What is it worth and which is better project? - 97 850R sedan or 00 S70 NA Topic is solved

[scot850]

I may have the opportunity to buy a 97 850R sedan in white. Interior and most of the exterior looks really good in pictures. The one obvious issue is the cracks across the center vertical bars on the front bumper cover.

I know 'R' covers are no longer available and I also know Robert was looking at trying to get some made, but understandably not heard any more on that. Good used replacements are rocking horse dropping material. So that means this will have to be repaired and repainted.

Assuming the rest of the car is as good as it is claimed ( where have I heard that before!) and the car has 190,000 miles on it, is it worth the $4500 CDN (about $3400 US) being asked for it? I know 850R's are becoming more valuable, but is a high mileage one and a sedan ever going to be? Also it is a sedan. There was someone recently up here optomistically trying to sell a clone for $15,000 CDN. Not sure if it sold or he gave up but it is no longer for sale.

It is not a car I have spent a lot of time looking for, so any input or advice is appreciated. As the car is a 350 mile round trip away, the owner is supposed to be sending me additional info and a walk around video.

I have another local option for a project car in a 2000 S70 NA. Not been used in 2 years, looks good in the pictures apart from a small rub on the front bumper cover on one side. It looks like an SE spec with clean leather in silver and a service history and about 165,000 miles on it and owner asking $2500 CDN (about $1800 US). The claim on this one is it needs a 'tune-up' from sitting. At 20 years old when it was taking off the road for Covid, it would probably need a new timing belt (not done a CVVT one yet but we have abscates write up........!).

For this car I would likely not keep it but return it safely to the road and sell it on. Advantage is I have some parts available from my last 00 V70 NA and shared parts for the 'R' as well. This one is more price sensitive and will depend on what is needed.

Neil.

[Sveedy]

I would think that any of the older "R"s will go up in value more than the turbos, and certainly more than the NA.
Maybe you could knock him down a little on price, depending on service records etc.

[scot850]

Fair comments and kind of what I was thinking. I am still waiting the info he promised on the R. It may come down to how much work the S70 NA really needs. People forget things like the timing belt, plugs, coils, PCV as well as tire life/age left. Once you start adding all that up along with potentially CV boots. I'm fairly certain the aerial mast for the radio is also stuck.

Now as it is a 2000 year 'bastard' as abscate calls them this is worse as it has the 5 speed auto. Again I will be looking for any service on that as well. I will probably spend more time looking over the paperwork and where it was serviced! Last 2 cars I bought were 'serviced' at non specialist shops that neither knew anything about the cars but were mostly ripping the owners off as neither were car savvy. They were charged for work that was not done and where it was it was done badly or wrong!

A lot of the 'additional' works and cost were down to these issues other than the obvious known issues. The other thing I have mentioned before is owners here run these into the ground as they keep running until terminal. Owners also become 'forgetful' on larger issues.

I have to go into this with the don't care if I buy or not and not with the heart wanting to save another P80!

The same is to be said for the 850R. It is higher mileage and no mention of any service records good or bad!

Neil.

[Chuck W]

I'd pick an 850 over a '98-'00 all day, every day. At least for something I was wanting to keep around.

If I read your post correctly, you'd be thinking about (eventually) selling whichever car you bought, or was that just the NA? If the plan is just to flip it, pick the one that will take the least amount of work (and $$) to rehab.

[scot850]

Timing is the issue here and I have no idea what 850R sedans are worth these days. S70 NA I do know more about and their value. Because of that I know what my budget for repairs is. As for the 850R? No idea what to budget.

I am more likely to sell the S70 on as I really don't need another car (according to the 'boss'). My 2000 R has nearing the same mileage as the 850R and probably a whole lot more NLA parts as the P80 AWD's have. Maybe I should just cut my losses with the V70R and buy and keep the 850R.

Tough call................! Hmm.

Neil.

[matthew1]

I'm a big fan of 850s. Transmission, 2.3 turbo, all of it.

[scot850]

I like a lot about 850's too. Just never liked the electric window switches in the center console, but great other than that if maintained.

Either way both are currently moots points. No further info as promised by 850R owner, and other than Messenger, I have no way to contact the S70 owner who has still not sent me an address to go to even though I asked them again this morning. Not sure if this is just a Facebook issue but it is even worse than our other selling medium here Kijiji and that is saying something!!

Oh well, glad I did not load the car up with my inspection stuff. It can now just go back on the various shelves.

I did do a quick bit of research on internet on 850 pricing. In Europe the prices are crazy compared to NA markets. There is one sedan for $20k US which looks nice but most of the rest that are higher value are wagons. Even those though are not huge. You can get a 150k mile wagon for $5-6k. So with 190k miles for a sedan this looks priced high unless it needed nothing.

Neil.

[454cid]

I like a lot about 850's too. Just never liked the electric window switches in the center console

I really haven't seen the S70 other than pictures, and I do like my 850.... However, there's a few things I find to be designed poorly or seemingly "phoned in" and the center console is one of them. Terrible design. I complained about the cup colder early on in my ownership, but really the whole console is not well thought out. I'm always fumbling around for the right switch. Even when the cup holder is retracted the window switches are awkward to reach.

Which car in question has less rust? That's the one, I'd likely keep unless body work is within your skill set.

[scot850]

Center console on 850 is not good nor is the coffee cup holder. Flimsy and gets in the way of the awkward switches as you say. S/V/C70 console is better but same issue with poor plastic cup holder that is flimsy and easy to knock a cup out of.

Either way as I mentioned earlier, neither owner has followed up. S70 owner arranges a time to meet, but no way to contact or address to go to. 850 owner promised more info and nothing so I move on. Still have the winter project of the dash panel mount repair on the 'R' to keep me busy. Now if it wasn't 3 hours away there is a 06 V50 T5 AWD with a wonky ETM and front struts but only 100k miles and nice dark blue paint. Only asking $1500............Hm...........?!

Neil.

[hausmeister]

If you already have your work cut out with the 00 R maybe that's enough?

If you really need all the work I'd get the 850 R.
Regarding seat covers I think Lseats should have them.