Discussion
Nevermind selling it, i want to hear more about the story up until now, mods, problems, road trips in it etc. We've not even got half the story!
On the selling it subject, do not sell unless you are in financial difficulty or because you've found something else you want more.
I could sell my 2 cars and effectively pay off my half of the mortgage but instead they are both sat there doing not very much and when i get bored i find a 'problem' i want to fix and i spend more money that i really shouldnt and financially it makes no sense but its what i enjoy. Then its rinse and repeat. But its nice to know they are there and spring is just around the corner to enjoy them more.
On the selling it subject, do not sell unless you are in financial difficulty or because you've found something else you want more.
I could sell my 2 cars and effectively pay off my half of the mortgage but instead they are both sat there doing not very much and when i get bored i find a 'problem' i want to fix and i spend more money that i really shouldnt and financially it makes no sense but its what i enjoy. Then its rinse and repeat. But its nice to know they are there and spring is just around the corner to enjoy them more.
thebraketester said:
“Has anyone seen the wheel arch compass?”
“f
k it... I’ll stick with the ruler”
“f
k it... I’ll stick with the ruler”
Love this car.. My housemate had a red T5 wagon when I when I was at uni. Loved driving that. He killed it by not fixing the oil trap(?) oil leak and also neglecting to check the oil levels.. Seized it up on the A23 coming back from Gatwick.
That’s a lovely 850R, red is the best colour on the 850R but you already know that! Nice to see that it’s been modded with driving in mind as totally standard they are a bit dull and boat like handling but with mods they can be great fun.
I don’t think many of us are using our cars much in lockdown. Things will change, I’d wait until lockdown ends and start using the car again and see how you feel then.
I’m a fellow 850 owner with a Gul 854 T-5R and an Olive 854 T-5R both manual. I’ve only covered about 150 miles in the last year in the Gul and about 300 in the Olive but just tinker with them in the garage through lockdown.
I don’t think many of us are using our cars much in lockdown. Things will change, I’d wait until lockdown ends and start using the car again and see how you feel then.
I’m a fellow 850 owner with a Gul 854 T-5R and an Olive 854 T-5R both manual. I’ve only covered about 150 miles in the last year in the Gul and about 300 in the Olive but just tinker with them in the garage through lockdown.
Lovely car OP.
There a low mileage Japanese import 850 R for sale at the moment.
https://www.caldermotor.co.uk/used-volvo-850-west-...
There a low mileage Japanese import 850 R for sale at the moment.
https://www.caldermotor.co.uk/used-volvo-850-west-...
850R said:
Feel quite humbled with the replies, re-assuring to know i am not alone! Ive essentially given myself a kick up the arse this morning.
After i had posted this morning, i decided i wouldn't use the C-Max for work, and id fire up the 850 with the willing help of the V70, he fired up first turn and he instantly made me smile, my neighbours may disagree though, as its often joked by passengers you need a full coms pack to talk to each other while pressing on!
Hes not subtle in the slightest, and i have never made apologies for that!
https://youtu.be/LKd4oaNYBuk
Comedy sounding 850R, so addictive
Like a child after i was given a GoPro for my birthday last year i mounted it to the boot and went for a little play, a flame throwing 850 is the way forward, this was taken before it went to Tim Williams who then mapped it accordingly.....
I cannot thank you all enough, i have no idea how to quote you all individually!
Just click on “quote” or “quote all” on the persons reply to you and their text will appear and you can reply to them on your thread.After i had posted this morning, i decided i wouldn't use the C-Max for work, and id fire up the 850 with the willing help of the V70, he fired up first turn and he instantly made me smile, my neighbours may disagree though, as its often joked by passengers you need a full coms pack to talk to each other while pressing on!
Hes not subtle in the slightest, and i have never made apologies for that!
https://youtu.be/LKd4oaNYBuk
Comedy sounding 850R, so addictive
Like a child after i was given a GoPro for my birthday last year i mounted it to the boot and went for a little play, a flame throwing 850 is the way forward, this was taken before it went to Tim Williams who then mapped it accordingly.....
I cannot thank you all enough, i have no idea how to quote you all individually!
Hi OP! Fabulous car you have there. Been lurking here for a while but never posted, but the distinct change in tone of your thread made me register to say DON’T SELL IT. I’ve been there, done it and regret it every day (not a Volvo - sold a perfectly good Type R in the midst of a bad patch in my life and wish I could turn back the clock - stuck with a boring beige thing ever since). Remember some awesome journeys in my Uncle’s Volvo T5 as a kid - creamier than a Tiramisu and fabulous sheep’s clothing tricks off a red light! Keep it and enjoy it - ‘the best is yet to be’ as my grandfather always said!
Hi OP! Fabulous car you have there. Been lurking here for a while but never posted, but the distinct change in tone of your thread made me register to say DON’T SELL IT. I’ve been there, done it and regret it every day (not a Volvo - sold a perfectly good Type R in the midst of a bad patch in my life and wish I could turn back the clock - stuck with a boring beige thing ever since). Remember some awesome journeys in my Uncle’s Volvo T5 as a kid - creamier than a Tiramisu and fabulous sheep’s clothing tricks off a red light! Keep it and enjoy it - ‘the best is yet to be’ as my grandfather always said!
I was 13 in '94 as well and dragged my Dad to pretty much every round of the BTCC from 93 to around 98, some amazing memories, and the 850 estate in '94 made so many people smile at race meetings, with the stuffed lassie in the back, was definitely the crowd favourite that season, great memories!
Love the car mate.
Love the car mate.
What an awesome car, right up my street.
Sorry to hear you were struggling, its almost an identical story to me. I opted for the meds and had quite a bit of CBT and it really worked well for me. Stick with it fella, I'm out of the woods now and off the meds and I'm s much better for it. The brains a strange old thing!
Sorry to hear you were struggling, its almost an identical story to me. I opted for the meds and had quite a bit of CBT and it really worked well for me. Stick with it fella, I'm out of the woods now and off the meds and I'm s much better for it. The brains a strange old thing!
Evening sir,
Just sat and read through the thread and in a few parts, it could have been me writing it - also not long since turned 40 and juggling kids, wife, house moves and job changes through these testing Covid times and it's damn hard so anybody who has the balls to stand up and say "Lads, it's been a struggle and I need / needed help" then you're a bigger many than many. I'm with you and I also know what it's like to be once a proper car guy, enthusiastic and involved and somehow it just fades away and even though you want it back, it just never seems achievable or a priority - it's maybe a bit selfish to think about cars, it's hassle you don't need and what should be a nice bit of automotive escapism doesn't really feel like that. But, deep down I'm sure it's still there, it's not gone, just life sometimes gets in the way and there's no shame in that.
1990's BTCC set me off down a similar path to you... Volvo estates knocking lumps out of Lagunas, Cavaliers and BMWs was just wonderful in the mind of a child and then they went all saloon and stuff started getting serious. At 18, I loved the thought of an underdog that could do 150mph, carry my bike, be insured for relatively little and be almost invisible - the uninitiated mocked and the stereotype churners went in to overtime but I bought an ex traffic 850 T-5 estate and that as they say, was that. Over the years many many others followed including a Gul estate and a green 850R, that one eventually died when the back axle signed out somewhere in Africa. Many more came and went but as tlife went on, they started becoming less about fast, retro dailys and more about garage queens and that never sat well for me. I tried a few "average" T-5's to run daily to try and rekindle my mojo but it never came to fruition. Not sure why and I still don't to be honest, maybe me trying to hang on to my yoof when my yoof is now worlds away from reality.
But my waffling has relevance, possibly... your car, yes you may have a had a wobble of late as far as its concerned but you've had it for years and whilst that is something, I'm also willing to bet that life has changed very much between then and now and you find yourself questioning if you should, could or would keep going or if it's time to close that chapter and move on. But, to what? Many things should, could and would replace it as a car but as a thing, as memories, as something more... that's a tough one and probably one you've anguished over a few times. So, I'd say if you can afford to keep it, you don't need to sell it and it still brings a positive element, regardless of what that is... then keep it. Doesn't matter how, when or where you use it... just having it is a nice thing. Of the many I've had, I liked them all but I loved one and it was a £500 sheddy V70 T-5 that I took to Rome and back and after that, it just became part of life. I used it daily, went to Europe many times, used it to get to my wedding and as part of my honeymoon. It was tired and worthless, but equally... priceless.
So, I sold it... life changed, kids, job etc and it just didn't fit in as well as it did previously and having it as a "thing" just seemed selfish and unjustified. I regretted it the second it drove away and I spent almost 2yrs thinking how much I missed it and how much I regretted selling. Strange things happened and I bought it back last year in dire need of TLC. I stuck it in for an MOT, it failed and it's sat in the garage ever since. My wife asks daily what I'm going to do with it and why I'm even bothering with it as it seems I've no time or enthusiasm for it. But, oddly... I do have time and enthusiasm for it, but in a very different way to the time and enthusiasm I had for it the first time round. Perhaps like yours, it's so ingrained in to life, it's been on so many adventures and thus holds so much value that as much as I know that it should go, it won't and to most that makes no sense, myself included but I dunno - it's maybe just holding on to the past or hoping those days will return again one day. But all I know is that life throws you some curved balls, it can be hard, we fall down and cars can pale in to insignificance for lots of reasons but my advice, don't sell... and don't feel guilty about owning it, neglecting it or questioning it. Put it this way, through all the trials and tribulations life has presented, it's been a constant for lots of years - that's gotta mean something. Anyways, we can revisit this when we're retired, have plenty free time and are sat trying to source a PCV kit for a 51 year old Volvo T-5....
Stick at it, stunning car and a great story... and I don't think the story is done, far from it.
Just sat and read through the thread and in a few parts, it could have been me writing it - also not long since turned 40 and juggling kids, wife, house moves and job changes through these testing Covid times and it's damn hard so anybody who has the balls to stand up and say "Lads, it's been a struggle and I need / needed help" then you're a bigger many than many. I'm with you and I also know what it's like to be once a proper car guy, enthusiastic and involved and somehow it just fades away and even though you want it back, it just never seems achievable or a priority - it's maybe a bit selfish to think about cars, it's hassle you don't need and what should be a nice bit of automotive escapism doesn't really feel like that. But, deep down I'm sure it's still there, it's not gone, just life sometimes gets in the way and there's no shame in that.
1990's BTCC set me off down a similar path to you... Volvo estates knocking lumps out of Lagunas, Cavaliers and BMWs was just wonderful in the mind of a child and then they went all saloon and stuff started getting serious. At 18, I loved the thought of an underdog that could do 150mph, carry my bike, be insured for relatively little and be almost invisible - the uninitiated mocked and the stereotype churners went in to overtime but I bought an ex traffic 850 T-5 estate and that as they say, was that. Over the years many many others followed including a Gul estate and a green 850R, that one eventually died when the back axle signed out somewhere in Africa. Many more came and went but as tlife went on, they started becoming less about fast, retro dailys and more about garage queens and that never sat well for me. I tried a few "average" T-5's to run daily to try and rekindle my mojo but it never came to fruition. Not sure why and I still don't to be honest, maybe me trying to hang on to my yoof when my yoof is now worlds away from reality.
But my waffling has relevance, possibly... your car, yes you may have a had a wobble of late as far as its concerned but you've had it for years and whilst that is something, I'm also willing to bet that life has changed very much between then and now and you find yourself questioning if you should, could or would keep going or if it's time to close that chapter and move on. But, to what? Many things should, could and would replace it as a car but as a thing, as memories, as something more... that's a tough one and probably one you've anguished over a few times. So, I'd say if you can afford to keep it, you don't need to sell it and it still brings a positive element, regardless of what that is... then keep it. Doesn't matter how, when or where you use it... just having it is a nice thing. Of the many I've had, I liked them all but I loved one and it was a £500 sheddy V70 T-5 that I took to Rome and back and after that, it just became part of life. I used it daily, went to Europe many times, used it to get to my wedding and as part of my honeymoon. It was tired and worthless, but equally... priceless.
So, I sold it... life changed, kids, job etc and it just didn't fit in as well as it did previously and having it as a "thing" just seemed selfish and unjustified. I regretted it the second it drove away and I spent almost 2yrs thinking how much I missed it and how much I regretted selling. Strange things happened and I bought it back last year in dire need of TLC. I stuck it in for an MOT, it failed and it's sat in the garage ever since. My wife asks daily what I'm going to do with it and why I'm even bothering with it as it seems I've no time or enthusiasm for it. But, oddly... I do have time and enthusiasm for it, but in a very different way to the time and enthusiasm I had for it the first time round. Perhaps like yours, it's so ingrained in to life, it's been on so many adventures and thus holds so much value that as much as I know that it should go, it won't and to most that makes no sense, myself included but I dunno - it's maybe just holding on to the past or hoping those days will return again one day. But all I know is that life throws you some curved balls, it can be hard, we fall down and cars can pale in to insignificance for lots of reasons but my advice, don't sell... and don't feel guilty about owning it, neglecting it or questioning it. Put it this way, through all the trials and tribulations life has presented, it's been a constant for lots of years - that's gotta mean something. Anyways, we can revisit this when we're retired, have plenty free time and are sat trying to source a PCV kit for a 51 year old Volvo T-5....
Stick at it, stunning car and a great story... and I don't think the story is done, far from it.
Good work keeping the faith alive with the olvov, looks great - even better you're on the road to recovery yourself. I used to have a 850 T5-R which I sold for £1200 - should have kept that one :S
850R said:
This particularly made me laugh "Anyways, we can revisit this when we're retired, have plenty free time and are sat trying to source a PCV kit for a 51 year old Volvo T-5...." Parts are hard enough to come by even now, albeit PCV is ok, but my word so many parts are becoming obsolete, saw a P80 strut brace for £480!!!!!
Wow, thanks for the tip - I've got one of these strut braces sitting in the garage! Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff