KruJoe Posted April 7, 2011 Posted April 7, 2011 That's a great write-up- thanks for doing it (and sharing!)As I mentioned before, bear me in mind when you come to moving it on, it sounds right up my street. I've "done" Subarus for now, and need a 4WD estate really. It will make sense, especially as I'll be breaking one for parts to take to Thailand for my 850 saloon there.
mk2_craig Posted April 7, 2011 Posted April 7, 2011 Dad's had a '96 AWD since '97, it's ace. 75k on the clock now and no sign of the visco diff locking itself up, though he's been less than religious about ensuring the tyre tread depths are even, which the handbook says you're supposed to do in order to prevent expensive repair bills. Crazy. Although it's hardly getting used these days I fear he's getting ever closer to part-chopping it in for an ex-demo A4 estate or something.
Shep Shepherd Posted April 7, 2011 Posted April 7, 2011 Those Volvo 5-pot engines really do go, don't they?
Pete-M Posted April 7, 2011 Posted April 7, 2011 Mate of mine in Czech has an 850 AWD estate which he runs on E85 and has abused solidly for about 8 years now. It's fine and he's never given a toss about the tread depth worries. Half the time it'll have random old steels with winter tyres, and sometimes it'll be on summer ones. Or a mix.
jaycey001 Posted April 9, 2011 Posted April 9, 2011 Great review! I had to scrap my 850 i was kind enough to lend it to a mate while he was getting his business back on track. He drove it with the hand brake on and broke the clutch plates in the auto box, (id spent a lot getting it up to the standard i wantend!) oh well lesson learnt! it Was an amazing car, as you say they stick to the road like glue, never had a moments trouble with it. My wife has a v70 ets which is nice but some how lacks the character of the 850, it feels so much lighter to drive and somhow less solid, could almost be driving a fiesta. I have recently brought a 740 estate, Its off the road untill the winter but i cant say im that attached to it, Its a lovely black and chrome job, and Ive put more miles on it in a week than i have on the sherpa in a year and it gave no troubble at all! feels very solid and the plastic trim feels an inch thick! Thinking about it, Maby you can help, It has a strange restart problem, starts great when cold or hot but when its been left for 3hours ish i really have to crank it and give it some gas, Any ideas?? It also has a bit of piston slap but my garage rekon itll go on for an age yet!! Seems like a great old car if a little slow, 2litre auto, But hay its a darn sight quicker than the sherpa:-) Cheersj
scooters Posted May 11, 2011 Author Posted May 11, 2011 hooo feckin rah! at last the 850 is fixed...okokokok big deal, Mr B, Nigel and others laugh at such spannery but for me it was my first time working on a car built post 1990 so am pretty pleased.. New Alternator regulator is pulsing out the 13-14 required volts rather than the 20 odd that cooked the last batteryA nice reconned Power Steering pump in place to replace the one I trashedA shiny new battery to top it all off/.. well chuffed - toop the beast for a celebratory burn round the block - after months of Sherpa and 240 driving it was FRIKKIN AWESOME MAN to have the power and roadhlding under my arse4 again - OKOKOK I admit it - I have been a grumpy sod about this car - 850s are ace and 850 AWDs are GR8 4 LOOSIN LYSENSE...sadly it will going up for sale soon t0 be replaced by a glorified Vauxhall that isd the Saa 93... oh well, at least I have the 903cc of PROLETARIAN POWAH to cheer me up next week
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