Hey Guys:

I have a few questions about my '98 V70s Trunk lid. The wiper seems to 'sit' the opposite way from other Volvo's I've seen; and the paint is starting to 'fade' around the centre below the wiper (as well as the paint around the bumper) Are these signs it may have been in a rear fender bender and they replaced the whole rear hatch?

There is also some rust forming underneath the glass, along the seal (which is starting to fall out). Is it worth having the whole thing stripped, fixed and repainted? Or finding another complete rear hatch for 200 bucks to install?

Cheers!

 

Sounds cheaper to replace it for $200.

 

Thanks for the reply rspi; would that paint peeling on the bumper be an indication of a re-spray from an accident? (Car fax has nothing). The wiper also seems to sit on the opposite side of the rear window than what I've seen on other V70s.

Thanks.

 

That would be my guess. I pulled the door moldings off my wagon Wednesday and I seen that the drivers door was a different color.

Having a clean car fax is cool and may help you get a few more bucks if you decide to sell it. My 960 had a clean car fax and the insurnace company gave me a full value check when it was wrecked by my daughter.

These cars get painted for all kinds of reasons. Does your wiper work properly and park?

 

Hello BCV70, The wiper on my '02 V70 comes to rest on the left (driver's) side. I have seen them on both sides on P2s. I never keyed into it with my P1, a '99. What slays me is that it comes to rest "10 degrees" beyond the glass. Kira

 

Thanks for the replies,

I just wish I knew why it was repainted... (I can see little bits of overspray, and under closer inspection, the actual metal under the cover is more of a stainless colour than 'black').

As to the wiper... It works fine, and fits BUT on other P1s I've seen, it sits on drivers side. The rust around the seal below the windshield seems like it almost might be an indicator. If its just the hatch that has been replaced, and repainted do I have much to worry about?

 

Some are obsessive about maintaining their toys. There may have been slight damage such as the kids bicycle falling onto the hatch creating scratches. If it was major repair done by a reputable shop, most likely it was put back as good as new. I painted the black trim on my black V70 ((p2) after smearing car wax onto the trim. Could not get the white smudges out of the plastic trim. Have probably sprayed some paint on every car, truck, motorcycle I've owned. The K-GT will get a fresh coat this winter. Only has rock chips and a few scratches, but $200 of paint and a weekend in the garage will make it look brand new.
The wiper motor does come in several different configurations. I lost the electrical from my motor and replaced it with one from the wrecking yard. It now sits opposite as it had originally, yet it works fine.
You raised a question in my mind. When did they switch to fiberglass rear hatch? My 04 has a fiberglass hatch. Yeah, I know. I did not believe it either when the kid at the wrecking yard told me so. Then he showed me a couple V70s that had been rear-ended; definitely fiberglass.

 

I don't know what difference it makes on a 14 year old car. Unless you are going to enter it in car shows or try to sell it for more than retail, I don't think the back hatch matters much other than if it is working properly. Try to find something tragic to worry about.

 

Thanks for that Woodkayar; and rspi the reason I care is 1) it is my first Volvo, 2) Everything else looks amazing besides the steering wheel; and hey, if every 20 yr old 'kid', or adult for that matter was that protective of their car, there maybe even more older Volvos kept on the road.

 

My point wasn't that you shouldn't care about your car, it's just that you seem overly concerned about the past. Focus on the future, what are you going to do about it? As stated, I did learn that my drivers door must have been replaced... the reason why, what color the door was, or when doesn't matter. What does matter is if I'm going to do something about it and if it works properly. Pull a auto check or car fax and track down all the previous owners and pin them down on what happened to your rear hatch. There is NO WAY we will ever figure that out.

On the other hand, if your wiper doesn't work and you need some pointers on how to get it working, let us know, we will do what we can to help.

 

Sorry If I came off a little defensive rspi; I think my major concern with the whole thing was noticing these little things, along with a repainted bumper and wondering if it had been hit hard. Moreover the possible things underneath the plastic that may tell a different story. Is there anything you would recommend I look at if I take the bumper off, that could tell me if there was more trauma?