When is it not worth fixing?

[volvolugnut]

I have decided to invest in the new-to-me green 2000 V70 which I bought for $500. A careful visual review showed two small leaks, worn out shocks/springs, but nothing else major. I installed the new front brake parts which I moved off the V70 I donated and I'm pretty sure the rear brakes are fine, but there's still a major vibration when breaking. Next, to replace faded headlights, I must either take a chance on junkyard jewels or buy new ones. But the transmission seems to shift a little oddly...

Abscate, I'll message you info about the engine shut off.

I suggest you polish those faded headlights instead of replacing them. Maybe $20 in materials and 30 minutes or less hand work. Faster with a polisher.

volvolugnut

[MoVolvos]

I have decided to invest in the new-to-me green 2000 V70 which I bought for $500. A careful visual review showed two small leaks, worn out shocks/springs, but nothing else major. I installed the new front brake parts which I moved off the V70 I donated and I'm pretty sure the rear brakes are fine, but there's still a major vibration when breaking. Next, to replace faded headlights, I must either take a chance on junkyard jewels or buy new ones. But the transmission seems to shift a little oddly...

Abscate, I'll message you info about the engine shut off.

I suggest you polish those faded headlights instead of replacing them. Maybe $20 in materials and 30 minutes or less hand work. Faster with a polisher.

volvolugnut

The cover is glass like my former 98 S70 T5. The question is whether the reflective material inside the assembly has turned powdery? I tried painting mine silver / chrome and it put out very little light.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002R1NBYC/re ... automotive

https://www.amazon.com/Headlight-Lens-V ... B00IZNQ5K8

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[MoVolvos]

I must either take a chance on junkyard jewels or buy new ones.

Speaking of Jewels?

https://raleigh.craigslist.org/pts/d/pl ... 83031.html

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Jewels.png (306.38 KiB) Viewed 981 times

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[manovlov]

I must say i'm a little bit lost. Not sure to understand everything. I've recently seen a post about Abscate who has thrown himself in the rescue of an old car (850 if i do remember, but not sure).

The subject of the current post is about the interest to fix or not an issue and about the "becoming" of a car. Do we consider that 850 owners are collectors, or is it just a matter about keep its car on the road in best condition ?

My 850 is as "a beautiful object of collection", as the best way to extract me out of town and to pick my dog under the arm and go for a walk in the pure air...

I have no complain about that, but the border seems to be blurred to me.

Could you light me on this ?

Manov

[volvolugnut]

I must say i'm a little bit lost. Not sure to understand everything. I've recently seen a post about Abscate who has thrown himself in the rescue of an old car (850 if i do remember, but not sure).

The subject of the current post is about the interest to fix or not an issue and about the "becoming" of a car. Do we consider that 850 owners are collectors, or is it just a matter about keep its car on the road in best condition ?

My 850 is as "a beautiful object of collection", as the best way to extract me out of town and to pick my dog under the arm and go for a walk in the pure air...

I have no complain about that, but the border seems to be blurred to me.

Could you light me on this ?

Manov

This is a continuation of other discussions of when to repair and when to stop efforts to save an older vehicle. It is economic, personal and emotional decsision, but not always rational. Many, like me, will keep a car going beyond economic loss because of emotional attachment.

Car collectors who restore old cars, go far beyond rational thought process and will spend many times the original vehicle cost to return to like new or better condition. Most of us in this forum, do not go to this extreme.

volvolugnut

[manovlov]

This is a continuation of other discussions of when to repair and when to stop efforts to save an older vehicle. It is economic, personal and emotional decsision, but not always rational. Many, like me, will keep a car going beyond economic loss because of emotional attachment.

Car collectors who restore old cars, go far beyond rational thought process and will spend many times the original vehicle cost to return to like new or better condition. Most of us in this forum, do not go to this extreme.

volvolugnut

My 850 brought me to become someone else, someone different, a mechanic, newbie one, for sure, but a mechanic. This forum has brought me to try to renew my exprience as a forumer, because lasts experiences on this side of the ocean were a bit rough to me and i'm guilty on 50 % on that.

I don't know much about buddies from here, but i feel allright here, like, humble to be at my place.

Thanks for these words, Volvolugnut. It has enlightened my questioning.

Thanks to you all, actually.

Manov

[RickHaleParker]

Many, like me, will keep a car going beyond economic loss because of emotional attachment.

The difference between a car and your car.

[abscate]

I’m facing this with the T5. 260k miles and needs a steering rack

Parts 250-350 depending on who I Source.
Labor 6 hours, so 150 for mine, 600 at shop

Total $400-1050 for job

This job adds no value to car which is probably worth $1500 on market as a runner, maybe $3500 to an enthusiastic, economics would say dump it.

But Elizabeth has given me 260k wonderful miles, the last two years / 40k miles service has been:

A set of front brakes, spark plugs, rear brakes, and a timing belt service.

I plan on driving her another 40k at least

[800artfreed]

As far as headlights go I was able to find 2 different sets of headlights for my 1998 V70 and 1999 S70 at the PnP yards near my home. Each assembly is $30.00 at the yard. The V70 got a pair of OE assemblies from a 2004 C70. This is the first year for jewel "clear" non fluted reflector assemblies and the LAST compatible year for our older cars. I am going to try LEDs in this set but the halogen H7s are better with this assembly than the OEs.
The other set was an aftermarket replacement that looked so shiny on the car at the PnP yard I had to chance them. Turns out they were great! They only have up and down adj, no in and out adjustments. After I converted to LED H7 bulbs they provide the best nighttime illumination of any of my 3 x70 cars with a sharp cutoff and good spread on the road. No one flashes me on the road. Good luck.

[Matty Moo]

I bought a 2000 s70 glt almost 8 years ago for $1200 at auction. 123k on it, all it needed was tires and a control arm. Had a handful of dents and wasn't perfect or close to it. This was a year before my daughter turned sixteen, on her 16th birthday she said "I'll take those keys now".

Last month she graduated college, got a new Jeep and I got the Volvo back. 190k, beige vinyl seats destroyed, even more dents and scratches. Bad motor mounts, bad rear caliper, windshield has been cracked for years, all sorts of codes for 02 sensors, rear main is leaking, etc.

So I go to the junkyard and get some better charcoal seats, windshield wiper motor, and other stuff. Spend the weekend fixing some stuff and even put my old infinity subwoofer in it. I drive it, it's OK but i haven't done the motor mounts yet. Idle is hunting a little bit, so I scan it for the first time since last spring.... New ETM codes.

In 8 years I've only had to put $1200 into it for brakes, shocks, struts, some suspension/steering bits, plugs, hoses and tires. Plus a couple broken headlights and other small stuff I had laying around. This car owes me nothing.

Now... I planned on driving it this winter and am driving it. But I'm driving it as-is and when she goes that's the end of the line. It looks better than your average $1k car but overall it's still a beater and not worth the money. Scrap prices are high right now.