£400 Volvo V70 Classic - caught a bargain?
Discussion
As stated in the Bargain Barge thread, I've treated myself to a V70...for a very reasonable £400 in cash (as opposed to the also reasonable £600 asking price).
The above image (from the ad) also highlights the broken indicator lens - as noted on the MOT.
Briefly, it's a 17 year old run-out model with the trusty 2.4 in line five petrol motor, auto gearbox, just under 52,000 miles from new and current MOT to December. What's not to like?
Well, it was filthy inside and out for starters. Properly dirty - signs that a car wash had been visited many times but that the machine couldn't get under the fitted roof rails, or to the sills, or wheels. Also it had been sitting under a lime tree for yonks - there's residue all over the roof and bonnet, despite the clay bar and cutting polish I've tried this week. Paint underneath looks super, though.
Sorry - hit submit instead of review...
Inside the previous owners two daughters must have been fed inside on a regular basis. Crisps and sugary fizz probably...judging by the epic crap between the seats, under the mats, in the door pockets, everywhere. Still, no rips or tears in the rather nice leather, so much elbow grease and Pears soap later we have clean leather!
So far I've dismantled the rear passenger door to investigate the non-working window...mechanism detached, some odd (very odd) bits of wood jammed in to the door cavity (to stop the glass dropping??) and a bit of fun working out which brackets fit where to be re-glued into position.
Once the mech was re-attached, re-attached the window switch and - voila - glass goes down, but not up again. After some frustrations (including taking the motor apart to refit the mech) discover it's nothing more than a fritzed switch. Likewise the drivers' door master switch is sub-optimal on closing one rear window (remember my thoughts on the two girls being fed in the car? - I reckon they spent a lot od time there, opening/closing windows, etc etc).
Turns out the bulbs have been removed from the rear interior lights too.
But what about driving it? Well, the 60 mile drive home was exceptionally unstressed. The aircon didn't cool, but everything else seems to work, bar the brakes being a little rough (much surface corrosion). Tracks straight enough (did I mention all four tyres are all above 5mm tread, with Uniroyals up front and some KwikFit ditchfinders down back?).
Cruise control works. Radio/CD very nice. Bum warmers work. Gearbox changes smoothly and seems to change down on deceleration too (a change of fluid will be pending).
More to follow.
The above image (from the ad) also highlights the broken indicator lens - as noted on the MOT.
Briefly, it's a 17 year old run-out model with the trusty 2.4 in line five petrol motor, auto gearbox, just under 52,000 miles from new and current MOT to December. What's not to like?
Well, it was filthy inside and out for starters. Properly dirty - signs that a car wash had been visited many times but that the machine couldn't get under the fitted roof rails, or to the sills, or wheels. Also it had been sitting under a lime tree for yonks - there's residue all over the roof and bonnet, despite the clay bar and cutting polish I've tried this week. Paint underneath looks super, though.
Sorry - hit submit instead of review...
Inside the previous owners two daughters must have been fed inside on a regular basis. Crisps and sugary fizz probably...judging by the epic crap between the seats, under the mats, in the door pockets, everywhere. Still, no rips or tears in the rather nice leather, so much elbow grease and Pears soap later we have clean leather!
So far I've dismantled the rear passenger door to investigate the non-working window...mechanism detached, some odd (very odd) bits of wood jammed in to the door cavity (to stop the glass dropping??) and a bit of fun working out which brackets fit where to be re-glued into position.
Once the mech was re-attached, re-attached the window switch and - voila - glass goes down, but not up again. After some frustrations (including taking the motor apart to refit the mech) discover it's nothing more than a fritzed switch. Likewise the drivers' door master switch is sub-optimal on closing one rear window (remember my thoughts on the two girls being fed in the car? - I reckon they spent a lot od time there, opening/closing windows, etc etc).
Turns out the bulbs have been removed from the rear interior lights too.
But what about driving it? Well, the 60 mile drive home was exceptionally unstressed. The aircon didn't cool, but everything else seems to work, bar the brakes being a little rough (much surface corrosion). Tracks straight enough (did I mention all four tyres are all above 5mm tread, with Uniroyals up front and some KwikFit ditchfinders down back?).
Cruise control works. Radio/CD very nice. Bum warmers work. Gearbox changes smoothly and seems to change down on deceleration too (a change of fluid will be pending).
More to follow.
Edited by The Don of Croy on Wednesday 21st June 16:17
Thank you for your kind words.
The air con was re-filled by KwikFit for £40 (20% off offer via Groupon) and has continued to blow lurverly cold air since.
I've bought a cam belt kit and a local garage will be getting oily on Friday for £120.00. Various bits bought online - new indicator unit (Chinese pattern part) only £20, speaker grille for door £20, new window switch £10 (refurb anyway).
The wheels came up nice with some more elbow grease, the seats are looking fab after a 'leather feed', and slowly I'm de-greasing the switchgear (this is a Volvo 'thing' - the previous V70 I had also featured icky switchgear, whereby finger residue seems to accumulate).
So it currently runs out to a little over £600 in total, plus tax (£240) and insurance (£280). Off to the Midlands on the weekend so we'll test the mpg and see if she behaves (no reason to doubt her yet).
Also, I've plugged in an OBDII reader and there's a half dozen fault codes - several for the o2 sensors, but nothing 'red' and she runs well...so far...
The air con was re-filled by KwikFit for £40 (20% off offer via Groupon) and has continued to blow lurverly cold air since.
I've bought a cam belt kit and a local garage will be getting oily on Friday for £120.00. Various bits bought online - new indicator unit (Chinese pattern part) only £20, speaker grille for door £20, new window switch £10 (refurb anyway).
The wheels came up nice with some more elbow grease, the seats are looking fab after a 'leather feed', and slowly I'm de-greasing the switchgear (this is a Volvo 'thing' - the previous V70 I had also featured icky switchgear, whereby finger residue seems to accumulate).
So it currently runs out to a little over £600 in total, plus tax (£240) and insurance (£280). Off to the Midlands on the weekend so we'll test the mpg and see if she behaves (no reason to doubt her yet).
Also, I've plugged in an OBDII reader and there's a half dozen fault codes - several for the o2 sensors, but nothing 'red' and she runs well...so far...
Cracking car for the money. They've nearly all got 100k plus on them now.
You either get these cars or you don't. I love 'em. I've got a 10v and my dad has the 20v. 20v slightly smoother and a bit more urgent acceleration wise but these are made for wafting not revving.
They're indestructible, simple as.
Here's mine. Just about to click over to 175,000 miles.
The only things that seem to go wrong are the brake calipers seize sometimes as they get old. I paid £42 for a front one and £70 for a rear one.
My dad had a starting problem which was related to worn connections on part of the alarm unit under the steering cowl.
Apart from that they really do just go on and on.
I just don't know what I'll change it for. Would I spend £10k on a different boring estate to replace it. Nope. It does it's job amazingly well so as long as it's running and passing mots, why change it.
Enjoy your car. It has at least another 200k miles left in it.
PS the autos are a bit thirstier. Mines a manual and I average 33/34mpg but that's driving very gently.
You either get these cars or you don't. I love 'em. I've got a 10v and my dad has the 20v. 20v slightly smoother and a bit more urgent acceleration wise but these are made for wafting not revving.
They're indestructible, simple as.
Here's mine. Just about to click over to 175,000 miles.
The only things that seem to go wrong are the brake calipers seize sometimes as they get old. I paid £42 for a front one and £70 for a rear one.
My dad had a starting problem which was related to worn connections on part of the alarm unit under the steering cowl.
Apart from that they really do just go on and on.
I just don't know what I'll change it for. Would I spend £10k on a different boring estate to replace it. Nope. It does it's job amazingly well so as long as it's running and passing mots, why change it.
Enjoy your car. It has at least another 200k miles left in it.
PS the autos are a bit thirstier. Mines a manual and I average 33/34mpg but that's driving very gently.
This thread is my release valve - saves me boring the Lady Don with the minute details...
Upon driving the V70 it really is waft-o-matic - not ungainly or vomit inducing, just rather staid in all responses and definitely not for chucking into a bend, dab of oppo, boot the gas whilst checking the apex clippomometer.
However, where it scores over the tired (and very expensive) Phase II which I had last, is the almost miraculous turning circle which in my driveway means a gentle sweep into the alotted space, not the three point turn method seen before. And being petrol it doesn't chug like a Massey Ferguson (although the D5 does have a warble all it's own tbf).
Size for size it's a very good compromise for family holidays or tip runs - not on a par with the 740/760 but mostly useable and easy to get at.
Plus the car is simpler - you can unplug the radio without needing to re-programme the ECU (£40 re-set last time) but you will need the code. Having to manually select windscreen wipers and headlights is a chore and quite how we managed in days gone by is a mystery. But the basics are good - the seats are superb, there's no rust anywhere (could be because it's a London car are they don't need to salt every day from Nov to Mar?) and mostly it works.
Upon driving the V70 it really is waft-o-matic - not ungainly or vomit inducing, just rather staid in all responses and definitely not for chucking into a bend, dab of oppo, boot the gas whilst checking the apex clippomometer.
However, where it scores over the tired (and very expensive) Phase II which I had last, is the almost miraculous turning circle which in my driveway means a gentle sweep into the alotted space, not the three point turn method seen before. And being petrol it doesn't chug like a Massey Ferguson (although the D5 does have a warble all it's own tbf).
Size for size it's a very good compromise for family holidays or tip runs - not on a par with the 740/760 but mostly useable and easy to get at.
Plus the car is simpler - you can unplug the radio without needing to re-programme the ECU (£40 re-set last time) but you will need the code. Having to manually select windscreen wipers and headlights is a chore and quite how we managed in days gone by is a mystery. But the basics are good - the seats are superb, there's no rust anywhere (could be because it's a London car are they don't need to salt every day from Nov to Mar?) and mostly it works.
The Don of Croy said:
But the basics are good - the seats are superb, there's no rust anywhere (could be because it's a London car are they don't need to salt every day from Nov to Mar?) and mostly it works.
My mother ran the other run-out model (I think hers, the 2.5d was called the “Classic,” and yours was called the 2.4 Petrol, “XS,” but my mind may have failed me) from 1999 – 2011 and 127,000 miles.When she sold it the bodywork was still perfect (I get the feeling these were quite well made cars) and I have to agree about the seats which were a very comfy way to kill miles. They seem to last quite well, too as her old car, per the MOT database, has now done 236,000 miles.
I approve!
Probably the most usable Volvo for the money... modern and refined enough to use day in day out, solid enough to take some abuse, reliable enough and cheap to fix when it does go wrong, shouldn't suffer any terminal corrosion issues and seem to hold their money so for a few hundred quid, I honestly couldn't think of anything better. I just can't bare to part with mine... MOT in August and I was just going to run it till then and cut loose but I just can't do it. Has become the automotive equivalent of an old, faithful hound. Utterly irreplaceable!
Probably the most usable Volvo for the money... modern and refined enough to use day in day out, solid enough to take some abuse, reliable enough and cheap to fix when it does go wrong, shouldn't suffer any terminal corrosion issues and seem to hold their money so for a few hundred quid, I honestly couldn't think of anything better. I just can't bare to part with mine... MOT in August and I was just going to run it till then and cut loose but I just can't do it. Has become the automotive equivalent of an old, faithful hound. Utterly irreplaceable!
Well the cambelt was done last Friday (2 hours labour charge £120 plus £80 kit), and to celebrate we wafted up to Cannock on Saturday to go 'cat viewing' (don't ask).
360 mile roundtrip with three adults, two of whom are known to turn green when passegering.
Somewhere around hour five of the odyssey the rear seat occupant put down her ipad and announced the car was acceptable, and perhaps the best she'd experienced...added to which a quick brim of the tank revealed a near 36mpg average.
Still have to turn my own wipers on, though. How can I manage without haptic ashtrays? 21st century problems, eh?
360 mile roundtrip with three adults, two of whom are known to turn green when passegering.
Somewhere around hour five of the odyssey the rear seat occupant put down her ipad and announced the car was acceptable, and perhaps the best she'd experienced...added to which a quick brim of the tank revealed a near 36mpg average.
Still have to turn my own wipers on, though. How can I manage without haptic ashtrays? 21st century problems, eh?
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