The Burgundy Volvo Owners Club. Old V70s/T5.
Discussion
Warning! This probably isn’t of much interest to most folk, but I like to have somewhere to record my shenanigans with my cars, and this is my go-to forum so here it is…
(I do actually have a car history thread on here but photobucket ruined my pics. I’m trying to work through and update the pics but it’s a job and a half.)
This thread is really for my V70 T5 but I’ll cover the others first. Probably in a couple of opening posts.
It’s not really the Burgundy Volvo owners club, but I’m onto my 3rd Mk1 V70 now (I currently still have two of them) and they’ve all, purely by coincidence been burgundy.
So my mates reckon I’ve started the BVOC. Apparently I have a stand at car shows but there’s only me on it because I won’t let anyone else join.
I’ve also according to said mates, only got two questions when buying a car.
“Is it a Volvo?” Yes.
“Is it burgundy?” Yes.
I’ll take it!!!
Anyway I love these old bricks and get as excited about them as I do with my other, arguably way better cars.
So it’s a tale of 2 Volvos currently, but it’s 3 really, even though the first one has gone to the big scrapyard in the sky now, after 5 years of almost faultless service.
Not sure how I became obsessed with old Volvos after always owning hot hatches, sports cars and coupes all my driving life. There’s the obvious BTCC connection for us 40 something year olds, although they were the 850s which preceded the V70.
Mainly though I guess the older I got, the more I found myself borrowing my dads Volvo estates for DIY and tip runs. He’s owned Volvos for years and in the end I figured I may as well just buy my own.
V70 No1 - 2.5 N/A 10v manual
Like I say, this one went during summer of 2020 but it’s parts live on so I’ll cover it quickly.
Bought in 2015 from an enthusiast in Kettering. So a train ride down from Newcastle upon Tyne to collect. I paid about £750.
It was a 2.5 non-turbo 10v so the lowest power model you can get, but a nicely under-stressed motor that can live on for mega miles and it had the all important manual box. I just can’t be doing with autos, even as a daily workhorse.
When bought -
It already had an R front bumper (mega rare part these days) and I added a set of 850R Volan wheels, an XC70 “egg crate” grill and various other parts.
The alloys cost £400 second hand and I fitted a set of Kuhmo Ecsta tyres at £300.
The grill was about £75 and I had a set of Kilen lowering springs fitted. About £100 plus £60 fitting. Then a service etc.
So I’d easily spent the purchase price again basically.
Pic when done.
This car served me well for 5 years. I took it from 154k miles up to 205k miles and it never let me down. The only hiccup it had was a hesitation it developed once, on the way back from visiting my wife’s family in Colchester.
Low revs, high load and it would cut out. Simply a case of needing new plug leads for £20.
Apart from that it cost very very little. I’d give it the low mileage oil that came out of my 911 each year and I think it had a couple of brake calipers over the 5 years, due to them seizing. Apart from that it was literally just fuel, tax and insurance.
It was THE best car I’ve ever owned, as far as being a reliable, practical and comfortable old bus that took me all over and carried a lot of gear. The fact I loved how it looked was a welcome bonus.
V70 No2. - 2.5 N/A 10v manual
So summer 2020 then, having owned the first one for 5 years, it was starting to feel a bit worn. Nothing too bad but it just felt a bit baggy and loose.
I could have thrown some money at it but I figured one big item like the clutch going would deem it a bit pointless money wise.
Plus the drivers door lock failed and I couldn’t get in or out. I got the door card off and bashed away at the lock mechanism but no joy.
So the hunt began for its replacement. It had to be another Mk1 V70 and manual. I like the 850s but prefer the front end of the V70.
So again, same problem, the manuals are very hard to find. I’d say for every 10 autos that come up for sale there’ll be one or two manuals, if that.
I wasn’t bothered about paint colour, interior colour or anything. I just needed a good, straight, manual car. I’d also have really liked a T5 because I was sick of having to say “Oh, it’s not the Turbo version” to everyone that chatted about the car at petrol stations etc. My fault for fitting the R bits I guess.
I get as many people wanting to chat about the Volvos as I do my 911 when I’m out and about. I guess a lot of folk may just think “Porsche w
ker” when I’m out in that, whereas there seems to be a lot of love for the old Volvos. 
Needless to say no manual T5s had come up for sensible money (I’m constantly watching) and once my door lock failed on the old car, that forced me to hurry my search up a bit.
Anyway one night a mate sent a link to a car not far away in Carlisle. Exactly the same as my old one. Manual 10v N/A and it was even the same colour, Coral red.
I rang the guy and he seemed very genuine. An older guy who’d looked after it quite well but it had no service history as it had come in as a p/ex at his work. I pictured a “Dodgy Daves car lot” type of setup but figured at £800 I’d go for a look, as it’s mainly the recent maintenance that matters when it comes to 20 year old sheds and it was a manual after all.
Anyway the guy said “Come to my work” and when he sent me directions it turned out it was the Volvo main dealers.
We got there and the car was mega straight. I checked the parts he said he’d fitted from suspension arms to battery and they were all there and all genuine Volvo. Even the wiper blades had Volvo stamped in them.
I knocked a bit off as it hadn’t had the cambelt done for a while and then drove it home.
Here it is at home (background) next to the outgoing model (foreground), so I’m still yet to pilfer the old one for all my good parts. -
I can’t remember the exact niggles that had built up with the outgoing car but basically I decided to scrap it rather than fix it up and eBay it. I was actually moving house a week later (renting for a while) and couldn’t take 2 Volvos, so the heat was on to take what I needed and get rid.
So I swapped front bumpers, keeping the R one. I had the front bumper repainted as it was looking its age and I’d hit a deer one night on the way out of my village. Killed the dear unfortunately but there was just a tiny bash on the bottom of the bumper.
I also had the rear bumper painted due to scratches from loading, along with the wing mirrors and tailgate pull/trim. (Exactly the same list of parts I’ve just had done on my latest one but that’s for later.)
I refitted the above with new indicators, rebuilt fog lights and headlights plus I gave the egg crate grill, mudflaps and bumper grills a coat of matt black.
I booked it in with my local mechanic (Steve at Steve’s autos in Morpeth. Great lad!).
Work -
Supply and fit front wheel bearing.
Fit cambelt and water pump kit.
Fit front lowering springs. (I didn’t touch the rear as I didn’t want to alter load lugging capabilities).
A few other bits and bobs.
I kept a few parts off the old car, to replace marked ones on the new car. So NSR door and front wing.
I should have kept the front bumper but how much can you keep. We were moving into rented accommodation until we found a place we liked, hence didn’t have much storage.
I also had the Volans refurbed and x3 straightened. They’re very soft and I’m always hitting potholes.
A new set of tyres. This time 4x Nankang NS20s.
Various other bits such as centre caps and wheel nut covers.
Oh and I added a small front splitter which I’m still 50/50 on. Some days I like it, other days I think it’s a bit chavvy.
So anyway the scrap man came for the old car the day before we handed the house keys over to the new owners. I got £133 back for it. -
So the new car was pressed in to action, looking nice and fresh and exactly like the old one.
Initial costs then -
Car - £800
Paintwork 2x bumpers, wing mirrors, rear tailgate handle/trim - £400
Garage work inc. bearing - £320
T/belt & Water pump kit - £120
Springs - £130
Wheel refurb - £320
X4 tyres - £230
Front splitter - £150
Indicators - £35
Dealer number plates - £30
Transfer my reg - £80
Total - £2615 including the purchase price.
So I’d spent a fair bit on it but figured if I got another 5 years like the last one, it would be money well spent…
And it was. It just carried on from the last one. Bomb proof, comfortable and it does everything I ask. 137k miles when I bought it, so loads of life left.
So that should have been it as far as my daily car goes, for a few years, but Sod’s Law meant just after getting it all done and on the road, a manual T5 turned up and yes in burgundy.
I’ll cover that next…..
Cheers.
(I do actually have a car history thread on here but photobucket ruined my pics. I’m trying to work through and update the pics but it’s a job and a half.)
This thread is really for my V70 T5 but I’ll cover the others first. Probably in a couple of opening posts.
It’s not really the Burgundy Volvo owners club, but I’m onto my 3rd Mk1 V70 now (I currently still have two of them) and they’ve all, purely by coincidence been burgundy.
So my mates reckon I’ve started the BVOC. Apparently I have a stand at car shows but there’s only me on it because I won’t let anyone else join.
I’ve also according to said mates, only got two questions when buying a car.
“Is it a Volvo?” Yes.
“Is it burgundy?” Yes.
I’ll take it!!!
Anyway I love these old bricks and get as excited about them as I do with my other, arguably way better cars.
So it’s a tale of 2 Volvos currently, but it’s 3 really, even though the first one has gone to the big scrapyard in the sky now, after 5 years of almost faultless service.
Not sure how I became obsessed with old Volvos after always owning hot hatches, sports cars and coupes all my driving life. There’s the obvious BTCC connection for us 40 something year olds, although they were the 850s which preceded the V70.
Mainly though I guess the older I got, the more I found myself borrowing my dads Volvo estates for DIY and tip runs. He’s owned Volvos for years and in the end I figured I may as well just buy my own.
V70 No1 - 2.5 N/A 10v manual
Like I say, this one went during summer of 2020 but it’s parts live on so I’ll cover it quickly.
Bought in 2015 from an enthusiast in Kettering. So a train ride down from Newcastle upon Tyne to collect. I paid about £750.
It was a 2.5 non-turbo 10v so the lowest power model you can get, but a nicely under-stressed motor that can live on for mega miles and it had the all important manual box. I just can’t be doing with autos, even as a daily workhorse.
When bought -
It already had an R front bumper (mega rare part these days) and I added a set of 850R Volan wheels, an XC70 “egg crate” grill and various other parts.
The alloys cost £400 second hand and I fitted a set of Kuhmo Ecsta tyres at £300.
The grill was about £75 and I had a set of Kilen lowering springs fitted. About £100 plus £60 fitting. Then a service etc.
So I’d easily spent the purchase price again basically.
Pic when done.
This car served me well for 5 years. I took it from 154k miles up to 205k miles and it never let me down. The only hiccup it had was a hesitation it developed once, on the way back from visiting my wife’s family in Colchester.
Low revs, high load and it would cut out. Simply a case of needing new plug leads for £20.
Apart from that it cost very very little. I’d give it the low mileage oil that came out of my 911 each year and I think it had a couple of brake calipers over the 5 years, due to them seizing. Apart from that it was literally just fuel, tax and insurance.
It was THE best car I’ve ever owned, as far as being a reliable, practical and comfortable old bus that took me all over and carried a lot of gear. The fact I loved how it looked was a welcome bonus.
V70 No2. - 2.5 N/A 10v manual
So summer 2020 then, having owned the first one for 5 years, it was starting to feel a bit worn. Nothing too bad but it just felt a bit baggy and loose.
I could have thrown some money at it but I figured one big item like the clutch going would deem it a bit pointless money wise.
Plus the drivers door lock failed and I couldn’t get in or out. I got the door card off and bashed away at the lock mechanism but no joy.
So the hunt began for its replacement. It had to be another Mk1 V70 and manual. I like the 850s but prefer the front end of the V70.
So again, same problem, the manuals are very hard to find. I’d say for every 10 autos that come up for sale there’ll be one or two manuals, if that.
I wasn’t bothered about paint colour, interior colour or anything. I just needed a good, straight, manual car. I’d also have really liked a T5 because I was sick of having to say “Oh, it’s not the Turbo version” to everyone that chatted about the car at petrol stations etc. My fault for fitting the R bits I guess.
I get as many people wanting to chat about the Volvos as I do my 911 when I’m out and about. I guess a lot of folk may just think “Porsche w
ker” when I’m out in that, whereas there seems to be a lot of love for the old Volvos. Needless to say no manual T5s had come up for sensible money (I’m constantly watching) and once my door lock failed on the old car, that forced me to hurry my search up a bit.
Anyway one night a mate sent a link to a car not far away in Carlisle. Exactly the same as my old one. Manual 10v N/A and it was even the same colour, Coral red.
I rang the guy and he seemed very genuine. An older guy who’d looked after it quite well but it had no service history as it had come in as a p/ex at his work. I pictured a “Dodgy Daves car lot” type of setup but figured at £800 I’d go for a look, as it’s mainly the recent maintenance that matters when it comes to 20 year old sheds and it was a manual after all.
Anyway the guy said “Come to my work” and when he sent me directions it turned out it was the Volvo main dealers.
We got there and the car was mega straight. I checked the parts he said he’d fitted from suspension arms to battery and they were all there and all genuine Volvo. Even the wiper blades had Volvo stamped in them.
I knocked a bit off as it hadn’t had the cambelt done for a while and then drove it home.
Here it is at home (background) next to the outgoing model (foreground), so I’m still yet to pilfer the old one for all my good parts. -
I can’t remember the exact niggles that had built up with the outgoing car but basically I decided to scrap it rather than fix it up and eBay it. I was actually moving house a week later (renting for a while) and couldn’t take 2 Volvos, so the heat was on to take what I needed and get rid.
So I swapped front bumpers, keeping the R one. I had the front bumper repainted as it was looking its age and I’d hit a deer one night on the way out of my village. Killed the dear unfortunately but there was just a tiny bash on the bottom of the bumper.
I also had the rear bumper painted due to scratches from loading, along with the wing mirrors and tailgate pull/trim. (Exactly the same list of parts I’ve just had done on my latest one but that’s for later.)
I refitted the above with new indicators, rebuilt fog lights and headlights plus I gave the egg crate grill, mudflaps and bumper grills a coat of matt black.
I booked it in with my local mechanic (Steve at Steve’s autos in Morpeth. Great lad!).
Work -
Supply and fit front wheel bearing.
Fit cambelt and water pump kit.
Fit front lowering springs. (I didn’t touch the rear as I didn’t want to alter load lugging capabilities).
A few other bits and bobs.
I kept a few parts off the old car, to replace marked ones on the new car. So NSR door and front wing.
I should have kept the front bumper but how much can you keep. We were moving into rented accommodation until we found a place we liked, hence didn’t have much storage.
I also had the Volans refurbed and x3 straightened. They’re very soft and I’m always hitting potholes.
A new set of tyres. This time 4x Nankang NS20s.
Various other bits such as centre caps and wheel nut covers.
Oh and I added a small front splitter which I’m still 50/50 on. Some days I like it, other days I think it’s a bit chavvy.
So anyway the scrap man came for the old car the day before we handed the house keys over to the new owners. I got £133 back for it. -
So the new car was pressed in to action, looking nice and fresh and exactly like the old one.
Initial costs then -
Car - £800
Paintwork 2x bumpers, wing mirrors, rear tailgate handle/trim - £400
Garage work inc. bearing - £320
T/belt & Water pump kit - £120
Springs - £130
Wheel refurb - £320
X4 tyres - £230
Front splitter - £150
Indicators - £35
Dealer number plates - £30
Transfer my reg - £80
Total - £2615 including the purchase price.
So I’d spent a fair bit on it but figured if I got another 5 years like the last one, it would be money well spent…
And it was. It just carried on from the last one. Bomb proof, comfortable and it does everything I ask. 137k miles when I bought it, so loads of life left.
So that should have been it as far as my daily car goes, for a few years, but Sod’s Law meant just after getting it all done and on the road, a manual T5 turned up and yes in burgundy.
I’ll cover that next…..
Cheers.
Edited by marky911 on Thursday 30th March 05:39
V70 No3. - 2.3 T5 manual
Ok so I’m still back to 2 years ago here.
As I’ve said, I’d literally just got V70 No2 sorted and on the road when a T5 popped up on EBay.
Stupid to still watch EBay having sorted out a car by then, but I’d been watching T5s and R’s for a few years although they never came up at the right time.
Most V70 T5s or R’s are auto which means I simply scroll past when looking. A lot of R’s are AWD too and those AWD systems aren’t the best as they get old.
So anyway, even though I had a replacement for my original V70 sorted, I told myself when the next decent T5 came up I’d buy it.
I watched this one all week on Ebay, but figured there was no point in contacting the owner for more info until Friday, as I couldn’t get down to view it until Saturday anyway. The car was in Nottingham and I live in Northumberland.
So I finally messaged Jon the seller nearer the end of the week and he said “I was selling to add the funds to my wife’s new car purchase, but we’ve bought that today, so I’m about to pull the listing. If you’d messaged a day earlier it would have been fine”. Damn!
I left my details with Jon incase he changed his mind though and sure enough about a month later he was back in touch. It was a second car he rarely used and it was just sitting there taking up space, so he said I could have a look if I was still interested.
Anyway, long story short, I viewed it and bought it.
It’s wasn't perfect and had higher miles than I’d like at 192k but hey, these are getting hard to find and it had had a fair bit spent on it on things I’d do anyway.
One fault Jon mentioned was the clutch slave cylinder leaking. He kept it topped up but it would need sorting, which would mean clutch too and maybe flywheel, given the mileage.
We agreed a fair price and I took it home.
Sellers pics -
So what is it?
It’s a 1999 manual mk1 (P80 to give it its proper code) V70 T5 FWD in Venetian red.
192k which is a fair bit for a tuned turbo motor.
I think I’m
Only the 3rd owner. Maybe 4th at worst.
So it’s totally straight and original with history file and handbooks etc.
Nice condition but not perfect. Marks and wear commensurate with age and miles I think the car dealers would say.
It’s had a few different suspension setups on it and currently sits on Bilstein dampers and Koni springs if I remember rightly. Although it’s too “nose high” for me so that’s being addressed.
It has the following mods -
Suspension refresh as above.
Shemtek remap (he’s a t1t though).
Reverse intercooler pipe work.
Solid boost pipes.
Full stainless exhaust. Not too loud.
Genuine Volvo upper and lower strut braces.
Mk2 Ford Focus ST front discs and calipers.
18” Riva ATS aftermarket wheels which won’t be staying.
Pic next to the non turbo “V70R wish-it-was” once I got it home. You can see that Venetian red on the T5 is darker than the Coral red on the non-Turbo car.
So some nice mods and a nice straight car.
It’s so nice that fast forward 2 years and I still haven’t used it.
I literally drove it home and parked it up and it has stood since.
Why’s that then?
Well we moved house again just as I bought it, so I was busy with that during my first year owning the car. Then last year I got offered another car I’ve been watching for a while, as I owned one when I was 18. I’m 45 now.
That’s also a work in progress.
In general, life just took over a bit.
I have done bits and bobs to the car, just not much.
First job was to strip the R parts off the non turbo.
I removed the bumpers and had the standard T5 front one painted in Coral red to go on the non turbo car. I then had the deeper V70R front bumper painted in Venetian red to go on the T5.
Gratuitous shot of the old car before I put it back to standard. This car actually had to take priority as it was my daily car.
Parts stolen and it’s back in “grandad spec” again now.
15” wheels sourced and fitted.
I removed the 850R Volan wheels you can see in the pics. These are my favourite wheel of that era but aren’t technically correct as they’re off an 850 obviously. So they may or may not go on the T5.
Performing admirably with the Camel Toe.
That’s its trailer. It’s made by Camel and you tow it.
Back to the T5 then.
T5 front end stripped.
Ignore the rusty bumper brackets, I’ve all new parts to rebuild it with.
Parts back from paint -
R front bumper.
Rear bumper.
Tailgate handle strip.
Wing mirrors including colour code the bases.
All those parts went in the loft though. I figured it would be daft to fit them when the car had to go to the garage for a load of work. Last thing I wanted was a mechanic leaning in to drop the gearbox etc.
So that’s the how the car stood for almost 2 years, until this week.
More to follow…..
If you’ve made it this far well done.
Cheers.
PS. Ignore any typos or nonsensical sentences. I’m dashing as it’s the end of my nightshift here.
Ok so I’m still back to 2 years ago here.
As I’ve said, I’d literally just got V70 No2 sorted and on the road when a T5 popped up on EBay.
Stupid to still watch EBay having sorted out a car by then, but I’d been watching T5s and R’s for a few years although they never came up at the right time.
Most V70 T5s or R’s are auto which means I simply scroll past when looking. A lot of R’s are AWD too and those AWD systems aren’t the best as they get old.
So anyway, even though I had a replacement for my original V70 sorted, I told myself when the next decent T5 came up I’d buy it.
I watched this one all week on Ebay, but figured there was no point in contacting the owner for more info until Friday, as I couldn’t get down to view it until Saturday anyway. The car was in Nottingham and I live in Northumberland.
So I finally messaged Jon the seller nearer the end of the week and he said “I was selling to add the funds to my wife’s new car purchase, but we’ve bought that today, so I’m about to pull the listing. If you’d messaged a day earlier it would have been fine”. Damn!
I left my details with Jon incase he changed his mind though and sure enough about a month later he was back in touch. It was a second car he rarely used and it was just sitting there taking up space, so he said I could have a look if I was still interested.
Anyway, long story short, I viewed it and bought it.
It’s wasn't perfect and had higher miles than I’d like at 192k but hey, these are getting hard to find and it had had a fair bit spent on it on things I’d do anyway.
One fault Jon mentioned was the clutch slave cylinder leaking. He kept it topped up but it would need sorting, which would mean clutch too and maybe flywheel, given the mileage.
We agreed a fair price and I took it home.
Sellers pics -
So what is it?
It’s a 1999 manual mk1 (P80 to give it its proper code) V70 T5 FWD in Venetian red.
192k which is a fair bit for a tuned turbo motor.
I think I’m
Only the 3rd owner. Maybe 4th at worst.
So it’s totally straight and original with history file and handbooks etc.
Nice condition but not perfect. Marks and wear commensurate with age and miles I think the car dealers would say.
It’s had a few different suspension setups on it and currently sits on Bilstein dampers and Koni springs if I remember rightly. Although it’s too “nose high” for me so that’s being addressed.
It has the following mods -
Suspension refresh as above.
Shemtek remap (he’s a t1t though).
Reverse intercooler pipe work.
Solid boost pipes.
Full stainless exhaust. Not too loud.
Genuine Volvo upper and lower strut braces.
Mk2 Ford Focus ST front discs and calipers.
18” Riva ATS aftermarket wheels which won’t be staying.
Pic next to the non turbo “V70R wish-it-was” once I got it home. You can see that Venetian red on the T5 is darker than the Coral red on the non-Turbo car.
So some nice mods and a nice straight car.
It’s so nice that fast forward 2 years and I still haven’t used it.
I literally drove it home and parked it up and it has stood since.
Why’s that then?
Well we moved house again just as I bought it, so I was busy with that during my first year owning the car. Then last year I got offered another car I’ve been watching for a while, as I owned one when I was 18. I’m 45 now.
That’s also a work in progress.
In general, life just took over a bit.
I have done bits and bobs to the car, just not much.
First job was to strip the R parts off the non turbo.
I removed the bumpers and had the standard T5 front one painted in Coral red to go on the non turbo car. I then had the deeper V70R front bumper painted in Venetian red to go on the T5.
Gratuitous shot of the old car before I put it back to standard. This car actually had to take priority as it was my daily car.
Parts stolen and it’s back in “grandad spec” again now.
15” wheels sourced and fitted.
I removed the 850R Volan wheels you can see in the pics. These are my favourite wheel of that era but aren’t technically correct as they’re off an 850 obviously. So they may or may not go on the T5.
Performing admirably with the Camel Toe.
That’s its trailer. It’s made by Camel and you tow it.
Back to the T5 then.
T5 front end stripped.
Ignore the rusty bumper brackets, I’ve all new parts to rebuild it with.
Parts back from paint -
R front bumper.
Rear bumper.
Tailgate handle strip.
Wing mirrors including colour code the bases.
All those parts went in the loft though. I figured it would be daft to fit them when the car had to go to the garage for a load of work. Last thing I wanted was a mechanic leaning in to drop the gearbox etc.
So that’s the how the car stood for almost 2 years, until this week.
More to follow…..
If you’ve made it this far well done.
Cheers.
PS. Ignore any typos or nonsensical sentences. I’m dashing as it’s the end of my nightshift here.
Edited by marky911 on Saturday 1st April 00:50
Hi Northbrook.
As ever it’s down to use, but ultimately for best comfort, reliability and zero hassle, standard always wins.
The standard car on 15”/16” wheels and soft, high suspension is the ultimate mile muncher.
However I’m still a big tart at heart and I still subscribe to the old “wheels and ride height make a car” mantra.
So a subtle drop especially on decent dampers and nice wheels, preferably OEM is always where I’d go.
I haven’t had a remapped car for about 25 years. I quickly learnt when I was young, that if you want a quicker car, buy one. Throwing thousands at tuning turbo cars only to have them blow up or never quite drive as nicely as it could, quickly got boring.
That’s not to say I don’t admire what some owners and tuners do and I love a good resto-mod.
The miles on this T5 coupled with the remap has the potential for future woes but we’ll see. I’m lucky in that I have a few cars so if one breaks I can park it up until I can sort it thoroughly.
Cheers.
As ever it’s down to use, but ultimately for best comfort, reliability and zero hassle, standard always wins.
The standard car on 15”/16” wheels and soft, high suspension is the ultimate mile muncher.
However I’m still a big tart at heart and I still subscribe to the old “wheels and ride height make a car” mantra.
So a subtle drop especially on decent dampers and nice wheels, preferably OEM is always where I’d go.
I haven’t had a remapped car for about 25 years. I quickly learnt when I was young, that if you want a quicker car, buy one. Throwing thousands at tuning turbo cars only to have them blow up or never quite drive as nicely as it could, quickly got boring.
That’s not to say I don’t admire what some owners and tuners do and I love a good resto-mod.
The miles on this T5 coupled with the remap has the potential for future woes but we’ll see. I’m lucky in that I have a few cars so if one breaks I can park it up until I can sort it thoroughly.
Cheers.
Edited by marky911 on Thursday 30th March 20:30
Cheers Bob, yeah I love them.
I always remember the 850 T5 touring cars and police cars from when I was young. It took until I was older to really appreciate them again though.
I think it’s great that back in the day everyone was raving about Cosworths that came with 210/220bhp, yet Volvo were quietly getting on with producing estate cars with 240/250bhp.
Audi were at it too. Great cars.
Hi Norseman,
It’s great. Pulls really well. The magic number folk aim for with my mods is 300bhp. In reality it usually ends up 280+ to 290bhp.
Certainly feels it although turbo cars sometimes feel quicker than they are.
It’s still perfectly nice when driven normally which mine generally will be.
I’d love to gradually build a big power engine for it but to be honest it’s perfect for me as it is.
I have a rule of not having a more powerful daily than my fun car. My fun car is 410bhp so the Volvo nudging 300 is ideal.
I always remember the 850 T5 touring cars and police cars from when I was young. It took until I was older to really appreciate them again though.
I think it’s great that back in the day everyone was raving about Cosworths that came with 210/220bhp, yet Volvo were quietly getting on with producing estate cars with 240/250bhp.
Audi were at it too. Great cars.
Hi Norseman,
It’s great. Pulls really well. The magic number folk aim for with my mods is 300bhp. In reality it usually ends up 280+ to 290bhp.
Certainly feels it although turbo cars sometimes feel quicker than they are.
It’s still perfectly nice when driven normally which mine generally will be.
I’d love to gradually build a big power engine for it but to be honest it’s perfect for me as it is.
I have a rule of not having a more powerful daily than my fun car. My fun car is 410bhp so the Volvo nudging 300 is ideal.
So I’ve only driven it home two years ago then driven it 5 miles each way to my mechanic last week.
Same 3 faults are there that I knew about.
1) Air-con not working. (When does it ever?)
2) Cruise control not working. (I rarely use it but would on euro trips munching motorway miles)
3) P0013 camshaft pos sensor, VVT actuator circuit fault.
I’ve a feeling that last one could involve throwing parts at it. Hopefully a good specialist may have another car there he can swap parts over to pinpoint the issue, then I can buy what I need. We’ll see.
I can have a good poke around myself first. Especially for the cruise and P0013 code.
So last weeks work was a couple of big jobs at my local garage.
First job was to empty the car as I’d been using it as a parts store, with the boot and rear seats full.
Half emptied -
(Again, ignore the rotten bumper brackets. New ones are here ready to be fitted before bumper goes back on.)
The front end looked like this -
As I’ve mentioned, I wasn’t going to fit my freshly painted bumpers incase they got marked during the work, but I had to add headlights and indicators at the very least.
After that I had to physically get the car to the garage.
Well I hadn’t kept the clutch fluid topped up for that leaking slave cylinder had I, so I’d lost the clutch pedal pressure.
So my dad came up with his pressure bleeder.
Trouble is once we got a firm clutch pedal again, if we removed the pressure bleeder it would just fall to the floor again.
So we’d have to somehow leave the bleeder attached.
I had to use a bicycle inner tube on my passenger seat (to pressure the bleeder), with the hose out of the passenger window to the bottle which I strapped onto the side of the engine bay.
My dad then followed me to the garage anyway. It’s only 5 miles of quiet roads thankfully.
Here’s the parts pile for round one -
Work to be carried out -
Remove gearbox to fit 850R clutch and new slave cylinder.
Remove dual mass flywheel and convert to 850 singlemass, inc. new bolts.
Fit timing belt and waterpump kit.
Fit Kilen lowering springs. (Fit fronts only.)
Carry out gearbox oil change. Genuine oil.
Now, I expected something to go wrong, especially with the singlemass flywheel conversion as I’d gathered the parts over a couple of years and had read contrasting parts lists from different people.
Thankfully though the only phone call I had from the garage was to say the drivers side driveshaft was rough and dropping to bits.
I quickly ordered one (ensuring the correct one as there are two types on the Mk1 V70s) and had it delivered to the garage the next day.
Once that was fitted the car was ready for collection.
It drives spot on. I’d been slightly wary about clutch feel with the singlemass but it’s fine. A touch sharper than with the dual mass but absolutely fine. After all the dual mass is really just to smooth things out for cack-handed (or should that be footed?) drivers.
Also I’d noticed a slight grumbling from OSF wheel when I bought the car. I’d presumed wheel bearing but no that’s fine, it must have been the driveshaft/CV joint. So that’s fine too.
Even my brake discs cleaned up nicely. I thought they might need replacing as they were just thick brown rust after standing for 2 years. So that’s a bonus too as it runs grooved Focus ST discs etc.
So that’s where I’m upto currently.
Loads still do do. In fact my jobs can only just begin now.
I’ll update with more pics rather than words, going forward.
Same 3 faults are there that I knew about.
1) Air-con not working. (When does it ever?)
2) Cruise control not working. (I rarely use it but would on euro trips munching motorway miles)
3) P0013 camshaft pos sensor, VVT actuator circuit fault.
I’ve a feeling that last one could involve throwing parts at it. Hopefully a good specialist may have another car there he can swap parts over to pinpoint the issue, then I can buy what I need. We’ll see.
I can have a good poke around myself first. Especially for the cruise and P0013 code.
So last weeks work was a couple of big jobs at my local garage.
First job was to empty the car as I’d been using it as a parts store, with the boot and rear seats full.
Half emptied -
(Again, ignore the rotten bumper brackets. New ones are here ready to be fitted before bumper goes back on.)
The front end looked like this -
As I’ve mentioned, I wasn’t going to fit my freshly painted bumpers incase they got marked during the work, but I had to add headlights and indicators at the very least.
After that I had to physically get the car to the garage.
Well I hadn’t kept the clutch fluid topped up for that leaking slave cylinder had I, so I’d lost the clutch pedal pressure.
So my dad came up with his pressure bleeder.
Trouble is once we got a firm clutch pedal again, if we removed the pressure bleeder it would just fall to the floor again.
So we’d have to somehow leave the bleeder attached.
I had to use a bicycle inner tube on my passenger seat (to pressure the bleeder), with the hose out of the passenger window to the bottle which I strapped onto the side of the engine bay.
My dad then followed me to the garage anyway. It’s only 5 miles of quiet roads thankfully.
Here’s the parts pile for round one -
Work to be carried out -
Remove gearbox to fit 850R clutch and new slave cylinder.
Remove dual mass flywheel and convert to 850 singlemass, inc. new bolts.
Fit timing belt and waterpump kit.
Fit Kilen lowering springs. (Fit fronts only.)
Carry out gearbox oil change. Genuine oil.
Now, I expected something to go wrong, especially with the singlemass flywheel conversion as I’d gathered the parts over a couple of years and had read contrasting parts lists from different people.
Thankfully though the only phone call I had from the garage was to say the drivers side driveshaft was rough and dropping to bits.
I quickly ordered one (ensuring the correct one as there are two types on the Mk1 V70s) and had it delivered to the garage the next day.
Once that was fitted the car was ready for collection.
It drives spot on. I’d been slightly wary about clutch feel with the singlemass but it’s fine. A touch sharper than with the dual mass but absolutely fine. After all the dual mass is really just to smooth things out for cack-handed (or should that be footed?) drivers.
Also I’d noticed a slight grumbling from OSF wheel when I bought the car. I’d presumed wheel bearing but no that’s fine, it must have been the driveshaft/CV joint. So that’s fine too.
Even my brake discs cleaned up nicely. I thought they might need replacing as they were just thick brown rust after standing for 2 years. So that’s a bonus too as it runs grooved Focus ST discs etc.
So that’s where I’m upto currently.
Loads still do do. In fact my jobs can only just begin now.
I’ll update with more pics rather than words, going forward.
Edited by marky911 on Saturday 1st April 00:52
Right, thought I’d do an update on my T5.
Better late than never and for my own OCD really.
I’ll cover it in a few posts.
So going back to last May then and still before I got the car on the road…
Once I’d had the bulk of the mechanical work done it was time to reassemble the car and sort a few cosmetic issues out.
The car currently stood like this -
First job which I do to all cars I buy was a wheels off underbody wash, then remove the arch liners and sort out the wheel arches.
I’ll just stick a few pics up. Might not all be of the same arch as I didn’t photograph each stage on every arch.
This was in no way meant to be a show car finish. Simply restored protection so the car will outlive me now.
Process was -
Wire wheel any surface rust.
Zinc primer
Stonechip (textured finish but over paintable)
Spray primer
Body colour
Lacquer
Wheels off first to see what we are dealing with.
Grind any surface rust with wire wheel. Everything was solid thankfully.
Zinc primered
Stonechip
Primed
Colour
All done
Ignore the liberal smattering of paint on rear brakes.
The suspension had all been renewed by a previous owner so that cleaned up as new. Bilstein dampers with Eibach -30mm springs and new bushes throughout.
The car is aitting nose-high for my liking but more on that later.
The eagle eyed will spot the power steering leak. That was fixed during all the clutch work but I had to clean the excess off still.
More to follow.
Better late than never and for my own OCD really.
I’ll cover it in a few posts.
So going back to last May then and still before I got the car on the road…
Once I’d had the bulk of the mechanical work done it was time to reassemble the car and sort a few cosmetic issues out.
The car currently stood like this -
First job which I do to all cars I buy was a wheels off underbody wash, then remove the arch liners and sort out the wheel arches.
I’ll just stick a few pics up. Might not all be of the same arch as I didn’t photograph each stage on every arch.
This was in no way meant to be a show car finish. Simply restored protection so the car will outlive me now.
Process was -
Wire wheel any surface rust.
Zinc primer
Stonechip (textured finish but over paintable)
Spray primer
Body colour
Lacquer
Wheels off first to see what we are dealing with.
Grind any surface rust with wire wheel. Everything was solid thankfully.
Zinc primered
Stonechip
Primed
Colour
All done
Ignore the liberal smattering of paint on rear brakes.
The suspension had all been renewed by a previous owner so that cleaned up as new. Bilstein dampers with Eibach -30mm springs and new bushes throughout.
The car is aitting nose-high for my liking but more on that later.
The eagle eyed will spot the power steering leak. That was fixed during all the clutch work but I had to clean the excess off still.
More to follow.
Next I reassembled and fitted the wing mirrors that had been painted.
Then it was on to preparing the rear of the car for the bumper to go back on.
Old tailgate handle had seen better days so that was removed.
I’d had a spare one painted and built back up,ready to go straight on.
Tailgate inside panel refitted with new clips.
Also new wiper blades and I had the arms powder-coated.
Bumper brackets had seen better days although the actual metalwork of the car was pretty damn good.
New ones bought and fitted, along with everything cleaned up, the towbar painted and everything given a coating of clear wax.
Bumper back on and that’s the back end done.
Then it was on to preparing the rear of the car for the bumper to go back on.
Old tailgate handle had seen better days so that was removed.
I’d had a spare one painted and built back up,ready to go straight on.
Tailgate inside panel refitted with new clips.
Also new wiper blades and I had the arms powder-coated.
Bumper brackets had seen better days although the actual metalwork of the car was pretty damn good.
New ones bought and fitted, along with everything cleaned up, the towbar painted and everything given a coating of clear wax.
Bumper back on and that’s the back end done.
Edited by marky911 on Thursday 9th May 02:24
Front end next and a similar thing to rear.
Cleaned front panel down and painted in box sections.
Bumper brackets were solid so shot blasted them at work and painted them.
All fitted with the V70”R” front bumper. (It’s deeper than the standard one.)
I also always add a chavvy little front splitter. Some days I like it, some days I don’t.
After that I had a look at wheels.
The car came with some chavvy 18” aftermarket things.
I prefer OEM and have always run 850R Volans on my V70s, as they’re my favourite Volvo wheel.
Technically they’re wrong for the V70 though, being from the model before (the 850).
I had a set of Volans ready to go on, that had been refurbed and had new Nankang NS20 tyres fitted.
Volans
However the refurb was a joke. Thanks Alloyfix near Newcastle.
So that combined with the fact that the Volans are “wrong” made me buy a set of V70R comets. Period correct.
(They’re actually C70 comets. Same wheel but 7.5 rather than the V70Rs 7 inch width. I’d have preferred the V70R ones but they’re hens teeth to get hold of.)
Comets
I had my tyres swapped over and fitted them.
So below is how the car came with 18” alloys and red Focus ST calipers.
Below are the Comets with painted calipers. Black with body coloured retaining clips and an R decal. No it’s not an R but surely that’s better than ST.
Once I’d sorted out wheels I have the XC70 egg crate grill a coat of matt black.
I also ditched the headlights in favour of some ‘03 onwards C70 crystal headlights.
Old vs new.
And fitted new indicators.
That was the bodywork and cosmetics pretty much back together and complete.
I had my dent guy remove a load of dents. I’m talking maybe 14 or 15.
That alone made the car look way fresher.
Anyway, all done.
Cleaned front panel down and painted in box sections.
Bumper brackets were solid so shot blasted them at work and painted them.
All fitted with the V70”R” front bumper. (It’s deeper than the standard one.)
I also always add a chavvy little front splitter. Some days I like it, some days I don’t.
After that I had a look at wheels.
The car came with some chavvy 18” aftermarket things.
I prefer OEM and have always run 850R Volans on my V70s, as they’re my favourite Volvo wheel.
Technically they’re wrong for the V70 though, being from the model before (the 850).
I had a set of Volans ready to go on, that had been refurbed and had new Nankang NS20 tyres fitted.
Volans
However the refurb was a joke. Thanks Alloyfix near Newcastle.
So that combined with the fact that the Volans are “wrong” made me buy a set of V70R comets. Period correct.
(They’re actually C70 comets. Same wheel but 7.5 rather than the V70Rs 7 inch width. I’d have preferred the V70R ones but they’re hens teeth to get hold of.)
Comets
I had my tyres swapped over and fitted them.
So below is how the car came with 18” alloys and red Focus ST calipers.
Below are the Comets with painted calipers. Black with body coloured retaining clips and an R decal. No it’s not an R but surely that’s better than ST.
Once I’d sorted out wheels I have the XC70 egg crate grill a coat of matt black.
I also ditched the headlights in favour of some ‘03 onwards C70 crystal headlights.
Old vs new.
And fitted new indicators.
That was the bodywork and cosmetics pretty much back together and complete.
I had my dent guy remove a load of dents. I’m talking maybe 14 or 15.
That alone made the car look way fresher.
Anyway, all done.
Edited by marky911 on Thursday 9th May 04:54
With that it was off for MOT.
Didn’t take much to pass. I’d have to check back to see, but the main thing was an inner tie rod on the steering rack. No biggie.
I mentioned I didn’t like the nose-high stance so I had a set of Kilen front springs fitted. These always had my previous V70s sitting nicely, however they did nothing on this one. I’ve realised it’s probably that the rear is too low so I have two options now. Fit the Kilen rears to raise it a bit and level things out or try a third set of front springs.
I left it as it was for last year though as we were already into June and I just wanted to use the car.
With a fresh MOT off it went to the local detailer, Liam at DrValet.
He got it looking great. Very happy.
You may spot the missing front door cards.
I’d removed them as they had separated (common issue) so I had to tiger seal them back together and refit with new clips.
I was waiting on the clips though when car went for its detail.
Refitted straight after.
More to follow….
Didn’t take much to pass. I’d have to check back to see, but the main thing was an inner tie rod on the steering rack. No biggie.
I mentioned I didn’t like the nose-high stance so I had a set of Kilen front springs fitted. These always had my previous V70s sitting nicely, however they did nothing on this one. I’ve realised it’s probably that the rear is too low so I have two options now. Fit the Kilen rears to raise it a bit and level things out or try a third set of front springs.
I left it as it was for last year though as we were already into June and I just wanted to use the car.
With a fresh MOT off it went to the local detailer, Liam at DrValet.
He got it looking great. Very happy.
You may spot the missing front door cards.
I’d removed them as they had separated (common issue) so I had to tiger seal them back together and refit with new clips.
I was waiting on the clips though when car went for its detail.
Refitted straight after.
More to follow….
Edited by marky911 on Thursday 9th May 05:16
Cheers Dan and yes that’s a big old bus to learn to drive in. 
Apparently if you passed your actual test in a one, you also got your container shipping licence at the same time.
Oh and the colour is Venetian red. Much nicer than the washed out looking Coral red on my non turbo V70.
Thanks Johnno and yep it goes well and sounds lovely. It doesn’t get a hard life with me. I’m not sure how long it would last given the mileage, if it was to be booted around mercilessly. It may be ok as it isn’t a crazy tune.
Standard they are 240hp. It’s somewhere around 290bhp now.
Still very comfortable though.
Oh and don’t be fooled by the Nankang name. The NS20s are far from ditch-finders.
I think they’re a fair tyre for the car. I’ve run Kumho Ecstas, Toyo Proxes and NS20s on most of my cheaper cars over the last 10 or 15 years. All provide great grip and good feel. Absolutely fine for summer dailies.
Kuhmos are the best all round and last longer than the other two, whilst gripping just as well. I have them on my 205 GTi and it’s an absolute blast.
It’s horses for courses. I don’t mind spending £1000 per set of Michelins for my GT3, but £1000 is a third of the value of the T5 and for what gain? Forum bragging rights.
I think £300 for a set of the above is fair and as I say, on the times I have had a spirited drive, I have never had a single moment or been left left anything other than impressed.
So check back in future but you’ll never see it wearing Michelins, etc, as it’s just overkill.
Apparently if you passed your actual test in a one, you also got your container shipping licence at the same time.
Oh and the colour is Venetian red. Much nicer than the washed out looking Coral red on my non turbo V70.
Thanks Johnno and yep it goes well and sounds lovely. It doesn’t get a hard life with me. I’m not sure how long it would last given the mileage, if it was to be booted around mercilessly. It may be ok as it isn’t a crazy tune.
Standard they are 240hp. It’s somewhere around 290bhp now.
Still very comfortable though.
Oh and don’t be fooled by the Nankang name. The NS20s are far from ditch-finders.
I think they’re a fair tyre for the car. I’ve run Kumho Ecstas, Toyo Proxes and NS20s on most of my cheaper cars over the last 10 or 15 years. All provide great grip and good feel. Absolutely fine for summer dailies.
Kuhmos are the best all round and last longer than the other two, whilst gripping just as well. I have them on my 205 GTi and it’s an absolute blast.
It’s horses for courses. I don’t mind spending £1000 per set of Michelins for my GT3, but £1000 is a third of the value of the T5 and for what gain? Forum bragging rights.
I think £300 for a set of the above is fair and as I say, on the times I have had a spirited drive, I have never had a single moment or been left left anything other than impressed.
So check back in future but you’ll never see it wearing Michelins, etc, as it’s just overkill.
Edited by marky911 on Thursday 9th May 14:49
Peak estates for me. I have its distant Swedish brother the Saab 9-5 Aero.
If I was a little bit older I could easily see myself purchasing it brand new and keeping it from then until now. Volvo lost its image by getting rid of the estate but unfortunately the vast majority of the public are plebs and would rather be in jacked up hatchbacks on stilts!
If I was a little bit older I could easily see myself purchasing it brand new and keeping it from then until now. Volvo lost its image by getting rid of the estate but unfortunately the vast majority of the public are plebs and would rather be in jacked up hatchbacks on stilts!
marky911 said:
Thanks Johnno and yep it goes well and sounds lovely. It doesn’t get a hard life with me. I’m not sure how long it would last given the mileage, if it was to be booted around mercilessly. It may be ok as it isn’t a crazy tune.
Standard they are 240hp. It’s somewhere around 290bhp now.
Still very comfortable though.
Oh and don’t be fooled by the Nankang name. The NS20s are far from ditch-finders.
I think they’re a fair tyre for the car. I’ve run Kumho Ecstas, Toyo Proxes and NS20s on most of my cheaper cars over the last 10 or 15 years. All provide great grip and good feel. Absolutely fine for summer dailies.
Kuhmos are the best all round and last longer than the other two, whilst gripping just as well. I have them on my 205 GTi and it’s an absolute blast.
It’s horses for courses. I don’t mind spending £1000 per set of Michelins for my GT3, but £1000 is a third of the value of the T5 and for what gain? Forum bragging rights.
I think £300 for a set of the above is fair and as I say, on the times I have had a spirited drive, I have never had a single moment or been left left anything other than impressed.
So check back in future but you’ll never see it wearing Michelins, etc, as it’s just overkill.
Not wishing to derail your thread with tyre talk, but they are terrible tyres, the last group test they were in they came 19th of 20 tyres with actual measurables to be put against them.Standard they are 240hp. It’s somewhere around 290bhp now.
Still very comfortable though.
Oh and don’t be fooled by the Nankang name. The NS20s are far from ditch-finders.
I think they’re a fair tyre for the car. I’ve run Kumho Ecstas, Toyo Proxes and NS20s on most of my cheaper cars over the last 10 or 15 years. All provide great grip and good feel. Absolutely fine for summer dailies.
Kuhmos are the best all round and last longer than the other two, whilst gripping just as well. I have them on my 205 GTi and it’s an absolute blast.
It’s horses for courses. I don’t mind spending £1000 per set of Michelins for my GT3, but £1000 is a third of the value of the T5 and for what gain? Forum bragging rights.
I think £300 for a set of the above is fair and as I say, on the times I have had a spirited drive, I have never had a single moment or been left left anything other than impressed.
So check back in future but you’ll never see it wearing Michelins, etc, as it’s just overkill.
Edited by marky911 on Thursday 9th May 14:49
Test] said:
Positives: None mentioned.
Negatives: Very long braking, poor traction, and slow steering in the wet. Very high rolling resistance. Oversteer in the dry.
The NS2R is a good budget semi slick however. Negatives: Very long braking, poor traction, and slow steering in the wet. Very high rolling resistance. Oversteer in the dry.
I do however get the price of tyre vs. value of the car, although a T5 is an appreciating vehicle these days? Especially a manual, and I would bet the cost of even going for a set of Michelins would be maybe £450 vs. the £300. A decent mid range somewhere in between.
Meh, I've just wasted 5mins of my life typing that, but just a pet hate of mine
I spent £20 extra to put a pair of Goodyears on the front a Leaf vs. Falken. Made it over steer though (Falkens on the rear) marky911 said:
Cheers Dan and yes that’s a big old bus to learn to drive in.
Apparently if you passed your actual test in a one, you also got your container shipping licence at the same time.
Oh and the colour is Venetian red. Much nicer than the washed out looking Coral red on my non turbo V70.
Haha yeah it was a great car to learn in TBH - It was that and my Mum's Nissan Micra Apparently if you passed your actual test in a one, you also got your container shipping licence at the same time.
Oh and the colour is Venetian red. Much nicer than the washed out looking Coral red on my non turbo V70.
But they got me to my test with only 8 official lessons and a full clean pass, no minors... However I did a LOT of driving in the Ovlov and one of my Dad's colleagues at Lancs Constab was the Head of the Driving School; he taught me as well (taught me some bad habits as well
) - best of both worlds...Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff