1995 Volvo 850 - is it worth a buy?

[Ligr]

Hallo Hausmeister! Schön auch österreichische Volvofans hier zu treffen

As mentioned above, I will be able to do all the "typical" service myself. Oil, brakes, etc. I do not trust myself to be able to do the timing belt change. I do not have access to a garage, but I found here places in car shops for rent. Price is steep, but not too horrible.

I am currently trying to get ahold of the service book. I'm curious if there was any TB work done, or perhaps suspension. Hausmeister, have you done the TB change yourself? Or somewhere in Austria? Driving a few hours from me is no problem! If you have a recommendation, I'd be happy to hear. Will surely also say hi on the austrian forum

Skandix is very interesting! They have a catalague, which is nice But, for example,when I look at filters, I don't see the famous MANN filters that everyone recommends. You have good experience with them?

EDIT: I just went through the skandix catalogue. While the prices do seem steeper, it is beautifully catalogued, with images and complimentary parts. Very orderly. I like! Anyone interested in the english pdf for the 850? Or are there hundreds floating around the website anyway?

[hausmeister]

Hey.

I have not done the Timing Belt myself as it seems a bit tedious for someone with big hands. Maybe I will try it on the 850 since I don't know when that was done last.
As for shops: I have had good experiences witn Taferner (volvo dealer) - for some stuff I go to the dealer, eg. complete alignment. Secondvolvo.at is a independent shop but volvo specialists. They do ok to good work and are affordable, but it can take bit longer...
I recently made an appointment for the Timingbelt on my s70 with them.

As for renting a shop/lift - I tried that once (the one in the 22nd district) but I was not convinced. Problem for me was: they are very busy so it is hard to get slots. They said they have all the tools you need... when I got there they just had very basic stuff and anything else you had to rent. Luckily I brought some of mine. Also you have to be done when your time ends, so the car better be in driving condition - otherwise you have a big problem...
For me that is the biggest problem, often jobs don't go like I planned, maybe just a rusted bolt but that can delay you a lot.
But it is an option for sure.

@skandix: they have some of the oem brands and some of the volvo specific stuff you often can't get at other sites. Yes there are cheaper options, but sometimes these are noname aftermarket junk.

[Clemens]

Hey Ligr!

If the car was here legally in Austria back in then (with Austrian plates and the NOVA-tax paid) you shouldn´t have any problems re-registering it as long as you get a valid safety inspection (Pickerl). Even if the pink-slip (Typenschein) is lost, you could get a copy of it. If back then it was here with ruassian plates you will have to do a bit more (Einzelgenehmigung). 96 850s are easier to Register through the EU-Typengenehmigung.

A good parts source for used car parts is Schmied Auto dismantling in Kledering.

[Ligr]

@hausmeister: thanks for the tips about the dealerships. How did your TB belt job go? I live in Salzburg, so Vienna is a bit of a drive, but nothing crazy. I like Vienna a lot, lived there before, so paying secondvolvo a visit would be nice, if I get the car.

@Clemens: It's a bit more complicated. The car did have AT plates, pickerl, and an Einzelgenehmigung back in 2000. But it was tax exempt, as I have found out. I sent a request to the tax authorities (Zoll), but I'm afraid the response will be negative. Aannd....if I have to pay import taxes, then that's 30% of the price of the car. And what is the worth of the car anyway? I can have it as a gift. But if I take it to an evaluation in Austria, they might look at it and say: "okay, 130k kilometers, no deep rust corrosion, no major detectable problems and the price for that is...anywhere between 3k and 5k"? Well 30% from 3k to 5k is not an easy pill to swallow.

So whether this Volvo gets a second life or not really depends on whether and if I will be paying taxes for importing it. I don't mind sinking 2k in maintenance to restore it to Stage 0. I do mind paying 1k-1.5k in taxes and then 2k on top to bring it to Stage 0. That's like...half the price of a new car, and my main goal is to have a means of transportation. I'd really love to have a cool and classic car as this Volvo, but I have to keep my head cool about the finances.

And let's not forget the insurance and engine tax on them...an online calculator showed up 640 euros for the motor taxes per year

[abscate]

I will have to arrange an Austrian MVS get together! I work in Vorarlberg quarterly with my business partner. Vienna is a long way but maybe Salzburg is doable

[Ligr]

Hah, if I will get the car, I'll join with pleasure. If not...well, I can always buy a volvo scarf and come

[Clemens]

Yeah. I'd be in for the meet.

As for taxes: have your parents make a bill of sale for 500 euro. I dount they will doubt the value. And since a car of that vintage should be out of the eurotax list you should get away with that. Have you talked to the Landespruefstelle about the procedure?

Btw. Just guess how much tax i am paying for my R. That hurts...

[Ligr]

So, I got the reply, the tax is indeed 10+20%.

Clemens, that is an option, as the price on something as vintage as this is really a very debatable topic. Had it been a T5R in manual, which are sought, the 500 euro price would have been surely contested.

This 4-speed sedan is not so hot. But I still have my big doubts if the tax authorities would accept a 500 Euro price tag.

Landespruefstelle: they actually do not have much to say, as far as registration goes. The car was registered in Austria once anyway, so re-registering it would be unproblematic. Are they the ones who would also eventually be doing an appraisal? I do not think so...

[Ligr]

Hi all,

So I am going to necro my own thread. It has been 10 years. The car sat in the garage all the time, I did not do anything at the time.

Buuuut...I decided the time is right to revive the 850! Part lists have been formed, order should be going soonish and in a month the car is going to a mechanic for a service of all things related to brakes/ALL fluids (yes, really all, even the auto gearbox one)/filters/belts. I will even do some preventive changes like the water pump, radiator.

What is not yet part of the plan/I am on the fence about: heater core and the A/C. I know the A/C is not working, but no idea what the cause is, so this will remain open for a while still.

[abscate]

I am restoring 99s all the time which are only a few years younger.

Volvo is a top shelf brand, and part quality is top notch. It will respond well to new fluids and belts, hoses - dont worry about the water pump , get the fluids done and come back to that.