1995 Volvo 850 T5-R

Having a car in NYC is not easy. By the time I moved in with my girlfriend we were far enough into Brooklyn that a car was a possibility. Not only did it make escaping the city a lot easier there was a real business need. The car would allow us to pick up and transfer production work as well as ferry the finished goods off to the weekend market to make some money. My Dad gave me his Oldsmobile at first, but soon it was time to buy something more functional for the rolls of fabric and folding tables we were toting around. My best friend Will was a Volvo fanatic, so I was focused on a wagon and when I saw this car on craigslist, I knew I had to have it.

I purchased it in 2006 and it was a West Coast car. Lowered, tuned for racing, it had a leather interior, blacked out windows and hugged the streets as her turbo would spool. As a city kid, first car love was late to arrive and intense.

The Oldsmobile & the Volvo side-by-side

I became very preoccupied with the car and began compiling lists of issues and repairs that were needed and this would continue throughout the next years that we had the car. There was a long list of problems and it was a huge challenge finding a mechanic in the city.

The 1995 Volvo 850 t5-r was considered to be a “UNICORN” among Volvo enthusiasts for it was the first model to be sold in the USA with a turbo. There were only a few thousand and the Wagon is very rare.

I was happy to have a hobby that traveled with us, and while we were set up at an event, I would spend the afternoon detailing the car or cleaning the engine.

There was an upgraded turbo, new pcr valve and air intake system. Unfortunately there were lots of other problems under the hood of this sweet ride.

After my son was born, I remember the happiest of moments with him in this car. Either asleep against my chest or as we played in the back of the wagon parked on the corner of Sullivan & Houston in Soho. Eventually, however, this car and its issues became a significant liability. I had to change the radiator fan one night on the street. Then the engine cooling system and expansion tank started having other issues and twice I had to leave work, find coolant in somewhere in Manhattan (not easy!), and hop on the subway to rescue my family who were stuck on the side of the road in Brooklyn.

On the last drive up to Maine in this car I overheated in the toll booth of the George Washington Bridge. Not a fun day.

I found many resources on the web to help with my repairs and learning and have posted a few below for the folks out there who are lucky enough to need them! If you are looking for additional resources use the contact form on my about page and let me know!