Seeing Double - Platinum

[fastgroceries]

We have a had a Platinum 860 since 2000. It was a daily driver, high school/college kids car, and then then my project car. It has a salvage title (That, my friends is a story in itself see this link: http://speekup.blogspot.com/2013/09/why ... y-car.html )
Run up and down the mountains, a quite few bumps a bruises, but mechanically sound, so I decided to make it my project car. For about 4 years on and off I had the motor & turbo rebuilt, fixed the bodywork and painted, cleaned fixed and replaced a bunch of stuff. But even still, I have an old car that is 'unique' but really not worth anything. With the salvage title and the multiple accidents, it just became a money hole.

So, the other day I find **another** one of CL, and it's got a 'clean' title, 100k less miles, and no discernible body work. Bought it for a song. So I'm starting over the 'project' with a better base car. Could hardly beleive my luck, out of only 1500 of these that were sent to North America, I have 2 of them!

The other one is for sale. Anyone looking for Platinum 850 project car? Otherwise I will part it out somewhat and junk the rest.

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[Tnguyen149]

Wow I never thought I'd see another person with a similar predicament that I too am in. Hey there fellow Volvo Platinum owner. You are now the lucky owner of not one but two Volvo 1996 Platinum 850 TLA edition. By my count i have you beat by Just one more Volvo 850 platinum edition. I currently have a wagon and a sedan. My first platinum edition sadly was T-boned in 2003 by a speeding maniac who clearly disregarded the intention of a yellow light. Rest In Peace my love. Since the T-bone accident and the forgotten Saturdays when i religiously washed and detailed my Original TLA I never thought I would Find another one and i knew that i would never love a car as much as i did that one.

Lowe and behold 4 years ago i found one as you did on cl. She was rough and not as pretty as my first one but i still instantly fell back in love. Never did i think that keeping my original doors and truck in my parents shed would ever come in handy. Then one year ago today I found a Platinum wagon with a blown engine. I have yet to really look into which of the 1500 made that I own but to my knowledge I know i love them both. Unfortunately for my wife she doesn't know about the wagon yet. Its been a year since I bought it. I suppose another 6months at least before i intend to tell her. Fortunately for me she gives two hoots about why i love my Platinum(s) so much, so she will not be reading this post.

For about almost two decades shy of 3 years Ive have been referring to Mathewsvolvosite for repair guidance and to follow enthusiast of all the sorts. During the decade that i was with out another beautiful Volvo to love i still searched and read many stories and relationships of life and love for the box on wheels. She saved my life once and I believe she is going to be reincarnated into being the vehicle to bringing me towards my dreams in this life. I love this site and it took me 16 years to finally post anything to it, but better late than never.


Congratulation are in order and hats off to you for being able to reunite the set of platinums together. Both cars probably haven't been this close since coming off the production line 21 years ago in Sweden. A little over a month late into finding your post today, but i hope you haven't Already sold or parted ways with your salvaged TLA just yet. I would be more than ecstatic to link in with you to better home your gorgeous set of twin dragons. Currently for me at the moment is not to buy, but to try and preserve the existence of these magnificent and rare creatures. I am currently in the process of bringing the wagon back to life and to to swap the sedan with an RN heart while converting to the infamous 5speed or 6speed application. I Am currently driving the sedan as my daily, She is restored to the extent of my budget, and she is outstanding considering the neglect that i recovered her in.

Cheers to you and your find and accomplishments. hope to see where this journey for your platinums will go. As for me the future is bright its low on budget with the two kids but at the least there is light at the end of this tunnel. I will post more of my platinums in time soon and will keep up on the progress as i go along with both builds and restorations. I will open myself up more to this community and encourage others to be as awesome as they have always been on this site. Owners of this breed are truly a rare and special type.

Next up out of my curiosity and a request of sorts, if you still have both in possession, would could you find the serial and or vin number of both as i will be doing much of the same to see and compare where our cars came off the assembly line? For all i know and with all planets aligned for the solar eclipse in this life time, i have an urging feeling that our pair of duos may be closer than we can even imagine.


Awesome Just Stuppid awesome. Im absolutely dumbfounded. And i saw your location is colorado. Im taking my first road trip up there with the sedan in the summer for a wedding this would be a perfect time to prepare myself to even have the four of them in one epic picture.. Of course one platinum may have to be towing the other platinum, but that is a dream that only an act of god could help me accomplish. lol

[abscate]

16 years of lurking...voLOLvo!!

...but you might find out your partner has been here for 10 asking about your Volvo obsession...

[Tnguyen149]

Lol lurking hardcover lol. Here are a couple pictures of the sedan I bought it with the canisto wheels and have swapped currently awaiting orginal persus to be reconditioned

[Clemens]

I know quite a few of you people in Trumpistan love these platinum 850ies. If you got just 1500 they must be rarer than T5Rs and Rs. As far as I understand they were 2.3l turbos with a special paint job and rims, pretty much fully loaded except for the alacantara seats and the sport suspension, right?
Were they a 97 option only?
Were they available outside of the US?

Nice looking cars you gents got there, btw, have fun with them!

[matthew1]

As far as I understand they were 2.3l turbos with a special paint job and rims, pretty much fully loaded except for the alacantara seats and the sport suspension, right?
Were they a 97 option only?
Were they available outside of the US?

US only, 1996 model. I think they're a wonderful collector's sleeper. I've seen probably 10 in my years.

As far as rarity, they slot between P80 T5 manuals and T5-Rs.

[Clemens]

And then, where on a scale with the platinum, the t5 manual and the t5r would the 96-97 R be?

[Clemens]

P.s. please also specify the numbers for US, european and rest of the world markets for each. In case you have lots of spare time

[DougM]

I miss our 96 850 Platinum sedan. Unfortunately I didn't have the time/money (or know how) to replace the engine when it went.

[AKJeeper]

Good deal. Glad to see another fellow Platinum owner on here. I love my TLA wagon!