Volvo S60R new daily
Discussion
Morning all,
Thought I'd share with you my latest purchase.. A 2004 facelift Volvo S60R AWD in much sought after manual gearbox form too!
Specs.. 300bhp turbo 5 cylinder, Haldex AWD system, Four C active suspension, Full leathers, Full Volvo service history and only 73000 miles! A very good starting point, this is gonna be a keeper I think
Here's some pics
Not the best pics but you get the idea!
That's pretty much it though! Still very pleased with it despite only owning for 3 weeks but it is the most complete car I have ever owned! It's pretty quick, handles well, makes all the right noises and is of course Volvo safe! I also have no actual plans to do anything to the car either, it's well sorted out the box, although the exhaust is looking a bit flakey in places so may upgrade to something a bit more vocal if I have to!
Comments welcome!
Thought I'd share with you my latest purchase.. A 2004 facelift Volvo S60R AWD in much sought after manual gearbox form too!
Specs.. 300bhp turbo 5 cylinder, Haldex AWD system, Four C active suspension, Full leathers, Full Volvo service history and only 73000 miles! A very good starting point, this is gonna be a keeper I think
Here's some pics
Not the best pics but you get the idea!
That's pretty much it though! Still very pleased with it despite only owning for 3 weeks but it is the most complete car I have ever owned! It's pretty quick, handles well, makes all the right noises and is of course Volvo safe!
I also have no actual plans to do anything to the car either, it's well sorted out the box, although the exhaust is looking a bit flakey in places so may upgrade to something a bit more vocal if I have to!Comments welcome!
civicduty said:
Go on then, how much?
Knew this would come up... Considering I did buy from a dealer, low mileage and full Volvo history I paid £6k.. Not bad in fairness as I was looking at buying another Focus ST, which are still quite expensive and not as well kitted out, comfortably or importantly as quick as the Volvo! civicduty said:
That's seems perfectly reasonable, you wouldn't get a BMW or a Mercedes of similar age and mileage with the same spec for that money. I just wondered as it looked so clean for the age, the wheels, bodywork everything look immaculate. I only wish I had gone for a fast Petrol Volvo saloon instead of my Diesel Mondeo Rep mobile.
That's okay yeah looking at other Rs for sale they sort of sit around from £5k anywhere up to £8k for a really late one! So I got a good deal really, especially with the history, mileage and condition it is really really good It was a bit of an odd choice if I'm honest considering what else I could have had but I just really appreciate the smaller details on the car plus it's exclusivity and Q car status really do appeal to me
civicduty said:
Have you got anymore pictures of the interior?
I shall get some up soon! Unfortunately it's not the David Dickinson off cut tan leather coloured interior! Mines got the Blue/Black leather which actually suits the black outside really well. I will get pics up soon though
Thanks for the comments everyone that's interesting about the registration too, will have a look through the history again tomorrow see what it says!
I will keep the posts updated of course and will get some interior pics up too hopefully nothing major comes up and looking through the old reciepts has had a lot of work on the AWD system including the angle gear and collar - hopefully upgrade ones have been fitted! Looking forward to running this one and hopefully bringing to a few PH meets 
that's interesting about the registration too, will have a look through the history again tomorrow see what it says! I will keep the posts updated of course and will get some interior pics up too
hopefully nothing major comes up and looking through the old reciepts has had a lot of work on the AWD system including the angle gear and collar - hopefully upgrade ones have been fitted! Looking forward to running this one and hopefully bringing to a few PH meets JeffreyLebowski said:
Always liked the look, sound, pace and value of these, but having owned an s60 d5 and got rid due to not really getting on with the steering and handling of it (despite enjoying the comfort), I'm not sure id go for a version which take some commitment in running costs when its predictable (and hence more boring a choice) rivals offer a more entertaining steer. That been said, looking at the pictures still makes me want one! Enjoy
Hi there! Yeah I know what you mean about the current and potential running costs but it comes with the territory of the car I guess! I'm young and prepared for it As with regards to the handling too I've never driven a standard S60 so can't really comment, I have however had a few decent handling cars before such as Golf mk2 GTI, MG ZS 180, Focus ST and I was prepared originally for the S60R to be a bit of a floppy heavy saloon which was only good in a straight line... I was so so wrong... It handles like its on rails, seriously the grip is phenomenal especially when using sport and advanced settings on the active chassis! Comfort setting does however put the car into 'Bison mode' and really softens things up, especially noticeable when pushing on a bit but on poor road surfaces it's very impressive!
in not going to say it's as good as an M3 or S4 but it's right up there with them I reckon! ajb85 said:
Lovely! A bit oddball so right up my street. Probably the last proper 'Q car' that springs to mind. I remember watching the Top Gear review and thinking how plain mad it was. Loved the blue dials and orange seats on there demo car.
Yeah I remember that episode! Think it put in a pretty respectable 1:35 around the TG test track so not overly bad! I'm not sure Clarkson was a huge fan of it on test but it still appealed to me enough to buy it all these years later Baryonyx said:
And in that green, they're just stunning. It's a tough colour to photograph but in person, on a sunny day, wow!
Absolutely love Flash Green! Was so close to buying one in that colour but the mileage was a lot higher than this one and wasn't as fully documented history wise! Agree it's a cracking colour in the flesh! charltjr said:
Balls.
Of.
Steel.
That is all
To be fair, they're nowhere near as expensive to keep on the road as they used to be now that the 4C shocks are available direct from Monroe. Just make sure your 4WD system actually works as soon as you possibly can.
I know. I'm mad. And yes the AWD has been tested the unconventional way trying to get all 300bhp on the road from a wet standing start... Of.
Steel.
That is all
To be fair, they're nowhere near as expensive to keep on the road as they used to be now that the 4C shocks are available direct from Monroe. Just make sure your 4WD system actually works as soon as you possibly can.
seriously impressive the way the power is put down! Thanks for the messages everyone!
Here's a few interior pics! I believe it's Nordkapp blue/black leather looks a little worn in places so looking at trying to sort over the year when I can!
R dials - please excuse how dirty they are - only just noticed when loading them :/
Oh and the cause of the recent debate.. The VOLVO engine
Still loving the car though and yes you can really drive it like a loon and it just rewards you, very confidence inspiring to drive quickly too if that makes sense!
Will keep updated!
Here's a few interior pics! I believe it's Nordkapp blue/black leather looks a little worn in places so looking at trying to sort over the year when I can!
R dials - please excuse how dirty they are - only just noticed when loading them :/
Oh and the cause of the recent debate.. The VOLVO engine
Still loving the car though and yes you can really drive it like a loon and it just rewards you, very confidence inspiring to drive quickly too if that makes sense!
Will keep updated!
Suppose it's time for an update on this thread.
Not much to report really on the Volvo, Went for a minor service and health check at the local Volvo stealership in Bedford and no major problems discovered!
Looking at getting the tires changed soon to a set of Bridgestone Potenzas possibly and also have been eying up a Ferrita stainless cat back exhaust on eBay. Apart from that she's been as good as gold! very happy!
Few recent pics :
Thanks for looking
Not much to report really on the Volvo, Went for a minor service and health check at the local Volvo stealership in Bedford and no major problems discovered!
Looking at getting the tires changed soon to a set of Bridgestone Potenzas possibly and also have been eying up a Ferrita stainless cat back exhaust on eBay. Apart from that she's been as good as gold!
very happy! Few recent pics :
Thanks for looking
Update time! 😊
Firstly a new set of tires were in order as let's just say the set that were on it were very old... Date stamped 2008!
Now replaced with a set of Continental Sport Contact 5s in 235/40/18 all round! Much much better!
Also had the very popular American JRL mod carried out at Flowdynamics in Bletchley - basically removing the centre exhaust silencer and straight piping it for more clearance at the prop shaft. Oh and it sounds bloody fantastic WOT, much more like an R should sound!
Will get a video up soon!
Rik
Firstly a new set of tires were in order as let's just say the set that were on it were very old... Date stamped 2008!
Now replaced with a set of Continental Sport Contact 5s in 235/40/18 all round! Much much better!
Also had the very popular American JRL mod carried out at Flowdynamics in Bletchley - basically removing the centre exhaust silencer and straight piping it for more clearance at the prop shaft. Oh and it sounds bloody fantastic WOT, much more like an R should sound!
Will get a video up soon!
Rik
moustache said:
Really love these and feel like it would be a nice step up from my Saab 9-5 Aero (275bhp but FWD) although I haven't got the balls to buy one knowing what repairs might cost. At least the Saab is cheap to repair and there are tons of the being broken for bits. In fact I could buy a donor car for £500!
Hats off to you though, they must be epic to drive, and must have something that the Saab lacks, which is the grip and traction to get the power down!
Thank you very much! Hats off to you though, they must be epic to drive, and must have something that the Saab lacks, which is the grip and traction to get the power down!
Yes I absolutely love it and I respect the car for what it is! It's Such a nice car to own at my age too as I'm only 23 believe it or not! Your right though, the way it puts the power down is really something good, no fuss at all when burying the throttle in 1st and 2nd, not even any torque steer! Only if you launch like an idiot you get a slight chirp from the front tires before the Haldex goes woah..! Better get to work and link up the rears!
Hallsy01 said:
Looks great OP, the S60R is a very good looking car imo - true understated cool with a lovely interior to boot.
I had a couple of 850's back in the day, an 855 T5 auto followed by an 855R manual.
I now have a Saab 9-5 Aero estate as my 'runabout/dump/dog' car, and tbh, as good as it is, I preferred my Volvo's looking back - they just felt more solid.
Am I imagining it, or was it the very earliest S60R's that had the most reliability issues?? I certainly remember them being very cheap not so long ago, presumably due to worries about angle gear failure, cracked liners, etc.
Sounds like there are cheap fixes now, so not too much to worry about.
Enjoy - lovely car
Hi there!I had a couple of 850's back in the day, an 855 T5 auto followed by an 855R manual.
I now have a Saab 9-5 Aero estate as my 'runabout/dump/dog' car, and tbh, as good as it is, I preferred my Volvo's looking back - they just felt more solid.
Am I imagining it, or was it the very earliest S60R's that had the most reliability issues?? I certainly remember them being very cheap not so long ago, presumably due to worries about angle gear failure, cracked liners, etc.
Sounds like there are cheap fixes now, so not too much to worry about.
Enjoy - lovely car
Yes from what I heard it is normally the earlier cars that suffered the problems, the face lifted ones like mine are said to be improved in certain areas! The nice thing with this is the full Volvo SH and lots of paperwork from main dealers showing the work that has been done/upgraded - especially on the AWD system which works as it should! Does feel proper planted even when pushing on in the wet! Even though you can tell the car is still quite heavy it's a very good handling car
Good to see about your Volvo past too, some nice motors there!
Garett said:
This is all true my S60 is an OY and was first owned by Volvo UK. You will start to notice there are an awful lot of Volvos with OY and OV.
Loving the 'R' , please post videos of the sound of new exhaust mod!
Here's how it sounds.. Not the best video as couldn't Rev too much as the neighbours were out and kids walking home from school! Didn't want to scare them with a loud - er Volvo! Loving the 'R' , please post videos of the sound of new exhaust mod!
http://youtu.be/Wl72_cMKC2g
But I'm very happy with how it sounds, lovely deep bass note and the 5 cylinder thrum is much more noticeable! Even pops and crackles when it's warmed up
So... How's things going with the R?
So nearly 4 months into ownership I'm still really enjoying owning this car, really is everything I expected it to be and is probably one of the better cars I have owned! Really starting to bond with it and am now getting use to its full potential. It's still bloody comfy, practical and relentlessly quick - but refined enough to never feel 'that quick' - not sure if this is a good thing or not!
However a few little jobs to be done are on the horizon, firstly the front brakes are wearing thin, both pads and discs will need changing - luckily the Brembo system looks a doddle to work on! 2 pins and a spring clip just for the pads! Happy days!
However when inspecting the brakes for wear I have noticed that both front shocks are both looking a tad damp... New shock absorber time...
being the 4C system I was expecting a high price to pay for these... Mentions of up to £300 per shock to pay are mentioned on the Volvo websites and even Eurocarparts want around £550 per item!! ouch!
I however did find a small group on Facebook mentioning that Amazon are actually the sellers for Monroe shock absorbers - what the R uses and they supply the shocks I need at a much reduced price! Was given the link and I have managed to purchase both front shocks for about £140 the pair!! I do believe they are for the XC70 but people have tried them on the P2 Rs and have found them to work perfectly fine with the 4C system! There is a god! haha.
The only downside is an 8 week wait which will put me just in time for the MOT test!
Anyway I've also been busy with a few quick jobs...
Purchased some new style wheel centres from the current Volvo range, actually really suit the Volvo R alloys and look a touch more modern than the standard items!
I have also been busy removing the light scratches from all over the car - joys of being black and thank you very much for the makers of G3 scratch removal polish and the waffle pads! They are simply brilliant! Never seen a black car look so good! Here's a pic after a full G3 and Autoglym Polish and wax session!
Also been busy removing all the dead flies and crap that the front mounted and very exposed intercooler had had to put up with the past 10 years! Looks a lot better!
Even the engine got a quick round of elbow grease!
Thanks for reading! Will continue to update!
So nearly 4 months into ownership I'm still really enjoying owning this car, really is everything I expected it to be and is probably one of the better cars I have owned! Really starting to bond with it and am now getting use to its full potential. It's still bloody comfy, practical and relentlessly quick - but refined enough to never feel 'that quick' - not sure if this is a good thing or not!
However a few little jobs to be done are on the horizon, firstly the front brakes are wearing thin, both pads and discs will need changing - luckily the Brembo system looks a doddle to work on! 2 pins and a spring clip just for the pads! Happy days!
However when inspecting the brakes for wear I have noticed that both front shocks are both looking a tad damp... New shock absorber time...
being the 4C system I was expecting a high price to pay for these... Mentions of up to £300 per shock to pay are mentioned on the Volvo websites and even Eurocarparts want around £550 per item!! ouch!I however did find a small group on Facebook mentioning that Amazon are actually the sellers for Monroe shock absorbers - what the R uses and they supply the shocks I need at a much reduced price! Was given the link and I have managed to purchase both front shocks for about £140 the pair!!
I do believe they are for the XC70 but people have tried them on the P2 Rs and have found them to work perfectly fine with the 4C system! There is a god! haha.The only downside is an 8 week wait which will put me just in time for the MOT test!
Anyway I've also been busy with a few quick jobs...
Purchased some new style wheel centres from the current Volvo range, actually really suit the Volvo R alloys and look a touch more modern than the standard items!
I have also been busy removing the light scratches from all over the car - joys of being black and thank you very much for the makers of G3 scratch removal polish and the waffle pads! They are simply brilliant! Never seen a black car look so good! Here's a pic after a full G3 and Autoglym Polish and wax session!
Also been busy removing all the dead flies and crap that the front mounted and very exposed intercooler had had to put up with the past 10 years! Looks a lot better!
Even the engine got a quick round of elbow grease!
Thanks for reading! Will continue to update!
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