2010 Volvo XC70 D5 AWD - The formerly scruffy barge
Discussion
Davie said:
Just be happy in the knowledge that changing it will take about 3mins... or if you want you can bring the headlight into the warmth of the living room thanks to frankly genius foresight and design by Volvo.
Oh isn't it just? Remove the two tent peg things and the whole unit slides out...
I had a spare pair of basic Osram bulbs in my garage, I think I bought them for my MX5 before fitting a set of Night Breakers instead.
The car had mismatch of a Lucas bulb (which had blown) and a Ring with a blue tint.
Back to warm glow of two working orange halogen bulbs within a few minutes...
Davie said:
Excellent effort. I leave the dog gaurd permanently down in mine. Not only do I have the fear the my kids will be decapitated by a low flying scooter or rouge pair of wellies in a crash but it's also good for suspending an array of noisy and annoying baby toys from in an attempt keep the 1yr old entertained for a nano second more every trip out.
Good thinking on both counts, maybe it should stay. I like the idea of somewhere to hang toys 
mikeiow said:
Daughter had her Fiesta stolen a fortnight ago. Fiesta is pretty well the best small motor (IMHO - suited to towns and motorways, space, comfort, economy), and really suited her, but she is understandably nervous about replacing it like for like.......I'm wondering whether a small Volvo might be a good replacement for her. Probably too big, but it is certainly a possibility!
Crack on!
That's rubbish for her, I've had a few V40s as courtesy cars and always quite liked them.Crack on!
AJB88 said:
Nice work loving these Volvo threads, might get the missus one to go with the SAAB.
First things I would of sorted are the front badge, grill and number plates. Hate cosmetic stuff like that.
The grilles are annoying me, along with the broken indicator lens on the mirror. All will hopefully get sorted soon, but I was too cheap to pay dealership prices so I'm waiting for deliveries from Latvia, Lithuania, China and Germany.First things I would of sorted are the front badge, grill and number plates. Hate cosmetic stuff like that.
Another XC70 here, bought in February as a replacement for a Range Rover Sport. Decided we didn't need all of those abilities and fancied trying something different.
So far, very impressed. It happily gives us about 40mpg in mixed use (it's a 215bhp D5), soaks up the miles, the dog is fine in there and it tows my rubbish about without fuss. Super comfy and the ride is a dream compared to the RRS. Not tried it in anything other than mud/greasy slipway yet but it has coped fine so far.
No sports car but we hadn't expected it to be.
So far, very impressed. It happily gives us about 40mpg in mixed use (it's a 215bhp D5), soaks up the miles, the dog is fine in there and it tows my rubbish about without fuss. Super comfy and the ride is a dream compared to the RRS. Not tried it in anything other than mud/greasy slipway yet but it has coped fine so far.
No sports car but we hadn't expected it to be.
A Lucas bulb blew? Imagine that!
If not, Suzuki Swift 2010-2016 is a great little car. Revvy, bullet proof 1.2 engine, £30 road tax, 50mpg, 5 star safety and a fun little car to chuck around. The boot is crap, mind.
mikeiow said:
Daughter had her Fiesta stolen a fortnight ago. Fiesta is pretty well the best small motor (IMHO - suited to towns and motorways, space, comfort, economy), and really suited her, but she is understandably nervous about replacing it like for like.......I'm wondering whether a small Volvo might be a good replacement for her. Probably too big, but it is certainly a possibility!
Crack on!
A Volvo C30 is a potential option, being a Focus cut short, though unless you get the 1.6 Peugeot diesel (which is a hateful engine) the running costs can be a little high.Crack on!
If not, Suzuki Swift 2010-2016 is a great little car. Revvy, bullet proof 1.2 engine, £30 road tax, 50mpg, 5 star safety and a fun little car to chuck around. The boot is crap, mind.
Welcome to the Volvo arts and crafts thread...
My limited abilities in TinkerCAD don't expand to curvy things, so I sent Geraint ( who some of you might know from these forums) a couple of photos of the button that was missing from the cheap load cover that I bought. All of ten minutes later he sent back a great little model...
I added a peg to the base that lined up with a slot in the cover mechanism and printed it out in PETG...
Support material removed, and a coat of paint later...
It was a reasonably tight fit, but I added a dab of hot glue to keep it in place. I'm pretty happy with the finished print - I think most people wouldn't spot that it wasn't original, thanks again to Geraint for doing the hard part.
The replacement lower grille arrived from Latvia badly packaged and snapped cleanly in two.
The seller only had one available, they refunded most of what I paid and I've attempted to epoxy it back together. It seemed worth a try as there weren't any others currently available for a similar price.
It seems to have stuck well, the more visible patches of epoxy will be hidden once fitted.
Whoever said it looked classy was right, for something so scruffy it looks right at home parked up in a posh village. Particularly now it's started to gain some road grime and mud.
My limited abilities in TinkerCAD don't expand to curvy things, so I sent Geraint ( who some of you might know from these forums) a couple of photos of the button that was missing from the cheap load cover that I bought. All of ten minutes later he sent back a great little model...
I added a peg to the base that lined up with a slot in the cover mechanism and printed it out in PETG...
Support material removed, and a coat of paint later...
It was a reasonably tight fit, but I added a dab of hot glue to keep it in place. I'm pretty happy with the finished print - I think most people wouldn't spot that it wasn't original, thanks again to Geraint for doing the hard part.
The replacement lower grille arrived from Latvia badly packaged and snapped cleanly in two.
The seller only had one available, they refunded most of what I paid and I've attempted to epoxy it back together. It seemed worth a try as there weren't any others currently available for a similar price.
It seems to have stuck well, the more visible patches of epoxy will be hidden once fitted.
Whoever said it looked classy was right, for something so scruffy it looks right at home parked up in a posh village. Particularly now it's started to gain some road grime and mud.
Accelebrate said:
Whoever said it looked classy was right, for something so scruffy it looks right at home parked up in a posh village. Particularly now it's started to gain some road grime and mud.
A landowner with lots of cash in the bank in London but doesn't necessarily want to show off his wealth, wearing an old Barbour jacket and a pair of Cheaney & Co brogues with corderoy trousers and a flat cap kind of car. Also puts £20 on the collection plate in church on a Sunday. You know the thing.
mikeiow said:
Daughter had her Fiesta stolen a fortnight ago. Fiesta is pretty well the best small motor (IMHO - suited to towns and motorways, space, comfort, economy), and really suited her, but she is understandably nervous about replacing it like for like.......I'm wondering whether a small Volvo might be a good replacement for her. Probably too big, but it is certainly a possibility!
The smallest Volvo I’ve driven is a ~2014 V40, which was unremarkable IIRC. As someone whose ‘fleet’ is a V70 III (with 216k miles) and a 2014 Fiesta, I would say get another Fiesta. Ours is the 1.0 turbo 3cyl with 125bhp, and I love driving it for a bit of contrast from the barge. I don’t know why almost everyone doesn’t drive one, if you don’t have a need for space.integraf40 said:
I feel this becoming an unusually satisfying thread, following with interest! Quite an under the radar classy car, I like it a lot
I think all credit to the OP here for highlighting what is an unusually satisfying car! I've driven and owned all kinds of mad motors but the Volvo just feels fit for purpose and isn't trying to be anything else. I'm off to France in mine next week and have done that trip in all sorts of things before. Am I bothered I'll be in the Volvo? Nope, not at all. It'll waft me there and back with the minimum of fuss, will carry everything I need and will attract zero attention. It even blends in with the local stone!
I must be getting old!
Edited by LFB531 on Monday 15th November 11:38
LFB531 said:
Not tried it in anything other than mud/greasy slipway yet but it has coped fine so far.
All relative I guess and very much dependant on tyre choice and your mechanical or cosmetic sympathy levels. I first drove one way back in 1=2007 as per of the UK dealer launch / corporate day at Rockingham and there was the opportunity to drive them on a fairly involved off road course which at first. I'd have questioned if it was too optimistic but they were managing it fine. That day endeared me to them. Since getting mine last year, I've had it off the tarmac on several occasions and it's surprisingly capable, again for what it is... ie a jacked up estate with Haldex and open diffs, therefore there's limitations. It doesn't like cross axle lock up stuff, it tends to spin the unweighted / zero grip cross diagonal wheels whilst the car sorts out where to send the power, by which stage you've lost momentum and stopped so some times you have to deploy the Arab technique, be brave and attack such situations with a bit more commitment. And pray.
They're pretty good where all four wheels have equal grip or indeed, lack of... and will do big power slides and go through quite a lot of surprising terrain, again if you tend to throw caution to the wind to an extent. Approach, departure and roll over angles are ok... enough to manage with fairly tame stuff but it's no Defender 90. The hill descent is good - I had mine up to the top of Chrystal Rigg in the Borders, very steep rock track up and back, manged fine. Wife didn't. Keilder do a safari day... I'm quite tempted to do the next one but I'd need to suss out if I'm biting off more than I can chew first to save embarrassing myself in front of camo clad men with "One Life" clad Land Rovers.
Looks great! Interestingly we're in a similar situation, my wife is imminently to give birth to our first child. We're swapping her car out for the one I have been using the past few months - I am home based full time now, so no justification for a hefty lease deal.
Old Volvo's have been on my list, and I do like the XC70s. I haven't any experience with the brand, other than the usual "very safe" points - so will be following this with an interested eye.
Your work already has made it look a tonne better!!
Old Volvo's have been on my list, and I do like the XC70s. I haven't any experience with the brand, other than the usual "very safe" points - so will be following this with an interested eye.
Your work already has made it look a tonne better!!
RobFerrari said:
Your work already has made it look a tonne better!!
I'd second that! Fixing the assorted little niggles that effect functionality seems more engaging than watching somebody apply 23 coats of wax to an older car, especially when it's main role is to be for carting small humans / junk / life around in. And I think that in itself is a pretty fare representation of these things - they're rarely hanging apart, neglected or unreliable and even older, miley ones seem rather robust. As far as that's concerned, thus far mine is proving to be a hell of a lot better than the succession of P2 V70's that went before it. They're not as easy to run with "shed" mentality as they're few and far between as far as breakers go, but things like the usual door locks failing... it's just Mondeo locks and they're about £2 each from a scrappy so no need for the eye watering Volvo dealer bills some pay. Prawo Jazdy said:
mikeiow said:
Daughter had her Fiesta stolen a fortnight ago. Fiesta is pretty well the best small motor (IMHO - suited to towns and motorways, space, comfort, economy), and really suited her, but she is understandably nervous about replacing it like for like.......I'm wondering whether a small Volvo might be a good replacement for her. Probably too big, but it is certainly a possibility!
The smallest Volvo I’ve driven is a ~2014 V40, which was unremarkable IIRC. As someone whose ‘fleet’ is a V70 III (with 216k miles) and a 2014 Fiesta, I would say get another Fiesta. Ours is the 1.0 turbo 3cyl with 125bhp, and I love driving it for a bit of contrast from the barge. I don’t know why almost everyone doesn’t drive one, if you don’t have a need for space.I tend to agree that the Fiesta is an ideal smaller car....but she feels a bit tainted by the theft. We'll see: Fiestas are a bit pricy....maybe a 208....or an unremarkable V40!
Just spend this morning cleaning and waxing my '64 XC60: they are lovely old workhorses!
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