Unmolested Volvo 850 GLT
Discussion
Couple of pics (not mine) from the Dumfries show
I was captured giving the car a quick wipe over when I arrived. I left Glasgow and by the time I reached Kilmarnock the heavens had opened. When I arrived at Dumfries it was dry, even the grass was dry and we never saw any rain all day. Result...
I was captured giving the car a quick wipe over when I arrived. I left Glasgow and by the time I reached Kilmarnock the heavens had opened. When I arrived at Dumfries it was dry, even the grass was dry and we never saw any rain all day. Result...
@ EdmondDantes Not sure if my car was supplied with the SIPS sticker but it should have been and therefore I felt compelled to have one fitted...
One of the first things I did when I bought the car was to have 4 new tyres fitted. I ordered 4x 205/50R16 tyres from National Tyres and they were fitted the very day the UK went into Covid lockdown. Once fitted the car was taken a short drive and then tucked away in the garage as we were not allowed to go out, I did notice on the drive that the balance was not correct but with everywhere closed there was nothing I could do. A few weeks later when in the garage tinkering I noticed the front nearside and rear offside tyres were 205/55R16 and the other two were the correct size. I contacted National tyres and they ordered in another two tyres the correct size. When I went to have them fitted I told them that I thought the balance was out and after they fitted the correct size tyres they re-balanced the wheels saying they were indeed out, however there has always been a slight vibration starting at around 65mph.
3 years on and coming back from Dumfries at the weekend and at motorway speeds I decided I had enough and took the car into RD Tyre Service (as recommended by a number of PH members on the forum) to have them re-balanced, Gerry was a pleasure to deal with, he was careful not to mark the wheels and torqued them to the correct 110Nm. His findings were O/S front 10 grams out, N/S front 15 grams out, O/S rear 30 grams out, N/S rear was fine.
Took the car a blast up the motorway and it's as smooth as butter.
One of the first things I did when I bought the car was to have 4 new tyres fitted. I ordered 4x 205/50R16 tyres from National Tyres and they were fitted the very day the UK went into Covid lockdown. Once fitted the car was taken a short drive and then tucked away in the garage as we were not allowed to go out, I did notice on the drive that the balance was not correct but with everywhere closed there was nothing I could do. A few weeks later when in the garage tinkering I noticed the front nearside and rear offside tyres were 205/55R16 and the other two were the correct size. I contacted National tyres and they ordered in another two tyres the correct size. When I went to have them fitted I told them that I thought the balance was out and after they fitted the correct size tyres they re-balanced the wheels saying they were indeed out, however there has always been a slight vibration starting at around 65mph.
3 years on and coming back from Dumfries at the weekend and at motorway speeds I decided I had enough and took the car into RD Tyre Service (as recommended by a number of PH members on the forum) to have them re-balanced, Gerry was a pleasure to deal with, he was careful not to mark the wheels and torqued them to the correct 110Nm. His findings were O/S front 10 grams out, N/S front 15 grams out, O/S rear 30 grams out, N/S rear was fine.
Took the car a blast up the motorway and it's as smooth as butter.
Rear wheels off today to clean the old balance weight glue from the rims and I have to admit that the only non Volvo part on my car is standing the test of time. The only reason I have aftermarket discs and pads fitted is because they were in the boot when I bought the car and the original 1997 discs were still on but in need of replacement. 3½ years of use and they are still in almost new condition. I know from experience if this was Volvo discs they would be rusty AF by now
Last day of the month therefore the last day of the year for the 850 to be on the road. This morning I took it for a 30 mile drive to get it all nice and warm, came home and washed all the coo poo off it, blasted the underside with the hose, washed the wheel arches, towel dried everything including the door shuts, then went out for another 5 mile drive to dry off any water that was still on the car.
Tucked up in the garage now with the carpet snail blasting air over it for the next few hours and the engine will not be started again until the middle of March next year.
Not been waxed for 3½ years and still beading nicely
Tucked up in the garage now with the carpet snail blasting air over it for the next few hours and the engine will not be started again until the middle of March next year.
Not been waxed for 3½ years and still beading nicely
When taking the 850 to car shows it’s always a problem trying to hide tools, cleaning products, spare bulbs etc. when the car is on display. I managed to find a genuine NOS CD cover, the type that was fitted to cars with 6 disc players in the boot and it arrived today. I cut a piece of plywood and screwed it to the bottom of the unit and fitted it into the car.
@ Heaveho: Not sure if it's an ongoing tale or just my ramblings and a way to keep a log of just another old Volvo estate...
The majority of cars that are saved, restored, pampered for the future are usually high spec top of the range models. It's very seldom the lower models stand much of a chance. I love when I go to a car show and see a base model car that has never been restored and factory fresh, I would have that every day rather than something that's had a nut & bolt restoration. As for 'attention to detail' you could ask 1000 people about that and get 2000 different answers, but in my books if the job's worth doing it's worth doing properly.
@sortedcossie: Thank you and glad you enjoyed reading the thread.
The majority of cars that are saved, restored, pampered for the future are usually high spec top of the range models. It's very seldom the lower models stand much of a chance. I love when I go to a car show and see a base model car that has never been restored and factory fresh, I would have that every day rather than something that's had a nut & bolt restoration. As for 'attention to detail' you could ask 1000 people about that and get 2000 different answers, but in my books if the job's worth doing it's worth doing properly.
@sortedcossie: Thank you and glad you enjoyed reading the thread.
@ baconsarney Unbelievable how small older cars look now, I had a Vauxhall Senator B back in the late 80s and it was a large car then, roll forward to 2016 when I went to Ireland to buy one and it looked tiny.
@ paulnb Glad my thread helped de-stressed you, it's almost four years now since I bought the 850 and after reading you went back to the first page I also went back for a read, It's nice to keep a running report that we can go back and read again, I forgot half the stuff I had done back then...
Bonus pic of them both in the garage
@ paulnb Glad my thread helped de-stressed you, it's almost four years now since I bought the 850 and after reading you went back to the first page I also went back for a read, It's nice to keep a running report that we can go back and read again, I forgot half the stuff I had done back then...
Bonus pic of them both in the garage
Today I lifted the bonnet of the 850 for the first time since last September to check the fluid levels and everything was spot on. The engine hasn't been started since 30th September and won't be until I'm taking the car for an MOT Later next month. Bonnet now closed again for another month or so.
The 850 is still tucked away in the garage awaiting the better weather. The MOT is now due but I've put it off for another couple of weeks, as last year when going to and returning from the MOT station there was a heavy frost during the night and the gritters were out, so when I returned home the car was covered in salt. Postponing for a couple more weeks might just be enough for the salt to have been washed off the roads...
I started the 850 on Sunday for the first time since 30th September last year. For some strange reason it had a very noisy hydraulic tappet (common on these engines) which it never had before when left over winter. A few minutes later it was all quiet again and back to normal.
https://youtube.com/shorts/7Tk44WZT85M
My plan for Sunday was to not start the engine but when I looked underneath the car I noticed an oil leak coming through the sump cover splash guard, so I decided to put the car on the lift to investigate. It turned out to be the sump plug was weeping slightly, I did an oil change last year and fitted a new washer, but it decided to leak. I've tightened it up a bit more and I'll keep a close eye on it as the oil has only done about 1400 miles and I don't want to remove the sump plug just now.
While I had the sump splash guard off I decided to fit some rivet nuts and bolts instead of the self tapping bolts I previously fitted. I don't have the fancy tool for fitting them but it's easy enough with a nut/bolt/washers and a couple of spanners to insert them.
https://youtube.com/shorts/7Tk44WZT85M
My plan for Sunday was to not start the engine but when I looked underneath the car I noticed an oil leak coming through the sump cover splash guard, so I decided to put the car on the lift to investigate. It turned out to be the sump plug was weeping slightly, I did an oil change last year and fitted a new washer, but it decided to leak. I've tightened it up a bit more and I'll keep a close eye on it as the oil has only done about 1400 miles and I don't want to remove the sump plug just now.
While I had the sump splash guard off I decided to fit some rivet nuts and bolts instead of the self tapping bolts I previously fitted. I don't have the fancy tool for fitting them but it's easy enough with a nut/bolt/washers and a couple of spanners to insert them.
Best laid plans for mice and men...
My plan for taking Val for an MOT in better weather never quite went to plan, but at least there was no salt on the roads this year which is a bonus. Storm Kathleen decided to arrive during the night so it was a very wet drive to the MOT station this morning with the temperature at only 2°C
The car had a straight pass with no advisories, then off to visit a mate and then over to East Kilbride to do a Volvo estate thing and fill the boot with freshly powder coated wheels. Back home and the car will need to sit outside until the underside dries off before I put it back in the garage
Some nice beading porn when the car was moved into the MOT station after sitting outside for an hour
My plan for taking Val for an MOT in better weather never quite went to plan, but at least there was no salt on the roads this year which is a bonus. Storm Kathleen decided to arrive during the night so it was a very wet drive to the MOT station this morning with the temperature at only 2°C
The car had a straight pass with no advisories, then off to visit a mate and then over to East Kilbride to do a Volvo estate thing and fill the boot with freshly powder coated wheels. Back home and the car will need to sit outside until the underside dries off before I put it back in the garage
Some nice beading porn when the car was moved into the MOT station after sitting outside for an hour
Before my dinner tonight I came up with the bright idea of washing the 850 in the pouring rain (something I've done plenty of times as it helps prevent scratches). My thinking for this action today was, the car has been sitting in the garage for the last 6 months and had a layer of dust over the paintwork so if I were to dry it off when the rain stopped it would be full of scratches.
At around 9:20 tonight the rain stopped briefly so out I went and fired up the compressor and blew the worst of the water off. A quick towel dry and put the car in the garage, doors opened, the carpet snail turned on and the car should be completely dry by tomorrow morning
At around 9:20 tonight the rain stopped briefly so out I went and fired up the compressor and blew the worst of the water off. A quick towel dry and put the car in the garage, doors opened, the carpet snail turned on and the car should be completely dry by tomorrow morning
So far Storm Kathleen hasn't been as bad as the forecast warned us although I believe that tonight and tomorrow is supposed to be the worst of it. The weather is dry here at the moment and Val spent last night indoors with cold air circulating to remove any water and is all nice and dry now.
Service light came on yesterday morning when I started the car to go to the MOT station so this morning I did a Service light reset and that's it for another 12 months
Service light came on yesterday morning when I started the car to go to the MOT station so this morning I did a Service light reset and that's it for another 12 months
Had to run a few errands today and the sun was shining so took the 850 for it's first proper drive of the year
Once home I decided to sort out my show mats and put the obligatory stripes on them
Finished off by giving the original 28 year old mat a wash (no dressing on this as it is the one I use and I hate slippery pedals)
Once home I decided to sort out my show mats and put the obligatory stripes on them
Finished off by giving the original 28 year old mat a wash (no dressing on this as it is the one I use and I hate slippery pedals)
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