i appreciate the info guys. my uncle is in the used car business, so he'll be checking out the auction situation over the next couple months. i figure the best i can hope for is to get one that hasn't been in an accident as far as body goes. the windows, *hopefully* won't fail for a little while, and i can pick up some anti sway bars in the off chance i run into problems like the guy in the c70 thread. i figure sometime in the near future, i'll go down to the volvo store in orlando and ask around, they sell certified pre owned. i guess i could ask the service manager which ones they have the most problems with.

The convertable is a POS IMHO but then I hate all convertables. Volvos convertable is or often can be a very problematic car and without descent structural support being FWD, suffers from what's called "cowl shake" which makes it seem as though the whole front end is loose, steering wheel vibrates.
The coupe is OK, just like the S70s EXCEPT for one major weakness, the poorly designed, contructed window regulator assemblies (same in both C70 versions). By design, they will all fail eventually and when they do it gets very costly to replace that regulator. It's also a job that requires a tech with experience as for any guy trying it the first time, it never goes back together correctly w/o many problems like proper fit, wind/water leaks.
I've bought a car on Ebay and mine was worth the hassle of traveling for. I got on a plane, flew 1000 miles and drove my car home. It was a fun adventure and I'd do it again for a unique car that I really wanted.
I'd keep looking for your 850R as they're out there, even though probably not often up for sale.
If you know anyone in the used car business, preferably at a Volvo dealer, they might be able to help you locate one?

A week or so ago there was a guy whose windshields kept cracking. There have been some fit and finish problems. Wind noise, leaks, that sort of thing. Some months back there was an owner who gave his back under the lemon law.