[J.Stein]

I anyone here would appreciate a "Sexy Volvo" or might understand why I did this, it would be (hopefully) Connie. It takes a disease to cause a man to buy a used low production foreign car with all the hallmarks of a "money pit."

I'll be even more easy to spot blasting through Cheviot, Ohio this holiday season.

A friend rehabs and sells Volvo's and I made the mistake of stopping in to see him. He had taken a C70 in trade and I wet myself. I ran the VIN and found out it indeed was an "HT" model with the 236hp High Pressure Turbo (as opposed to the girlie LT with 196hp ) and that about sealed the deal. Had it checked out by my own mechanic and the maintenance logs were in order so now she's mine. Black over charcoal.

My boy said it looked like the Batmobile.
My wife asked me to please not get myself killed.

 

[Connie]

Sweet and Slick!!! This is the "Sleeper" Volvo!

Hang on to it! The great thing about this car is the ECU is totally managable. You can tweak it and remap it OR OR OR even better bolt on a new one from Abbott Performance like I did, get some big a$$ turbo headers, beef up the suspension and lower it an inch and get the Bell bolt on intercooler. There are lots of performance mods for this turbo brick! Nice real nice!!! Tire wear is gonna be an issue... just warning ya!

Wander around these sites:

http://www.turbobricks.com/index.php

http://www.volvomotorsports.com/catalog/

...oh yeah and get rid of those balloon tires, get a spare set of wheels (German Ronal's magnesium alloy) and glue a set of Bibbendum's best Pilot's on them for summer use! You will not BELIEVE the g-force on dry roads! Am I pissing off the wifey yet???

Start with these:
http://www.volvomotorsports.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=24&products_id=128

http://www.volvomotorsports.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=129

http://www.volvomotorsports.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=87

Guns or Cars... it's a tough choice! Each in it's own time. Gonna hit The Creek on the 13th for more M2HB parts, an "Infidel" & KCR T-shirt and I saw a Vickers and Lewisgun kits I have been lusting after....

and this is 530 HP in a V-Brick, quick, very quick!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbHEPbS9ZeU

 

[dedicated_dad]

While I normally don't go for such things, that's a purdy ride.

What did it set you back (if you don't mind me asking -- if you do I'll happily bugger off.)

DD

 

[GunNut1975]

Nice ride.I've never owned a Volvo but I've heard nothing but good things from their owners.
Closest I've come is a Saab 900S we had about 12 years ago.I really miss that car,I got it cheap and it held up well.
It was pretty quick too.

 

[zachary78]

Beats the hell out of those Hondas everybody likes to hot rod these days.

 

[J.Stein]

Wow, Connie, I knew you'd have some sage advice but hadn't expected such a cornucopia of info. Thanks much. If you didn't know, this buggy was developed in a joint effort between Volvo and Tom Walkinshaw Racing. While I still see plenty of the 1st generation convertibles, I have only seen two other coupes in Louisville in the 9 years since they built the first.

I still have two little kids to get through college before I go ape tuning a ride, however I will do like I did on my GTI.....when something squeaks I'll replace it with an aftermarket performance part instead of OEM.

DD.....if I posted what I paid for it then Mrs. Bowser would read it and she'd tell my wife the next time they came down to Louisville. Wife ok'd the purchase but she doesn't know the figures. Suffice it to say, once I sell my spare 850 GLT sedan, I'll have less into this car than the price of a base KIA without air or radio. The HT coupe was @$40k when new but 7 years of depreciation on a low volume unloved import makes things easy. The upfront costs are cheap.........keeping it running right will be where the costs come in.

 

[Connie]

...now here's a different take on your car!!!!

extremely quick Volvo!

 

[DaSOB]

Dayum, Connie! What kinda blower you got strapped on top of that Edelbrock Hi-Rise (or whatever it is)? And what kinda gears you got to put them horses on the road?? Is that car RWD? What kinda ass-end ya got in it?

 

[Connie]

Dayum, Connie! What kinda blower you got strapped on top of that Edelbrock Hi-Rise (or whatever it is)? And what kinda gears you got to put them horses on the road?? Is that car RWD? What kinda ass-end ya got in it?

Sam go here for more pix the site is sometimes down but try every so often... it's at Volvo Motor Sports:

http://www.volvomotorsports.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=random&cat=0&pos=-214

 

[caerlonie]

I see a fair few Volvo's here,but have never owned one.A quick search of a auction site here turned up about half a dozen C70's,they sell for high prices new/near new but seem to depreciate a lot,this one looks OK not that I am into cars especially ones without a solid roof on them...

 

[jjk308 In Memoriam RIP]

My new used ride, a 2004 Nissan Maxima 3.5SL, thumbnail below.

I really do not trust turbos, thanks to everyone I've known who bought one having burned them out.

I used to run Volvos, the old 4 cyl. ones, a family tradition, until their prices went way up, the cost of parts got outrageous, and the quality dropped when they started using Renault engines and transmissions. Now they're a "world car" Ford owned, and I've never really considered buying one.

The Maxima develops the same HP as the Volvo. but is normally aspirated, and has way more torque than I need or the tires can handle in this FWD setup. So much torque that there were complaints about the lighter 18 inch XE model wheels warping. I've got 17's. Very responsive and fairly powerful torque steer when you step on it so you've got to hang on, keep control of the steering and try and limit wheel spin at the same time. Needs some skill to drive fast off the line and kinda reminds me of the pre-emission control muscle cars but with the drive on the wrong end. When these tires wear out I intend to get some stickier ones.

Fun - and cheap - and reliable unless you get new ones with the CVT transmission - which is noisy, hot running, and unreliable.

 

[J.Stein]

JJK, your choice was well reasoned and rationale. The logic is obvious. I know I'll awake some night in a sweat asking myself why I didn't get a Maxima....or heck even a Buick.

That's why referred to my choice as a manifestation of a disease. If I had any sense I'd have found a nice low mileage Honda Accord 4cyl.

But then, I wouldn't feel right blasting through the back roads of central Kentucky in an Accord while the CD player is blaring the soundtrack from "To Live and Die in L.A." which is my personal soundtrack whilst doing my scientific testing of understeer while dodging the stone walls which line both sides of those one and a half lane roads through Versailles and Midway.

Besides, my brother-in-law bought a Honda hybrid civic so our family's "carbon footprint" is still the same. That means a lot to me. Thanks bro.

 

[Connie]

What Turbo You Talkin' about?

My new used ride, a 2004 Nissan Maxima 3.5SL, thumbnail below.

I really do not trust turbos, thanks to everyone I've known who bought one having burned them out.

EVERYONE??!! Ahhhh I've got 200K on my one of my turbos (Garrett) without a problem due to proper care and in the past 20+ years of running turbos in Saabs I've seen just one impeller/bearing failure due to a manufacturing defect. The Saab turbo is bullet proof but their water pumps of all things, is the most unpredictible part after 60K, along with a serpentine belt guide bearing that is "maintainence free" you know, no grease plug on it! Hate those! They can last 50K or 150K, just no telling. But back to the point, I absolutely beat the crap out of my turbo every single chance I get, redline it every day numerous times just for fun! And nary a problem, besides ...the turbos on Saabs and Volvos are easy fixes and easy to work on.

 

[Connie]

JS is second guessing his way to the ole' Kentucky Retirement Home

JJK, your choice was well reasoned and rationale. The logic is obvious. I know I'll awake some night in a sweat asking myself why I didn't get a Maxima....or heck even a Buick.

That's why referred to my choice as a manifestation of a disease. If I had any sense I'd have found a nice low mileage Honda Accord 4cyl.

But then, I wouldn't feel right blasting through the back roads of central Kentucky in an Accord while the CD player is blaring the soundtrack from "To Live and Die in L.A." which is my personal soundtrack whilst doing my scientific testing of understeer while dodging the stone walls which line both sides of those one and a half lane roads through Versailles and Midway.

Besides, my brother-in-law bought a Honda hybrid civic so our family's "carbon footprint" is still the same. That means a lot to me. Thanks bro.

NO! You made an excellent choice! Enjoy the advantages! A Honda Accord isn't even HALF the car that Volvo is. The only reason to get a Maxima or a Buick is to carry your freakin' "walker" and your "Depends", I know your not that old YET! Or are you? Or just get a Golf Cart and Plaid Shorts and Support Socks and you'll be set!!!!

 

[J.Stein]

Or just get a Golf Cart and Plaid Shorts and Support Socks and you'll be set!!!!

Like any true American man, I only wear my plaid shorts and support socks when I'm on my riding mower. That look is what I call "Cheviot Summer Camo."

 

[Connie]

Bwahahahaha!

whew! can't breathe now!

 

[zachary78]

EVERYONE??!! Ahhhh I've got 200K on my one of my turbos (Garrett) without a problem due to proper care and in the past 20+ years of running turbos in Saabs I've seen just one impeller/bearing failure due to a manufacturing defect. The Saab turbo is bullet proof but their water pumps of all things, is the most unpredictible part after 60K, along with a serpentine belt guide bearing that is "maintainence free" you know, no grease plug on it! Hate those! They can last 50K or 150K, just no telling. But back to the point, I absolutely beat the crap out of my turbo every single chance I get, redline it every day numerous times just for fun! And nary a problem, besides ...the turbos on Saabs and Volvos are easy fixes and easy to work on.

Next time you are on the interstate consider that most if not all the semis you see have turbochargers. Also, look at any farm tractor with 120+ horsepower made since 1970 and it will most likely have a turbo. On the other hand, I haven't heard too many good things about the turbos on the new 6.6L powerstrokes. (Something about their variable pitch blades, IIRC.) An old mechanic friend once told me that idling a turbo'd engine for a couple minutes before shutting it down will help tremendously.

 

[caerlonie]

As a younger man I put about 2000 hrs on a 100 horse John Deere tractor,it had a turbocharger,very economical never had any problems with it,you were supposed to let it idle for at least 3 minutes before shutting it down,especially if you had been operating it at higher revs for baling hay or ploughing etc.

 

[Connie]

Don't know about trucks or tractors but yes, cool down in EARLY turbos WAS an ESSENTIAL bit of preventative maintainence. If you shut them off right away they wouldn't get enough oil and you could cook them. From the late 70's on turbos (Garrett is the one I'm familiar with USA made in CT.) the bearing races where designed for maximum oil flow which cured the early cookoff of the bearings and the need for cooldown in automotive uses.

 

[markgasmo]

my advice on newer Volvos: check the PCV. its the #1 engine killer in those late models.