I personally installed a used engine in the car and this forum helped me greatly with that.

My threads are here:
https://volvoforums.com/forum/search...earchid=458104

Long story short....the car has $2300 of parts in it that I myself put in so I know OEM Volvo parts were used, it was done right, and no ghetto engineering at all went into it.

The owner blew the head gasket so I put in a used engine (105K miles) and completely serviced it.

Since last fall this is that has been done to it:

used A/C compressor (works awesome)
new OEM radiator with hose
used ABS computer
used engine with new T belt, tensioner, plugs, belts, thermostat, etc...
complete new heater system (core, pipes, junction box)
new antenna mast
2 new rear tires (brand name Bridgestones)
and probably tons of more small stuff I can't recall just now

The bad:

It was in 2 accidents....Volvo repaired it both times but still that bothers me.
front seats are cracked badly
carpet is dirty
all doors have the peeling problem
all window controls are worn and ugly
It will need control arms soon
windshield is cracked

Mechanically, the car needs nothing but oil changes for the next few years.

All problems are cosmetic except for the control arms. Tire wear is abnormal on the front end.

Chasis has 182K miles now so maybe struts/bushings will need to be done within a year or two.

The owner's daughter is going to be driving this summer and he wants her to be in a new car instead of the S70. He spent serious coin on fixing it with me but has had a change of heart.

I think he would let it go for 2 grand which is more than just what the parts he put in it cost.

If I got it I would fix those cosmetic problems, add the egg crate grill from the C70, and the replica Pegasus wheels from IPD.

Well even if I do not buy I want it to go to someone who will care for it and love it cause it has become my baby. I DO NOT want someone who will take it and wrap it around a telephone pole in a week.

What would you do?

 

Im not a fan of base models but $2000 is not too bad. If it had a turbo then thats a diff story.

 

IMO I would steer clear of the '99 models; first year they went to ETM and from what I've read on this and other forums, they were/are problematic.

 

how reliable are the turbo's on the S70 models ?

if there so-so, then i would avoid getting turbo models !

 

Turbo's are AWSOME. I consider the turbo a safety feature. Other than that, I would probably give $1,000 for a worn down S70 base that is in good running order, $1,500 tops. I just sold a S90 for $1.200 that had a spotless interior and rough paint on the roof. I just serviced the car from bumper to bumper except for the A/C and transmission fluid change.

 

ye i heard that the 98 models were still build by volvo's and dont have any major problems, but 99 and up i heard that ford bought volvo out, or something like that. and know for a fact that 99 and 00 models have problems with their electrical system. so its up to u man. me personally would not pay more than a 1,000 for it. and by the way turbo's is what volvo is all about!

 

I am a big fan of the Volvo Turbo's too, had a 2004 Volvo S60 2.5T AWD, great car, with amazing power, but as the car ages things start to go weary, and if the turbo goes, the car runs like Geo Metro. I had that problem 2x with my VW Jetta TDI. I lost my turbo power right on the highway, and the car wasn't accelerating at all, until i pushed down on the pedal. I went to get it fixed, ended being some part in the turbo not running properly. Turbo is amazing, but its not when its not working.
I got a 1998 Volvo S70 2.5 SE, built 03/97, guess i got one of the best ones !

 

u sure did man!