plastics, while they still look good on the surface, have gone brittle, and crack if you look at them funny, leading to countless annoying rattles. Still, it’s a nice place to be.

Acceleration: 9/10

Off the line, the 850 R is not particularly quick – even a bit sluggish – thanks to a high first gear, and the stock ECU limiting boost at low road speeds in order to keep the driveshafts and tires in one piece. As a result, the 0-60 figures aren’t as stunning as one could expect – figures vary, but they seem to come in at around seven seconds. Not bad for the time, my partner’s ‘11 VW Golf is definitely quicker off the line, and isn’t far behind up to 60, either.

However, there is an awfully large gulf between the numbers, and how the car actually feels. Once on the move, acceleration is swift and brutal. Despite the turbocharger being tamed by a fairly modern engine-management system, there is a raw brutality to its behaviour that harks back to the Swedish turbo-monsters of old: planting your right foot yields an initially disappointing result, but a few moments later, the turbo hits its stride, and you find yourself pressed into your seat and wrestling torque-steer as the speedometer needle arcs rapidly towards the license-losing half of the dial.

The sharp contrast between on-boost and off-boost behaviour gives the car a bit of a Jekyll-and-Hyde feel. Around town, with gentle usage of the throttle, it feels entirely benign and mild-mannered, but as soon as you let the boost gauge creep into the white, it becomes a snarling monster, shredding tires and torque-steering all over the place. It’s always a little bit unpredictable when the change will take place, and to me, that’s part of the fun.

Braking: 6/10

Volvo have used all-round discs since the 1960s, and the 850 is no exception, with ample stopping power on tap. On the other hand, there is a lot of car that needs to be stopped, and it is generally held that the 850 R is somewhat under-braked for its power output. Fortunately, 302mm front discs from a later V70R are a bolt-on swap, and are a popular modification for those that drive vigorously. That’s not to say, though, that the brakes are inadequate for day-to-day use – mine still has the stock 280mm discs, and it has never felt short on stopping power, but I can definitely see why a brake upgrade is high on the list of the performance-minded.

Ride: 2/10

The regular Volvo 850 was often criticised for a harsh ride, and the low-profile tires, lower suspension and stiffer damping of the R have not improved matters. The ride is shockingly bad, with every single surface imperfection making itself known. Potholes and even manhole covers must be dodged for the sake of the passengers’ spines, and even on the smoothest pavement, seams between slabs can be surprisingly jarring. Self-levelling rear suspension ensures that ride quality remains the same whether the back is empty or filled with bags of cement, but that just serves to maintain a constant level of awfulness, rather than improve things at all.

Handling: 5/10

Unfortunately, the ridiculously stiff suspension does not automatically translate into top-notch handling. It is by no means bad – the fat tires offer plenty of grip, and body roll is minimal. However, it still doesn’t feel particularly sporting – rather heavy, understeery, and a just a bit dull – definitely no BMW.

Under hard acceleration, it becomes a bit of a monster, with brutal torque steer yanking the wheel away from you, and the open diff always wanting to light up the inside tire. Sure, it’s not as glamorous as wrestling the power of a RWD sports car, but it’s still an awful lot of fun, even if it lacks the clinical efficiency of AWD and the grin-inducing mayhem of RWD.

An unusual semi-independent rear suspension setup provides passive rear-wheel steering. It manifests in high-speed cornering as a tendency to crab ever so slightly in the direction of steering, which while initially very disconcerting, actually lends a feeling of stability once you get used to it. Sure, I wouldn’t want it for driving right on the limit (and it is possible to defeat it with stiffer suspension bushings), but for the rest of the time, it is quite welcome, if a bit surprising to begin with.

With a good set of snow tires on, the 850R is just about unstoppable in the winter. The traction control system is brake-only, so at least it doesn’t surprise you by cutting power at the worst possible moment, but as a result, it only really works at low speeds and small throttle openings. Still, I was impressed at how sure-footed it felt, even in the slipperiest of conditions. The snow tires also go a way to mitigate the terrible ride quality, too.

Gearbox: 6/10

The four-speed automatic in my car was the only option for the US-market 850R. It is definitely one of the better slushboxes of the era – the ratios are a bit on the high side, but well spaced, shifts are smooth, and the switchable sport mode actually does a decent job at feeling genuinely sporty, holding onto gears for longer, and unlocking the torque converter to allow the engine to rev (and therefore build boost) more readily. Unlike the infamously-delicate automatic fitted to the early V70s, the 850's automatic is remarkably robust, and unless horrendously abused or neglected, copes with the R’s increased power output just fine.

For the rest of the world, the 850R was also available with a five-speed manual transmission – a package that also gave a small horsepower boost and a much-needed limited-slip differential. I am tempted to build my own manual package for my car with the ‘box from a manual base model 850 and an aftermarket diff, but honestly, I don’t mind the automatic all that much.

Toys: 8/10

The 850R came loaded with nearly every factory option. By mid-’90s standards, it has everything – remote locking, wood trim, trip computer, heated leather seats with memory adjustment, headlamp wash/wipe, fog lights, power sunroof, traction control, CD player, and even dual zone climate control. Sure, you’d find most of that on a base-model econobox these days, and modern cars offer a whole bunch more, but for the time, that was a pretty serious specification, and there’s honestly nothing that makes me think “gee, I really wish I had that.”

The climate control system deserves special mention, since it’s the first automatic climate control system that I’ve come across that really works. The whole time I’ve had it, I’ve touched the controls only once, and that was only because the heater core started leaking and was blowing steam into the cabin. The rest of the time, it’s been set at 72º on full-auto, and it’s just magically done the right thing. There are no silly digital readouts and buttons – all it is is the ‘traditional’ three-knob heater control adapted to dual-zone and automatic control. Simple, intuitive, and well-designed.

Audio: 9/10

The characteristic warble of an inline-five brings a grin to the face of many a motoring enthusiast, and the 850R does not disappoint. Around town, it is muted, with only a slightly offbeat idle and a deep purr on acceleration marking it as carrying an odd number of cylinders. Just like the rest of the car’s character, there is definitely a split personality – as soon as you hit boost, that purr builds to a magnificent snarl, accompanied by spine-tingingly good intake and turbo noise. With the stock exhaust, it’s never loud – in a good or a bad way – but it definitely puts a smile on your face.

The factory stereo system is pretty good, with a CD/Radio/Tape head unit and a separate amplifier feeding eight speakers. It won’t play CD-Rs, which is a bit of a pain, but a previous owner wired in an auxiliary input, and it sounds good enough that it isn’t worth it to hack the dash up to fit a more up-to-date system.

Value: 10/10

I can’t really speak for the car’s value back in the day, although I suspect that it would have been a rather expensive proposition. However, for what I paid for it, even including what I’ve spent on it since, it has been unbeatable value for money. I don’t know the exact number, but I’m definitely under $1000 all-in. It isn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but as a cheap, fun, practical car, I don’t think that I could do any better.

Overall: 69/100

Specifications:

Engine: 2.3L DOHC 20-valve B5234T5 turbocharged inline-5 – 240 bhp @ 5400rpm, 220 lb ft @ 2100 rpm
Transmission: Four-speed Aisin-Warner AW50-42LE automatic transaxle
Drivetrain configuration: Transverse front-wheel-drive
Weight: 3,200 lb
0-60 mph: 7 seconds (roughly)
Top speed: 150mph (electronically limited)
Seating: five, plus two in optional rear-facing jumpseat (not fitted).
MSRP in 1996: $38,862 (roughly $57,886 today)
Purchase price in 2014: $850

Richard Halkyard a.k.a. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! is a New Zealander living in Minneapolis, MN with an unhealthy car-hoarding habit, and an undying enthusiasm for oddball vehicles. When he isn’t getting his hands dirty on his collection of various decrepit European cars, he works as a system administrator, writes about cars, technology, history, and the intersection thereof, and occasionally tweets as !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

BabyJeezuz > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 19:37

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I'm Jelly!
Beautiful car.

For Sweden > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 19:38

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When are we getting the Mooney review?

V12 Jake- Hittin' Switches > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 19:42

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Huzzah for mn ! Also nice write up :)

livestrike > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 19:52

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Replace these hoses... you'd be surprised how pinhole leaks would throw codes... Loved my 850R. Miss it.

U Drive a Camry > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 19:54

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Obligatory...'Bro I would totally buy this if it were not an automatic..." Ok we got that out of the way.

These wagons are one my favorites so I would love to find one as a third car for the family and do this...

Schep9d > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 20:02

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" I'd even go so far as to argue that it looks better as a wagon than as a four-door"

I believe this is said frequently by every wagon owner.

toecutter (so grey, I gotta wear shades) > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 20:04

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Volvo wagons are the Yellowbeard of the car world. A friend at work has one and he's in the million mile club.

gsg0-w > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 20:05

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Had one of these for a couple years. Drove out to DC with my wife and drove back myself. On the return, left at noon on Friday and rolled into Seattle around 6 pm Sunday. Pulled over wherever and slept in the back. The only fatigue/soreness I had I am pretty sure came from the cargo area being just short enough to be uncomfortable to sleep in. The seats fit like a glove and I had no problem emptying the gas tank in a single sitting, a couple times a day. Loved the car but sold it when big$ stuff started dying, like the ABS. Had about 4k miles left on the "certified used car" warranty when that happened. They said it was $4800 to fix, and thankfully the warranty picked it all up, since the car was worth barely twice that at the time.

Asphalt > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 20:08

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Rusty Shackleford > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 20:11

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Don't fucking tempt me with this shit! Now Craigslist is open and I am looking.

twochevrons > Schep9d 03/17/2015 at 20:11

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Heh, I'll admit that I am a fan of the station wagon shape, but often, I think that the extra bodywork is somewhat clumsily grafted on, rather than being really integrated with the styling. Extreme case in point: the Saturn SW2. Ew.

twochevrons > For Sweden 03/17/2015 at 20:13

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Heh, not mine, unfortunately. Although, I've been meaning to get my Sport Pilot ticket and start flying the Ercoupe that my wife's grandfather owns (the Mooney belongs to the guy in the hangar next door to his).

Hunsbergring > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 20:13

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I was a long-haired teenager working in a lube shop in the mid-90s when these came out. One of our regular customers had one of the pale yellow '95 T-5Rs and put a lot of miles on it, so he was in with it quite regularly. Being a voracious consumer of car mags at the time (in the days before widespread Internets and the glory of Jalopdom), I was the only one in the shop who knew what it was; all the other guys just thought it was an ugly yellow Volvo with some very, very cool wheels; the '95s had those glorious, titanium-coloured 5-spokes.

Every time the guy came in, we'd have long talks about cars in general and his specifically. Along with another customer who had a sweetly-modded E28 535is, yet another who had a black Viper, and yet still another who had a yellow, turbo'd Miata, I got a lot of exposure to cool cars and cool people who welcomed me into the great world of car enthusiasm and somehow trusted my green 18 year-old ass to work on their pridez n' joyz.

But then a nerdy guy started coming in with a beat-up white Audi 4000 Quattro with 400k kms on it and a nav computer on the passenger's dash. He got me into rallying, and life has never been the same...

...my point, though, is that I always have and always will have a soft spot for 850Rs. A nifty historical curiosity, for sure.

Rusty_Jaguar > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 20:13

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I had the 1994 850T, leased almost new. One of my favorite cars I've ever owned. I agree about the ride roughness, but the seats were like an orthopedic shoe. You could put down 300 miles and come out feeling refreshed. I used to always wish I had the plain 850, thinking the harshness would be less. Hearing that it didn't make much difference makes me feel better. One other thing. The low-profile tires meant that, when a rear tire was low, you didn't really see it, and I flattened several apparently low rear tires on the potholes of Toledo Ohio.

ohh-75 > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 20:14

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I adored these cars then and I adore them now. Have driven them at entirely unsafe speeds through traffic in the past and they are just a ball. But it's a volvo so you dont get much static. That said, this car is basically 20 years old. The interior and the plastics are fine for a 20 year old car.

Where have all the lightweights gone? > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 20:19

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My college car was a Volvo 850 Turbo sedan. It had 220bhp, and the ride was much more compliant. I definitely felt spoiled having heated seats when I drove myself to and from class. Damn, I miss that car...

twochevrons > gsg0-w 03/17/2015 at 20:23

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Yeah, those seats are ridiculously comfortable. I've been tempted to grab a seat from a junkyard 850 to use as a workshop chair, but it's kind of hard to find a junkyard car with an interior that doesn't need a hazmat suit.

Mine had the ABS unit die on it a while ago, too, but thankfully, the enthusiast community have come up with a DIY fix for the most common failure mode. A bunch of solder joints go bad in the control box, but it's possible to open it up and re-solder them, rather than replace it outright. Still, 850s are just at that point where they're complicated enough to be terrifyingly expensive to fix – I have a bunch of receipts for work done for the previous owner, and it's a bit scary. The parts aren't that pricey, though, so for DIY work, they're not so bad.

I plan on trying to keep mine on the road for as long as possible – its combination of comfort, utility and fun-factor ticks an awful lot of boxes for me.

twochevrons > toecutter (so grey, I gotta wear shades) 03/17/2015 at 20:25

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Heh, mine's just barely run-in at 214,000.

In all honesty, it's getting a little bit tired – it burns a bit of oil and the transmission is a wee bit noisy – but I'd like to think that it's still got a long way to go before it dies, especially if I get around to making a few upgrades and repairs here and there.

BATC42 > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 20:25

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Sweet review ! I have the same rear suspension setup on my car (well, the one I had back in France, I don't have one in kiwi land. Yet.). It's a Citroën Xsara VTS, and while the passive rear wheel steering is subtle (unlike the one fitted to the previous Citroën ZX), it's quite bafling the first few times you take a corner at high/constant speed, then you get used to it and you start playing with it, and it's loads of fun.

AceNG > Asphalt 03/17/2015 at 20:29

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Ha, my favorite Top Gear Special, and of course, May's 850R is the best.

Kinja'd Again > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 20:29

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heheheheheheheheh

twochevrons > livestrike 03/17/2015 at 20:29

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Yeah, definitely. I've had to change a few already. One of the TCV hoses disintegrated under boost a while back. It was a bit scary to see the boost gauge go off-scale, but it didn't seem to have done any lasting harm. A full hose replacement (as well as a PCV job and maybe a rear main seal replacement) is on the cards for this spring, though.

Nibby > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 20:32

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want, well written and nice job

twochevrons > BATC42 03/17/2015 at 20:33

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If I recall correctly, my Xantia had a similar setup – I'd actually call that one of the best-handling non-sports cars I've ever driven. Man, I miss that car. If you're after a car in NZ, and you see a red Xantia for sale with license plate SO9361, I can assure you, it's a good one ;).

How are you finding NZ? Weather the cyclone okay?

Ad_absurdum_per_aspera > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 20:35

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I can't really speak for the car's value back in the day, although I suspect that it would have been a rather expensive proposition.

Somewhere in the mid to high thirties, which would be the low to mid fifties today after adjusting for inflation. So, yes, you got a great bargain on a car that was quite upscale in its day, aside from the intangibles of tooling around in something not very common and highly appreciated by connoisseurs... and of knowing you brought it back it with your own two hands. Nice job all around!

twochevrons > Asphalt 03/17/2015 at 20:35

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"As you can see, I've done things properly!"

Mine would have been a perfect Top Gear challenge car – it's definitely had enough characterful breakdowns for that!

nickdavs > For Sweden 03/17/2015 at 20:36

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P80 Chassis mentioned,

Swell with whiteblock

click wrong reply button, confuse For Sweden

twochevrons > Where have all the lightweights gone? 03/17/2015 at 20:37

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I'll have to admit that the driver's side heated seat is dead, but my wife definitely appreciates it in the passenger's seat!

Buzzmacher791 > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 20:43

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Bravo on a brilliant article. Here is my Moose that I will have till the day I die.

twochevrons > AceNG 03/17/2015 at 20:45

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Agreed! I loved that special, but I didn't actually make the connection until somebody pointed it out to me some time after I bought the car. It's quite fitting, really – I consider myself quite akin to James May in many ways.

twochevrons > V12 Jake- Hittin' Switches 03/17/2015 at 20:46

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Thanks! Are you another MN Oppo? I know that there are a few of us out there – should organise a meetup sometime!

BornSwedeDriveSwede > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 20:52

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check your turbo oil seals and Pcv/breather system and torque arm on the transmission . Both of these went out on my 95 850 turbo. Used a urethane bushing in the torque arm, much sharper feel... Beautiful car, do not sell it! I still have mine behind my parents garage in northern MN and my dad has a matching one as well!

twochevrons > Hunsbergring 03/17/2015 at 20:53

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Man, that's awesome! I love the Cream Yellow colour on the T-5R. The Titan wheels on those were gorgeous, but infamously delicate. I'd love to find a set for my 850R (or the similar Pegasus wheels fitted to later R cars), but the potholes here would surely ruin them in short order.

I'd love to get into rallying. A friend of mine back in New Zealand has a Peugeot 205 GTI kitted out for tarmac rallying, and it's an absolute monster. I'd love to hear more about how you got into it.

filthflarnfilth > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 20:58

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area man > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 20:59

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My mom had a '94 850 Turbo wagon for about 10 years - I remember being about 11 or 12 and her taking me out to an empty stretch of highway to show me how the turbo gauge worked. Great car. Never got to drive it as my brother lost the back end on an icy curve and smacked a big rock about 6 months before I got my permit.

John Static > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 21:04

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Makes me miss this old guy.

twochevrons > BornSwedeDriveSwede 03/17/2015 at 21:04

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Heh, I did the torque arm a while back when I had the oil pan off to change all the pan-to-block O-rings. Unbolted one end, and the whole thing just flopped down! I did the top mount a while back, too, and although it's definitely improved things, the still seems to be a bit of internal noise coming from the transmission. Oh well, if it grenades itself, it'll just be the push that I need to do a manual swap.

I'd really like to do a turbo rebuild and PCV job on it, but I can't afford to have it off the road until I get my project car (a barn-find '85 VW Scirocco) operational again. That'll be this summer's project, then I can give the Volvo some much-needed TLC.

ReluctantCommenter > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 21:04

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I have a 96 855R with the M56H swapped in. Much nicer than the auto tragic. Makes a huge difference.

timgray > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 21:10

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One of the owners at work has one that has over 296,000 miles on it and it's still going strong.

twochevrons > ReluctantCommenter 03/17/2015 at 21:12

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A manual swap is definitely on the wishlist. The torque converter is a bit noisy under load, and it has a small leak from the rear main seal, so if I have the transaxle out to do either of those, a manual one's going back in. Last summer, there were a bunch of manual 850s in local junkyards, so I'm hoping that wasn't a one-off phenomenon.

Did you do the swap yourself? From the forum threads that I've seen, it doesn't look all that hard, but it's always good to have some personal input!

randomadjuster > nickdavs 03/17/2015 at 21:15

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This picture right here could be the 850turbo I picked up over the weekend. Mine is not quite as shiny and it has a couple more dents, but otherwise this car.

Fantastic piece. I'm loving it (even more now that I've replaced the ECC and it is no longer trying to melt my brain with constant full-bore heat through the defroster). Aside from the ride, this review could easily describe my new ride. I'm guessing the regular turbo got a more plush ride by a bit than the R. I don't find my steering to be particularly numb either. Otherwise, spot on descriptor of a lovely car.

Five Volvos now, two each of the 850 and 240 and one 740.

Andrew Daisuke > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 21:16

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eewww, get those Tethys off there stat! Volans or nothing!

twochevrons > Andrew Daisuke 03/17/2015 at 21:18

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Heh, I don't mind them. Not necessarily what I'd put on, but they came with the car. What I'd really like is a set of Titans or Pegasus, but with the ridiculous potholes here, and their famed fragility (along with Volans, I've heard), makes them a nonstarter.

Andrew Daisuke > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 21:22

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Yea, sadly the Volans were very prone to breakage. Comets were my favorite wheel I think I had on my various Volvo's back in the day. Titans are so hard to find, same with Satellites.

Hunsbergring > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 21:23

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Perhaps I've misrepresented myself! I actually did fairly little rallying—just a couple dozen winter navigational events over the course of five or so years as a driver or navigator and working as service crew or marshalling at some stage rallies—but it was my gateway into motorsport and introduced me to a lot of good people. More recently (since 2010), I've done a lot of ChumpCar. So, I'm by no means a motorsport hero of any kind; I just enjoy reminiscing about those heady days at the lube shop when I was just a kid with a beat-up MK1 VW GTI and a dream...

randomadjuster > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 21:23

1

The nice thing for me is that they are common around here. There used to be a volvo penta plant nearby, so lots and lots of volvos bought on employee purchase plan in this area. This means they're common and cheap on the used car market, and likewise fairly common in the local junkyards. My car's identical twin is sitting in a U-pull-it 30 minutes from me right now, down to the paint and interior. I've hit it once already and will be going back shortly.

And, as mentioned, there's a pretty strong enthusiast base because, let's face it, the 850 is a solid car and the various turbo version get up when you goose them. That means quite the knowledge base out there. They're also still quirky enough that said enthusiast community is pretty tight. Old volvo nuts tend to be willing to help their fellow volvo owners.

Hiroku > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 21:24

1

There it is! Been waiting for this review for a while.

Brilliantly written and captures every detail of ownership of the car perfectly, couldn't describe anything better myself.

BornSwedeDriveSwede > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 21:25

1

sounds good! Pcv is definitely manageable. I want to do a manual swap myself someday... Good luck, great car!

drock905 > For Sweden 03/17/2015 at 21:25

5

I owned a black 850 turbo for 10 years, I bought it in college because it was the safest most interesting car I could afford. I drove it across country twice and I put 200,000 miles on it during many many adventures and I made some incredible memories in that car.

Not once did it strand me, not once did it break down. It had some minor issues but nothing terrible.

it was killed when an idiot in an eclipse ran a red light at 50mph and t boned me. She got pretty banged up but I walked away without a scratch, so it did it's job.

Best car ever

Noel > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 21:28

1

That was a great write up! I loved my NA 97 855! Mine was a bit damaged when I got it and after paying mechanics to work on it I had to give up and sell for a newer 99V70GLT. Definitely a well designed car in comparison to the 1st gen v70 from the exterior. Im now hooked to wagons, Ill be looking for an 855R one day, but will possibly learn how to put in a p2 engine for better efficiency. The 855 sounded great without a muffler delete too!!

m-b-w loves his SUBAROO > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 21:29

3

You must have one of the last 850s with a working odometer.

Hiroku > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 21:32

3

Good lord, this is hideous.

Euro steering wheel and the darker wood trim (mahogany?) look infinitely better.

That and the stick is a nice bonus!

twochevrons > Hunsbergring 03/17/2015 at 21:37

0

Hey, that's still pretty awesome. Rallying is definitely my favourite motorsport to watch, but I'd love to get into any kind of low-budget motorsports. I've been thinking of setting up my project car (a barn-find '85 VW Scirocco) for autocross, but there's that issue of making an investment in something that I can't be sure I'll enjoy. Chump Car sounds like a whole lot of fun – if I knew more like-minded local people, and had access to a better workshop space, I'd love to give it a go.

m-b-w loves his SUBAROO > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 21:37

1

Actually it's pretty easy to find clean seats. I went looking for seats for my 94 850, and found some decent direct bolt in 98 S70 seats. They even had a perfect set of 99 s70 seats, but those wouldn't work for the 850, however, they would have worked just fine as office chairs.

twochevrons > randomadjuster 03/17/2015 at 21:42

1

Here in the Twin Cities, everybody and their dog is of Swedish heritage, and a large section of the population is of Volvo's stereotypical liberal-college-professor demographic, so it's definitely easy to find them here, too. My neighbourhood is popular with the college-professor set, and seems to be populated almost exclusively by Volvo and Subaru wagons! The R's unique interior and paint options make it a bit difficult to find matching parts, but the local junkyards have been a fantastic resource. I got the roof rails, as well as a set of factory crossbars, from a wrecked V70 for all of $20!

The online Volvo community has been great, particularly Matthew's Volvo Site. I've yet to venture into the local enthusiast groups, but I'm sure that it'll be a similar experience.

twochevrons > Hiroku 03/17/2015 at 21:42

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Thanks! It's been in the works for a long time!

twochevrons > m-b-w loves his SUBAROO 03/17/2015 at 21:44

3

Heh, only because the previous owner paid an eye-watering sum of money to have a shop pull the dash apart to fix it!

No, I don't understand why, either.

twochevrons > Hiroku 03/17/2015 at 21:46

2

That was my reaction on first seeing it, too. It does grow on you, and it looks better in the flesh than in photos, but it is undeniably weird.

The dark interior with walnut trim is definitely more attractive, though. I suspect that the dark alcantara looks much better with age, too – the beige stuff just looks perpetually dirty. A manual swap is definitely on the wishlist for mine!

m-b-w loves his SUBAROO > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 21:47

1

Believe it or not, my $10 850 (which I just got rid of) had it's ODO die while I was test driving it.

randomadjuster > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 21:49

1

Matthew's Volvo site is a goldmine. Volvospeed is solid too. I almost looked at a v70R, but the transmission scared me off. It might work now, but how long is that going to last?

If you've not gotten your lip fixed, there's a guy in the UK that makes them and does so fairly cheap even with shipping to the states. His is an add-on that you attach to a stock 850 bumper. I don't recall his name, but he's in the "Volvo 850, T5, T-5R, 850R and Turbo group".

twochevrons > m-b-w loves his SUBAROO 03/17/2015 at 21:50

0

Heh, my problem has just been getting to the cars before somebody removes the sunroof or leaves a door open. All the ones that I've found have had singularly disgusting interiors, either through water damage, or through neglect by their final owner.

DerW220 > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 21:51

3

The 2005 V70 I've been driving definitely rides very well. The B5254T2 is quite underrated and the thing looks factory new.

ReluctantCommenter > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 21:53

0

yes, and more than a few engine swaps. Super easy if you are mechanically inclined, but you have to reprogram the ECU or it gets stuck in a boost-limited "limp home" mode. IPD and RICA can both do the reprogramming easily. Also, if you can find the short-throw shifter kit, it makes the swap all the better.

Hiroku > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 21:54

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BTW, I still can't seem to be able to post to Oppo :(

m-b-w loves his SUBAROO > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 21:55

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I wish I had a picture to show you, but mine had the worst dash I think I've ever seen. It was cracked, the airbag cover was broken open, and whenever I'd hit a bump in the road, the dash would shake.

twochevrons > randomadjuster 03/17/2015 at 21:57

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Yeah, that five-speed auto in the later cars is a bit terrifying. I don't think that I'd risk it.

Yeah, that lip is still falling off. I was thinking about trying to rebuild it with fibreglass (I know a few former boatbuilders who could help), but if there's a cheap reproduction available, that might be a better route. I'll definitely look into it – thanks for the tip!

twochevrons > ReluctantCommenter 03/17/2015 at 22:08

0

Good to know, thanks! I don't mind the automatic all that much, so I don't see it as a huge priority, at least not until I can take the car off the road for a while to get it all sorted, but I can definitely believe that it would make it feel that bit more alive.

twochevrons > m-b-w loves his SUBAROO 03/17/2015 at 22:11

1

Yeah, the dash plastic goes all brittle after a while, and the mounting points start to crack, which causes the dreaded rattle. Mine's holding together okay, but I did have to reinforce the attachment points for the under-dash trim to stop it from sagging. the plastic was just crumbling away in my hands, and it was just the vinyl covering holding it together.

Modern interiors may be incredibly safe and comfortable, but it's a bit worrying to see how quickly they can deteriorate.

sounbwoy > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 22:13

3

I've never met a Volvo seat I didn't like..

m-b-w loves his SUBAROO > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 22:14

1

I wonder if I'm crazy for wanting another P80 Volvo. I keep seeing this Manual s70 on craigslist, and I feel as thought it is calling my name. https://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/4936124342…

Brittle plastics be dammed, I really kinda want this.

twochevrons > Hiroku 03/17/2015 at 22:15

0

Man, sorry about that. I'd like to say that I had some kind of influence to get you in on the action, but the best I can do is refer you to the latest Club Openings thread – if you post there with a brief intro, it should come to one of the moderators' attention, and I can't imagine that they'd turn you down.

Good luck!

SolamenteDave > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 22:20

2

If there had been a wagon available when I bought my 854R, I would have jumped on it. I've had the car about 18 months now and it's been a fun, frustrating, exciting time. If nothing else, I'll know what to watch out for next time around.

Great write up!

twochevrons > SolamenteDave 03/17/2015 at 22:27

1

Thanks! That's exactly how I'd describe my ownership experience. Even after spending a weekend removing and refitting the oil pan in a below-freezing garage a few months back, I wouldn't change anything, though. It's been a fantastic time, and I've learned a huge amount. Good to know that there are other 850R enthusiasts out there!

Xcentric > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 22:28

2

My '95 850 Turbo being donated to charity. 200k miles, most on the Autobahn, where this car surprised many MBs and BMWs. Unfortunately, near its end it cost me $600 for everything that went wrong. And a lot went wrong. I made the mistake of lowering the power driver seat back...and it didn't come up. $600. Look at those lovely turbo whorl wheels. I wish I had that car now. So cool.

twochevrons > m-b-w loves his SUBAROO 03/17/2015 at 22:31

0

Something looks not-quite-right with that front end – looks like it might have some accident damage, but it's a T5, which puts it at a similar level of performance to my R. Definitely worth a look!

m-b-w loves his SUBAROO > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 22:34

1

I see what you're saying. The panel gap with the hood seems to be way too much. If I had $2,000 right now, I'd go look at it. It has been on craigslist off and on for the last month or two,so I don't think it'll be going anywhere anytime soon. Maybe if it's still up in May, I'll drive 2 hours to go check it out.

Machingadera > Rusty_Jaguar 03/17/2015 at 22:36

3

It doesn't make a difference. Bilsteins, bushings, springs - they don't make a difference, either. The best you can do is go totally stock and put Monroe's on it with 15" wheels and balloon tires and then it will still feel like driving over bags of hammers instead of 2x4's

Still worth it.

twochevrons > Xcentric 03/17/2015 at 22:39

0

Heh, $600 seems to be just about the magic number – my car's service records are full of invoices around that amount. I'm a little bit paranoid about the recline cable – mine still works just fine, but I'm a little bit scared to touch it. On the other hand, if it failed, it would make for a great excuse to have the seats re-trimmed...

That's a gorgeous colour – a little bit more subtle than the "please arrest me" red that mine is in, but striking nonetheless.

presidentarthur > U Drive a Camry 03/17/2015 at 22:41

0

Yep, these are the pinnacle of Volvo styling, which might be damning praise from many, but I mean it earnestly.

randomadjuster > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 22:45

0

I was also rather shocked when I looked at NADA. leaving mileage undeclared and clicking no special options, a 1995 850 turbo sedan has a clean retail of $5250 while a 1998 V70R has a clean retail of $4250. I had to check it twice to make sure I wasn't reading it incorrectly. Even NADA likes the 850 more.

ZombieSiffer > timgray 03/17/2015 at 22:50

0

Wife's 2005 V70. Going strong with 188,000 miles.

V12 Jake- Hittin' Switches > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 22:53

0

Yeah, I live in minnetonka, but an OPPO meet up would be fun. My oppo cousin lives in the linden hills area

twochevrons > randomadjuster 03/17/2015 at 22:56

1

Interesting. I suppose that sporty variants tend to get driven harder, but at the same time, over five grand for an 850 Turbo sounds like an awful lot. Still, I'd be very wary of those early S/70s. Sounds like they got an awful lot wrong when they updated the 850.

twochevrons > V12 Jake- Hittin' Switches 03/17/2015 at 22:58

0

St. Anthony Park, here. Sometime this summer would be fun – I should have a choice of interesting cars to bring along!

twochevrons > DerW220 03/17/2015 at 23:06

2

That generation of V70 has always appealed to me, too. My parents had an '03 XC70, and aside from the transmission issues that I hear that they fixed in later models, I was hugely impressed by it. I love that interior, too.

twochevrons > area man 03/17/2015 at 23:09

0

Heh, it's almost entirely useless, but it's a nice touch nonetheless. I've thought about fitting a real boost gauge to it, more out of curiosity than anything else, but I don't really want to add a gauge pod or anything like that.

You're not missing out on anything revelatory, but I will admit, it is quite a lot of fun to drive, especially on the highway – the passing power is just unreal.

DerW220 > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 23:16

1

The V70s are just so hard to find because no one wants to stop owning them. I'm a fan of the 2005 upgrades myself. The one I have has the premium interior, moonroof, and some other options. You have to be extremely lucky to find one for sale for sure; in this case it was overly maintained.

V12 Jake- Hittin' Switches > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 23:26

0

Fun, if it's after July I'll be able to bring our s600 so, that's something I guess .

WINGZERO > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 23:34

1

IF only you could search Autotrader specifically for "R" version Volvo.

Hiroshima screamer > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 23:35

1

So close to my Nissan stagea rs4 it's not funny Nissan copied it so hard

Rocko > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 23:45

1

Nice find! I remember my parents were looking at 850 Turbos back in 95 and 96. It would have been awesome to get but they ended up getting a 97 BMW 528i which they still have.

Amoore100 > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 23:47

0

Isn't there a relatively simple fix for these dashboards? Both of my dad's old 740's had dashes where nothing worked except the odo...

U Drive a Camry > DerW220 03/17/2015 at 23:57

1

I picked up an 06 for my wife about sixteen months ago with 65k miles an excellent service history. The engines are robust but everything else needs some TLC to keep them going. They are on the German side of required maintenance than earlier Volvos.

GruvDesign > twochevrons 03/17/2015 at 23:58

1

You know, I loved this car since it first came out. I remember seeing the reviews of them in magazines, and admiring the top speed of this thing (I believe it was over 150?) back in the day. I even tried to buy one, a few times. The first one was like yours, red, beat to shit, and the family that had owned it had offspring that shoved marbles inside the HVAC ducting, so when you went around corners you heard things rolling from one side of the car to the other. It rode terribly, and the interior was falling apart. I wasn't particularly impressed with how it handled, either. It was an 850R with an auto, so I didn't want it much anyway.

A year later, I found another one for sale, this one ULTRA rare because it had a 5spd, which apparently they only made one year (?). This one was dark green, with a tan interior, and was much nicer. However, after driving it, I felt like it rode like utter crap, the interior was rattling and falling apart, and I wasn't particularly impressed with the way it drove.

So then I looked at a 96 Audi A6 wagon. It drove great, and the interior quality was phenomenal. However, the engine was anemic and it was stickshift. So I did some research, and Audi only offered a stick if you bought the S6 version, and those were only imported for one year, 1995, and only about 300 made it to our shores. There just so happened to be one for sale about 6 hours away, and I haven't looked back since.

I guess what I'm getting at, is that the 850R is a car I will always admire from a distance. The specs are impressive, and some of it is built really well, and I like the IDEA of an 850R wagon, but in reality it just always left me disappointed in it's interior construction, and the way it drove. My advice? Keep it til it blows up, then get into an urS4-S6. True OG german build quality, dead nuts reliable, WAY more powerful, way better interior, drives way better as well. There's literally just no comparison.

gamerjerome > twochevrons 03/18/2015 at 00:02

2

I learned a thing or two owning my 96' 850 Turbo. Surprisingly the fuel pump was the easiest to fix. I'm due for some shocks and struts be she keeps on ticking.

Bought her as a winter car for $1800 at 124k, 148k now. I soon realized I had something special. Much faster than my Probe GTS that I sold. Now it's my daily driver when I'm not on the bike.

Fellow Minnesotan also.

beachfitrob.com > For Sweden 03/18/2015 at 00:14

2

Right now! I considered buying one before I bought my 182 which I owned for 5 years. This is from memory, haven't shopped in years. They pay me to fly now vs. back then so I don't want a plane right now.

The summary: small, don't haul much, but fast for the fuel burn. Either the E or G IIRC has like a 10" stretch in the back for more leg room. None IIRC will haul load and be comfy like a 182. Great all around airplane.

One cool item on one model is a door that opens in cruise to feed ram air in getting you 1 more inch or so of manifold pressure which means 1,000' higher cruise at the same power which mean more true airspeed essentially for the drag of the small open door.

It's a fairly focused airplane: more speed, less fuel burned. Lots of speed mods are available.

How much money does it take to own an airplane? All of it.

DerW220 > U Drive a Camry 03/18/2015 at 00:17

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That's really nice with that wheel option. The silver is the best color on the V70s to me. Ours has 64k miles and the quality is better than any German car was for the price. Make sure to flush all the trans. fluid and other fluid early. I know people who have over 300k miles on the 2.5T Volvos and the secret is probably just preventing any extra degradation through tedious maintenance and care. You have to admit, they're quicker vehicles than they look.

BATC42 > twochevrons 03/18/2015 at 00:31

1

Pretty awesome as of now. Went kayaking last weekend on the Waikato River, near Taupo. Loved it, time went by way too quickly, and man those landscape are awesome ! This coming Sunday I think I'm going to Coromandel with some friends, should be nice.
Other than that I'm a bit sick of Auckland's city center. Went for a drink in Newmarket yesterday, and it looks so good (and so many awesome cars parked on the road there...) and then to a BBQ in Grey Linn, in a sweet house overlooking the park. Loved it.

As for a car, I still don't know what to do. I'd like to get one, since I'm here for the hole year and hopefully more if I find work here after. On the other hand, I don't really need one, except in rare occasion where I could get a cheap rental, and since I don't have parking in my appartment building, this would mean renting one somewhere....

freds4hb > twochevrons 03/18/2015 at 00:36

0

David Letterman.

OneFairlyCarefulOwner > twochevrons 03/18/2015 at 00:38

1

As a kiwi, I wouldn't have guessed one wrote this article.