1998 V70 - Any Good?

[bob12]

I have been offered first refusal on a 1998 V70 CD T5 Estate. First reg March 1998 - blue metallic/petrol/auto estate with 88K genuine miles with a good MOT History on the DVSA website other than a couple of quite 'normal' fails. Exterior and interior appear fine.

Should I buy the V70 it may be a replacement for my 1990 745 GL that I have owned since new and which is in excellent condition for its 30 years.

I shall be grateful if anyone with a knowledge of these car can give me any advice concerning buying the car and if anyone has any ideas on approximate value.

Cheers and thanks, Bob

[amazondean]

if you have owned the 745 from new, I would say keep it. The 740 was a great car and you will know it inside out. Also they are becoming increasingly rare these days.

These later v70 white block engines, although excellent, do have issues that need dealing with over time, with various electrical problems as well to deal with.

My guess is that Your 745 will cost you less to run by a long way over the next 5 years unless you know it will need work to keep it on the road. I owned a 745 about 15 years ago, and to this day I still have a memory that it was the most comfortable volvo I have owned. It would be a shame for you to part with it!!

[john.wigley]

Short answer, 'bob12'; yes very good.

Like you, I had a 745. Mine was an '87 GLE, which I bought in '98 and ran for 18 years until terminal underside corrosion spelled 'curtains'. If I'd had the means and the skills to repair it, I would have done, but £400+++ worth of welding, with the distinct possibility of it needing more in subsequent years, meant that it was time to part company,

Unable to find another 745/945 or, ideally, a 965/V90, I paid £550 for a 2000(V) V70 in mid-2016. Mine is a 2.4 petrol automatic, which I bought from a dealer as a 'trade sale' when he declined to put a year's MOT on it at the screen price of £700.

It has since been through four MOTs in my ownership without significant problems. The only thing that I don't like about it after the 745 is the steering lock, which is measured between towns rather than kerbs.

As 'amazondean' says, it will have problems, but so will any car of that age. They are well-built and respond well to conscientious maintenance.

Regards, John.

[amazondean]

I bought my 1996 850 TDI 12 years ago, it is still going strong. I have only ever needed to do basic servicing with a few ball joints and suspension arms over my first ten years of ownership and a set of second hand Nivomats!

Then after ten years I took it off the road and replaced the cloth interior with leather from a donor car, used the drivers wing from it and a few other bits and pieces, then had a new clutch and its first cam belt and water pump kit for around 12 years. It has been a fantastic family car and now being used as my workhorse to work and other general duties, but treated like a classic should be. I now want to try and make it last for another 5 years or so.

I have a near mint original 850 TDI waiting in my garage for the demise of my long standing car, but after 2 years waiting for that car to fail, I now want it to live a bit longer.

[turboboy]

Had a 740 Turbo which ran and ran and the only major repairs needed were a turbo rebuild just after I bought it, replaced the leaking Nivomats with a conventional system (and also the front strut inserts while I was at it) and a small welding patch to the passenger side toeboard.

Working on the engine was easy because of the fore/aft engine layout (did the turbo swap myself and think it was easier than replacing the engine breather on my V70) and apart from some rusting on the front corners of the bonnet and the usual deterioration of the door card tops due to the sun there was not much else needed apart from general maintenance.

Thinking about reliability reminds me that the only time it broke down was when my son borrowed it and it wouldn't start. After changing the fuel pump relay it turned out to be the fuel pump itself. Other than that incident I always felt confident that it would always get me to where I was going and back again.

Then decided that I would like an "upgrade" so replaced it with a V70 T5 CD MY 1998! This came with such luxuries as cruise control, A/C with climate control and an electric sun roof.

Comparing the two I would say that the 740 was in some ways better built. My V70 has had a number of the usual issues such as driver's door switch pack failure, front tyre rubbing on the arch lining at full lock, engine breather clogged, door lock mechanism switches wearing and thus leaving interior light on and draining the battery, main light switch coming apart and a headlight wiper motor seizing. The latest problem is the TRAKS/ABS light coming on. There has also been other minor issues, all of which are surmountable and keep me busy.

Would I go back to a 740? Who knows. If you were after another car then I would say the V70 sounds good but if it is intended to replace your 740 then stay with what you know as they are very good cars (as we all know :-) have a comfortable ride and go on for hundreds, if not millions, of miles.

[bob12]

Thanks all for your advices..

I bought it this morning for £275. Full leather, electric seats, new battery ....etc.

It's got a few minor niggles to sort like the power steering pump is noisy and it needs 2 new front tyres.

Otherwise seems OK generally all round with electrics seeming to work except for remote key fobs and all brake lights across the back end which have suddenly decided to stay on all the time even with engine switched off!! Must be some sort of earth problem. Currently pulled the fuse!! The car hasn't really been driven for some months and therein maybe the reason..

Cheers and thanks again,

Bob

[john.wigley]

Sounds like a good buy. Might the brake light issue be a sticking (stuck) switch?

Regards, John.

[bob12]

Thanks John. That was my thinking as it's only a 'new' event.

I have even looked at the wiring diagram in the Haynes that came with the mass of 'stuff' with the car. There isn't anything between the battery, fuse and the bulbs on both sides and centre, except the switch. I guess the switch is in the usual place in this case somewhere behind the auto pedal.

Bob

[Clogs]

I think you have a bargain - low mileage and looks good. Expect to pay to get everything working but it should give you a few years of comfortable motoring.

I had second hand 760 turbo estate... lovely car but the auto box, engine valves leaking and turbo gave up, so not worth fixing after years of ownership. I also had a second hand Wentworth 740 estate - unfortunately badly accident damaged, which I would have kept otherwise for many more years. Moving on to a 1999 T5 V70 - performance is better and it has never broken down.... but I've spent thousands to keep it on the road over the last 8 years... new alternator, new air con compressor, new suspension parts, new brake discs (twice front, once the whole back incl handbrake). All in all cheaper than any loss on depreciation you might have from a newer car.

[turboboy]

That looks very nice and clean.

Same model and year as mine (1998 "R" V70 T5 CD) which I have had for eight years.

Have changed the brake light switch which is not difficult if you are a 2' 2" contortionist and also brake disks, light switch, driver's side window switch pack and various other parts that are known to need attention over time on these cars.

No alternator or starter problems but A/C not working but that is not leaking but blocked so needs de-gassing at some time when I can get out (family currently "shielding" due to covid-19) so I can change the parts that are sitting in the garage.

Just repaired / resoldered the TRACS/ABS control unit which cost me the grand total of £13.99 for gasket sealer, conformal coating and an E3 socket (which disappeared into the bowels of the engine bay just as I tightened the last bolt). Took quite a while to do as the turbo air feed pipe gets in the way and I could not get it detached, so had to work around that. So far the lights now go out just after starting - hopefully success.

I would agree with Clogs that you must expect to pay out for repairs and maintenance for these cars but it will be considerably less than a new car once you take into consideration depreciation, loss of interest on what you could have had in your bank account and other factors.

Great car and hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy mine.