Modded v70 d5 or v70 T5/R?

[kenny ken]

Hi all, this is my first post in a long time (possibly ever) been a lurker on here mostly.
I currently own a 2003 civic type R which I love but since buying my dog (hungarian vizsla) I've realised that he's too big for the boot and he currently has to sit on the back seat with my 8 year old step daughter much to her dislike.
For the sale of my sanity on long trips I think the time has come for a v70.
I do about 125 miles per week so I'm just trying to decide between a 2004 to 2007 d5 or a t5 or even an R, coming from a civic I'm sure it'll feel like a tank but I still want summat fast,
Do I get a d5 and mod it? (Rica, fmic, suspension, wheels, exhaust)
Or go for a T5/R?
Obviously with honda I've got good reliability. what's best in terms of reliability?

[M-R-P]

Post 2004 for a start.
D5 will be better on fuel but for tuning, you'll be better off with a petrol turbo.
To keep maintenance and running costs down, as well as simplicity in tuning, stick with a fwd, non-R.
A 2.4 T5 can reliably and relatively cheaply be tuned to 320bhp and isn't as bad on fuel as you'd think, especially on a run.

[LiamT4]

As thats less than 7k a year, i'd definitely go with the t5. Just be careful what year you go for as the post 2004 are the better cars but post 2006 it may be in the £490 tax bracket.

[htomi]

Another vote for the T5 unless you have a bigger budget and can afford an R. Also its less headache, less maintenance, more tuning potential - if this is what you aiming for. Keep the Type R as weekend car.
In terms of reliability, Volvo's are generally good. Each has their own issues, but with proper maintenance/parts it can be avoided. I had a S60 2.0T before my R. Purchased with 98k miles and served me for nearly 100k miles and 5 years. Never left me on the side of the road. Serviced every 8k miles (oil, filter etc) outside of that tear-wear parts. Brake discs 140k miles, rear suspension at 150k, front suspension at 170k miles, 1 alternator, 1 battery, 1 TCV , 5 ignition coils at 160k. Used the S60 as daily driver on a 60 miles commute to work and back.
Congrats for the vizsla ;) beautiful and very-very clever dog. Good luck for the T5 hunt!

[don kalmar union]

For the relatively low mileage you rack up a petrol car is your best bet.

As has been stated earlier the post '05 2.4l T5 engine is by far the best of the long line of T5s, identical to the concurrent 'R's but with a slightly narrower bore that totally avoids the issues of the block cracking associated with the 2.5l 'R' engines.

A premium software upgrade, such as the Swedish written MTE stuff that I have sold for nigh on 20 years will give you 330bhp with no physical changes.

The other alternative might be a V50 T5 that has a totally different Volvo 5 pot turbo that will give you around 260bhp with a simple software change, This particular engine though has a capacity of 2.5l with the same bore diameter and bore spacing as those 'R' engines with similar fragility if you go much beyond 280bhp which is the next step up with a full replacement exhaust and larger IC.

Don.

[kenny ken]

Everything I come across seems to have intergalactic mileage on T5 wise, is this a real issue or not with these engines? Are ex plod T5s worth a punt or not?

[htomi]

I would say the 5 cyl Volvo engine is pretty reliable even at high mileage. (over 200k + miles). There are few guys on the US forum with stock P2 R's nearly 300k miles on the clock, but...
As you may know, when it comes to used cars, condition is what will be purchased not the miles on the clock. Ex police cars are usually beaten by many employees and different driving styles, however I assume those went trough a rigorous maintenance schedule and worn parts should have been replaced regardless of costs. Take this into consideration and aim for a bigger budget if you can't find anything else.
Also keep in mind, nearly everything - Engine, Suspension - can be re-build if necessary, obviously depends on your pocket size and time available. Used parts can be acquired from junkyards, ebay, forums you'll name it. Some parts are even compatible from other S60/V70 models. Also to mention quality aftermarket vendors such as Lemforder, TRW, Febi-Bilstein etc. The advantage to re-building a car - bringing back to stage 0 = you would certainly know, what went in, when and who did it. Again take these into consideration: costs, time, quality and see if all the 3 is available for you with dedication to the model what you choose.

[M-R-P]

Everything I come across seems to have intergalactic mileage on T5 wise, is this a real issue or not with these engines? Are ex plod T5s worth a punt or not?

My ex plod is on over 220k miles and made 310bhp on the rollers at the weekend :)

[kenny ken]

What wold 4.5k get me?

[M-R-P]

What wold 4.5k get me?

A 2006 t5 in good condition.

[kenny ken]

Reckon? I just see early ones or real high milers on eBay for that! Where is best to look?

[M-R-P]

The forums usually.
On Facebook forums, there's slr motor company, they often have some lovely cars (if a little enthusiastically priced at times). Ex plod is worth a go - nice and cheap and always have genuine Volvo parts used. You'd have to do things like change interior, sort dents etc. but you'll get a lot of car for your money.

[kenny ken]

Probably no chance finding an 05 ish v70 t5 ex plod that's just come out of service though

[M-R-P]

Unlikely, they rarely keep them past 3 years.

[M-R-P]

http://www.expolicecar.co.uk/stockdetail.asp?id=416

Within your budget.

[LiamT4]

Reckon? I just see early ones or real high milers on eBay for that! Where is best to look?

I've not seen any early v70 t5s go for that type of money, you should be able to get a good 2.4 t5 for less than 4.5k with a bit of patience.

I've been looking for a car for over a year now (not for a v70 t5 though) and have seen plenty of good t5s go for around 4k. December and January are always poor months for car sales, but it should be picking up again now.