Magazine feature help

[Chris Chilton]

I posted on here a while back asking for a car to shoot for a Classic Cars feature. JamesT5R kindly obliged, we've got the pics and now I'm busy bashing out the words to match.

So I'm just looking for a little more help! If anyone can chip in an answer to any of the following questions, I'd be every grateful

Values
What's the price range for good and mint T5s?
Is there a difference in values between autos and manuals, saloons and estates?
Presumably the T-5R is worth more than a regular T5, but how much?
And what about the R? Is that the most desirable of all? How much for one?

Engines
What's a safe sensible power output with minimal mods, say a chip and exhaust?
James mentioned that rods were weak, but does the engine have any other fragilities? What's the average life of a turbo or a clutch?

Rest of the car
What are the weaknesses of the 850 that aren't necessarily specific to the T5? Do they rust, and if so, where? Electrics?

Production numbers
I know Volvo can get these but I'd have to get some 20-year old PR girl to go an look them up, which could take years. At least one of you must be obsessed enough to be able to reel them off, right?!
I understand there were 2500 T5-Rs but don't know the numbers for the basic T5, or 850R

Specialists
Are there a couple of names that stand out in the UK as being acknowledged 850 T5/R experts?

Thanks again. I'm not expecting reams of information, but the odd tip would be great.

I'm not sure of the publication date yet, as soon as I find out, I'll post something here.

Chris

[AndysR]

Hi Chris here is what I know...

Values - Lowest would be no mot and really probably wanting too much spending to make economically viable for most, highest would be for a mint one wanting little to nothing and could be be either auto/manual/estate or saloon.

850 T5 - £400 - £1,200

850 T-5R £800 - £5,000

850 R £800 - £5,000

Differences in values tbh I'd say there isn't really a difference in price between auto and manual just that you'd probably sell a manual quicker because it's what people think they should have.

Estate vs. Saloon the estate would fetch the higher premium purely because it's what the brand is known for not because either type is better or worse. It really depends on what the buyer is after and invariably the estates are more sought after but the supply matches the demand as the saloons are quite a bit rarer.

Engines, it's down to condition and tuning but 300hp is a good safe limit although others have had 320 hp comfortably with a good choice of modifications and mapping. Rod's are a weak point when low down torque is increased. If your going for power of more than around 320 ish hp then this is where you really should be fitting uprated items. Mental hp build's then you might as well fit uprated pistons but for 400 hp standard pistons, made by Mahle, are ok with good tuning. Turbo's last well tbh with 150,000 achieveable, across the range, despite slight tweaks, all turbos are made by Mitsubishi and are fitted with a 360 degree thrust bearing as standard, something the Garratts of the same year ball park never had which helps them achieve such high mileages before requiring a rebuild.
Clutches wise again can be as much as 150,000 on a standard clutch depending on what life the car has led. The 850R manual clutch is a slightly uprated clutch over the T-5R and T5's so alot of people opt for fitting one of these if they need to go for a slight power hike or just simply are replacing a worn out item. It's also worth noting that the 850R manual is the only one with a viscous limited slip differential and slightly larger, 16T, turbo. All other models had open diffs and the smaller 15G turbo.
Make no mistake these cars are very much over engineered, Volvo needed these cars to make the company as it was trying times in Sweden.

Body - Estates rust around the tailgate handle, lower rear screen moulding and number plate over time. They can also rust around the front wings were the mudflaps, standard across the range from new, are mounted. They can also rust on the front wings where the wing meets the bumper due to a ridge where mud sits and moisture collects. They can also rust on the dog leg part of the rear wheel arch but tbh apart from that they're pretty good for not rusting.

Production no's - The T-5R was only available in limited no's, limited to 200, in the UK. Launched first in stone black and yellow, with olive green being lauched later on to complete the line up. T5's were never limited in production and can be found 2 a penny. R's were never limited in production or colour choice with Red, Black, Turquoise, Grey, and Green with limited no's of White also available, in fact there is only 1 white 850R saloon in the UK making it the rarest of all the 850's. But it is also said that due to their pricing in the market they never sold in vast numbers and it has been unofficially said they sold in fewer no's to the T-5R although no official numbers have ever been published.

Specialists wise you have

GRN Motors - Birmingham, I think.

RT Mechanics - Haslemere, Surrey - They also have the most powerful 850 in the country which happens to be a yellow T-5R saloon rolling road proven to 591 hp on race fuel or 528 hp on pump fuel ;)

Charlwood Volvo - Surrey/Sussex

HLM tuning - Bromsgrove

[cherry1809]

Even though I own an 'R' I think the T5-R is the more desirable of the 2. Most T5's can be had for under a grand for an average mileage example. (mate just paid 300 quid for a T5 auto, With tax and test)
I paid £1200 for the R in a rare colour, But you can pay a lot more if it's mint with low mileage.

[Wobbly Dave]

Don't forget HLM Tuning in Bromsgrove.

[AndysR]

Don't forget HLM Tuning in Bromsgrove.

Just remembered and added to my original post... My mistake :(

[Chris Chilton]

Great, thanks.

One more question: going by my back issues of contemporary car mags, you could get the T5 motor with various different trims, like SE, GLT and CD. Is this right?

[AndysR]

T5 engine was available in any trim spec you wished.

S, SE, GLT, GLE, CD

[T5frankie]

T5 engine was available in any trim spec you wished.

S, SE, GLT, GLE, CD

and "R" The T5 was the engine

[AndysR]

and "R" The T5 was the engine

Yes in the R the T5 was the only engine available unlike all the others which could have less powerful n/a or diesel versions ;)

[Chris Chilton]

What confuses me is that I found the original Oct 1993 press release and that just refers to the T5 as a standalone model available in saloon and estate bodies.

[Wobbly Dave]

T5 has always just been a engine denomination - turbo 5 (pot).

[Chad]

I will speak to Benny about this and try get his backside on here more often.