Does anyone know this T5?

[Hallsy]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1996-VOLVO-850-T5-GLT-RED_W0QQitemZ110361899822QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAutomo biles_UK?hash=item110361899822&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1683|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A13 18

I'm tempted by it, although it is a bit of a drive from me. Wondered if anyone on here recognises it?

Looks reasonably tidy with good service records. Possible the sunroof and central locking could be easy DIY fixes also.

Does it look like it's been lowered though? It does to my untrained eye?

[Saaamon]

Looks very clean.

[marky 76]

i agree looks like a nice motor, well looked after and i would say it deffo has been lowered

[Hallsy]

I contacted the seller and he confirmed that it had been lowered by previous owner. He said he thought it was one Apexi springs, although I'd have thought Apex would be more likely, Apexi generally specialise in Japanese cars if I'm not mistaken.

One silly niggle for me, is that it has manual rear windows - it does suprise me that a car of this spec would have had electric rear windows as an option, lol!! Only a little thing, but often when my dog is riding in the back, I like to be able to open the window a touch if he looks like he needs it.

Also, it is quite a distance from me (~150 miles). It's a tough one.

[Hallsy]

This one is closer, but doesn't look quite as nice as the other one. Higher milegae, and less mention of service history.

Plus it has cloth interior :(

May well finish very cheaply though. I've sent an email to the seller to ask about service history, etc.

[Jon K]

Hi there,

you can retro fit rear electric windows quite easily.

I did mine and fitted cruise also. The parts were £70 (windows and cruise control parts) delivered which I thought was a bit of a bargain.

[Hallsy]

Hi Jon, yeah, I just had a little search and it does sound like it's quite easy. Would also need new rear door cards wouldn't you?

[Mrsmopp]

My niggle would be the half leather - sorry to those with half leather but it always smells a little musty and its just nothing like the full leather.

[Jon K]

You do not need new door cards.

I just made the round hole for the winder into a square hole for the switch.

I have not checked what they should look like but it worked perfectly!!

[Hallsy]

Good idea :)

[PaulZX]

I AM NOT INTERESTED IN SWAPPING FOR A CORSA WITH AN MDF SPOILER AND FRONT SPLITTER MADE OF RED LEICESTER, ONLY SWAPS IM INTERESTED IN ARE FOR THAT OF THE MONETRY KIND!

I ALSO WILL NOT BE SENDING IT TOO NIGERIA, OUTER MONGOLIA, NEPTUNE OR THE PLANET FRIGGING KRYPTON, SO GO LAUNDER YOUR FILTHY CASH SOME OTHER PLACE! NOT INTERESTED
lmao he clarified that well....! :icon_soap

[Hallsy]

My niggle would be the half leather - sorry to those with half leather but it always smells a little musty and its just nothing like the full leather.

That is one of my niggles, but is it the best of both worlds? They used half leather/alcantara in the T5R didn't they?

Leather is nice, but slippery and burns your bum in the summer. Cloth is grippy, but gets dirty easilly, although it doesn't crack.

Main gripe for me is the distance, the more I look at the car I do like it, as it has a few things on it that I would be looking for, or retro fitting. Tints, looks better imo and keeps prying eyes out to a certain degree. It's been lowered, although if it's not a matched shock/spring setup I'd be tempted to swap them out. Rear spoiler. Reasonable mileage, service history, etc.

Does anyone know of any common problems with remote central locking? He said he took it to a Volvo garage and they changed the battery in the keyfob, but no joy. Perhaps he didn't want to spend too much.

Maybe needs re-coding?

[Mrsmopp]

That is one of my niggles, but is it the best of both worlds? They used half leather/alcantara in the T5R didn't they?

Leather is nice, but slippery and burns your bum in the summer. Cloth is grippy, but gets dirty easilly, although it doesn't crack.


Best of both worlds? IMO no its not (I've had various T5's in various guises over the years) if there were more leather and less cloth then it maybe different but but there just isn't the luxury with the half leather and it really does smell like old men lol!

[Hallsy]

Haha, I'm sure a good shampoo could sort the smell!!

There does seem to be less leather than usual half-leather seats though. Strange.

There is a bright red T5 wagon on another Volvo forum, very cheap, pretty close, but it's 200k, out of tax & MOT. Plus, I'm not sure if I really like them in bright red, I like red, but not convinced it suits the estates lines that well.

[Mrsmopp]

Haha, I'm sure a good shampoo could sort the smell!!

There does seem to be less leather than usual half-leather seats though. Strange.

There is a bright red T5 wagon on another Volvo forum, very cheap, pretty close, but it's 200k, out of tax & MOT. Plus, I'm not sure if I really like them in bright red, I like red, but not convinced it suits the estates lines that well.

Dooooon't buy a red one lol! The paint can looks wonderful after a good valet but 24 hours later your driving around in a big pink box (oh er Missus!)

I'm not being much help am I?! :redface: I guess what I am getting at is that in the current climate try and get the absolute best spec that you can - you will always be a little bit disappointed that you didn't hold out for the full leather or the right colour or the heated seats etc.

Whats your budget and your location I'll see whta I can find :D

[Hallsy]

If you have the right products you can keep a red car red, as long as it's single stage paint, and not base & lacquer ;) My S13 is red :)

You are right though, when I get something in my head, I want it straight away. But really I should just wait for the right one to come up.

For me that would be minimum of half-leather/leather, manual, electric windows f/r, sunroof, climate, electric/heated seats and in a nice colour :) Also history (garage or DIY) would be ideal.

I think my favourite colour is the dark grey, but also fond of dark green, dark metallic red, black, blue & silver.

I'm based in Sudbury, Suffolk (East Anglia) and with the way car prices have dropped I think a budget of ~£800 for an 850, and a bit more for a P1 V70 should be about right.

[Rob S]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1995-VOLVO-850-T5-SE-RED_W0QQitemZ230329699087QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAutomo biles_UK?hash=item230329699087&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A7%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

This one's a little closer to home!
It's not got the best of specs, but it might be worth a cheeky look!

[Hallsy]

The first one went for £720, well worth imo, from what the seller had told me about the car, as long as he was honest - which is how he sounded.

In the end though, it was a bit too far considering the few niggles I had with it, so will just hold out for the right car, or something closer.

Rob - I enquired about that one, but the spec is pretty low, and the service history quite patchy, with no real history since 1999.

Something will come up soon I'm sure.

[Rob S]

How about this one?
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/903635.htm

I know it's auto, but the rest looks pretty reasonable........

[Hallsy]

I had considered that one mate, but as you say, it's an auto.

Trouble is, at this rate I may have to consider an auto.

[flyingbrick]

I had considered that one mate, but as you say, it's an auto.

Trouble is, at this rate I may have to consider an auto.

Autos arnt all bad. You need to test drive one. I think you will be nicely suprised.....:jaw:

[Hallsy]

OK, I've found another one fairly local. Going to have a look tomorrow.

Just got a few questions though.

It's a '96 P 850 T5 in dark green. 144k, 10 months MOT, no tax £995 ono.

Seller said it has recently had headgasket done, any reason to be dubious? Is it common for these to blow headgaskets? He said the work cost £700, all receipted.

Has service history, old MOT's etc, 2 owners from new.

It says CD spec, has full leather, air con, but no sunroof & no roof bars. He didn't know if it had a trip computer (he is selling it for a friend, it's SORN on his driveway) so still not 100% sure it's a CD. Did CD have both aircon and sunroof or was it option?

Sounds like he's having a bit of hard time selling it, he did have it up for £1200 when it had tax, but then ran out and has dropped to £995. I'm looking to offer less than that depending on how it looks/drives, mainly due to needing taxing - which could be awkward as I won't be able to get cover note from insurance switch over in time. But could maybe do it over phone and still be legit?

[Rob S]

I think if the receipts bonafide, and the works been done properly, there [I]should nt[I]be any problem s. My only observation would be, why pay £700 on a car of £1200 / £995 value? If you can't verify the work around the head, walk away (you probably know this anyway), and on the basis his "friend" is nt selling it, why not?
Having just bought a cheap one of these, I know you're not exactly spoilt for choice, and sometimes you have to make compromises you would nt dream of if you were spending more. This could still be a bargain, but if the heads not been skimmed properly, or there's a residual reason as to why the headgasket failed it'll be a nightmare.
As for the Spec thing, if it's got what you want on it, I would nt worry, knock him down as "it's not standard spec" !
Good luck with it, let us know how it goes.
Rob

[Hallsy]

I've got no problem with work being done on a car like HG, I've had to do them myself in the past without problems. I'd even considered a few T5's that appeared to have nackered headgasket or at least split oil cooler.

I suppose I'm wondering if it's a common failure on these, and if it's not, if it's pointing to any previous problems/poor ownership. Obviously I'll have a good check and a read over of the receipt for the work that's been done.

Seller does sound genuine, but I agree the situation is a little odd. Even if my car was at a 'mates' drive, I'd still sell it myself.

Still, he says the seller has got a new car, etc, etc so maybe they just want shot of it, and aren't too bothered either way.

I'm tempted to run a cheap data check to make sure it all seems cosher, although I've already done a basic one that agreed with the two previous owners.

Guess I'll find out tomorrow.

[Rob S]

Just think mate, this time tomorrow you could have a 5 on your drive!

[Mrsmopp]

Here cometh the bearer of not so good news again lol :blowingup

Head's are not a particularly common problem and over the many years I have been on Volvo forums I have heard many experiences where the cars were never the same after the head gasket had gone.

Personally I've never had one go (my cars have ranged from 100K to 210K) so I dont have any direct experience of this.

[Hallsy]

Hmmm, depending on whether the garage was any good or not, it could be that the headgasket was changed only to find it was the oil cooler split - I've heard of a few instances of that.

All will become clearer tomorrow :)

[Rob S]

How'd you get on Mate? I think you said you were seeing your prospective purchase today?

[Pete-M]

Autos arnt all bad. You need to test drive one. I think you will be nicely suprised.....:jaw:

I bought my auto the other day and seriously wouldn't swap it for a manual one.

There is a technique to driving autos quickly that once you've got it sussed makes A roads a real pleasure. A manual is quite probably quicker but not to an extent that I'm worried about - I'd rather be relaxed and comfy than drive a manual one 0.5 mph faster over the average journey. A manual is definately better for B roads and twisties - but I don't get to play on those too often.

The other advantage being that in an auto you can drive without passengers noticing just how quickly they're going...

[Hallsy]

How'd you get on Mate? I think you said you were seeing your prospective purchase today?

I didn't go to view it in the end, I wanted to tray to avoid two trips if I wanted it, but wouldn't have been able to tax it saturday afternoon. Asked if I could view it in the week but he wasn't available. I said I'd ring him the end of the week and maybe have a look next weekend, and go back twice if it was the one.

He did sound pretty genuine the second time I spoke to him, but it does annoy me a little that it wasn't his car so he can't really answer anything with real detail/conviction. He said the headgasket was done 4 months ago, and was used for a little while afterwards. He said the work was done by JT Reboring at the sum of £700 http://www.autoinsider.co.uk/local/engine-rebuilding-and-reconditioning/ai_31703.php but without speaking to the owner it's difficult to understand what sort of state it might have been in before it went. Which does concern me a little. Again, as it's not taxed I can't really risk a long test drive, only a short one around country lanes, and so may not show up any potential problems.

It's a shame as it's just what i wanted really, but with a couple of niggles.

I'm hopefully going to view a red one (yes, a red one ;) ) in the week which is very cheap, '95 M GLE, has done 200k, but looks very tidy, has plenty of history/receipts and the seller sounds very honest/genuine. Owning 3 T5's he sounds like he knows them quite well. Only problems are lacquer peel on bonnet (not a problem as I'd respray it), outer CV boot split and handbrake needs adjusting, short MOT also. Worth a look anyway :)

[Hallsy]

I bought my auto the other day and seriously wouldn't swap it for a manual one.

There is a technique to driving autos quickly that once you've got it sussed makes A roads a real pleasure. A manual is quite probably quicker but not to an extent that I'm worried about - I'd rather be relaxed and comfy than drive a manual one 0.5 mph faster over the average journey. A manual is definately better for B roads and twisties - but I don't get to play on those too often.

The other advantage being that in an auto you can drive without passengers noticing just how quickly they're going...

I do enjoy the laziness of an auto, and agree that they can be driven switly, but there are times when you don;t feel fully in control of the gearbox. As an example, my Sigma when cold will hold 2nd gear for ages unless you go above 40-45mph (say you're driving at 30mph), then it will quickly change up a couple and stay there, even if you drop your speed back down to 30mph.
Also, you can't really use engine braking, which can be nice if you're pressing on a bit.

I'm sure I'd still be very happy with an auto, just that I'm holding out for a manual at the mo :)

[Hallsy]

OK, so I viewed an auto V70 T5 yesterday (put a thread in 70 series section), long story short, it was a bit ropey and not worth the risk imo.

There's a '96 GLT that I may go to look at tomorrow, this one: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=190296440270 although I can't make my mind up about the colour, and the mileage is a little higher than I liked.

Will also view the '96 green 850 that has had the HG done recently unless he has sold it.

But, this has just caught my eye on Pistonheads http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/961802.htm

Does anyone recognise this car, guessing it may have been someone's on here or T5D5 based on the mods - maybe? I've contacted the seller as he's pretty close, does sound like it might have been a low spec car though (half leather and had manual rear windows converted to electric). Could be worth a look though.

[Johnny5]

I just picked up a 1995 M 850 T5 auto ( boo ) with 140.000 miles, in dark red, full cream leather etc etc etc , 3 previous owners, volvo history up till 120.000, tax till end of june, mot till december for £300!!!!!!!!! (Just needed a new radiator as the engine oil cooler had gone) Bargain me thinks! yay!