So, I spent a couple of months researching V70/V70Rs. I soon realized that an R probably wasn’t the best choice for a Volvo “newbie”. So, I set my sights on a V70 T5 (preferred), or a 2.5T. Ideally, a post facelift model since I really didn’t want to go more than about 10 years old. (Although, I might have gone older for the right T5M). Not much luck looking within 2-3 hours of my location in central NY. I didn’t want a northeastern car (too much salt) or an NYC car. So, I set out on a nationwide search, primarily focused in the southeast and northwest. Had three cars get away (one in Sacramento, one in San Diego, and one in FL) by the time the dealer/seller responded. All were 2.5Ts as 05-07 V70 T5s were practically non-existent. But, I figured I had time to look. Then, at the end of November 2017, an older gentleman hit my Sable, which resulted in the insurance totaling it. So, with insurance money in hand, my search accelerated. I had seen a 07 V70 2.5T with 138K on it in Ft. Worth, TX advertised for a few weeks. Looked clean and had the right options on it. But, the price was too high for me. Then, a couple of weeks later, I notice the price had dropped. So, I contacted the dealer. After getting some more info on the car, I arranged a stop at DFW on a business trip to CA to take a closer look. The dealer was very helpful. He let me use a lift at a shop next door and spend all the time I wanted looking at the car. It failed the glove test (slight positive pressure), had either a noisy power steering pump or alternator, broken fuel door hinge, and the seam on the outer bolster of the driver’s seat was starting to come apart. It had newer Volvo struts. And the tires and brakes were all in the 50% range. But, overall very clean. Probably spent an hour plus driving it all around the Ft. Worth area. I found an old insurance card in it that had the previous owner’s address on it. So, I decided to pay him a visit. He was very helpful and glad to see that I had such an interest in his old car. It was the first of 4 Volvos that he and his wife have owned. So, it must of treated him pretty well over the 9 years they owned it. He said that the Volvo dealer in Ft. Worth did most of the service. I asked him if there was any significant issues with the car (since he no longer had any financial interest in the car). He said no. That was reassuring. So, back to the dealer to discuss numbers.
Two weeks later, I flew back to DFW to pick up my new-to-me V70. Left the dealer at 5pm on a Sunday night and headed to Joplin, MO for the night. It was a bit scary heading into the dark oblivion on I-35N between Ft. Worth and OKC with a car I didn’t know much about. But, I made it to Missouri without any issues. The next day was a hop to my parent’s house in southern MI. Hung out there for a day and adjusted the headlights and thawed out the washer fluid (as the dealer didn’t replace it). Then, the 600 mile hop home. Not even 15 miles down the road, CEL comes on. Crap. For some reason, I didn’t bring my OBDII reader with me. So, hunted down an AutoZone to get the codes read. Codes were showing throttle position out of range. Wonderful. The car ran fine. So, got the codes cleared and I ventured on. CEL would come and go through my trip home. Ran into light snow for about 250 miles of the trip. Not a pleasant experience. The Pirelli P-Zeros were really loose in the rear in less than 1” of snow. But, made it home without any other issues. Fluid levels remained stable the whole trip.
So, here’s a summary of what I’ve done in the past year. It’s been a busy year. Sitting at 155K right now.
Repairs Made to Date:
PCV service – hoses, oil separator, banjo bolt, and small plastic tube
Throttle body cleaning (eliminated the CEL and cold idle issues)
Turbo to OTE coupler and OTE to intercooler coupler
Washer nozzles and check valves
Outside mirror glass (both fell off within a couple of months of each other)
Rear shocks and shock mounts
Upper and lower torque mounts
Fuel door hinge
Alternator (bad bearing)
Serpentine belt
Radiator hoses
Battery
Heater core (poor heat below 20 deg)
HVAC blower (noisy in cold temps)
Front lower control arms (bad bushings)
Front ball joints
Axle to hub seals
Inner and outer tie rod ends and bellows
Front brake hoses (cracked outer sheath)
Turn signal stalk (cracked)
Ignition key antenna/LED (bad LED)
Aux port (bad connector)
Engine control relay
Assorted worn/broken trim pieces
Maintenance Done to Date:
Transmission fluid flush
Power steering fluid flush
Coolant replacement
Rear rotors and pads
Replaced TCV
Cabin air filter
Upgrades Made to Date:
16” Eurus Wheels and General Altimax Arctic 12 tires
Homelink Visor (from an 05 XC90)
Rear subwoofer (best JY score!)
S80 Exec instrument cluster
S60 cluster hood
R steering wheel
T5 OTE pipe
Mud flaps
Volvo winter floor mats
12V rear outlet
S60 headlights w/ new bulbs
Amber fog lights
T5 305mm front rotors and brackets
Akebono Eurospec pads
IPD poly strut brace inserts
Painted coil cover
R injector/intake cover
Custom mesh grille
Center speaker
Panavise cell phone mount
Bluetooth adapter
Remaining Projects (parts on hand):
R front seats
Premium speakers and front door panels
Premium audio amplifier
Auto Dim rearview mirror
Black carpet
Leather console armrest
Black mesh trim
Shifter boot
Window sliders
Rear hatch support struts