Mk1 C70 T5 Convertible - terrible idea?
Discussion
The 2.4i is cheap to buy but no more economical than a T5. It comes with a 5 speed manual rather than a 6 speed like the other models, but the auto is the same 5 speed AW box.
The 2.4 sounds nice and isn't slow, but the car weighs the thick end of 1800KG so it isn't fast and it isn't economical - reckon on 28-30mpg from a 2.4i or T5 manual if you drive it sedately. It'll be a LOT worse if you do a lot of driving in traffic. My manual D5 has a lifetime average of almost 44mpg and can get over 50mpg from a tank with lots of careful driving on motorways.
There was a raft of updates in late 2007 for the '08 model year, they have a different centre console and some changes to mirrors and dials. There are some useful updates under the skin and they squashed a few of the irritating bugs. One of which is the failure of the connector in the door that can cause screwy readings on the outside temperature display, which then makes the climate control act up and can stop the roof operating if the car thinks it's below or above certain temperature. Most are probably fixed now, but look out for it when you view.
Other than that they are largely vice free, the roof can make clonkings and creakings but they don't leak and they don't seem to break very often at all. They are heavy and the dampers will be shagged out by 90k and make them wallowy and a little nervous at speed. A set of Bilstein B4s and a couple of hours labour will have it sorted though.
I've had mine for over three years and covered about 70-80k in it, it's been a great car. Oddly when I was shopping for them there were a LOT of real dogs out there, often single owner from new cars but absolutely neglected and shagged out. I wondered at the time if that meant they didn't age well but mine is still great at 125k and 9 years old, bolsters are barely worn too.
The SE Lux comes with the superb Dynaudio stereo and is well worth having, although the 18" wheels do the ride no favours and I swapped mine out for a set of 17" wheels. The '08 MY updates add the ability to play MP3 files off the CDs in the changer, and they *should* all have a 3.5mm aux in, either in the centre console box or on early cars it seems to be behind the floating console. If it doesn't have one then you'll have a job getting any sort of MP3 player/phone playing through the stereo.
A colleague bought one off the back of borrowing mine for a couple of days, and he loves his too. Lubricate the roof seals to keep the creaking down and with the roof up you forget it's not just a fixed head coupe, the rigidity of the car is excellent.
The 2.4 sounds nice and isn't slow, but the car weighs the thick end of 1800KG so it isn't fast and it isn't economical - reckon on 28-30mpg from a 2.4i or T5 manual if you drive it sedately. It'll be a LOT worse if you do a lot of driving in traffic. My manual D5 has a lifetime average of almost 44mpg and can get over 50mpg from a tank with lots of careful driving on motorways.
There was a raft of updates in late 2007 for the '08 model year, they have a different centre console and some changes to mirrors and dials. There are some useful updates under the skin and they squashed a few of the irritating bugs. One of which is the failure of the connector in the door that can cause screwy readings on the outside temperature display, which then makes the climate control act up and can stop the roof operating if the car thinks it's below or above certain temperature. Most are probably fixed now, but look out for it when you view.
Other than that they are largely vice free, the roof can make clonkings and creakings but they don't leak and they don't seem to break very often at all. They are heavy and the dampers will be shagged out by 90k and make them wallowy and a little nervous at speed. A set of Bilstein B4s and a couple of hours labour will have it sorted though.
I've had mine for over three years and covered about 70-80k in it, it's been a great car. Oddly when I was shopping for them there were a LOT of real dogs out there, often single owner from new cars but absolutely neglected and shagged out. I wondered at the time if that meant they didn't age well but mine is still great at 125k and 9 years old, bolsters are barely worn too.
The SE Lux comes with the superb Dynaudio stereo and is well worth having, although the 18" wheels do the ride no favours and I swapped mine out for a set of 17" wheels. The '08 MY updates add the ability to play MP3 files off the CDs in the changer, and they *should* all have a 3.5mm aux in, either in the centre console box or on early cars it seems to be behind the floating console. If it doesn't have one then you'll have a job getting any sort of MP3 player/phone playing through the stereo.
A colleague bought one off the back of borrowing mine for a couple of days, and he loves his too. Lubricate the roof seals to keep the creaking down and with the roof up you forget it's not just a fixed head coupe, the rigidity of the car is excellent.
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