c70 buying advice

Author
Discussion

K321

Original Poster:

4,112 posts

224 months

Monday 29th December 2008
quotequote all
thinking of a volvo c70, whats the best one to go for? i am looking at old ones, 2000 model.

morgrp

4,128 posts

204 months

Tuesday 30th December 2008
quotequote all
The newer cars have fly by wire throttles that need to be kept clean or they run poorly - I also find the throttle response poorer on these cars - They are all great though - Fantastic cars and a genuinely pleasurable ownership experience - They are pretty vice free, although common probs I have found are- (mentioned the throttle already) Rear calipers are known to seize if not maintained, Brake master cylinders do start to go (should have a nice firm pedal and sharp brakes) The odd Engine mount can fail too. Cam Sensors fail and a lot of people have great difficulty in diagnosing them - other sensors to be aware of are the lambda sensor in the exhaust - often brings on the dash light (upside down Y in an orange light) - quite often caused by crap petrol being used - Crank sensors go too sometimes but it is rare. They are cheap to run though - my volvo specialist charges £150 for a cambelt change including all parts, a service is about the same and set of rear discs were on offer at volvo the other week for £26 - cheaper than a Vauxhall Corsa! I'd always favour a manual T5 model but each to their own in that respect - even the 2.0T's go well

Hope this helps

Let us all know if you get one!

K321

Original Poster:

4,112 posts

224 months

Tuesday 30th December 2008
quotequote all
thanks, i was thinking of one of these or saab 9.3 turbo. i already have a volvo s60 but a newer one, d5se, and also had a t5 before, i think out of saab 9_3 and volvo c70 the volvo looks newer, do the back windows go down on them?
is the 2.4t the one to go for, or is the t5 engine reliable ? also, manual or auto?

valve bounce66

2,721 posts

220 months

Tuesday 30th December 2008
quotequote all
one other problem is the front window mechanisms,make sure they dont stick,creak or clunk,and there is no wind noise at speed.at a main dealer it costs approx £500 each door to fit new !!!!












K321

Original Poster:

4,112 posts

224 months

Tuesday 30th December 2008
quotequote all
thanks i will check the doors on them

morgrp

4,128 posts

204 months

Tuesday 30th December 2008
quotequote all
C70 is a nicer car in my opinion but then I am Volvo biased! - A friend of mine has a Saab 9-3 2.3T Aero and it is a nice motor but has been no where near as reliable as he had hoped - plus parts are pretty dear fo it - he bought a new coil pack for it a couple of weeks ago - cost him £400!!!

K321

Original Poster:

4,112 posts

224 months

Tuesday 30th December 2008
quotequote all
i know about saabs. i had a 9.3 turbo, but it blew up a month ago as someone forgot that it was a manual, and left it in 3rd gear for 10 minutes at 90mph down the motorway. i like saabs, but also like volvos.
i think the c70 looks a bit more modern than the 9.3 coupe (2000 year models=

Banham

50 posts

204 months

Saturday 3rd January 2009
quotequote all
Check the more mundane systems on the C70 such as the standard fit cd player. Expensive to replace like for like and not the usual "take it to Halfords" if you want to replace it with something better. Electrical problems such as central locking not working on both doors, alarm maladies. Make sure you take your car for a long test drive and get it up to temp and that it stays there. Admittedly, I'm new to Volvo ownership but they still seem just as susceptible to the normal wear and tear items that any car does, so unless you have a friendly mechanic to hand, they can be expensive. I have a thermostat to change soon, wish me luck.

Edited by Banham on Saturday 3rd January 02:20

Banham

50 posts

204 months

Saturday 3rd January 2009
quotequote all
BTW, I have a C70 2.4t convertible, arguably the best of the bunch. It just makes me smile when I get in, despite it's foibles. Good luck with your search.

K321

Original Poster:

4,112 posts

224 months

Wednesday 7th January 2009
quotequote all
good luck on thermostat. i think i will test drive a c70/saab 9-3 cab over next 3 months

JimexPL

1,446 posts

218 months

Friday 9th January 2009
quotequote all
The back windows do not go down on the coupe. Don't be alarmed by a nasty creaking sounds from the steering on full lock - It's just the end stops that need adjusting.
T5 autos can be frustrating- the boost kicks in abruptly and spins the wheels

Steering lock is poor, but you learn to live with it.

2.4t is the best engine for the auto, and T5 in manual. 2.0t is a bit gutless unless remapped.

Brakes do not feel as good as more modern volvos - The pedal is a bit soft, but they pull the car up fine.

High speed handling is questionable - The front of the car feels as if it is working at a different rate to the back.

The car is nowhere near a 3 series BMW in terms of handling and steering feedback, but they've got a likeable character that grows on you - 5 cylinder growl, comfy seats, nice stereo.

Good continent crosser - I remember sitting on an autobahn in my 2.4T manual with the cruise control on at an indicated 150mph 3 up with luggage in the boot.

As mentioned before, main expense areas are window mechanisms/switches/alignment, throttle bodies, surround sound head unit failure.

morgrp

4,128 posts

204 months

Thursday 15th January 2009
quotequote all
JimexPL said:
The back windows do not go down on the coupe. Don't be alarmed by a nasty creaking sounds from the steering on full lock - It's just the end stops that need adjusting.
T5 autos can be frustrating- the boost kicks in abruptly and spins the wheels

Steering lock is poor, but you learn to live with it.

2.4t is the best engine for the auto, and T5 in manual. 2.0t is a bit gutless unless remapped.

Brakes do not feel as good as more modern volvos - The pedal is a bit soft, but they pull the car up fine.

High speed handling is questionable - The front of the car feels as if it is working at a different rate to the back.

The car is nowhere near a 3 series BMW in terms of handling and steering feedback, but they've got a likeable character that grows on you - 5 cylinder growl, comfy seats, nice stereo.

Good continent crosser - I remember sitting on an autobahn in my 2.4T manual with the cruise control on at an indicated 150mph 3 up with luggage in the boot.

As mentioned before, main expense areas are window mechanisms/switches/alignment, throttle bodies, surround sound head unit failure.
Better built than a beemer too - both nice machines but the the dynamically inferiour C70 gets my vote

K321

Original Poster:

4,112 posts

224 months

Thursday 15th January 2009
quotequote all
is the auto reliable in these cars? also anyone know of a good indie in Birmingham?
plan to get a 2.4t manual, for under 2 grand , and going to test drive a few next month

morgrp

4,128 posts

204 months

Friday 16th January 2009
quotequote all
K321 said:
is the auto reliable in these cars? also anyone know of a good indie in Birmingham?
plan to get a 2.4t manual, for under 2 grand , and going to test drive a few next month
No known faults other than on some of early models the postioning of the wires on it meant they get crushed and cuase problems - its often mis diagnosed as a solenoid fault but it I wouldn't worry about it - they're pretty much vice free.

As for independants I only know of ones in the Norfolk area

K321

Original Poster:

4,112 posts

224 months

Friday 16th January 2009
quotequote all
thanks,
i will post pics of my test drives soon.

JimexPL

1,446 posts

218 months

Friday 16th January 2009
quotequote all
This thread is a bad influence... I've now started looking at autotrader to see what £3.5k can get me!

Y32

82 posts

189 months

Saturday 7th February 2009
quotequote all
O/T (apologises)
Looking at shifting my c70, and wanted to ask what sort region these are going for these days. Only thinking of selling as the poor student that I am, I can't afford the petrol and insurance on the thing anymore. Mine is the poor mans c70 - 2.0 LPT with about 80k miles.

Where do you think I could realistically price it?

K321

Original Poster:

4,112 posts

224 months

Tuesday 10th February 2009
quotequote all
Y32, autotrader, under 2 grand, has yours got the ETM thing?

morgrp

4,128 posts

204 months

Thursday 12th February 2009
quotequote all
Y32 said:
O/T (apologises)
Looking at shifting my c70, and wanted to ask what sort region these are going for these days. Only thinking of selling as the poor student that I am, I can't afford the petrol and insurance on the thing anymore. Mine is the poor mans c70 - 2.0 LPT with about 80k miles.

Where do you think I could realistically price it?
Nothing wrong with the 2.0 model! - great car esp if a manual box

stant5

246 posts

188 months

Monday 16th February 2009
quotequote all
I've had 2, please check abs, even if bulb comes on and goes out as it should, do a slam on, if it works fine, but if not you'll probs find the TRACS won't work either. costly.............trust me!