FCP Euro - Volvo 850 Project

The 850 Project "Levels Up" in Season 2

Jacob purchased his $850 project with the intention of not only proving the viability of the Volvo P80 platform for performance driving in the 21st century, but also as a statement; buying and creating a car you love doesn't always have to be a financially-exhausting endeavor.

In Season 1 of "The 850 Project," FCP Euro's resident Volvo fanatic Jacob Maller purchases a budget Volvo 850 and sets about creating his perfect touring-car-inspired track wagon. Installing BC Racing Coilovers, a Quaife Limited Slip Differential, upgraded sway bars, C70 Convertible subframe, and chassis bracing, and replacing the car's 300,000 mile drivetrain with a race-focused RN B5244S, Jacob proved that the long-roof 5-cylinder was a potent platform.

In Season 2, Jacob and the 850 return to take a proven concept and build on it, creating the ultimate track wagon. Removing a ton of weight from the interior, adding chassis stiffness and motorsport-grade safety equipment, upgrading the braking artillery, and turning the 2.4 RN into a fire-breathing BTCC monster, Jacob and his Volvo set out to create the sights, smells, and sounds of British Touring Car in the 1990s.

The Vision: "BTCC-Inspired"

When the Volvo 850 took to the circuit in BTCC during the mid-90s, the car didn't exactly blend in. Amongst a sea of small commuter-sedans-turned-touring cars and the drone of four and six-cylinder engines, the burble of the inline-five wagon immediately made the car something worth watching.

Sporting a 2.0L, naturally-aspirated 5-cylinder good for nearly 290 horsepower in race trim, the 850 Estates of BTCC were actually fairly competitive in the series despite their size. Bending the rules a bit with some clever headwork, the 850 Estate finished as high as 3rd place in its somewhat-brief tenure in the race series.

Shooting fire and making all of the noises you might have heard spectating a touring car race at Donnington in the 1990s, "The 850 Project" leans on friends and members of the Volvo community to create a proper tribute to a piece of Volvo motorsports history.

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Will Our "$850" Volvo Survive The Proving Grounds? - The 850 Project S2E01

Following a full season of building up his $850 Volvo 850, Jacob and the wagon hit the FCP Euro Proving Grounds to shake down "The 850 Project" for the first time, before heading back to the drawing board to make it even faster. How will it fare? Tune into the rest of Season 2 of "The 850 Project" and watch the 850 and Jacob's driving "level up!"

The Build, At a Glance:

Body

A Rare Slicctop - 1995 Volvo 850 Estate, BTCC Bumper/Airdam, 850R Rear Spoiler, 850 E-Code Headlights and turn signals, BTCC Inspired livery by 8380 Laboratories, Custom 4-Point Roll Cage, Sparco Evo Seats, Sparco 6 Point Harness, Sparco Side Mounts, Sparco Sliders, Sparco R383 Steering Wheel, Sparco Pedal Covers.

Engine

B5244S 2.4 RN 5 Cylinder Swap (from P2 V70), Carlquist Competition Engines Ported and Polished Cylinder Head, Manley Oversized Valves, ENEM Y21 Cams, 8EightFab Custom High-Rise 5-1 Long Tube Race Header and Full 2.5" Race Exhaust, BMW S85 V10 Individual Throttle Bodies with Custom Inlet Manifold, Velocity Stacks, Custom Air Box, Nuke Performance Fuel Rail, Custom Return Style Fuel Line Setup, Adjustable Fuel Pressure Regulator. Volvo C30 Hydro Electric Power Steering Conversion with steering controller. DO88 Radiator, D5 Upgraded Oil Cooler, Hellmoose Performance "Volsquirt" MS3 Pro Standalone ECU.

Drivetrain

M56L 5 Speed Manual Transmission, SNABB Solid Shifter Bushings, Quaife Limited Slip Differential, Sachs 850R Clutch/Pressure Plate, Custom Lightweight Flywheel, Powerflex Torque Mount Bushings.

Suspension

BC BR Coilovers With 9KG Front, 5KG Rear Spring Rates, C70 Convertible Solid Mount Front Subframe, C70 4 Bolt Control Arms, C70 Convertible Center Brace, Euro Spec V70R Rear Sway Bar, Ultra Racing Rear Subframe Brace, Genuine Volvo (Ohlins) Front Strut Bar.

Brakes

Front: Stoptech ST40 4 Piston Calipers, P2R 330mm Brembo Rotors, Ferodo DS2500 Pads, Technafit Stainless Steel Brake Hoses. Rear: Zimmerman Z-Coat RotorsFerodo DS2500 Pads

Wheels / Tires

17x7.5 Team Dynamics Pro Race 1.2, 225-45-17 Falken RT660 Tires

Special Thanks to our Friends, Partners, & Parts

The 850 Project wouldn't exist without the assistance of some incredible partners along the way.

Thank you to:

Corteco and LIQUI MOLY for the continued support of FCP Euro builds/project cars.

Sparco for the high-quality safety equipment.

Hellmoose Performance, Karim of KARS Engineering, and The Shop CT for helping to get the most out of the RN 5-cylinder engine.

The Whiteblock Company for assistance with locating hard-to-find used Volvo parts.

Josh from 8EightFab for the hand-fabricated exhaust system, as well as Alex Nelson for helping to design a solution for the individual throttle bodies.

8380 Laboratories and Rabidwraps for the unique and period-correct tribute livery harkening back to British Touring car of the 90s.