Im still trying to decide whether to replace my Alfa or not, and Volvo C70s look kinda interesting. Id be looking for one the first couple of years they made them, it seems they sell for around $5k here, which seems decent. Are they good cars? If I look at one, what things should I check? Anything else I should know? It would just be used for a daily driver, maybe autocross but not often or seriously.
FWD, with fwd volvo handling, in a chassis thats not very stiff due to the convertible-ness.
if you don't care if it handles like a camry, i guess its ok
I remember C&D saying it had noticeable cowl shake over bumps. I wonder if there's a subframe connector setup and bracing that could be added that would help. Could always do your own too and if you don't mind cutting through the floor and getting jiggy with a welder it would probably help a lot depending on the design.
I am not sure if you are looking for a convertible but from '97 -'01 the C70 was available as a very sharp looking and respectable coupe. Sort of a coupe version of the Volvo 850/S70.
All versions were automatics. The highly desirable limited edition paint is a copper color call saffron.
I really liked my '95 Volvo 850 and a C70 should be similar. I expect that a C70 would make a great highway cruiser given its nice features and comfy seats.
Speaking of seats, look for a Volvo with black or gray interior. It may just be my opinion but I strongly feel that the tan leather that Volvo uses is inferior to the quality and durability of the black leather.
Some of the coupes were standard, I had one in 2000. The early cars were built by drunken Elbonians on the first day back from a national holiday. Windows fell off, you couldn't put gas in the cars due to plugged vent lines, doors didn't fit, they would make a Yugo proud. The later ones were decent, solid cars. Run, do not walk away from the 98's and 99's.
Ah ok. Yeah it was a manual coupe I had in mind. Im going to look elsewhere though, because the 98-99 are the only ones I could afford. There is actually a saffron one on cl right now for $5k (98 automatic coupe), which is what made me think about it.
Be aware of the throttle position sensor problems that started in 99.
Understand the different turbo configurations. That will help you select the performance you want.
They are a big car, set up as a luxury cruiser, so sporty spiffyness they don't posess. Still a very nice car, but don't confuse it with a Mustang or a Miata.
Lastly, it's a Volvo. They are plagued with gremlins. Won't usually stop the car from running, but you will never have everything working at the same time. CEL will come on randomly, etc.
car39 wrote: Some of the coupes were standard, I had one in 2000. The early cars were built by drunken Elbonians on the first day back from a national holiday. Windows fell off, you couldn't put gas in the cars due to plugged vent lines, doors didn't fit, they would make a Yugo proud. The later ones were decent, solid cars. Run, do not walk away from the 98's and 99's.
Love the Dilbert reference! Unfortunately the C70s were outsourced for production (not to Elbonia though) and their first couple years' build quailty reflects it.
They are Volvos, which means they're safe and have very comfortable seats, and with the proper turbo motor can be made to go very fast. They will likely not handle great but my old V70 surprised me with it's competence on more than one on-ramp.
If you want a good looking cruiser with great seats I could think of worse rides, but for the money I can think of better drivers.
Hmm what kind of cars do people buy for around $5k? I know miatas, but I would have to leave it outside (not so great with a convertible), and Id like to be able to carry more stuff that that. Most of the cars that i like as in something id want to drive are more like $2k cars, or older cars that are more expensive even in not so great shape. I do think I will skip the C70 idea though, because its only the 98-99 ones that are cheap enough i could afford one, and it doesn't sound like they are a great deal. lol
For the same price or less you can bypass the Elbonian gremlins and get the awesome wagon version. Wagons are cool.
Travis_K wrote: Hmm what kind of cars do people buy for around $5k?
Since Milano and C70 were on your list your thoughts are likely more to the fringe (which I too like.)
Try shopping the Infiniti/Nissan products. You may be surprised at how much Infiniti Q45 you can afford. If shopping Q45's the popular wisdom is that the earliest years had issues but got great in later years. Those early years had smooth front facias. The later years updated to a front grill so the simple idea is that you want a Infiniti with a grill. The Q45 does not come with a manual but the 4.5L V8 makes up for that.
Maximas and Infiniti I30's are great too. They both can be had with 5 speeds but automatics are more popular.
A more popular answer would be the best BMW 3 series that you can afford.
Depends on what you want. If you want a great driving sedan, late 90s 5 series are out there for under $5k. If you want a comfy cruiser that you can still flog, late 90s 7 series are there too. The Q ships are great cars but didn't sell in big numbers and therefore are more difficult to maintain and repair cheaply IMHO. Every one I looked at a couple years ago needed AB$ repair.
My mother had a convertible C70 she bought new and I HATED that car. It seemed really cheap. Under the seats there were exposed wires, have the Swedes not heard of wire looms? She had lots of problems with it too, the funniest being the top getting stuck halfway down while she was attempting to drop it. Not to mention there was even more chassis flex than the drop top 5.0 mustang I owned, it drove like crap. I really really did not like that car. I have not driven a hard top at all, I am sure the chassis flex is not as bad but I would imagine little else is changed. Thats just my opinion, I drove that car quite often though...
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