Volvo C70

tmart · December 2004

Merry Christmas to everyone! Tmart

angelah · December 2004

Hi everyone, I own a C70, bought for me by my husband, in the garage Xmas day last year (better than the Lexus commercial!). I LOVE this car, only about 9K miles, haven't had one little problem with it, with the exception that I couldn't get out of the driveway with the performance tires it came with in the snow, but that's a different topic. Anyway, yesterday I was in an accident, hit on the passenger front side, I was going about 5mph - they were going at least 55. It's not a pretty picture - there is no body on the whole front of the car both passenger and drivers side,the top piece of metal on the passenger side front is bent into the engine compartment. (does this go the whole way down the side - if so, it's definately totaled...)Of course with the holiday I have to wait until Mon to see what the insurance company says. So here's the thing - suppose it's not totaled. Do I get the car fixed and keep it? Will it ever be the same? If it's totaled, what's the situation with the value - I owe about 28K on it. I love the convertible, I truely love this car and if it's totaled, I will look at the A4 but I honestly think I will be buying another Volvo. I owned a Sebring conv. before this one, and there is no comparison.

10scoachrick · January 2005

Sounds totaled to me. There seem to be a few new '04s left here in Atlanta(and today was PERFECT topless weather!). Give Nalley Volvo a call after you talk with the insurance folks! Glad you're OK(you are, aren't you?). Good luck!

angelah · January 2005

Thanks for the info. I'm okay, just a little banged up. Could have been a lot worse, and the ROPS was activated, but I never actually flipped over. Fortunately the other car was a Volvo too. They also walked away. I live in PA, there are very few C70s around.

schuhc · January 2005

Angelah:

If you talk to a dealer, they will ship in one for you. Anything for a sale. 28k should be fine if it's totaled with only 9k miles on it.

Tommy:

It was unbelievably cold last week and I had two friends that actually went to that game. Morons! Fortunately for me I was born and raised in Indianapolis so I'm a Colts fan. Not sure we'll be able to get passed the Pats or Steelers and not looking forward to next year as those Texans just get better and better.

Happy New Year.

otis · January 2005

Volvomax,

Did you see the C70 in person (like at a show) or on the net. Thanks for the good description. I'd like to look it up myself if you saw it at some website. Reply here about where I should look. Google searches lately have turned up only older websites and 'artists' descriptions.

volvomax · January 2005

I saw the car at a Volvo meeting on video.

Volvo isn't going to release any shots of the car for quite a while yet.

schuhc · January 2005

So...driving in today hit one of those pothole thingy's that we tend to get in Chicago.

KaBlam...there goes the Potenzas (but I was replacing them in 1,500 miles anyway). Got about 40,000 out of them so can't complain. While waiting for the flatbed, called Discount Tire, ordered 4 Falkens at $110 a pop installed. They found 4 about 80 miles away and got them there at 3:00 and I was out the door at 4:15.

DiscountTire Company = Great

Falkens = I'll let you know but they have a Consumer Report's Best Buy.

volvomax · January 2005

We use Falkens as a replacement tire.

Quite good actually.

tmart · January 2005

Craig, sorry to hear of your blowout. Hopefully no damage was done. Did you buy the warranty from Discount? Mine have paid for themselves.

schuhc · February 2005

Couldn't be happier...

There was 1/64th of an inch of snow on my driveway today and they actually made it up without an issue.

Did get the warranty.

Much quieter than the Bridgestones when I had gotten them. Very smooth.

escalada · March 2005

I have my passenger seat stuck forward, I have read that is a fairly common problem, and that there is a switch underneath to be press and I could move it back. Have you heard about it?
Also my driver seat is completely cracked, I took it to a detailer and they used something that made the leather stiff and it cracked, which other volvo models uses the same leather seats?
How much could it be to replace just the leather?

qbrozen · March 2005

What year is your C70? I'm not sure if that makes a difference or not.

But, as far as I know, the S70, V70, and C70 all used the same seats. At least, that's what it seemed like to me when I sat in a 2003 C70 at an auto show (felt the same as my '98 S70).

dfwk2500 · March 2005

We had this problem with both seats on our '99 Convertible. A spring falls out and leaves the seat thinking it is leaning forward for the automatic mechanism to bring it forward, thus disabling the control panel. To have the seat think it is back in the upright position and thus allow the the controls to work temporarily, you need to trigger the switch with a small screwdriver. I can't remember which side the switch is on, but I remember coming at it from the lower back right where the side "leather" meets the bottom of the back. IThe part you want to push is metal, straight back about 4-6 inches and is about one inch long and 1/8 inch wide, positioned vertically. You press this switch and the controls work. Once you let go, the seat thinks it is leaned forward and and the controls will be disabled again. Both our seats were fixed no charge but I don't know if it was the result of a TSB or warranty. Have not had that problem with our '04. I hope this makes some sense.

dmac5 · March 2005

I just leased on 04 and love it, but the front wheels get dirty right away. Unfortunately I got the multi spoke wheel which is difficult to clean. The dealer warned me against the brake dust covers. I'm wondering if I should pay for chrome 5 spoke narrow wheels that won't show as much dust. Any ideas?

tmart · March 2005

Dmac, Welcome to the club! Suggest you go to the Owners Club, Volvo Owners Club, Volvo Owners: Problems and Solutions and read posts 145 thru 149. Bottom line is I don't think the new wheels will help much, if any.

otis4 · March 2005

Dmac. Also welcome. Like you, I have a 04 C70 on lease (comming up on 12 months) and we also love our choice and it has been problem free. When you say 'multi spoke' I assume you mean the Cratos style wheels. The $1,000 upgrade wheels are called Propus. I thought the Propus looked nicer, but not 1K nicer, so I, too, have to clean the rims a lot. I don't think I'd ever buy a second set of wheels for a car I am leasing (We don't get much snow here in Atlanta). A cheep way to address your problem is to get a really thin tire-brush from a store like Target or WalMart in the auto parts section. For $10 I got a thin bendable nylon brush that works great and I get through the rims in about 3 minutes each. Not a bad investment to get the car to look soooo great when it's clean! The brush lasted a year before self destructing because the 'slots' in the wheels are so thin, but I hate that brake dust too. TMart makes it sound like the rims get dirty no matter which ones you have. Enjoy that C70....it's the last of the breed.

tmart · March 2005

Otis4, I have the Propus wheels. They came on the car, I didn't order them. According to the sticker, they were a $1500 upgrade in '99. They ARE beautiful when clean, but a real PITA to keep them that way. The fronts are about four times worse than the rears. Will look for the really thin tire brush when at Target or Walmart. The one I have now does OK but I wind up using my finger to clean the tight angles. The brake dust problem was why I posted #145 on the Problems board.

otis4 · March 2005

TMart, what, do you "live" on this message board? I didn't even have time to sign off when I saw your reply pop up! In the end, keeping the car and wheels clean comes down to how fanatical we are about our cars. Finding ways to make the usual stuff happen quicker is about the best we can do. While I have your attention, let me ask about cleaning the interior of my C70. What have you found to be best on the door vynil, dashboard, and boot? Mine are not too dirty, but do have some body oils (doors) and road grit from top down motoring. Thanks.

tmart · March 2005

Otis4, for the interior I use Zaino products, the Leather Cleaner (works on vinyl too) and the Conditioner. On the exterior I use Z2 with ZFX, followed with Z6.

apolloc70 · March 2005

hi all, i have the 98 c70 T5, i've had it for a few years and i hate the cd player to death, it has problems playing copied discs, and i refuse to buy original CDs. has anyone replaced the system, CD player component in their C70 while keeping the Dolby Surround sound feature, if so, any suggestions ? (also, gimme an idea of price)

my ears and soul will thank you

jaded · March 2005

I noticed a rub spot on the seam and a small surface hole; both near the rear window. I've only owned the car since sept '04 and the top was in A+1 condition. The guy I bought it from said he had the window reglued. The Volvo people checked it out and said the hole and rub are from the way the top is now folding around the window's edge and have no solution. I read a hint of this problem on your discussion site about a bracket needing adjustment. I'm taking it to a top repairman; any suggestions? The problem seems to have just started, I have compulsively checked it almost every time after I have lowered it..after several weeks of freezing weather, do you think the glue has weakened? I keep it covered (no garage). Also, my ETS light came on in Dec. on along trip, but no sign of it since. How long do I have before replacing it...anyone have any luck with having the module bore cleaned (a comment seen in a service bulletin). Thanks.

mrbillz · March 2005

I have a 2002 C70 coupe and the clutch went at 40,500 miles. Most of my driving is open road so now I have a small battle with Volvo because they want to say it is due to normal wear. I don't have the car back yet so I don't know the details of what failed. I only know the dealer wants $1,400. Any thoughts or comments?

qbrozen · March 2005

Personally, I'd have to sit in the car with you and watch you drive to determine if its really a defect or something caused by your driving habits.

otis4 · March 2005

For the first time ever my 8 year old washed the car today! Now the C70 can get washed twice as often, very cool. TMart, I placed my order for the Zaino show car polishes today, can't wait to put in a long day and see the effects on my black C70 (the best results are apparently on black cars). Those testamonials and photos speak volumes. I will be sending my own photos in soon.

tmart · March 2005

Otis, Good news! I couldn't get my boys interested in washing the car...why hose a car when they can hose each other! Since you ordered yesterday, there's a good chance you'll have your order before the weekend. It really won't take as long as you'd think. Your black paint should look fantastick after the Z. It's my understanding too that dark finishes look the best. I've got two golds so I'm kinda in the middle. Several folks in the Z board have said whites are impressive too. With my golds, I don't see any real difference after two or three coats. Have fun this weekend.

tmart · March 2005

Just received a recall letter from Volvo concerning the connections in the headlight switch may deteriorate causing the headlights not to function. Interestingly, the letter was dated January 2005!! The recall involves certain model years 1998-2000 S70, V70, C70 and V70XC. I've had no problems todate with my switch. Has anyone received the recall notice letter or had problems with their headlight switch? Was kinda surprised by the letter since I've seen no mention of it on this or the other Volvo owners board.

On an unrelated subject, was in Sedona last week and saw more C70's there in one day than I see in Houston in a week! On the way back to Phoenix on Saturday, we stopped in Scotsdale at the Main Street Shops and saw a white C70 convert with a tan top. Volvomax, was it yours?

qbrozen · March 2005

huh. that's interesting. I wonder if I'll get the letter. Geez, a recall on my 7.5 year old car. Go figure. Kinda nice that they're still thinking of us, though.

mrbillz · March 2005

Understood. However, I've had many standard shift cars with nary a problem and consider myself a pretty conservative driver so I'm not quick to roll over on a big bill like that. I still haven't heard what specific parts were "worn" but a representative from Volvo is supposed to go the the dealer to inspect it all.

qbrozen · April 2005

well, that's good you've got them looking into it. hopefully it all works out for ya.

volvomax · April 2005

I drive an S60R!
We do sell quite a few C70's though.

The headlight switch was an issue 4 yrs ago, I'm surprised that they are sending a notice now.

tmart · April 2005

I was surprised too about the recall. The letter, dated only January 2005, :confuse: came last week while we were in Sedona. I don't recall any posts concerning the switch, four years ago or recently. I remember the headlight bulb and wiring recall, but it didn't involve the actual switch.

volvomax · April 2005

It was mostly an issue for the S70 and V70.
Not many C70's were built.

eli104 · April 2005

Hello all... I was greatly disappointed last year when I heard that Volvo was not going to make the C70 Convertible any longer. But then I thought, hey... if I wait a year or two, I could get a great deal on a lease-back. Now that they're starting to show up, I have a couple of questions:

Consumer Reports doesn't have enough data, but has anyone experienced any major problems with the 02-04 C70? I'm really not looking to buy into trouble, but the Volvo's have always been quite reliable, makes one wonder why they stopped making it.

Second big question: Premium Gas!! Now that the prices are getting closer to Europe's costs, I noticed that the C70 asks for Premium fuel. It's noted on the boards that 91 octane is OK though. Any problems with going back to 89 or 87? I've seen posts about the little engine light coming on, and black smoke, etc.

Again, looking to avoid trouble... but the cost of gas can easily overtake the money saved in a used instead of new car.

Thanks for all your help! Keep the top down!!
-Eli

schuhc · April 2005

Hi Eli:

For reference, I have a 2000 C70 HT coupe.

Gas:
Stick with the high octane. With an 18.5 gallon tank you're talking an extra $1.85/$3.70 per fill up on the difference on the other octanes. I commute 25 miles into Chicago every week and only have to fill up twice every three weeks. For me that comes out to about an extra $128 per year (probably more like an extra $200).

Maintenance:
Money paid out on my Volvo in the past 5 years (87k miles) due to normal wear and tear...
$800 for a new throttle body
$1,100 for new shocks and struts
$800 for a new brake calliper
Then the normal 7,500 mile checkups and the cost for those.

No issues other than that.

European Prices:
When I was in Europe with our XC90 in 2003, the gas prices were the same per Litre in Euro (i.e. $1.79/gallon was $1.79E/Litre) We are still no where near the European prices.
($1.79)*(1.15)*(3.8)=$7.82
Where....
$1.79 = Price per gallon of 91/93 in November of 2003
1.15 = USD per 1 Euro at that time (2005 rate is 1.28)
3.8 = Litres per 1 US Gallon
So, as you can see - while I was there I was paying around $7-$8 per gallon.

I would recommend getting one. In Chicago they are selling used converts from 00-02 with 26k on them in the $25,000 range.

Sup Tommy!!!!!

schuhc · April 2005

Scratch the European Prices.
After thinking about it I got online to see what the prices were in Europe currently. Evidently I did too much drinking over there.
Think the calc now is as follows:
.9e/litre
3.8L/1 US gallon
1.28 USD/ Euro

$4.48/gallon (that seems much more reasonable)
Ok...Back to the bottle.

volvomax · April 2005

Why they stopped making it:
1 The chassis is 11 yrs old. The C70 is built off the old S70 chassis which was just a warmed over 850 chassis
2 Production costs, the C70 is built at the Uddevala plant and is largely hand assembled. Yearly production is about 5,000 units. Volvo loses their [non-permissible content removed] on every one.
3 New car, the new C70 will be a folding hardtop convertible annual production 20,000 units. Based on the S40 chassis, Volvo's newest.

As for the 02-04 cars they are quite reliable. All C70's suffer from some front end shake which is a byproduct of their design.

paulh1 · April 2005

I was in the dealer yesterday and talked to a sales person who told me it is going to be called C70 with a retractable hardtop roof. He mentioned the price as around $35,000 but I am sure he is guessing at that. It will be smaller and more of a sports car. Said to expect it in February 2006

paulh1 · April 2005

I have a 04 C70 HPT (sky blue, graphite interior with a black top.) not many if any out there with than color combo, but here is my question. Do we really need the high octane fuel in this car? I actually am using Mid Grade 89 octane, and with the price of gas, want to avoid the 91-93 octanes. How will the 04 (HPT) work on regular?

qbrozen · April 2005

I would think that $35K price is very optimistic ... unless they change their packaging strategy to be more in line with the S40 and S60 (meaning a base model with non-leather interior and a naturally-aspirated engine) -- which i actually think might be a good idea.

tmart · April 2005

Paul, when I picked up my '99 LPT, the Sales Rep told me it had a full tank of Premium, and it would probably be the last tank. He said, although Volvo recommends Extra/Supreme/Premium, it would run fine on Plus, mid grade. My Lexus Rep told me the same for my wife's ES300, Premium recommended, but no problem using the mid grade. A couple of times during the first year I bought Supreme, but couldn't tell any difference in performance or MPG, and went back to Plus, which I've used for the last 4 years. Couple of months ago I switched to Supreme. In Houston, there's a 10 cent spread between Plus and Supreme, so the max differential is a $1.85 per fillup! In the scheme of things that's not much money. Say you fill up weekly, it's less than $8 a month, or $32 a year. We're just not talking about a lot of money in any case. Starbucks is way more expensive! I haven't tried going to Regular with either car, and don't plan to. But give it a try. Put in half a tank. If the engine pings of knocks, go back and top off with Supreme. You'll then have Plus. Half a tank of Regular isn't going to hurt the engine in any case. In my case, I'm going back to Plus since I still can't tell any difference.

crazyarmo · April 2005

I Pressed the Shift Lock Override Button by the shifter and I can't seem to undo it. I couldn't lock the steering wheel and I couldn't take the key out. I managed to get the key out but i think i broke something tke key just keeps turning in the ignition. so this really :mad: off

tmart · April 2005

Have been drinking out of Schulc's.bottle too!!

$8/month =$96/yr, not $32. :sick:

schuhc · April 2005

Thought that was Texas math there for a second. I had Lisa and squeaker all packed up in the xc90 ready to go down there so that we could save money until I saw that retraction!

tmart · April 2005

Come on down! The weather is FANTASTIC and you NEED a road trip. Goldie was taken advantage of by a mean ole Chevy full size van on her rear bumper recently. Got her back from the body shop and she looks beautiful once again. Fortunately no metal was involved, just removing, sanding and repainting the bumper. Ony problem is I can't Zaino the bumper for 90 pays. Washing is OK.

volvomax · April 2005

Either way, its not alot of money to feed the car properly.
While the car will run on lesser fuel it will get poorer mileage and produce less hp.
Your choice.

volvomax · April 2005

35k was the benchmark base price. Whether they can stick to it or not we won't know until next summer.
The car will be shorter than the current C70, but will still seat 4 adults.
Certainly sportier than the current C70, but not a Miata.

mrbillz · April 2005

I have a 2002 C70 coupe - leased new in June 2002. At first I used premium because the dealer said I should. After 6 months I switched to regular 87 because that is what the car is really built for if you read the manual. Bottom line is that my performance and economy have not changed at all - it runs fine on regular. I have a 5 speed manual and I love this car. When the lease is up I plan to purchase it. They didn't produce very many of these but I'm sure glad that I have one. No problems. I did change tires from the factory Michelin Pilot to Continental and they are, in my opinion, far superior. A nice smooth ride and pretty good on wet and snowy roads here in NY.

jking1234 · April 2005

it's on the left side nearest the door on my model 99 C70 Convertible, its very small just above the hinge/gear, i found the tiny spring that was missing on the floor seats in the back, i spent a lot of time looking for the switch down close to the rails near the controls. The switch is a shiny silver color, i had to gently press it down the whole time I was moving the seat. - this saved me an emergency trip - thanks for the post.

paulh1 · April 2005

I have an 04 and when I look in the paper, I see very few C70s. Either they did not sell good, or people are hanging on to theirs. You can pick up a pre owned for quite a discount over new, and they have not changed anything about the car other than minor cosmetic stuff in a few years. Even new, you can get about 5 grand off the MSRP.

Great car. More luxury than sport. Most comfortable seats out there. I even sat in a benz, and the C70 was more comfortable. Bad rear windo vision. I just wish it was sportier. It arrears that they are going to come out with the new C70 retractable hardtop in Feb based on the S40.

Volvo C70

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