Dear knowledgable Comrades!!
I am considering purchasing the above probably from West Oxfordshire Motor Auctions. Are there any specifics with this car that I should look out for. All advice gratefully received.
Regards to all.
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if you have a look on the uk volvo owners club website and search the 850/v70/performance car forums you will find lots of info on buying ex police t5 models, should tell you everything you need to know
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Last months Car Mechanics magazine had an article about buying ex-police Volvo\'s, well worth reading.
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\'Car Mechanics\' had a piece on this recently - might be worth trcking down.
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oops - we both posted at the same time!
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For some reason ex-police cars are often considered a good buy. I have never understood this. Every ex-police car I\'ve seen has basically reached the end of its useful life. Police forces are under considerable financial pressure these days and don\'t get rid of their cars until they are basically \'worn out\'.
Police officers are generally big guys and wear lots of \'tackle\' (baton etc.) so the interior takes a pounding.
Buying a powerful car that was originally very expensive (i.e. has high running costs) seems like buying a money pit to me. Note also that many police garages seem to be in the habit of swapping any good parts off cars before they go to auction, so tyres, batteries etc. may be kaput on the auction car.
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Mr. Aprilia,
I appreciate your view and I can sort the tyre/battery type thing myself. I was more interested in any specific problems. I am a realist and know that you gets what you pays for. Having recently travelled in an ex pol\' \'V\' reg example of the T5 with 3 (other) big guys and a load of sporting equipment I was amazed at its manners and its performance. Too many dashboard holes and no radio is one downside, but for the money it seems like an opportunity not to be missed. Correct me please, if i\'m being a berk!
Big Regards.
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It's probably been well looked after though, and these are good for over 200000 miles.
0-60 in 6.5 seconds/150mph/250bhp it gets through a few front tyres, slipping clutch, Volvo servicing costs (highish).
Other than that - a blast, probably.
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Other than that - worn turbo/gearbox - that would cost almost as much as the car to replace.
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Check if there is a service history with the car and look out for any unusual lettering beside the service number such as X. This will normally suggest an exchange part under warranty.
First check is the hoses for any signs of oil or water leaks , mine had a hose go after 16 000 miles of ownership which led to a new head gasket being required.
If you are worried about tyre wear , buy an auto. The tyres will probably last 1.5 times as long. In saying this some forces report that the autos from '99 onwards are slightly notchy on gear changes which can be off putting (I think this is the autos with the shift lock selectable).
Check all the electrics work properly as some forces seem to decommission in a rush and cut through the wrong wire and don't reconnect it. I have seen some with the horns not working or the electric windows not working from the rear doors (maybe just disabled to stop crims escaping but work ok from the front).
Depending on the force which used the car will depend on whether the service history is volvo stamped , some forces still use main dealers for all servicing whilst other have their own trained techs.
If going for an estate check the rear shock absorbers for any fluid leaks as these nivomat self levelling units can do a reasonable job even when faulty (they are expensive to replace circc £200 each)
Minor faults with all are the door check straps which wear and cause a creaking before snapping off - these are simple and inexpensive to replace.
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I'm interested, how does one go about replacing a door strap. my mum has one with a broken door strap? The bolt has snapped.
T5's are ok untill the turbo goes. Friend bought one at auction that had been bought at a police auction then clocked. BCA had warranted the milleage. The police refued to disclose milleage on disposal. The guy who bought it from the police clocked it and replaced the dash etc and punted it out through autotrader. When my fried got the car home he realised the poor bloke that had bought the car from the clocker had spent 1000's on it. He had had all the exhaust valves re-cut, turbo trouble, head gaskets etc etc. Transmission was baggy, cv joints knackered. Heap of crap really. The only thing better about the 850/v70 t5 the police used was the bigger brakes fitted to many. 850's are all 225bhp. Some v70 rated at 240bhp but this is achieved by the car "over-boosting" for brief periods (30 secs i think), so most of the time feels no different to the plain old 225 models. Were last of the old shape V50 manuals 250bhp?
I have spoken to and had lifts with traffic police who drive t5's up here in newc. They reckon they get rid of the cars when they are knackered. The drive them hard. Plenty of new turbo's and engines. If you were lucky enough to get one of these it might be worth it, but how would you know. I think better to buy an older privately ownened car if you want one. 225/250 bhp is all well and good but these cars do not have LSD. Coupled with the steering and handling it is very hard to make use of the power. They are not a real performance car. Boot it and you will forever have smoke pouring off the inside wheel in tight corners.
Ben
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I was about to say the same thing as Ben (sort of) you can get a 100k mile 850R Estate for £3k+ privately, and you can check it out properly. I wouldn't buy a police car at auction.
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We've got rid of the Volvos off our fleet, because, despite their reputation, they were always breaking down. I wouldn't buy an ex-Police car. They are serviced on time and everything gets replaced when it needs to be. However, I know how they get driven and spend much of their lives at the red line.
We have a Vectra 2.5 V6 on an 02 plate with 142.000 miles. It's totally shot. About to be replaced with a new 3.2 V6 Vectra (go well, but we only get 120 miles out of a full tank). I pity the person who buys the old 'un. It wont last long.
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We've got rid of the Volvos off our fleet, because, despite their reputation, they were always breaking down. I wouldn't buy an ex-Police car. They are serviced on time and everything gets replaced when it needs to be. However, I know how they get driven and spend much of their lives at the red line. We have a Vectra 2.5 V6 on an 02 plate with 142.000 miles. It's totally shot. About to be replaced with a new 3.2 V6 Vectra (go well, but we only get 120 miles out of a full tank). I pity the person who buys the old 'un. It wont last long.
Dear Sir, Thanks. I think my mind's made up.
regards
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I agree with Carayzee. The 850R has a LSD too. Ride is really quite hard. I think better to swap the wheels with someone for the t5 16" wheels.
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Martin
I am not trying to be unecessarily negative; I was just highlighting the fact that the reason that ex-Police cars are cheap is that they are basically at end-of-life. If Car Mechanics magazine are promoting these cars as a good buy then they should be shot.
I have seen ex-police T5's and the only way you will get a good one is if its recently had a new engine and drivetrain (which some will indeed have had!).
As for the rest, well, look out for blown turbo's and generally clapped out drivetrain. Don't neglect to look at interior bits needed too - trim bits will be very expensive from the dealer and you'll struggle to find the bits secondhand (the dodgy traders will have got to the breakers before you, tarted up their cars and given them a 'short back and side' - LOL).
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Aprilia,
I really do appreciate your valid comments and they are probably more positive than negative. For what it is worth I had a look at the West Oxfordshire Motor Auction site this morning and saw 2 T5's that had been sold for around the 4k mark with mileage in the 120's I was under the impression that they didn't get flogged until 170 (ish) If I remember correctly there was an Omega mv6 as well at 2.5 k ish. A friend had bought one of these some years ago, mv6 or straight 3.0 I don't know, but the performance was awsome. It had to have been chipped. It was crazy.
regards.
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When buying ex plod cars you must bear in mind that some forces are much better at organising their fleets than others.Thames Valley cars always used to be the best maintained and prepared for sale with mileages around 100k,some other forces send their cars to auction in such a bad state that you wonder why the Police drivers did not nick each other.
As with any auction purchase keep your wits about you and be very careful.You can buy a high performance car very cheaply and for a little outlay can transform the visuals inside and out to make an intresting buy or maybe turn a profit.
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Dont really have anything new to add here other than it surprises me why people think ex-police are such good buys. It seems more likeley than not that the car will be on it's last legs so why would you bother? I guess only if it's cheap....very cheap, and even then it probably isn't really worth it!
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Just came across this and the only thing I would say is that if I really felt the need to buy an ex-police car (I dont, btw) it certainly wouldnt have a turbo on it. Having owned many turbo motors, I know the quickest way to kill them is not to warm the oil up before coming on boost and turning off the engine without letting the turbo become stationary (upto 3-4 mins if you have been caning it).
Given that most police cars have to be caned as soon as they are started, and probably arent left running when back in the garage, you can almost guarantee premature turbo failure and some of the nasties that sometimes come with it...
Cheers,
Pad
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