Sensible Volvo

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Very slightly, they're all essentially the same car from the first T5 back in around 1993/4 all the way to P1 V70R in 1998-2000.

Base engine is the B5234T ("B" for petrol (bensin), "5" for number of cylinders, "23" for capacity, "4" valves per cylinder, "T" for turbo).

That engine with the TD04-15G turbo gave 225bhp in the 850 T-5 up to 1995.

The T-5R (1995 only, limited edition) got different engine management and a "power boost" to 240bhp (manual only). It also got revised suspension, model specific Porsche seats, Porsche developed engine management (and gearbox management on auto), some unique styling bits, etc.

The 850R got a (slightly) larger 16T turbo, upgraded rods, and 250bhp. The manual got an LSD.

The P1 V70R picked up from the 850R in 1998-2000 and eventually got a larger turbo.

From 1996 on all Volvos got full OBDII.

All Volvo engines are from the same modular inline concept co-developed with Porsche in late seventies/early eighties. Known as "white block", as opposed to the "red block" that went before (and were indeed painted red).

There's a break in around 2000 where they switched to "new generation" white block engines. Still modular and largely interchangeable and upgradeable from older engines though, just a bit more to it.
 

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A couple of pictures from the summer holidays this year. Last week ๐Ÿ˜…

A few days in the countryside. Wee Vera fits right in ๐Ÿ˜Ž

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And Emma is coming along nicely. First batch of work all done - suspension, brakes, bushes and a thorough engine clean and refresh. Hopefully get her out for a few days next week before the winter salt kicks in.

A Volvo full of bits for another Volvo! Actually not quite as bad as it looks, it's just that everything is quite ... big ๐Ÿ˜ The bump stops are like traffic cones for example, lol.
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She's in fantastic condition, absolutely no rust at all. A couple of examples:

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Not bad at 25 years old!

Another example - the top is one of the big "delta link" bushes at the back that came off the car, and the bottom is the brand new one that replaced it. She's had an easy life this one, on a UK/Euro spec car that would be a solid brown lump with rubber turned to chewing gum. Clean this one up and it would be like new. Just 25 years old, lol.

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And here. Discs and suspension are new, but the hub and backing plates are the 25 year old original items. Not even a scratch or a dent!

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Getting there ๐Ÿ˜Ž

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Engine did need every little part we had, and a few more, lol. I suspect this car has been laid up for a while, plenty of dried up and cracked hoses and definitely needed a good clean-out. But that's all just bolting on new bits and cleaning.

Can't wait to take her out again and see the difference already ๐Ÿ˜
 

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Well this happened to Vera, ouch ๐Ÿ˜ณ All these modern cars forever dragging the rear brakes for anything from hill start to adaptive cruise, they do eat through rear pads... Nice impression of the rings of Saturn though :innocent:

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So I've swapped for Emma for a few days. First "proper" run out today. No antique wardrobe on wheels has any right to go and sound like this ๐Ÿ˜… Just brilliant ๐Ÿ˜

A day like this and nothing else matters! That's a run up Caincastle hillclimb, a pass of the Torr Head rally stage, and the whole Antrim coast road all to myself - twice!

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Didn't take long to fix the brakes on the Polestar, but I was enjoying Emma too much to swap straight away, lol :innocent: Such good fun! Proper old school motoring, very physical and involving, and much nimbler than she might look. She can go, feels twice as quick, lol, sounds amazing, just smiles all the way. But back with Jonny today for the next batch of work, mainly exhaust and generally continuing to work our way through stuff.

Interesting going back to Vera again. She's big smiles too, just in completely different ways, lol. They really complement each other perfectly. Oh and Vera will happily spin up a few wheels too on exiting a wet November roundabout :innocent:

I've spent too much time on random websites though... I might need to seek help ๐Ÿ˜…

Leather key holder made with a genuine sixties enamel Volvo emblem, nice:

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A genuine T-5R sales brochure (English), a genuine T-5R postcard (came with the cars when first sold), and a genuine Volvo Racing BTCC '95 pin:

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I also found the original leather service book holder hiding in a secret compartment, complete with 25 years worth of Japanese service sheets. Now I know how to decipher Japanese years as well! ๐Ÿง8-|

It also held a nice wee surprise - a spare key with the ultra rare and now unobtainable remote "keyless entry" fob. And it still works! The car that keeps on giving, lol.

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Then in the boot I found this genuine tool kit hidden away. Yes, those are 25 year old never used cotton gloves :cool:

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And finally I found this wee commemorative plaque beside the passenger door. No idea if they stuck these on all cars but a nice wee touch.

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Also spent a little time tinkering, as one does with one's Volvo.

First up playing with this. Now that, kids, is proper OLD SKOOL! Love it, Geek heaven, Nerd Nirvana!

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The most fun was recalibrating the ECC controller (climate thingy). A sequence of ignition switches and 40-odd random button presses and counting spurious LED flashes :joy: And it worked! Though in truth I had no idea it had actually worked until I drove the car :joy:

The this happened, what could possibly go wrong!

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Threw out the rubbish Japanese thing, ripped out a load of dodgy Japanese wiring for all sorts of random Japanese stuff, and replaced it with this beauty - a genuine SC-801 Premium Audio head-unit as would have been originally fitted.

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I got it connected in bypass mode and everything was fine. More than fine actually, so much better than the Pioneer. This car is a proper boom box, lol, and this 25-year old HU with the 25-year old original speakers still works brilliantly. Makes you think how good it might be with some quality modern speakers, but that's a different project for some other day :innocent:

But these cars also had a separate amp behind the dash. So I plugged that in. And everything went "whoomph" and instantly died. So that's a dud then :joy: I have a spare one, but it's a royal pita to change and to be honest I'm not sure it's necessary. Maybe some other day just to scratch that OCD spot, lol.

I also have a Blaupunkt Bremen sitting here so I got that plugged in as well. Took a few goes to sort the right adapter harness but got there, and it is a stunning piece of kit. Amazing sound, and a brilliant retro look that fits perfectly. But I need a few odd-size trim pieces and stuff for it, and I decided to stay original for now.

So instead I wired up one of these wee things:

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It's a GROM bluetooth adapter that plugs into the original HU, pretending to be an external CD changer. It hides away behind the HU, and does BT, USB, phone, and all that. Great kit and works really well, using the CD controls on the HU.

Also got stuck in cleaning. Spent an afternoon each on the driver and passenger door cards, and the front seats. She comes up really well indeed, just a lot of muck from the long transport. Much Lazer, Solapower, scrubbing, and Trim!

Before:

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After:

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And the boot. More Lazer and scrubbing and Trim! It's quite ... big ๐Ÿ˜… A man can sit in there very comfortably, no bother at all. Necessary in order to reach the back :joy: Drop the seats and she sleeps two easily :innocent: At some point the window tints will have to go but I will have to figure out how first.

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New Volvo liner and privacy cover:

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Then I lifted the boot floor, this is the wheel well without me doing anything at all. Structurally this car is unbelievably clean.

Yes, that is the original 25-year old CD multi-changer hiding there! I plugged it in to the HU and miraculously it still works perfectly! They are extremely rare now, especially a working one. Not worth a penny, obviously, but still so cool :cool: I might extract it to preserve it.

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Lappintyre

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Class, would love a look around this. Had a few Volvo's in my early driving days, well, they were my mums lol. 340 non power steering & a 440i
 

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Class, would love a look around this. Had a few Volvo's in my early driving days, well, they were my mums lol. 340 non power steering & a 440i

Now there is another classic pair of odd-ball Volvos, even if they technically started life as DAF :innocent: There seems to be a small but insistent following for the 360, the 440, and 480 Turbo these days.

The 850 is obviously very different. And the V60 more different still.

Just huge fun both of them :cool:
 

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Absolutely love both of these, love all the wee bits and pieces youโ€™re finding in the 850. Looks so clean!
 

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The only car in NI to actually get called in for an actual MoT ๐Ÿ˜… Nailed it, sailed straight through :cool:

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Then this popped up on the most lethal auction site on the planet - Tradera. Had to have it, obviously ๐Ÿ˜…:cool:

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The geeky nerd in me is curious what this model was actually based on. As far as I know all "official" BTCC cars had blue on white livery so wonder if and where and when black ones were used? Cool thing either way 8-|

Emma is back with uncle Jonathan. Last time we put a "quick shifter" bracket on and it was awful, lol, absolutely terrible. So that is getting binned again, live and learn.

I've also started cleaning up the interior, starting with having a go at restoring Alcantara. Pretty chuffed with this! Solapower and a soft upholstery brush to brake up and remove two decades of ingrained dirt. Couldn't believe how well it came up, looks like new! Can't wait to get stuck into the rest of the trim when the car comes back.

Before:

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After:

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Also completed the audio bits. What would have been the original head unit is now in, and it's much better than the Jap stuff that was there. The sound quality is much better than I expected, really good. Especially with digital sources. It's a proper boom box this car ๐Ÿ˜…๐Ÿ˜Ž

I have the Grom tucked away behind now with BT and phone and all that, a small discreet microphone on the steering cowl, and then a wee DAB thing hidden away in the armrest and wired up through AUX/USB to the Grom. All the modern lark there, but invisible, with a completely OEM look. A lot of faffing about when I could have just popped in my Blaupunkt Bremen but where would be the fun in that ๐Ÿ˜… I probably still will when I get fed up messing, but for now OEM look it is.

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P.S. Don't worry about that seat belt thingy, I have a new one ready to go on :innocent:
 

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No major updates, between winter and salt and lockdown they've both been languishing away in the driveway ๐Ÿ™:-#

Just about managed to get away to England with Vera the Polestar for the holidays. A week in the Lakes over Christmas, and then down to Dorset for the New Year. Just between the lockdown curtains coming down again... The Polestar is just such an amazing car for long journeys, and even better in winter weather. Just lovely. Didn't put a foot wrong on the narrow twisty roads in the Lakes either, she doesn't mind a bit of rallying at all :innocent:

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As for Emma the older lady she's been safely tucked away from the winter salt. But had to come out the other weekend once the roads dried up and the sun came out. Just glorious! The way this thing goes and drives down a country lane - no antique wardrobe on wheels has any right to go and drive that well. Has to be experienced!

I got all the tints off at the back. Hateful job but had to be done. Those wretched things should be banned, lol. It would be nice with a wee bit of tint round the back, but don't want to rip the windows out and definitely don't want tints. So she will stay like this for now.

Also got the tailgate trim fixed as well. Basically it's clipped on, the clips wear, and then you get crashing on uneven roads. It's pretty much a design feature and they all do that. You can get wee metal clips that go on and fixes it. Somebody had already done it and they had worn out too, lol, but got new ones in there and they definitely did the trick.

It's a truly terrifying job, involving two pieces of plastic trim liable to explode and shatter, and both completely irreplaceable now. No pressure, lol.

But I never want to do that again, so I popped a LED bulb in the high brake light. And that looked so good I did the same to the main brake and rear lights, and the reverse light. All works perfectly, but getting the bulb warning in the dash now. Have some resistors to try, will see how that goes.

Fixed a leaking rear light seal while in there as well. And a new fuel flap hinge to boot, to fix the return spring that had broken off a wee plastic tab.

New radiator and coolant hoses also in. Unfortunately that threw up another issue instead. Life with old cars, lol ๐Ÿ˜…

Had a nicely laid out plan of upgrades in small steps, but that's now out the window and it will be a big bang later in spring instead, lol. In the meantime hopefully get paintwork and wheels sorted, but won't see much more driving for now.

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Oh, and new tyres ready to go on ๐Ÿ˜ Wheels need refurbished so will do all that in one go.

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More wee surprises, discovered this when cleaning the car over the weekend - built in child seat, integrated into the centre armrest at the back. Definitely a Volvo then ๐Ÿ˜… As far as I can tell it has never been used. Total time capsule this wee car, lol.

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Another small update, but a big one for me as I managed to do this myself without setting fire to anything or blowing anything up :innocent:

The 25-year old audio in the 850 is really rather good still, proper boom box. At the time it was the top of the line Volvo audio option. But I came across a brand new Alpine kit of coaxial speakers, nothing fancy just fresher. So thought I'd see what the difference would be.

Worked out pretty well :cool: All fits nicely, keeping original grilles and everything for completely OEM look.

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And here is what came out. The dash tweeters were of course a bit on the crispy side after a lifetime in the sun, but the rest isn't bad at all.

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The rear tweeters in the D-pillar either side of the tailgate are still the original items, haven't found any replacement for them. Will see if something can be worked out.
 
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