Offered a Volvo C70 as a 'swap deal'

[andrew311]

I've put one of my motorbikes up for sale and have been offered one of these as a 'swap deal'.

The bike in question is a CAT D write off after I was knocked off it last year. Insurance paid out and I bought the bike back with the intention of putting it back to its pre accident condition. However I've just not gotten round to it so decided to dip my toe in the water and get shot of it. Hard to put a price on with it being CAT D but I estimate it needs about £300 spent to get it back in good nick (all cosmetic damage).

Anyhow a bloke has offered me a C70 as a straight swap, R plate 95k full service history. He's saying it's the 2.3 which I assume is the T5? Sent me a few pictures and looks in good nick given its age and will put 12 month test on if I go for the deal.

Now I wasn't after a car BUT I'd decided that last winter would be my last using a bike so would have started to look for a cheap commuter come October time. A cheap commuter a 2.3T is not but it's also got me thinking that I could run it for a bit and sell on? Is there much demand out there for these? TBH I'd have been happy with 1k for the bike. My commute is only 12 miles and have gotten by with being a one car house for years now so the car wouldn’t get much use.

Seen one of these previously on SOTW.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Would appreciate thoughts and opinions on the car.

ETA Found it's an auto so probably pretty thirsty.

Edited by andrew311 on Tuesday 28th June 09:28

[andycambo]

I have a 2.4 n/a C70. It's a great cruiser. Mine has most of the toys (leather, huge stereo etc.) and I could sit in there all day.

On the twisty stuff it isn't all bad... It turns at least but it does throw you about a little.

In town driving it isn't great. Parking is difficult as it has the turning circle being the same as the Queen Mary II.

Very reliable though. Had mine 3 years and all it has needed is tyres, oil and new discs. No engine problems and is now over 100k.

[andrew311]

He doesn’t sounds like he knows much about it, he said it was 2.3L which I thought meant T5 but he wasn’t sure on whether it was a T5 or L which may means that it turns out to be a n/a 2.4 or 2.5 looking at the various engines they came in.

[VolvoT5]

I had a C70 T5. They are great in a straight line but the handling is more like a typical Volvo estate car than a sports car.... they have rock hard suspension as well - gets annoying if you do a lot of town driving (pot holes!).

Also, don't expect more than 20mpg around town... 25 on a run.


Very nice cars though, difficult to find more car for the money IMO.

[jbi]

c70 is a nice car and would be a good swap IMO, however it will be slow if it's NA with an auto

[jimbobsimmonds]

Plenty of threads on C70T5s on here, i'll try and find some...

Get over to VOC, VPC or T5D5 though and search those forums for some (generally) good advice...

[McSam]

Also, if you want to find out for sure what the car is, just take down the reg from a photo and get an insurance quote for it - which you'll want to do anyway!

[andrew311]

McSam said:

Also, if you want to find out for sure what the car is, just take down the reg from a photo and get an insurance quote for it - which you'll want to do anyway!

Good point you make there sir, I'll report back.

[andrew311]

It's a T5 auto. £400 TPFT, £410 fully comp.

[Jazoli]

Is it your Bandit your looking at swapping for?

(it was a bandit you were talking about on BB?)

I'd have happily given you a grand for it when you last mentioned it, I'd be selling the bike as is, I reckon it'd be an easy £1500 on eBay at least

Edited by Jazoli on Tuesday 28th June 10:25

[andrew311]

Jazoli said:

Is it your Bandit your looking at swapping for?

(it was a bandit you were talking about on BB?)

It certainly is.

[McSam]

andrew311 said:

It's a T5 auto. £400 TPFT, £410 fully comp.

£1337 here, git

[andrew311]

The joys of living in Lakes with a garage. I had looked at insuring a 1.4 Fiesta and that was £350 which seems to be the lower threshold for anything I'd want to insure i.e. regardless of the car wouldn't go any lower.

[McSam]

Hehe, no mate, it's the joys of not being 19!

I reckon you should get to see this car and then see what you think. At least it won't be slow now we know it's a T5, though as above I would expect economy to be awful. But if you like it, you like it!

[andrew311]

I'm going to go and have a look at it and take it form there. The bike owes me nothing so the way I look at it it's a free car almost.....

I'll be back on here in a few months trying to get shot of it!

[Braingirl]

I used to have one of those.

It's a nice car, but it never was one that I found particularly engaging or fun to drive.
Will be a world away from your bike.

It seems like a good deal though, just make sure the car is legit.

[andrew311]

I have other bikes to satisfy the hooligan in me. I know if I get it until winter it will barely get used, so on one hand is a bit pointless, but on the other if it's legit might make for a wafty barge to run us up to Scotland to see family and for airport runs. Other car is a 2007 1.6 Astra, which has been a fine little car but not too comfortable for 2hr + journeys.

[SD1992]

McSam said:

Hehe, no mate, it's the joys of not being 19!

I reckon you should get to see this car and then see what you think. At least it won't be slow now we know it's a T5, though as above I would expect economy to be awful. But if you like it, you like it!

Totally O/T, but how do you like your Audi being 19? Am in the process of changing my car and would like your opinions on the 2.6 please

And what is your insurance like? I am 19 and they want £900 from me to drive a 2.6 Quattro...

[McSam]

SD1992 said:

Totally O/T, but how do you like your Audi being 19? Am in the process of changing my car and would like your opinions on the 2.6 please

And what is your insurance like? I am 19 and they want £900 from me to drive a 2.6 Quattro...

I absolutely love the thing partly because it's a preposterous amount of car for the money, partly because a sorted one looks absolutely beautiful, partly because it's actually quite fun to drive and partly because people are always astonished that it's actually mine

I pay slightly more than that for insurance on my 2.6 - my renewal was £1050 or thereabouts, but I have a £12k claim against me so £900 sounds about right for friendlier circumstances. If that quote is fully comp, I'd expect TPFT to be a couple of ton cheaper, and definitely worth considering given the value of the cars themselves!

As for the engine itself, I would try and find a 30v variant (2.4 or later 2.8, they have "5v" on each cylinder head cover to distinguish them). I have a '97 2.8 30v sitting on the drive at the moment - already sold, I'm afraid - and it is such a responsive engine, pulls far more cleanly all the way through the rev range and to call it considerably more powerful is an understatement. Excellent things. Plus it seems to do 35mpg on the motorway, which is a joke for a car like that!

However, the 30-valvers are expensive to insure, I would be asked for about 45% more from my 12v 2.6 to the later 30v 2.8. And anyway, as excellent as the 2.8 30v is, I drove a 90bhp 1.6 Escort before getting my own A4, and the 2.6 blew me away for its useability, effortlessness and yes, of course, power so not to worry too much if the insurance gap is an issue.

I average 27mpg in fairly hard driving, and the car does 0-60mph in 8.9 seconds and will hit 135mph. Plus, I only paid £950 for mine with air con, leather, no issues and six months' tax and test! Do it

[SD1992]

McSam said:

absolutely love the thing partly because it's a preposterous amount of car for the money, partly because a sorted one looks absolutely beautiful, partly because it's actually quite fun to drive and partly because people are always astonished that it's actually mine

I pay slightly more than that for insurance on my 2.6 - my renewal was £1050 or thereabouts, but I have a £12k claim against me so £900 sounds about right for friendlier circumstances. If that quote is fully comp, I'd expect TPFT to be a couple of ton cheaper, and definitely worth considering given the value of the cars themselves!

As for the engine itself, I would try and find a 30v variant (2.4 or later 2.8, they have "5v" on each cylinder head cover to distinguish them). I have a '97 2.8 30v sitting on the drive at the moment - already sold, I'm afraid - and it is such a responsive engine, pulls far more cleanly all the way through the rev range and to call it considerably more powerful is an understatement. Excellent things. Plus it seems to do 35mpg on the motorway, which is a joke for a car like that!

However, the 30-valvers are expensive to insure, I would be asked for about 45% more from my 12v 2.6 to the later 30v 2.8. And anyway, as excellent as the 2.8 30v is, I drove a 90bhp 1.6 Escort before getting my own A4, and the 2.6 blew me away for its useability, effortlessness and yes, of course, power so not to worry too much if the insurance gap is an issue.

I average 27mpg in fairly hard driving, and the car does 0-60mph in 8.9 seconds and will hit 135mph. Plus, I only paid £950 for mine with air con, leather, no issues and six months' tax and test! Do it

Sounds incredibly tempting! What has the reliability been like with yours? And is yours a Quattro?

I have been looking at 328is mostly, but one of these is a very tempting proposition

Would make a nice upgrade from the Mondeo too