New Daily - Volvo S60
Discussion
The missus got a 'new' S60 D5 the other week. A very nice car indeed.
I posted it on this thread:
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...
I got to drive it on a proper run yesterday when we drove the 300kms down to Stockholm to pick up my new daily driver. I decided to get rid of the Mondeo (2.0 Ghia) that I've run for the last, oh, 3 or 4 years, just because I fancied a change. The car was running fine - I just got itchy.
And so after being quite impressed with the missus' new car, I thought I'd get one myself. This time though it was done on a bit more of a budget, since primarily it should be done on something close to shed money. The car will be driven back & forth to Stockholm quite a bit, and should suffer the daily abuse and usage/mileage that a 'daily' should be subjected to. I wasn't really bothered if it was diesel or petrol. But I did want a manual. This one went in a bit over the shed budget, but counting the money I recouped from the Mondeo, with a pretty good purchase price - the price-to-change was pleasing. I could quote figures but since we're talking Swedish kronor, and a different used car market, there's no point. Suffice to say, I was very happy with the small amount of cash I laid out.
So we woke early yesterday to make the trip down to Sthlm. I drove the missus' S60 down there. Now, like I said on the other thread, she's got a lead right foot and had been averaging around 0,6 l/per 10 km. I KNEW it would do a lot better. So with this in mind I set off on an 'eco-drive'. We had no rush, and I wanted to make a point to the missus, so I cruised down there at a steady 92 kmh (GPS speed). We got to the centre of Sthlm with the trip computer showing 0,4 l/per 10km. A 50% improvement (0,4 = about 70 mpg). Not bad for a medium size saloon. The steady drive was all in vain anyway, as the missus didn't really GAS. "She drives as fast as she likes and that's that. The diesel is more economical than her previous car anyway".
OK. Fair enough. (She has a point, I just wish she'd take it a bit easier sometimes, especially since she complains so much about the cost of fuel).
So with cash handed over - winter tyres packed into the car. We set off back on the 300km trip home. With me in an S60 2.4 (petrol, 140hp) Business, 2002, that I'd only briefly test driven before. I wanted the missus to follow me home in case there would be any problems, but NO, she was taking a different (longer) route home because she had something she wanted to pick up on the way back. So we parted ways just outside Sthlm. I needn't have worried though. The drive home was faultless. I'd already seen the brakes were pretty much new, and the car was newly serviced with a fully stamped book. Everything felt solid. Everything worked. ACC blew cold (even got a bit of sun on the way home). Only thing was the lack of Cd player. Which I also knew about.
Which is why I'd already ordered an upgrade to fix that problem.
I was going to go for a Volvo external CD stack to plug into the aging radio/tape Volvo head unit. If there was a CD player there, I'd have let it be. But I do like a bit of music on the commute, so I had to change it, and plumped for a DIN standard CD/Radio with bluetooth, Aux in, USB in, and all the niceites you get on a modern radio. I'm so happy I did that. I had to order cable adapters and a Volvo dash convserion plate to accept the DIN radio, but it was pretty cheap, and gave a pleasnt upgrade. Installed it today, and tested the USB and bluetooth/phone connection, as well as starting the job cleaning the car up to pistonheads detailers standard.
I received the car quite clean, but it was plain there'd been kids and a dog in the car.
After the radio install was finished I had an hour hoovering and cleaning the carpets. Removing stains from upholstery (half leather interior). It's coming up clean anyway, and already smells fresh inside.
The weekend should give me time to finish refurbing the inside, as well as giving the paintwork a thorough degrease, wash, scratch repair and wax/polish.
I'm happy with the old girl, and am looking forward to a lot of relaxed commuting.
It's got the usual equipment - headlight wipers, heated seats, elec windows/mirrors, remote locking, ACC, cruise. Also has a removable towhook. Half leather. 60,000 miles. FVSH.
And finally some pics - more to come when cleaning duties are finshed.
The car - looks clean in the pics, but it's not.
The AC and stuff disconnected to get the old radio out. Trying the new panel and radio mounting for fit.
The old radio, and fitting the mounting bracket to the new fascia panel.
The new radio & panel in place.
Some adjustments made the fit a little better. Now it looks almost standard apart from a slightly odd placing of the head unit. The picture accentuates the colour difference, and looks a little more out of place since I'd just wet-wiped everything to remove fingerprints and dirt. Now it's all dry, IRL the new panel is a pretty good colour match.
A pic from the ad.
I posted it on this thread:
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...
I got to drive it on a proper run yesterday when we drove the 300kms down to Stockholm to pick up my new daily driver. I decided to get rid of the Mondeo (2.0 Ghia) that I've run for the last, oh, 3 or 4 years, just because I fancied a change. The car was running fine - I just got itchy.
And so after being quite impressed with the missus' new car, I thought I'd get one myself. This time though it was done on a bit more of a budget, since primarily it should be done on something close to shed money. The car will be driven back & forth to Stockholm quite a bit, and should suffer the daily abuse and usage/mileage that a 'daily' should be subjected to. I wasn't really bothered if it was diesel or petrol. But I did want a manual. This one went in a bit over the shed budget, but counting the money I recouped from the Mondeo, with a pretty good purchase price - the price-to-change was pleasing. I could quote figures but since we're talking Swedish kronor, and a different used car market, there's no point. Suffice to say, I was very happy with the small amount of cash I laid out.
So we woke early yesterday to make the trip down to Sthlm. I drove the missus' S60 down there. Now, like I said on the other thread, she's got a lead right foot and had been averaging around 0,6 l/per 10 km. I KNEW it would do a lot better. So with this in mind I set off on an 'eco-drive'. We had no rush, and I wanted to make a point to the missus, so I cruised down there at a steady 92 kmh (GPS speed). We got to the centre of Sthlm with the trip computer showing 0,4 l/per 10km. A 50% improvement (0,4 = about 70 mpg). Not bad for a medium size saloon. The steady drive was all in vain anyway, as the missus didn't really GAS. "She drives as fast as she likes and that's that. The diesel is more economical than her previous car anyway".
OK. Fair enough. (She has a point, I just wish she'd take it a bit easier sometimes, especially since she complains so much about the cost of fuel).
So with cash handed over - winter tyres packed into the car. We set off back on the 300km trip home. With me in an S60 2.4 (petrol, 140hp) Business, 2002, that I'd only briefly test driven before. I wanted the missus to follow me home in case there would be any problems, but NO, she was taking a different (longer) route home because she had something she wanted to pick up on the way back. So we parted ways just outside Sthlm. I needn't have worried though. The drive home was faultless. I'd already seen the brakes were pretty much new, and the car was newly serviced with a fully stamped book. Everything felt solid. Everything worked. ACC blew cold (even got a bit of sun on the way home). Only thing was the lack of Cd player. Which I also knew about.
Which is why I'd already ordered an upgrade to fix that problem.
I was going to go for a Volvo external CD stack to plug into the aging radio/tape Volvo head unit. If there was a CD player there, I'd have let it be. But I do like a bit of music on the commute, so I had to change it, and plumped for a DIN standard CD/Radio with bluetooth, Aux in, USB in, and all the niceites you get on a modern radio. I'm so happy I did that. I had to order cable adapters and a Volvo dash convserion plate to accept the DIN radio, but it was pretty cheap, and gave a pleasnt upgrade. Installed it today, and tested the USB and bluetooth/phone connection, as well as starting the job cleaning the car up to pistonheads detailers standard.
I received the car quite clean, but it was plain there'd been kids and a dog in the car.
After the radio install was finished I had an hour hoovering and cleaning the carpets. Removing stains from upholstery (half leather interior). It's coming up clean anyway, and already smells fresh inside.
The weekend should give me time to finish refurbing the inside, as well as giving the paintwork a thorough degrease, wash, scratch repair and wax/polish.
I'm happy with the old girl, and am looking forward to a lot of relaxed commuting.
It's got the usual equipment - headlight wipers, heated seats, elec windows/mirrors, remote locking, ACC, cruise. Also has a removable towhook. Half leather. 60,000 miles. FVSH.
And finally some pics - more to come when cleaning duties are finshed.
The car - looks clean in the pics, but it's not.
The AC and stuff disconnected to get the old radio out. Trying the new panel and radio mounting for fit.
The old radio, and fitting the mounting bracket to the new fascia panel.
The new radio & panel in place.
Some adjustments made the fit a little better. Now it looks almost standard apart from a slightly odd placing of the head unit. The picture accentuates the colour difference, and looks a little more out of place since I'd just wet-wiped everything to remove fingerprints and dirt. Now it's all dry, IRL the new panel is a pretty good colour match.
A pic from the ad.
As a fellow S60 enthusiast I thought you might be interested in a few videos I found...
...From my Readers' Cars thread said:
Some more picture whoring ! I got time Fri after' and Saturday to give the new daily a good once over. So now it's spotless in and out:
The day was young so I gave the missus' car a wash/wax also.
.
And after that, there was still plenty of time left in the day. So I carried on and washed the entire fleet.
The day was young so I gave the missus' car a wash/wax also.
.And after that, there was still plenty of time left in the day. So I carried on and washed the entire fleet.
Bought myself some sunfilm for the daily and set to mounting that today.
First time I've tried to do this, and I think it went quite well. There's a couple of small scratches/creases in the back window - that aren't visible in the photos. It was bloody hard getting it into place without creasing the film, and even harder to "squeegy" out the water and bubbles when it's in place.
Side windows are just about professional quality. Happy with it overall, and managed to chose just the right shade, so it looks dark, but the sight out of the car isn't that affected. It should be a bit cooler in the summer sun now (when or if summer comes back).
Also got a new front number plate which tidied up the front a little.
Don't think I really want to do anything else with it now, apart from drive it.
Might do the missus' car next week.
First time I've tried to do this, and I think it went quite well. There's a couple of small scratches/creases in the back window - that aren't visible in the photos. It was bloody hard getting it into place without creasing the film, and even harder to "squeegy" out the water and bubbles when it's in place.
Side windows are just about professional quality. Happy with it overall, and managed to chose just the right shade, so it looks dark, but the sight out of the car isn't that affected. It should be a bit cooler in the summer sun now (when or if summer comes back).
Also got a new front number plate which tidied up the front a little.
Don't think I really want to do anything else with it now, apart from drive it.
Might do the missus' car next week.
Just a sidelight bulb to replace (which was working the other bloody day).Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff