.....

 

I drive one too, it's a hoot.


There is a very good "new owners" thread for the 850 and some videos linked there as well. That would be good for you to review. The 98 S70 is mechanically like an 850. The initial "what to look for" things would include making sure your PCV system has been cleaned out occasionally and keeping the timing belt up to date. Don't ever let it overheat. The thread will explain all that.


The interior of an S70 of course is not like the 850. The plastic they used is not very nice, I guess you see that. Right now the junkyards are full of them, and you could consider grabbing a few spares, but most of the S70 specific stuff is pretty reliable and durable.

 

An S70 with a MT is a great find. 98s have common components to the 850s so parts are easy to find and don't have some of the issues that the 99+ S70s have (like the electronic throttle body ) or VVT gears that complicate maintenance. You still have the old distributor/cap (sorry no coil pack ignition) and with the MT no worries about automatic transmission issues. Tuning parts are easy to find if you want to add some HP or improve the handling... check out IPD, ARD and a few other web sites to see.