RE: SOTW: Volvo C70
Discussion
crostonian said:
It's parked outside a certain well known Alfa dealer in Knutsford, it's probably in better condition than the rest of their stock!
If it's them selling it off as a trade-in, I might go take a look at it on the way down to BTaP tomorrow and post up what condition it REALLY looks to be in - only just down the road from me. 
I picked a C70 T5 a couple of years ago for only £1100. It had FSH, long MOT, the ETM had already been done and it even had a decent about of tax. You can easily picked up the T5 version for under £1500. They are alot of car for your money but, I think they are too big, heavy and powerful for FWD and really should have been RWD. If it was RWD I would have another one tomorrow because they really do look great.
I'd definitely rather have this with the lower-powered engine; T5 stuff does indeed tend to be rather squirrelly under full throttle. Normally FWD would be a turn-off but the looks...ah the looks! Such a lovely car, especially in this color. There've been hundreds of better sheds here for reliability but this one tugs my heart strings like few others have.
Bit highly priced, picked one of these up earlier in the year for £850 with only 2 stamps missing from the book, but receipts to show the work had been done at an indy, and apart from the door dent which someone decided it needed a few months back, body is straight, and it runs pretty good to be fair, but they are just so lively on the front end, and a bit sloppy on the rear end, so much body roll.
old man had a C70 T5, ive had an S70T5 and an S60 T5... superb engine, shame to see the emissions laws finally catching up with it...
throttle needs to be feathered in on the roundabouts and hands need to be tight on the wheel under acceleration (S60 a big improvement on both fronts but would be silly to suggest the engineers got it nailed) but for motorway overtakes it really does put a smile on your face...
throttle needs to be feathered in on the roundabouts and hands need to be tight on the wheel under acceleration (S60 a big improvement on both fronts but would be silly to suggest the engineers got it nailed) but for motorway overtakes it really does put a smile on your face...
Engine is largely vice-less especially the early models the etm systems are no where near as problematic as the Internet drivel will have you believe - common probs on these will be seized rear calipers and suspension bushes - at this price expect a £500 service needing brakes and tyres. Cambelts are piss easy to change on these and cheap to do but they should be changed at 40k for piece of mind
Ginger goblin said:
Nice SOTW. Made me run off to the classifieds.
My personal choice. If only for the spoiler: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2195753.htm
Nice! I think the 'in-yer-face' attitude of the spoiler and bean can exhaust is nicely tempered by the comforting, traditional Volvo values suggested by the tow-bar and mudflaps! My personal choice. If only for the spoiler: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2195753.htm
ExPat2B said:
I test drive a couple of these when I was looking for a car coupe a while ago. The T5 estate gets a lot of good press on here, as when it came out it was in a class of one, ie 200 bhp estate cars in a reasonable price bracket.
The problem is that once translated into a coupe, it come up against much more serious competion, and is judged to higher standards. And the bad news is that it doesnt reach those standards at all.
The first problem is the power. 250 BHP is a lot for the front wheels, and some changes were made to the chassis to try to cope. The rear suspension is very very stiff. The front suspension is extremely stiff. So you have a large, supposedely luxurious coupe with a terrible ride, and unforgivably, it still doesn't tame the front wheels torque steer. It desperately needed to be RWD. So its no good at motorway cruising, as it far too jiggly with a lot of tyre roar, and its terrible down a back road, with no grip from the front wheels and crashy over the potholes at speed.
The second problem are the controls. They were never designed to be a drivers car from the outset, it is after all a large saloon car where feedback is seen as an irritation by its octegenarion owners. As a result, the steering lacks any feel, the brakes are a bit of a joke and the gearchange is more suited to an ocean liner. Such things can be forgiven when motorway crusing is your aim, but as previously mentioned its a terrible motorway cruiser.
Drive one of these, and then go and drive a Manual E39 530 BMW, to see how much better it could have been.
I had one of these for a while, the T5 version. Unforunately, everything you say above is true. They are absolutely terrible at doing anything other than going in a straight line. The ride is rock hard and road noise is excessive on the motorway. Still, the T5 will put a huge smile on your face when performing overtakes.... if you can live with the 20mpg.The problem is that once translated into a coupe, it come up against much more serious competion, and is judged to higher standards. And the bad news is that it doesnt reach those standards at all.
The first problem is the power. 250 BHP is a lot for the front wheels, and some changes were made to the chassis to try to cope. The rear suspension is very very stiff. The front suspension is extremely stiff. So you have a large, supposedely luxurious coupe with a terrible ride, and unforgivably, it still doesn't tame the front wheels torque steer. It desperately needed to be RWD. So its no good at motorway cruising, as it far too jiggly with a lot of tyre roar, and its terrible down a back road, with no grip from the front wheels and crashy over the potholes at speed.
The second problem are the controls. They were never designed to be a drivers car from the outset, it is after all a large saloon car where feedback is seen as an irritation by its octegenarion owners. As a result, the steering lacks any feel, the brakes are a bit of a joke and the gearchange is more suited to an ocean liner. Such things can be forgiven when motorway crusing is your aim, but as previously mentioned its a terrible motorway cruiser.
Drive one of these, and then go and drive a Manual E39 530 BMW, to see how much better it could have been.
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