Looking to buy a S70 T5. Could use some help please.

[Gdourado]

Hello, how are you?

I have just registered to the forum as I am looking to buy my first Volvo.
I am looking at a S70 T5.
It is a 1998 model.
The car looks pretty straight and according to the seller it is in very good mechanical condition with the usual wear and tear on the interior and exterior.

This is a picture of the engine bay that raised some questions for me.


I am far from a Volvo expert, but that red cable going to the battery seems very out of place. Can you please share some knowledgeable insight on how the engine looks?

Also, the seller disclosed some issues.
According to him, the only thing the car needs are:
- The two rear brake rotors
- Two shocks, one at the front and one at the back.
- One front lower control arm.

The rotors and shock and am thinking need repoltreio to age and wear.
But how about the control arm? He doesn’t say why it needs replacing, but he does say the car runs and drives very well despite that.
But it makes me wondering if the car hit something that damaged the control arm.

Also, are these cars prone to rust and corrosion?
I am from Portugal, so no snow and no salty roads.
Just the usual winter rain. Are there spots prone to rust I should check?

Also, in regard to the engine, what should I look out for?
I read online that these engines can hide faults pretty good, as they can run well, despite having components o the verge of failure or failed already.

The car has 180.000 kms allegedly that will try and verify and still has the original turbo.

What kind of failures can be expected and what kind of possible expenses am I looking at short term?

I guess this sums up my questions regarding this purchase.
I really appreciate any help you can give me at this stage.

Thank you very much.
Kind regards.

[Cookeh]

A wire of that gauge with a built in fuse is most likely for an aftermarket amplifier, which suggests the audio system has been upgraded. Nothing necessarily to worry about.

The top half of the airbox has been removed to fit a cone filter, which doesn't actually do anything for performance. This will give you more induction noise but may actually be robbing you of some power.

Control arm will more than likely need replacing due to the ball joint failing. The ball joint is built into the control arm on S/V70s and cannot be changed separately, requiring the whole arm to be replaced. Sounds fairly normal.

These cars are not generally prone to rust, but there are two spots where it can occur. The first is the front fenders, which can rot just above the tyres. The second is not easy to check as you have to remove the rear arch liners, but some have found rust by the rear seat mounting point in the rear arch.

As for your other questions, if you look in the 850, S/V70, C70 sales section there is a buyers guide written by Jod, which answers what to look for and the common faults.

[ITSv40]

First off welcome to the forum and Portugal is a lovely country.

The brake discs and pads are a wear item, so it will need new discs and pads. I would also check the calipers are working as they should and also change the brake fluid. If one shock at the front and rear are worn you need a full set of four new ones and also replace the front top mounts. The suspension arm is a normal wear item - these are heavy cars on the front end - again fit a pair of arms, have the tracking adjusted and you will be well sorted.

The red cable is definitely not original. Has the car had a high powered amp in the boot or something?

[turboboy]

Welcome to the forum.

Regarding the red battery cable, it is difficult to see from your photograph but how is the battery retained? It should have a black plastic clip at the front corner which holds on to the bottom flange of the battery but the picture appears to show that a larger battery has been fitted, which would mean that the clip will not fit.

Cannot get outside at the moment to look under my bonnet to check but I fitted a much larger battery to my V70 (a spare from another car I scrapped) and this required moving the retaining loop for the cable (located on the battery tray). There are two red cables, the one which had to be moved and another which goes around the back of the battery.

The result is that the larger battery is a little more awkward to fit or remove as there is no clearance between it and the air vent next to it, but most important is that the retaining clip cannot be used so I drilled a hole (carefully!) through the battery retaining flange and put a screw through into the battery tray. Although the battery was not loose and was unlikely to fall out unless I was upside down in a ditch, I secured it just in case the MOT tester noticed that the original retaininer was missing.

[Gdourado]

Hello,

Thank you for the warm welcome.
I haven’t thought about audio installation.
After your comments, I went to look at the pictures again, and in fact the headunit is not the original one, but a Sony aftermarket unit:




I emailed the owner to ask if any other modifications were done to the original audio installation and if so, what was done.

I haven’t gone to see the car yet as it is 350 kms from my location.
So I am currently doing my homework and gathering as much knowledge and information as possible.

In regard to the engine, of 180000 kms are real, is it a concerning high mileage?

From what I read, the engine and block are supposed to be strong and well built, but the rods are a weak link. Is it a concern?

Also, if the turbo is the original, can I expect it to need replacement soon? If it does, how much does a new or rebuilt turbo usually cost?

If I end up getting the car, I would like to do some mods to increase the performance. Nothing crazy, as the car already has 240 bhp stock.
But could I increase the power to around 300 bhp and keep it reliable?
Is this a good idea on an engine with over 100000 miles?

Thank you once again.
Kind regards.