Shed Of The Week: Volvo 850 T-5

A Shed staple this week, with the added appeal of a manual gearbox!

It's Shed's birthday today. Well, it was actually on Thursday if you want to be picky about it. At Shed's time of life, days don't really matter any more. Each one blends into the next in a boggy miasma of Bovril, broken beer bottles and bad memories of birthdays past.

Let's play Traffic Cops!

Sifting disconsolately through the usual dispiriting bundle of grey M&S socks from her indoors, Shed has been ruminating on what his ideal birthday present might have been this time around. The ignition key to this Volvo T-5, perhaps. Tanklike build, bluff angular lines, algae-green flanks, the distinctive stench of burning rubber - but let's not waste time talking about Mrs Shed. Let's talk Volvo instead.

First we need to try and establish exactly what it is we've got here exactly. The vendor's ad mentions a T-5S, but that's not a model with which Shed is familiar. The T-5R of course we all know about. Its lairy performance (245hp and six seconds 0-60) radically repositioned Volvo's image and was instrumental in shoving Senators off police forces up and down the UK. It was ideal copper fare given that they didn't have to shell out for a new set of front tyres every 2,000 miles like private T-5R owners did.

Yes, the estate would be cooler. But it's£850

Only 200 T-5Rs made it to the UK, but the straight 850 T-5 - which is what we'll assume this one is - seems like an even rarer bird now, if the interesting graphic in the ad is anything to go by. Even in standard 225hp trim the 'soft' 2.3 inline five will knock out a comfortable mid-7sec 0-60, depending to some extent on your stick-shuffling skills. Yes, it's the much sought-after manual. The current owner is presumably quite handy in this cog-swapping department judging by the performance claims in the ad spec. His numbers and the 250hp also mentioned are (we guess) based on the car's open exhaust and manual boost controller. Even without that manual controller you can more or less dial up your own T-5 power, up to a point at least, by getting under the bonnet and adjusting the waste gate actuator. This is straightforward and can't be messed up (famous last words) because the fuel supply is designed to shut off if you're a bit hyperactive on the winding. Just wind 'er back to the point where the fuel decides to come out and play again.

And the T-5's USP. 188K and going strong!

Before you do that you might want to check the state of the Mass Air Flow unit. Dirty MAFs will trigger the engine management light. Beyond that there are the usual easy remaps to apply and bigger turbos to bolt on. More performance is a simple question that money will equally simply answer. Later V70 brakes and a strut brace will tie things together on the road, with maybe a small suspension drop to boot. A good T-5 will handle surprisingly well and make a nice noise in the process. It will be less punishing on your back than a thin-tyred R. Volvo's famously comfy seats come between you and the road, which in the case of British roads is a very good thing.

Don't worry unduly about the mileage of this car: Ecurie Ecosse's thread here tells the heartwarming story of a T-5 that's still beating British blacktops into submission 200K miles in. There's no mention of air-con in the Shed ad. It probably had it from new but evaporator units conk out and cost a lot to fix.

Forget all that though and concentrate on what you're getting here: a quick and capable retro icon with a good maintenance record and just two owners on the V5. Even the £850 price is model-appropriate but you could probably chip some off that for the scabby wings.

Did someone say Le Mans barge?

There are some more interesting pics in the ad. A couple of them look like publicity shots for the next Sin City movie. The idea of plonking your motor in front of a few broken-down ones is quite clever when you think about it. Makes your car look good y'see. Well, that's the idea anyway. Those of us with no photographic genes in our makeup know full well that it will just look like a banger parked in front of some other bangers.

Still, Shed is interested in the concept of shooting his Shed in front of some old wrecks, and to that end has triple-ringed the date of an upcoming family wake in his diary.

Here is the ad.

1995 Volvo 854 T5 S
Manual Saloon (1 of 24 left in uk)
Green
MOT Sep 15
Half Leather Interior (immaculate)
2 Owners From New
188k
FSH
Oil Changed Every 3k
Clutch Cambelt Waterpump Done 20k ago
Fully Standard except Air Filter
Electric Windows
Heated Seats/Wingmirrors
Original Tape/Radio
2 keys and fobs
Full V5 in my name
HPI Clear

This car is very rare in this spec and condition. the first owner owned it from new and serviced it at every interval (shown in service booklet) and also carried out a routine oil change every 3k miles. i have also just changed the brake disks and pads (06/05/15) for mintex ones.
It could do with new wings as they are scabby but only cost around 20-30 quid apart from this it is in very good condition considering it is 20 years old.
The engine pulls like a train and is immaculate i cant fault this car for anything it has a Manual boost controller and the exhaust has been De-Catted.
it has good tires all round and a 5th alloy spare in the boot with original toolkit and all original booklets.
you will not find another one in this condition or spec
any questions then please ask.
the value on these are only going up!