C70 Members Opinions Sought.

[mgd109]

Hello Everybody,
After over 20 years of Saab ownership my wife has now decided she would like a change and is quite taken with Volvos and in particular a C70. I'm a fairly competent home mechanic and carry out all servicing on vehicles we own as well as fixing the convectional faults that do occur on any car but I have absolutely no experience of powered hardtop roofs such as the one on the C70. I'm just asking forum members how reliable they feel the roof mechanism is, are there any common failures and is there anything obvious I should look for when viewing a prospective car (I'm doing my upmost to convince her she would prefer a S40/60 but I'm fighting a losing battle).

If I've posted this in the wrong place I apologise in advance to forum members.

[DSK]

I have the Coupe's so can't comment on the hard tops but my understanding is that generally they are OK but as with any convertible, its all the micro switches and motors that need to checked when they break.

Other than that, they are solid cars, which are loaded with equipment but, avoid any that have been maintained on the cheap as correct and routine maintenance isn't really that expensive and these cars longevity depends on it. There easy enough to work on for the competent home mechanic.

Whilst the T5 can be considered extreme for the convertible, I'd still get one with the T5 engine, its an absolute hoot with lots of torque and power that can still embarras many swift modern cars.

[capt jack]

I can't comment on the convertible part of your question, but I have owned and looked after four 70-series Volvos, and a Saab 9-3.

I think a lot depends on the era of car that you're considering. The older 70-series cars, from 1997-2000 (or C70 to 2005) were superbly well-engineered, capable of monster mileages, not too difficult for the DIY-er, and whether in V-, S- or C- guise, all round a really good car. I've had 3 V70s and one S70 from this time, one of the V70s getting to 300,000 miles not out. The S70 currently stands at 210,000 and has just passed the MOT with no advisories.

The Saab I owned was a 2007 9-3 TiD, with the Hirsch 170bhp upgrade. To drive it was fantastic, and I think it looked very handsome. Build quality overall was not as good as the 70-series Volvos, and I never felt that the engine, essentially a Fiat/GM diesel motor with a chip and a turbo, was as well-engineered or likely to last as long as the 5-cylinder petrol engine in the Volvos.

If you're looking at the newer 2006-on C70s then these are variants of the newer S40 / V50 / C30 range of cars. As with the more recent offerings from all manufacturers the cars of this age generally are less DIY-friendly, and there'll be those on here (me included) who'd say that the older models were all round "better". Then again, I also own a 1997 S90 (3litre, 6cyl, 22mpg) and in my opinion the build quality of that surpasses the 70-series cars in that there's less plastic and more metal.

Either way, I'd suggest that whatever you're considering, as with any older car (ie: more than 5 years) it's really ess about the general attributes of the range, and more about the condition and history of the specific car. Accepting that newer cars of whatever make are more complex and less DIY-friendly, if the C70 you're looking at is say 7 or 8 years old, running well, has a good history, has everything working as it should and is for sale from a reputable source then chances are it'll be fine.

Hope this thoughts are helpful

Jack

[Redskiies]

i think you are in the wrong main thread, as this section is for the mk1 c70s, the coupe and the softtop convertible, and what you are looking for is the hardtop convertible, that is a couple of main sections below.

so as for the c70s in general, the engine/gearbox and the mechanical bits/inside of it is mostly the same but revised a couple of times over the years.
as someone who bought one as a project, i can assure you, that they look scary first, but everything is easily reachable and quite frankly, most of the time the easiest bit causes the biggest scare.

as for the roof... you better ask the real guys, as we know not much about it.

but i agree with dsk, get a t5 definitely... itll worth more, will have more fun, and if you drive normally, you wont feel the mpg difference... but if you want to have fun sometimes, youre better off with it

[Clan]

Originally Posted by mgd109

Hello Everybody,
After over 20 years of Saab ownership my wife has now decided she would like a change and is quite taken with Volvos and in particular a C70. I'm a fairly competent home mechanic and carry out all servicing on vehicles we own as well as fixing the convectional faults that do occur on any car but I have absolutely no experience of powered hardtop roofs such as the one on the C70. I'm just asking forum members how reliable they feel the roof mechanism is, are there any common failures and is there anything obvious I should look for when viewing a prospective car (I'm doing my upmost to convince her she would prefer a S40/60 but I'm fighting a losing battle).

If I've posted this in the wrong place I apologise in advance to forum members.

The roof mechanism is generally tough , the wires where they bend in the roof loom may break after a lot of use , they would give a sensor fault code which in 9 times out of ten is the wire not the sensor . When the car was launched , volvo's demonstrator car was on show to the public and they were trying the roof a lot as it was the main feature of the car , It performed over 6000 operations in that short showtime . There is a counter in the system which the dealer can access . The door catches require regular lubrication to prevent them sticking ... If water is allowed to collect in the spare wheel well for what ever reason it will eventually ruin the hydraulic roof mechanism pump . The cars generally remain dry inside ...

[ITSv40]

The tin top convertibles are Ford based and much more complex than the original soft top genuine Volvo convertibles. My son has had two V50 T5's and they are truly smile a minute cars performance wise, but the build quality is no where near the older Volvo standards. Every major component has FoMoCo stamped on it. You will be better off posting in the other forum as we on here are more familiar with the soft tops which are completely different cars.

[mgd109]

Originally Posted by ITSv40

The tin top convertibles are Ford based and much more complex than the original soft top genuine Volvo convertibles......You will be better off posting in the other forum as we on here are more familiar with the soft tops which are completely different cars.

Originally Posted by Redskiies

i think you are in the wrong main thread, as this section is for the mk1 c70s.......

Thank for the input and my mistake, missed the date I would be looking for a post 2005.

[Alpine]

Originally Posted by mgd109

Thank for the input and my mistake, missed the date I would be looking for a post 2005.

But I think, in light of what is said above, you should really be looking for a pre 2005 ....

[Burnsie]

I've a 2004 c70 convertible. Owned her for the last 6 years with little if any issues. This was originally bought for my wife to use Last year I decided to treat ourselves to a new v40 with all the bels and whistles added.
On doing so parked the c70 in a garage. May this year desired the I would keep the c70 as a summer car.
She always had the odd squeak on the suspension and as we are keeping her desided to give some TLC.
Replaced ;
All struts
Rear springs
Wish bones
Ball joints
Track rod ends
All brake disc,pads and handbrake shoes
Drivers door glass (me being an idiot)
Anti roll linkages
Rear parking sensors alined
CV joints (tuesday)
Front strut bearings (Tuesday)

All the above including a new MOT supplied and fitted by a great garage who specialises in old Volvo's (West Midlands) for less than £800.

The first service on my v40 with less then 3000 miles was £320.

Would happily buy another c70 tomorrow they are like the true volvo tanks of their day!!