V70R versions, spec and options?

[AndysR]

The what? lol

RTI - Road Traffic Information.... Swedish for sat nav basically.. lol

Oh and if it wasn't obvious the surround sound system is only available with the SC-900 so on everything other than an R that makes the surround sound system a £1,050.00 option. Needless to say I've never seen the surround sound system fitted to anything other than an R! lol

[volvokid]

The what? lol

The amstrad sat nav

[LiamT4]

RTI - Road Traffic Information.... Swedish for sat nav basically.. lol

Oh and if it wasn't obvious the surround sound system is only available with the SC-900 so on everything other than an R that makes the surround sound system a £1,050.00 option. Needless to say I've never seen the surround sound system fitted to anything other than an R! lol

Wow, didn't realise you could get sat nav back then.

[volvokid]

Have you ever seen it? have a googley for it, it was bogging

[volvokid]

Come to think of it I wonder what the RTI was like in the run out P1 C70's since it was the same interior as a 97 V70, they must have updated the setup and the look of it or they deleted it as an option....

[AndysR]

Wow, didn't realise you could get sat nav back then.

First generation pop up sat nav.



You can probably guess why you either had the RTI or the surround sound upgrade due to the location of either the centre speaker or the RTI display. It was even operated with a remote control

[LiamT4]

As funky as that looks, i'm glad my s70 has got the pro logic.

[AndysR]

As funky as that looks, i'm glad my s70 has got the pro logic.

Lol, lets just say that system wasn't without it's faults or it's overinflated updated software costs. So it's safe to say the original owner made a justified decision

[LeeT5]

I have to say, i disagree with anyone that says the FWD V70R was a better car and faster than the AWD V70R. It's only 10hp more than a AWD R (P1-Phase 1/2). I had a 1996 T5 auto Estate for 3 years before my AWD R (P1-Phase 2) and the T5 was absolutely useless in the anything wet, damp or icey (even with TRACS on). There was just too much torque at the front. Don't get me wrong, it was great fun and even thou i reigned things in by fitted a strut brace (decreases torque steer massively) it would still wheel spin at 60 mph if you floored it in the wet!

However, The R AWD would waste anything off the line in the wet (unless it was a Audi S4, RS4, RS6, Quattro, Scooby or Evo). FWD cars just couldn't touch it. Whilst they might be a second slower to 60 than a manual, you can sort that out with a decent remap. I remapped mine with a stage 2 BSR ppc (inc filter and cat back exhaust) and it totally transforms the car. A standard T5/FWD R would not touch a remapped AWD R. Best thing about an AWD R auto is you can just plant your foot and smile!!

Remap your AWD R auto and you will increase bhp from 265 to 310 and get rid of the 0 - 30mph torque limiter (Phase 3 cars with 265 man or 250 auto). The remap will have an auto R AWD from 250 to 300 bhp and 435Nm torque.

Also, an R AWD usually come with the Nivomat rear suspension. If it does, i recommend that you do not replace. Aslong as they work they are the nuts. Comfy yet firm when they need to be. I never had trouble with mine and the ride height is always the same, no matter what you put in the boot!

[markc555]

I didn't mean to start a FWD vs AWD feud chaps I suspect that might having been running for a while anyway

I wouldn't be looking to increase the power as a) the car will be a daily driver, and b) 240/250hp is more than adequate. Doing this can only "test" the longevity of the transmission anyway.

With the scarcity of Auto V70R's available at my price range, I think a good car rather than specifically a FWD or AWD will be my priority.

[T5frankie]

I didn't mean to start a FWD vs AWD feud chaps I suspect that might having been running for a while anyway

I wouldn't be looking to increase the power as a) the car will be a daily driver, and b) 240/250hp is more than adequate. Doing this can only "test" the longevity of the transmission anyway.

With the scarcity of Auto V70R's available at my price range, I think a good car rather than specifically a FWD or AWD will be my priority.

fwd manuals are a rare find they are nearly all autos

[LeeT5]

Hello chaps,

I'm new here having joined on the basis that fancy a V70R wagon. I'd like to know what I'm looking at and also what I'm looking for when viewing at one of these beasties.

Do you know if anyone has written a good FAQ on them? If so where can I find it?

Wikipedia advises that there are 3 "phases" of V70R, is the information here correct?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volvo_V70

I've read here that the AWD cars can eat transfer boxes just by uneven tyre wear? Are these hard and/or expensive to repair?

What about the gearboxes. I fancy an auto, are these reliable? Is the later 5spd one much better, is the earlier 4spd one a bit "short legged" on the motorway? Are they equally reliable?

Lastly cosmetics. What wheels should the different phases be wearing? I've seen some on the "flat" spoke alloys (similar to the 850's) and some on the "twisted" spoke ones, which are correct? Also, I believe the phase 3 cars had twin exhausts but I've seen cars with a single exhaust and the rear bumper has a blanking panel where the left (looking from behind) exhaust, what going on there?

Thank you in advance for your assistance

Mark

Yes it is pretty much 99% accurate, however, most of Wiki info in relation to these cars is from the US market. There are some anomolies like the T5 2.0, which was only available to the US market and came in White only. Kind of a limited edition version, Incredibly rare and not seen in UK. T5 is only available as a 2.3 (2319cc) on the P1 platform but 2.5 on the P2.

Don't confuse the P1 and P2 with the P1,P2 and P3 on the >2000 model R varients. That applies to the R models only.

If your money can stretch and you want a more up to date version then deffo get the P2 V70R 2003 - 2007. You can have RTI and Dolby surround rather than one or the other as per the P1 platform.

The later R is a completely different car entirely. Bigger, better brakes, bigger engine (2521cc), bigger turbo, 6 spd man or 5 spd auto, 300bhp standard, two fuel pumps, two intercoolers, better cabin, Bi-Xenon lights, 4C suspension. The DynAudio upgrade in the P2 is absolutely incredible especially with the 300w rear 12" subwoofer!!! ....better heated seats, rain sensors, puddle lights, the list of spec is miles long.

Like Al115 said, you need to figure your budget and run with what car you want. Early models are great and will retain that special feel especially if you can get a rare colour, like the laser blue (see my garage), but if you go for the later P2 then your getting a truely special car with better tech and much better AWD system than the early mechanical type.

Both have their limits and both have their own teething problems, but lets be honest, its no different than BMWs that constantly overheat (crap cooling systems) or Mercs that blow SAM units if you so much as fart on the bonnet or do something your not supposed to with the electrics.

Both are brilliant cars, i've had both so am qualified to comment. Personally, i wish i'd kept my Laser but lack of space mean't i couldn't, however, if you asked me to swap with my current R, i'd politely decline without even thinking about it!!

What ever you decide......you will enjoy. Just make sure you get a good one. Take someone with you that knows V70s else get a full HPI and Inspection. Once you iron out the wrinkles from previous owners that can't afford to maintain them properly they really are formidable cars.

Alas, i rest my case.

[T5frankie]

[QUOTE=LeeT5;475463]Yes it is pretty much 99% accurate, however, most of Wiki info in relation to these cars is from the US market. There are some anomolies like the T5 2.0, which was only available to the US market and came in White only. Kind of a limited edition version, Incredibly rare and not seen in UK. T5 is only available as a 2.3 (2319cc) on the P1 platform but 2.5 on the P2.

Don't confuse the P1 and P2 with the P1,P2 and P3 on the >2000 model R varients. That applies to the R models only.

If your money can stretch and you want a more up to date version then deffo get the P2 V70R 2003 - 2007. You can have RTI and Dolby surround rather than one or the other as per the P1 platform.

The later R is a completely different car entirely. Bigger, better brakes, bigger engine (2521cc), bigger turbo, 6 spd man or 5 spd auto, 300bhp standard, two fuel pumps, two intercoolers, better cabin, Bi-Xenon lights, 4C suspension. The DynAudio upgrade in the P2 is absolutely incredible especially with the 300w rear 12" subwoofer!!!

Like Al115 said, you need to figure your budget and run with what car you want. Early models are great and will retain that special feel especially if you can get a rare colour, like the laser blue (see my garage), but if you go for the later P2 then your getting a truely special car with better tech and much better AWD system than the early mechanical type.

Both have their limits and both have their own teething problems, but lets be honest, its no different than BMWs that constantly overheat (crap cooling systems) or Mercs that blow SAM units if you so much as fart on the bonnet or do something your not supposed to with the electrics.

Both are brilliant cars, i've had both so am qualified to comment on them both. Personally, i wish i'd kept my Laser but lack of space mean't i couldn't, however, if you asked me to swap with my current R and i'd politely decline without even thinking about it!!

What ever you decide......you will enjoy. Just make sure you get a good one. Take someone with you that knows V70s else get a full HPI and Inspection. Once you iron out the wrinkles from previous owners that can't afford to maintain them properly they really are formidable cars.


no the phase 2 t5's were 2.3's and the later 2.4's the "R"'s were the only 2.5's

[LeeT5]

no the phase 2 t5's were 2.3's and the later 2.4's the "R"'s were the only 2.5's

Sorry (typo), thats what i meant to say. T5Frankie is right.

[T5frankie]

Sorry (typo), thats what i meant to say. T5Frankie is right.

lol

[v70rade]

Whichever phase / variant you manage to find, there are a few things which you should consider if you're looking to use one as a daily driver (I do just under 50 miles per day in mine, simply because I don't want to drive anything else!)

Mpg - don't bank on anything better than mid 20's if you're fairly sensible with the right pedal (I've averaged 24.6 since Christmas and running on 99 octane = £100 tank.)

Tyre wear isn't great - FWD's will need very careful use of the loud pedal and AWD's do need meticulous tyre rotation every few thousand miles. (I expect to shell out at least 400 quid per year on tyres plus proper laser alignment at 75).

As one of the other post pointed out - these cars were 30 - 40k when new, so parts can be very expensive, particularly on AWD cars (£1000 + to renew tired suspension parts, £900 for a transfer box recon etc.) - You can reduce costs by doing most jobs yourself if you are technically minded.

No matter how sensibly you think you drive - your never more than a few seconds away from loosing your license (These cars are very deceptive where speed is concerned) and it can get very frustrating following 'slower' road users each day!

If you can find a good one with a stack of receipts, and you can cope with the running cost you won't regret turning up to work in a V70 R - I've had mine nearly six years and still love driving it every day.

Good luck.