I'd like to take some time and document some of the progress I've been making on my car. I've spent more money and effort on the car in the last two years than probably the last ten years combined. I've had a handful of 850s before this one, but this has been my favorite by a long shot.
So, I like my Volvo... and you guys probably know how the rest goes. 😄
The story of this particular car, a 1996 850 Turbo in Platinum trim goes a little like this:
~late 2010/early 2011, while in my black T5-R, I see a fellow Volvo owner filling up at a gas station. I pull in to the pump next to his to get some gas and strike up a conversation, "That's a really nice car that you've got there..." I ended up talking with the owner for about 45 minutes that night and discussed all sorts of details. He bought the car new from a local dealership for his wife. They loved the car even though it was nearing 210k miles, but were thinking of purchasing something else (ultimately a Prius). I gave my contact information to the owner and told him if he ever wanted to sell it, I would be happy to buy it. Fast forward about a year and I get an email out of the blue from the owner telling me that he hasn't driven the car (about) since the last time we spoke. It's been parked in his apartment complex, and management wanted him to move it. We did some brief negotiating over the phone and he insisted on selling me the car for scrap value since he hasn't been taking care of it. After some reservation, I obliged - the last time I saw this car it was in good condition, but need some TLC. We meet at his complex, and his wife (and my late wife) are both with us. We strike up our conversation like the last time we met at the pumps and he tells me he wants to give me the car, no charge. I offer to give the money that we had previously discussed but he refuses.
I drove away that day with a free Volvo 850 that needed some attention, albeit was still running well. Over the next couple months I got the car cleaned up and ready for another harsh Minnesota winter. Here's some of the only pics I have at the time I received it (with the snow tires):
Fast forward ~3 years...
We're back down in Georgia, and my wife passes away suddenly. As I'm sure you all can imagine, the car (and almost everything else in life) was neglected for the next year or so while I tried to pick up the pieces and raise my then 3 year old daughter.
~1 year later...
I finally get around to manual swapping this car, and do it on a super budget. I hooked up with someone who was moving and just needed to unload parts and bought two complete manual swap kits for ~$400(?). I saved the best stuff and sold the rest to recoup my money, plus some. The car was doing great, piling on the miles and just being a Volvo.
~2018
I've been daily driving the car up until this point. I just started a new job with a well-known Japanese company. About two weeks in, on the way home, the oil pressure light started flickering. I realized at this point I was going to need to pull the pan and replace the sump o-rings (again... lol). I gave some careful thought and decided now was the time for me to buy a new vehicle. I purchased my first new car, a 2018 Toyot Tundra... and the Volvo was parked in my shop where it lived for the next year or so as I found the intermittent motivation to work on it.
The year(s) of the Covid...
Now I'm spending a lot of time at home (working from home) and saving a bunch of money by not commuting in a 14 mpg 4wd truck (fml...), and the seed for a new hobbie is planted - 3d printing. Of course I go in cautious and get a glimpse of the silly things I can make and then my wallet jumps out of my pocket, so to speak.
I'm going to do my best to document as many changes as I can that have occurred since 2020 and some of the things I'm still working on. As of today, the mod list on the car is extensive. At a high level, here's what I'm working with:
B5234T9 - '04 C70 T5 - refurbed
B5254T(?) dual VVT head - 2006 S60 2.5T
Aaron tune - in progress still. ~1,100 kg/hr
Ported Japanifold
Gasket matched N/A intake manifold
N/A throttle body
Hybrid K24, billet 11 blade 54.50/68 compressor and 9-blade turbine
DW 1000cc injectors
DW 300 fuel pump
Do88 radiator/fmic
KW v3
320mm front brakes
IPD sway bars
General refresh of maintenance and consumables
Pictures! (next post)