Volvo C70

schuhc · May 2003

Nah....
Never made it out there. Got the new job at Ernst and Young later then targeted so I didn't have much of a layoff. I may have to move down there as all of my Chem-E friends are moving down there. Losing another 2 this month to Headquarters in Houston. Enron still have a trading operation? (wink wink)

You should be fine if you are out here in June. The Chicago spring (35-55 degrees and overcast/rainy) should be over by then. June in Chicago = nice spring in Houston. Let me know if you need any ideas on where to eat or stay.

tmart · May 2003

Will be there the first weekend for a wedding at the Dewes Mansion. Arrive Friday and return to Houston Sunday. Will be a quick trip.

schuhc · May 2003

Ahhhh.

Very nice. You're going to be about 9-10 blocks south of "Boys Town" so if you are going out by yourself Friday or Saturday evening you may want to go SOUTH only.
If you do venture North at all walk up Broadway. On Broadway 3 doors south of Belmont they are having the live show "Puppetry of the Penis" (no, I am not kidding). So you and the Wife can pop in there for $44.50/head (pardon the pun) if you want to catch a show.
Unfortunately, I know this because Lisa and I hadn't gone out with two friends of ours for a couple of months and, well....let's just say that Saturday night we were reminded why we hadn't been out with them for a while. YIKES!!!!
Also, if you do venture up north make sure that you check out Taboo Taboo, The Alley, and The Pleasure Chest (stores) not to mention Spin, The Closet, and The Man Hole (bars, and yes....that last one is real).

tmart · May 2003

Schuhc, I know NOTHING about the area. Sounds like it's not in a real good area. We're staying at the Fairfield Inn downtown which was recommended by the bride's parents. Assume a taxi will be required to go and return from the wedding. Too bad the C70 won't be with us, but parking would probably be a real hassle anyway. Believe overnight parking at the hotel was around $20 a night! Yikes!!

schuhc · May 2003

$20/night!!!!! That's a bargain!!!!
The Fairfield is nice. You'll be just South of the river. If you like working out, rock climbing, or basketball, you can get a free pass to our gym (Lakeshore Athletic Club Illinois Center) from the concierge at the hotel. They have the largest indoor rock wall (at least 3 years ago it was the tallest), a great pool, and the basketball court is where Pippen, Grant, and Jordan used to come around during the offseason to play some pickup games back in the bad old days (sorry, die hard Pacers fan). The neighborhood where the mansion is is very nice. It's still considered Lincoln Park even though it is close to Boy's Town. After all, if you were a single female in your 20's and wanted to live in the city, where would you want to live? That's right, the safest area where you don't need to worry about any guys hitting on you (because they're not interested in you except as a friend). You're looking at about a $15 cab ride (at most) and right across the river is the Magnificent Mile and all the shops so you'll like staying at the Fairfield. You aren't going to come across any dicey areas where you are staying and where the reception is so you can relax and enjoy your stay.

applejf · May 2003

New to discussion group -

Sorry if this is really an old issue: Have followed the C70 for a long time, now I think I'd like to consider ownership; found out a little late that the Coupe is no longer made. How hard WOULD it be to find a used C70 Coupe with 5 speed?

thanks for any thoughts

Fred Applegate

qbrozen · May 2003

I just visited 2 sites and found 4 within 100 miles of me. Not sure how hard you want to look or how much you want to spend, but they are available. Just take your time and the right one will come along.

schuhc · May 2003

It's my understanding that they are pretty rare as everyone seemed to go after the manuals. I almost had a 5 speed on order, but instead had to cater to 'she who must be obeyed' (did I mention that she is too good for me) and instead got the manual. GBrozen probably found the only 4 that are in the country!!!!!

charlesb · May 2003

You can get XM into a C70 by using an FM modulator or a cassette adapter. The FM modulator would be a cleaner install but wouldn't sound as good as a cassette adapter. With the cassette adapter you would have a wire hanging out.

shark715 · May 2003

Anyone know how to reset the Service Light on an '02 C70? According to the IPD catalog, 1993-95 and 1999-2003 models can be reset manually. The IPD catalog says that detailed instructions are on their website with the tool that resets 96-98 models, but I looked at their website and there's no mention of the instructions. Thanks in advance for your help.

tmart · May 2003

handed operation. Push and hold in the trip odometer shaft on the dash, not the trip computer, and insert the key and turn to position two, don't start the engine. After a couple of seconds the Service Light should blink. Then release the shaft and remove the key. Might take a couple of trys.

tmart · June 2003

tmart · June 2003

Got to O'Hare around noon and took the El into town then took a cab to the hotel. The wife loved Michigan Ave. and helping to improve the economy. When we started walking the rain began, but didn't last too long. Saturday was truly picture perfect for the wedding. Your temperature highs were our lows! Looked for C70's but saw none. Oh, I was wrong about the parking at the hotel...was $33 a night. Makes the cabs seem downright cheap. They sure like to use their horns!

schuhc · June 2003

Glad you had a good time. I think that the Cabs in Chicago are the lowest paid in the U.S. (some survey from a couple years ago. Also...Evidently over 60% of all retail sales on Michigan Avenue are from out-of-towners, so thank you for your support.
Glad you escaped the cab experience with your life.

schuhc · June 2003

Lisa and I moved to Downers Grove two weeks ago (just outside of Chicago) and while walking through the 4 block downtown main street yesterday... I saw THREE Convertibles. This does not make me a happy man as, even though I own a coupe, when we lived in downtown Chicago we could go weeks without seeing a coupe and convertible.

I don't know which is more annoying, the fact that there are 4 C70s in this small town, or the fact that it could be a signal that I am actually a suburbanite!!!

shark715 · June 2003

Finally got around to changing the oil on the C70 today. Resetting the Serice Light worked just like you said. Thanks.

happi1 · June 2003

I just bought a used 99 C70. So far, I love it. The only thing I dislike is the turning radius. It's pretty bad. But no other bad things to say. I also have 17 inch rims and my son tells me that it has more traction , but it;s rides is less smooth because of the tires. Is this true? Noticed that the service light stays on for about 45 seconds. Is that normal? Also, anyone have any suggestions on how often the top should be adjusted. I was told that it should be adjusted a couple of times a year to keep it "in-line".

volvomax · June 2003

Yes the 17's have a harsher ride, you have less sidewall to cushion impact from the road.

The service light is on because the car thinks it needs to be serviced. Check with your dealer as to when the car was serviced last.

AS for top alignment, follow the advice of the dealer and the manual.

taylor35 · June 2003

The details are a 2003 A4 (1.8 L) v. a 2003 C70 HT. Both with low miles and in great shape. The C70 is priced $3000 more. We need to haul kids in the back (sometimes even teenagers)and will be doing mostly suburban driving. Thoughts?

qbrozen · June 2003

I tried the A4. When I had the driver's seat set to where I would need it, there was, and this is no joke, about 2 inches legroom left in the back seat behind me. Nobody could possibly fit behind me. I really never checked out the C70 in that regard, though, so I can't give a comparison.

schuhc · June 2003

The back seats for the C70 are incredibly roomy. I move the seat all the way back and someone that is about 5'9" can still sit comfotably behind me. I think it's because of the way the seats are sloped back.
Only thing that is a pain is if your passenger seat is electronic. Then it takes some time for the seat to move up and back. If you buy one that does not have the electric passenger seat, then I say it is a no brainer to go with the Coupe.
When I looked at the C70 I put it up against the BMW 3-Series, CLK320, and S4. The reasons it beat out the S4....
Did not need 4 doors
Seats were much more comfortable
Trunk space of the C70 is tremendous

Add to that the fact that you are looking at an A4, you're gonna love the hp on the C70

happi1 · July 2003

Okay ladies and gents, I have a question. I bought a "used" but new to me 99 C70 and love it. I previously commented on the turning radius, but it's a small issue considering how much I love the car. So I picked out a personalized license plate. It's such a pretty convertible, I felt it deserved it's own special plate. I've showed it to a few people and they need some hints figuring it out. It reads "MY+HC70" In California you can use symbols in the plate such as a heart, star, or in my case a plus sign. Also, I wantd to comment about the cup holders in the C70. I think I read that someone didn't like them. Personnally, I like having a car that was not designed around cup holders, rather some Volvo designer remembering to add them. They hold my Starbucks nonfat Mocha just fine. LOL

tmart · July 2003

qbrozen · July 2003

Problem is that sometimes folks interpret personalized plates to mean something other than what the owner intended.

In this case, I'm thinking "my plush C70"

how'd i do?

schuhc · July 2003

How about....

Swete70

get it...
Swede????
pun-ish? or punishment?

schuhc · July 2003

How about....

Thisisthebestcari'mevergonnaown.

Think that'll fit?

happi1 · July 2003

You're exactly right gbrozen, it is "My Plush C70." I think when people see the "+" sign, they think it means to "add" what's in front of it to what's behind it. In my case all you have to do is spell out the plus sign and add the h. I do like schuhc's "thisisthebestcarimevergonnaown" idea although 7 characters is the max you can have on a Cali plat! LOL

libertycat · July 2003

Then sign the petition at:
http://www.petitiononline.com/vs4ds100/petition.html
so far, there are 87 signatures. Add yours and maybe Volvo will build the car. Also join in on the Volvo S100 conversation under Future Vehicles.

qbrozen · July 2003

well, first off, gotta say I'm sorry, but I won't do anything on that website. I think it does more harm to your cause than good. Just look at the petitions available on there and you'll see what I mean. Putting your petition on the same site as a petition for adding a particular skittle color makes it far less weighty, IMHO.

Concerning the S-class, I don't think the S80 is that far off. OK, so the benz is a foot longer, but they are both the same width and height. The Volvo is a bit tighter in the backseat by just an inch or 2 in all areas, but, interestingly, the Volvo has an inch more front leg room. So I don't see where the Benz is all that bigger on the inside. Adding a foot to the outside is easy and means nothing. Its the inside that counts, and in this area, I think the S80 already competes with the S-class Benz. Maybe not for overall luxury, but, then you gotta ask yourself, how many folks would buy a $70K volvo?

Yes, I do see that the E-class and S80 are almost identical in most measurements, but that just shows how little room the S-class adds.

schuhc · July 2003

My problem is that I keep forgetting about the fact that how things work in Chicago are different then the rest of the country. You see... In Chicago, we're allowed to put an amount of characters on a licesne plate THAT IS EQUAL TO the amount of times you cast a vote in the last election.

Oh well. Maybe the rest of the country will catch up with us eventually.

libertycat · July 2003

schuhc · July 2003

Looks like libertycat was left speachless by the subject of his/her posting

libertycat · July 2003

Care to explain what rude comment you were TRYING to make?

gbell6 · July 2003

Well, I let my father borrow my 1999 C70 this past weekend and he mentioned that the Service Light came on and that the car was emitting black smoke ("oh, great")...

I picked the car up and sure enough, the light was on, and I noticed that the car idled strangely... It drove fine though..

The next day I drove it to work and the light was on the whole way. I even noticed some black smoke puff out when I hit the gas hard... the light stayed on for my drive home too-

The last 3 days though, the light has not come back on, and it is driving fine.. I've refueled since then and I'm starting to wonder if anyone else has had this happen--

Car seems to be totally fine now, so I don't want to pay my dealer the cost to "look" at it-... I thought maybe my dad put in lower-octane fuel or even diesel but he says he's sure he put in 91 octane...

Any ideas what might have happened?

thanks in advance-

qbrozen · July 2003

possibly just a bad batch of gas. It happens sometimes. I've never heard of it having quite that effect, but if its fine now, I certainly wouldn't worry about it.

gbell6 · July 2003

Yeah, I was thinking it could have been some bad gas but just wanted to see if anyone else had seen this come up before- Also, it was my "Check Engine" light that came on, not my "Service" light (I mistakenly gave the wrong info on my first post-

thanks again for the reassurance :-)

schuhc · July 2003

I just noticed a subject line and no text. Didn't realize that was all you were trying to say. Just figured you got caught in the middle and forgot to put text body in.

You see...I don't try to be rude (as I do that rather well).
I try to be funny and that seldom works out.

libertycat · July 2003

<laughs>
Good one!

schuhc · July 2003

Tommy... Mark down the day that I was funny.
I got someone to laugh.

whew...skating free for the rest of the year. No pressure

tmart · July 2003

dfwk2500 · July 2003

Today's Wall Street Journal talks about how "Blind Spots Plague New Car Models -- Latest Style, Safety Features Can Block Driver's View" (pg D1). The continuation of the article on page D5 has a chart of best and worst cars. The top of the Worst list is the Volvo C70 convertible. "Small rear window, large opaque area between side and rear windows."

qbrozen · July 2003

guess they didn't try out a Prowler, huh?
or how about a delivery van with no windows in the storage area at all?

and what does it have to do with latest style? Try looking out the back of my '86 spider with the top up.

I don't know any convertible that has a top you can see out of very easily. Having solid canvas between the B and C pillars is commonplace.

libertycat · July 2003

It was the coolest vehicle ever!!!!!!!

libertycat · July 2003

volvomax · July 2003

When you get to 10,000 let me know

tmart · July 2003

libertycat · July 2003

libertycat · July 2003

I will! In about 10 years you'll hear from me.

schuhc · July 2003

Tommy's cranky.
Hurricane affecting your mood my good friend?
So Tommy, I should have asked you this earlier, but Lisa and the midget have decided that they are not going to Sweeden with me to pick up the XC90 in November. I should have dropped you a note to see if you wanted to tool around Central and Eastern Europe with me as I am going alone now but I forgot. Apologies.

btw - Midget = Aine Angelica Schuh 7lbs. 11oz 21 inches (unfortunately that is her length and not her verticle) 7/8/03 at 3:12. Tommy, I'm going to be asking you for advice as the last week of 3 hours of sleep/night doesn't seem to be working well for me.

tmart · July 2003

Craig, how was I being cranky? We were lucky here with Claudette. Just some rain, and not much wind, thank goodness. Congrats on your "midget". Is she your first? My grandson will be one year old 7/30. Can't believe it's been almost a year ago since he was born. Apology accepted, just send me the ticket and I'm ready to go. Would love to go back to Europe. Was in Europe 2 years ago, but didn't get to Sweden. Was in the England last month for 2 weeks! Got back 6/25. Had a great time and the weather was fantastic. No rain. Only saw 2 C70's though, a coupe and a convert. Have never seen so many V40's and V70's. Our flight went through Chicago both ways. Tommy

Volvo C70

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