Durham Constabulary Volvo 850 T-5 N303 NTN
N303 NTN Volvo 850 T-5 Durham Constabulary
Sometimes you are just lucky! whilst trying to track down parts for the other Volvo 850 (P112) I sent a message to a film company that had several items listed as hireable props.
I received no reply, or so I thought for several months until I noticed I had a message request on my phone. I accepted the request and noticed it had been sent just days after my original message. In the message it was confirmed that they did have a few items that may be of interest but more importantly they were having to close their doors and everything had to go.
I asked if they had any cars for sale and in particular any Police Cars. I was told that they had five cars and on enquiring further only one was genuine, "what is it?" I asked, An 850 T-5 came the answer and its a saloon!
Up until this point it was thought that the only two remaining genuine ex-police T-5's were the two Hampshire cars. If this was genuine then this was unique. Manual, Saloon, T-5! I wanted to know when I could go and see it and was told whenever you like, but as it always happens I had things in the diary that couldn't be moved and couldn't go for two weeks. I asked what the price was and was told £8K. "OK I am interested, please don't let anyone else look until I've been!" I was promised that it wouldn't be shown to anyone or sold until I had been up. The car was in a tent in a car park in Nottingham with a film company that had been operating for over 40 years. A three hour drive up to Nottingham to meet Wayne was not a disappointment, Wayne was a genuinely lovely guy and was excited about cars like all good petrol heads. We walked across the vast site to the tent and sat in front of a MK1 Senator Police Car (recreation) and a MK3 Granada, Astra and V70 recreation cars was the 850.
The car was clearly genuine and was within the number plate range of the larger batch that Durham ordered. The speedo was calibrated (something Hampshire didn't do on the 850) The livery was wrong as was the lightbar but the car itself was in great condition having only done 128k miles.
Wayne told me the keys were in it and that I could take her around the vast plot that we were on. I instantly knew that she had to come home with me. We agreed a price of £6k and the deal was done. Wayne then let me go through his warehouse of bits and I filled my car with everything I needed for my current restorations.
As we did the paperwork Wayne asked when I would come and collect her, I explained I needed to book the transport and he said that he had two low loaders and that he would do it for half what I had been quoted. We agreed to that and the car was promptly delivered a few days later do to my front door by one of Wayne's guys.
The car looked OK, The livery was tired, was wrong for the car and I was sure the radio and switch gear inside wasn't all right. The car ran OK but the last and only MOT since decommissioning had run out in June. My aim was to get the car back on the road and hope that the livery would come off easily. Needless to say the livery that was blue came off easily, the very old and weathered yellow livery would separate into its layers as it was removed, I tried heat guns, livery remover, toffee wheels, steaming but nothing was moving it.
I decided that the stuff on the boot was way to old, dry and cracked and that getting a new boot lid would probably be easier, I tracked one down in Spain, with shipping included it landed with me for £180.00.
Meanwhile it was MOT and service time.
As a precaution I wanted to get the cambelt and water pump and tensioner replaced, all fluids changed and a full service of filters etc. This gets a car to a standard that you can start from. GB Transport did the servicing and got her through an MOT as well. I wanted Kings Motor Services to do a few extra bits as well on the car and give me an overview of what needed doing. They had the car a few days and came up with a list and at the same time addressed a few issues that had been niggling me, especially the one where the car had started running as rough as it possibly could. This was predominantly caused by perished hoses providing vacuum, distributor cap, rotor arm and leads. And in line with the MOT they highlighted how perished the tyres were.
So that is pretty much where we are at this moment in time. Tyres on all four corners will be fitted this weekend, the car is currently with Kens cars where he is making great progress getting that old livery off. Once done the car will get a cut and polish and from there the next step is to get the car back in its old Durham livery.
I have tracked down the correct LP6000 lightbar and even found a set of blue lenses for the bar, sadly not the 100% correct ones with the alley light cut outs and the rear reds, but in all honesty finding a set of those has worse odds that me winning the euro millions.
Since decommissioning this car has spent its life on TV and Film sets and had been in Peak Practice, Mayo Murders and Shameless to note a few.
And before you highlight it, I know that none of the Durham pictures are my car, but I am working on that.
Owned and Restored by: Matt Goodall
