New to Volvos, questions about parts compatibility and desirable parts.

335i · Post by **335i** » 10 Feb 2016, 21:51

Hi guys, I am new here ! I didn't even buy the car yet but I will be getting in a 1998 S70 soon. I know these cars are tank but also that these cars are getting older and older. I will be getting one for cheap, I know these are very solid and reliable cars. I also love going treasure hunting at the local u-pull.

I was wondering what parts from which different Volvo models fit in my S70 ?

Are clusters a direct bolt-in ?

I think I saw somewhere someone put an S60 armrest in the back, is that complicated to fit in ?

What other nice parts could I get from different models ?

Also ideas for cool mods that are not too expensive are welcome. I tried looking on ebay for a few things such as a front bumper lip or headlights but couldn't find anything.

Thank you for your time.

Post by **j-dawg** » 10 Feb 2016, 23:00

They're solid. I'd hold off on reliable until you've had it a while.

They hold up well against time and environment, and they don't break without giving you plenty of advance warning, but they need more maintenance than most of their contemporaries. Reliable if meticulously maintained.

335i · Post by **335i** » 11 Feb 2016, 00:52

j-dawg wrote:They're solid. I'd hold off on reliable until you've had it a while.

They hold up well against time and environment, and they don't break without giving you plenty of advance warning, but they need more maintenance than most of their contemporaries. Reliable if meticulously maintained.

Thank you for you answer, my other car is a BMW 335i and a VW Golf(will be sold, s70 is replacing it) so I'm used to cars that need maintenance

Picking the car up tomorrow night. Can't wait to take care of her. She's been neglected for a while after the owner bought a newer car.

Post by **rspi** » 11 Feb 2016, 03:13

What trim is it? Also the year?

PS78 · Post by **PS78** » 11 Feb 2016, 08:11

Hi and welcome aboard. I'm fairly new myself to mvs. You mentioned that the s70 you're purchasing has been neglected. Check out the pre purchase and after you buy videos by robertdiy on YouTube for a good primer so you know going in what to look for as far as issues you may encounter. As a fairly new owner myself i wanted to concentrate on any existing maintenance or mechanical issues the car may have had. I was fortunate to know the previous owner and my s70 was well maintained. You mentioned the car is a my98, find out the trim level and follow up so the experienced guys can give you a rundown on specifics for your model. Best of luck and welcome.

Post by **benpineapple** » 11 Feb 2016, 08:24

You ask about cheap mods, and let me tell you cheap mods look cheap. A lot of the people who have things like bumper lips or side skirts, have had them custom made.

Most of the part compatibility is under the hood. The engine in the S70 is the same as the V70, and virtually the same as some 850s. Instrument clusters are dicey, depending on if your S70 has the extra trip/info switch. Adding foglights is always a great thing to do, you'll have to find one at a junkyard that has them, as there are a lot of little components you need to add foglights; but they just bolt right in easily enough.

Check out RobertDIY on youtube and browse his videos (he is rspi on the forums), for great information. He's got a couple videos for new/prospective Volvo owners. If it has been thoroughly neglected, prepare yourself.

They're not bulletproof, give it some love, and it'll be the best car your ever own. Welcome to the forum.

Post by **erikv11** » 11 Feb 2016, 09:56

If the car doesn't have a trip computer in the cluster, then get a cluster that does, drop it in and go. Super easy and very useful upgrade. You also need to get the Info switch, all x70 cars are pre-wired for the trip computer and switch but most have it turned off in the cluster.

For the most part, almost anything mechanical from a 94+ 850 will bolt right on to a 98. Engine, suspension, brakes, etc - they are the same car. Cosmetics though are very different, both interior and exterior. 98-00 x70 have all the same body parts so go to town there, but the engine gets different in 99+ so you have to check it out case by case. Brakes are all the same 94-00.

Enjoy!

Post by **rspi** » 11 Feb 2016, 10:11

What PS78 said. You'll have your hands full with bringing it up to snuff. Lol

The P80 cars are by no means "bullet proof". That is a thing of the past with the red block cars. If you're an old g like me, you fell in love with the red block Volvo's and get tricked into the white block ones. Kinda like marrying a pretty girl and finding out later that she has a crack addiction.

335i · Post by **335i** » 11 Feb 2016, 12:01

Thank you all for you replies.

erik, I don't think it has it, if I get a cluster from the yard and the switch, will it keep the same mileage or will it switch to some other mileage that the other car had ? Also it seems to be as simple as plug n play, is it really ?

ben, I know what you mean, I was looking for known stuff like eriks idea.

PS78, A little bit neglected lately because he got an other car but not too bad.

rspi, it is a 98 base model when I asked the guy he said there was no "trim". It also has the ugly MCC which I hate and hope to at some point upgrade it to the ACC. Honestly I don't care about automatic, I care about the way it looks on my dashboard.

I know I will have some work to do, picking the car up tonight, hoping to take care of the noisy exhaust tomorrow and probably fix the PCV. My mechanic is a Volvo specialist and doesn't mind helping me work on my own car at his garage so that will help me save a lot of money I guess. Brakes will also have to be done because the car has been sitting lately. Also the shifter seems to be really slack so I will look into it.

Post by **erikv11** » 11 Feb 2016, 12:39

The mileage is stored in the cluster on all 93-98. So if you swap, the readout will match the other car's mileage. No way around that, I try to get one with reasonably close mileage when I am swapping a 98 cluster. Yep, this one is a simple plug and play.

Unfortunately, you can't change MCC to ECC. There are many differences in the dash itself. Perhaps you could swap the whole dash, that is a monster of a job but possible.