New Owner Introduction - '98 S70 T5

[BackRoadSeeker]

Hi folks,

Finally got around to joining MVS after quite a bit of browsing the incredible amount of useful info here!

I recently purchased a '98 S70 T5 with just under 119k when I bought it, currently at 120,500. I've been keeping busy bringing the car up to "Stage 0" as you guys call it and the car is really growing on me. I've always been a BMW guy - sold a 540i 6 speed last year, miss the car dearly but not the repair costs. I was originally going to gun for a 5 speed but found this one loaded to the gills with cool options - SC-900/Dolby sound, heated seats, wood trim and everything! The auto is well behaved too and quite nice for daily beater status.

The car was dealership maintained all its life and is in overall pretty good shape apart from some cosmetic stuff. I've gotta say though, they did some less than impressive work the more I poke around the car... loose low pressure AC line from compressor replacement, missing throttle cable cover and charge pipe bracket... these little parts are thankfully dirt cheap at my local pick and pull.

Really looking forward to hanging out on this board, seems much more professional and "noob-friendly" than the BMW places. Let's just say, they aren't the most mature folks at times...

Work done since I got the car:
New timing belt, tensioner and water pump
New serpentine belt
New plugs (NGK V-Power, seem to be working OK right now)
New Bosch cap/rotor, Bougicord leads, K&N drop-in filter
Bilsten TC rear shocks
New Behr heater core, coolant drain and fill
Tons of little parts - junkyards FTW!

Things I know I have left:
Bilstein TC front struts w/ all new parts
H&R lowering springs (seem to be the most modest choice for springs - I need less body roll to make me miss my BMW less!)
Oil cooler line leak - not bad but there and needs fixing
Transmission drain/fill - car had a BG transmission flush at 70k
Rear bumper sag fix/repaint
Front seat leather replacement
Dash rattle/mount repair - REALLY not looking forward to this....

Some pictures for your viewing pleasure:


After I bought the car


Quick clean to assess the paint - I really have a love/hate relationship with black cars...


Engine bay. I've since gotten the throttle cover and charge pipe bracket replaced, and fixed the leaky oil filler cap.


Random shot. I really like the lines of this car.


Terrible interior shot, but you get the idea. Driver's seat leather is quite rough but the rest are in good shape.

[zhenya]

Nice car!

I agree that this board is one of the most mature, friendly, and helpful I've come across anywhere.

If you want less body roll without compromising ride comfort, definitely get a set of the IPD swaybars. One of the best handling upgrades you can make. If you want to take it a step further, the Koni FSD shocks and Eibach lowering springs ride quite well IMO, so long as you like firm handling. They are not harsh.

I think you can clean up those seats nicely with a Leatherique treatment or two. It doesn't look like they are actually cracked - the Leatherique should clean up all those crease lines and soften the leather nicely.

[BackRoadSeeker]

Nice car!

I agree that this board is one of the most mature, friendly, and helpful I've come across anywhere.

If you want less body roll without compromising ride comfort, definitely get a set of the IPD swaybars. One of the best handling upgrades you can make. If you want to take it a step further, the Koni FSD shocks and Eibach lowering springs ride quite well IMO, so long as you like firm handling. They are not harsh.

I think you can clean up those seats nicely with a Leatherique treatment or two. It doesn't look like they are actually cracked - the Leatherique should clean up all those crease lines and soften the leather nicely.

Thanks!

I've heard mixed reviews on the FSD's from BMW members back when I had my E39 - a lot of people saying they don't last very long. Regardless, those are a bit too rich for my budget. I've heard that the Bilstein TC's and H&R's are a pretty good combo though, not harsh at all and with the higher pressure of the TC's actually putting the drop to almost nil. I'm not really after the drop, just some firmer springs to make things more controlled. Sway bars are going to go on for sure, just have to get maintenance done before modding fun.

Haha trust me, the driver's seat is shot. The leather has deep cracks all around and an actual hole in the leather near the side airbag. I'm hoping to source a clean used seat but the airbag change in '99 from mechanical to electronic has made that hard... I have heard good things about Leatherique though, it's in the queue for my E24 BMW. Anything left over will for sure go towards the Volvo.

[abscate]

Bmws make others love you. Volvos love you back. Your BMW lovers leave when they see the bills, though.

I'm incredulous when I go to the BMS dealer and see the cash vacuuming machine called " service" in operation

[Sommerfeldt]

Welcome to the jungle, BackRoadSeeker.

Installed H&R springs on Koni yellows this weekend, and the car's a whole new animal. Springs were supposed to lower the car about 30mm, but with leaking original shocks all around before the job, the ride height stayed about the same with the new springs. Nice and firm, but not harsh at all. So far, I recommend them.

- S

[mecheng]

I have the same baby as you, walnut trim and all minus the dolby center speaker. Good stereo nonetheless, very clean sounding.
Good you are using OEM parts, thats the mistake most newbies make; they just buy parts. European cars are sensitive to good quality parts.

For the dash rattle, put some rubber between the dashboard and glass, it worked for me and i trimed it so you can't see it. Took 5 minutes.

I just did the oil cooler line, it is a bit tricky only because of the small amount of working room

Yes, the one downside to these cars, and only one I've discovered is the handling. I have the Billstein Touring at the front, rides well but the handling still needs improving. I'm hoping to get the ipd sway bar, but with shipping to Canada it is expensive for just be a silly bar and I only want the rear, you have to buy both.

Welcome to the site, ppl here are generally very friendly and helpful.

[BackRoadSeeker]

Bmws make others love you. Volvos love you back. Your BMW lovers leave when they see the bills, though.

I'm incredulous when I go to the BMS dealer and see the cash vacuuming machine called " service" in operation

Seems true enough to me. I only made the mistake of getting a quote once for my BMW at the dealer - $3800 for strut replacement. I literally laughed at the tech when he gave it to me. Everything else was DIY, and even that wasn't cheap.

Welcome to the jungle, BackRoadSeeker.

Installed H&R springs on Koni yellows this weekend, and the car's a whole new animal. Springs were supposed to lower the car about 30mm, but with leaking original shocks all around before the job, the ride height stayed about the same with the new springs. Nice and firm, but not harsh at all. So far, I recommend them.

- S

Thank you, thank you!! I'm hoping for similar results, although I will be cheaping out most likely and getting the TC's, unless I hear some kind of horror story. Haven't heard any yet....

I have the same baby as you, walnut trim and all minus the dolby center speaker. Good stereo nonetheless, very clean sounding.
Good you are using OEM parts, thats the mistake most newbies make; they just buy parts. European cars are sensitive to good quality parts.

For the dash rattle, put some rubber between the dashboard and glass, it worked for me and i trimed it so you can't see it. Took 5 minutes.

I just did the oil cooler line, it is a bit tricky only because of the small amount of working room

Yes, the one downside to these cars, and only one I've discovered is the handling. I have the Billstein Touring at the front, rides well but the handling still needs improving. I'm hoping to get the ipd sway bar, but with shipping to Canada it is expensive for just be a silly bar and I only want the rear, you have to buy both.

Welcome to the site, ppl here are generally very friendly and helpful.

Nice!! The SC-900 (sadly not a 901) is a pretty impressive stereo, although right now my center speaker is inop, have a new one on the way from Erie Volvo. I have little to no desire to go aftermarket, it sounds great as is. I learned that early on with the BMW's. Do it once with OEM parts or do twice with cheap parts.

I'll have to try the rubber, I've got cardboard shoved in strategic places right now but I'm worried I'll eventually do more damage to the mounts like that. Other idea that crossed my mind was butyl tape, but that's hard to find local. Not terribly worried about the oil lines, I've watched Robert's fantastic DIY video on it and will likely be going to get a JY line rebuilt per his advice.

This isn't the first time I've heard that the rear sway bar matters the most...maybe someone can confirm if the front is worth it? It looks like a PITA of an install.

[bmdubya1198]

Bmws make others love you. Volvos love you back. Your BMW lovers leave when they see the bills, though.

I'm incredulous when I go to the BMS dealer and see the cash vacuuming machine called " service" in operation

Seems true enough to me. I only made the mistake of getting a quote once for my BMW at the dealer - $3800 for strut replacement. I literally laughed at the tech when he gave it to me. Everything else was DIY, and even that wasn't cheap.

Welcome to the jungle, BackRoadSeeker.

Installed H&R springs on Koni yellows this weekend, and the car's a whole new animal. Springs were supposed to lower the car about 30mm, but with leaking original shocks all around before the job, the ride height stayed about the same with the new springs. Nice and firm, but not harsh at all. So far, I recommend them.

- S

Thank you, thank you!! I'm hoping for similar results, although I will be cheaping out most likely and getting the TC's, unless I hear some kind of horror story. Haven't heard any yet....

I have the same baby as you, walnut trim and all minus the dolby center speaker. Good stereo nonetheless, very clean sounding.
Good you are using OEM parts, thats the mistake most newbies make; they just buy parts. European cars are sensitive to good quality parts.

For the dash rattle, put some rubber between the dashboard and glass, it worked for me and i trimed it so you can't see it. Took 5 minutes.

I just did the oil cooler line, it is a bit tricky only because of the small amount of working room

Yes, the one downside to these cars, and only one I've discovered is the handling. I have the Billstein Touring at the front, rides well but the handling still needs improving. I'm hoping to get the ipd sway bar, but with shipping to Canada it is expensive for just be a silly bar and I only want the rear, you have to buy both.

Welcome to the site, ppl here are generally very friendly and helpful.

Nice!! The SC-900 (sadly not a 901) is a pretty impressive stereo, although right now my center speaker is inop, have a new one on the way from Erie Volvo. I have little to no desire to go aftermarket, it sounds great as is. I learned that early on with the BMW's. Do it once with OEM parts or do twice with cheap parts.

I'll have to try the rubber, I've got cardboard shoved in strategic places right now but I'm worried I'll eventually do more damage to the mounts like that. Other idea that crossed my mind was butyl tape, but that's hard to find local. Not terribly worried about the oil lines, I've watched Robert's fantastic DIY video on it and will likely be going to get a JY line rebuilt per his advice.

This isn't the first time I've heard that the rear sway bar matters the most...maybe someone can confirm if the front is worth it? It looks like a PITA of an install.

My dad and I just did the struts on his E39 last weekend... $3800 is insane. Yeah, it's a bit of work, but still... it's less than $300 in parts.
It's a nice transition from the BMW world to the Volvo world. I love BMWs, but Volvos are much easier to work with. And cheaper to maintain.

Being that your oil cap was leaking, you might want to redo the PCV system before you blow out another seal.

I love my SC901! The sound is unbeatable... just wish I could get the CD cartridge. I bought the HU without one, seems to be a popular part at junkyards.

Consider rebuilding those oil cooler lines. Just did it yesterday and so far so good!

Welcome to the forum, and beautiful car!

[BackRoadSeeker]

Yeah, I ended up doing the whole car for a touch under a grand using good Sachs components - the E39 was a super nice car but I had a clutch job and timing chain guide replacement (from the V8) looming so I sold the car. The T5 is quick, but it can't even come close to touching that 540i - that thing was frighteningly fast with the 6 speed.

I thought the oil cap leak was just a simple wear item and not PCV related? The gasket on mine is hard as a rock, I suspect that's why it's leaking oil. No blow-by at all through the dipstick tube. I do know eventually though that the PCV system will need to be done but mine seems quite healthy at the moment.

You know, I actually just scored 3 of the CD cartridges off eBay, so if you want one...I can give you a pretty good deal.

Oil cooler line rebuild will be happening this fall, once it's no longer crazy hot outside.

[zhenya]

My FSD's have ~75k miles on them and are still running strong, FWIW. Overall my most successful all-around suspension upgrade I've done on any of my cars - and I've fully overhauled the suspension on 5-6 vehicles now. With updates the handling gets very good for a highway cruiser. You'll never overcome the forward weight bias, but as a complete package, these are my favorite cars to spend time in on a road trip, even with a number of new and more expensive cars in my fleet. I would personally buy the bars as a set, but yes, the rear probably makes the bigger difference of the two.

Hope you can easily repair the center channel - just recently got my full dolby setup working in the V70 and it's amazing. Best stereo we have in any of our cars.