I've owned a 1980 245 for 7 years. It was my first car, and I've put my blood, sweat, and tears into making it cherry. But now I've got a job, and and finding myself yearning for more refinement and sport in my ride. I set a goal of less that $8000, and I'd like to stick with Volvo, so the 850 seemed like a good choice. There's one complication, it needs to be a manual transmission.

I have a few questions. First, I read somewhere that no turbo Volvos of that era came with a manual. Is that true? Second, did any wagons come with a stick? I've been looking at the 850 market for about 2 months, and I've seen one manual 1993 sedan. I get the sense they're basically impossible to find. If that is true, are there any other wagon models where sticks are more plentiful?

Third, what big issues should I know about the 850 series (and V70 as well)? Drive train issues, cosmetic problems? I've heard horror stories from several people regarding 850 models they owned that were just plauged with problems from day one. Am I downstepping in reliability going from a 240 to 850?

Any information you guys could provide would be great. Thanks!