Looking at a 2000 XC70

gjr0 · Post by **gjr0** » 17 Jul 2023, 19:28

My '07 S40 dropped a valve 700 miles from home so I'm looking for a different car. We have had Volvos for 40 some years and I have done my share of maintenance and repairs. I'm currently driving a '67 P220.

The '00 XC70 is very clean, has about 125,000 miles on it. The story is that he inherited his Dad's car. His Dad was a Volvo guy and took good care of the car. It has mostly been sitting for the last 6 months. He was on his way out of town and we only talked briefly. The AWD would be a nice feature but they don't have a great reputation (never owned one). I'll go give it a better look when he gets back. What should I look for ?

Next question - if it is as good as it looks from the outside, what is it worth ?

Thanks
Greg

Post by **abscate** » 17 Jul 2023, 19:39

$2000-2500 plus a budget of $1500 to get ot ready

Post by **scot850** » 17 Jul 2023, 20:02

Check the history if the guys father had maintained it as claimed. Look to see what work has been done at the rear. Especially check if the fuel pump has been changed, or when it is running it is not noisy. The pumps are NLA from Volvo and there are those brave soles like Abscate who have managed to find an alternate pump that needs a lot of mods to work. Many parts at the rear of the AWD P80 Volvos are becoming rare or NLA. Worst case you can convert it to FWD as has been done a few times transferring the rear suspension and fuel tank from a FWD car.

I wish you luck. Oh, and if they use a lot of salt on the roads in your area, check the rear subframe where it mounts to the frame behind the rear wheels. Look for aluminum oxidation and worst case, cracks in the sub-frame around the rear mounting bolts.

Neil.

gjr0 · Post by **gjr0** » 18 Jul 2023, 04:18

Good things to know. Too bad about so many parts becoming NLA.
More questions:
Is there a way to check the bevel drive to see if failure is imminent ?
Is there anything that can be done to prevent the failure ?

Post by **abscate** » 18 Jul 2023, 04:39

Listen for noises and see if the oil has been changed in the service records. It uses a low foam, Volvo oil, not just gear oil. I would not worry about it at 100k. Worst case, it comes off and you have a more easily serviced FWD

I eventually found an OE drop in pump for $100 that is still available, documented in my Ekaterina Resurrection thread ( 1999 S70 AWD )

Have a good look at the pipes o top of the fuel tank for nice green clean piping with no rust. It’s a big job to drop the axle to fix stuff up there, doable in driveway , but 10-15 hours in.

Post by **foggydogg** » 18 Jul 2023, 07:19

I agree with Dr. Abscate, if you can do a relatively deep dive under the back of the car to see how it has tolerated the MN weather that could help inform your decision. Pulling apart the interior in the rear to access the inspection plates isn't a hateful job, takes a bit of time and the space to get stuff out of the way.
See if the records address some of the routine things like timing belt/water pump. If they haven't been done it's due on both miles and calendar.