Everything wrong with my $2000 Volvo

"AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion) 11/03/2018 at 17:07 • Filed to: None

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Are you ready?

Every 4 seconds when off throttle, I’ll hear a *click* from under the hood, almost as if something’s opening up, followed by a slight spike in RPM’s (300ish) and an equally small surge in boost pressure. But it apparently doesn’t happen when the car is cold?

4/5 spooky spooks

Tachometer reads 1000 RPM too low. If it says I’m at 4000rpm, I’m actually at 5000rpm. Not a huge deal since it’s consistently 1k over, but it does bug me. On the Miata I could just open up the cluster, pull the needle off and realign it. The Volvo... No clue. I’m kinda scared to start removing interior pieces, for reasons I’ll get to below.

I’m at idle right now

2/5 spooky spooks

HVAC panel has some burnt out bulbs. Volvo’s HVAC is quite different from what I’m used to in Japanese and domestic makes, so not being able to see everything at night actually makes it a bit tricky to adjust the heat to my liking.

2/5 spooky spooks

Seat heaters don’t work! They’re getting power, so presumably there’s something wrong with the heating elements. Interior was swapped over from an 850r so maybe there are some compatibility issues? After looking under the seat I almost had a heart attack due to the number of wires and electrical boxes. I genuinely believe there are more electrical doo-dads under each seat than there are in my entire Miata.

2/5 spooky spooks.

The stereo is pretty bad. There’s an aftermarket headunit—double din touchscreen nastiness—that is somehow new enough to have android auto/Apple car play, yet doesn’t support Bluetooth. I’m shocked that thoseotwo things can overlap. I hate wires all over, so the headunit will not be staying in the Volvo long-term. There’s also an aftermarket amp that I’ve barely even glanced at, a cheap sub in the back that’s not working for whatever reason, some aftermarket speakers up front that don’t sound particularly great, and I’m almost positive none of the speakers in the back or the dash speakers are connected. Verdict: sound system needs a complete overhaul.

3/5 spooky spooks

Traction control and ABS don’t work. Probably. Both lights turn on and off frequently, and the PO said he didn’t think they were working because of that. Not too worried. Brakes deal great and I definitely haven’t approached the limits of them yet. If I DO end up locking up the brakes around a corner I’ll just get oversteer. I like oversteer. I’m comfortable with oversteer. Understeer is what worries me. As far as traction control.... Well. I definitely need a careful application of throttle and clutch to avoid spinning tires in the first three gears on rainy days, but that’s not the end of the world. Driving aids don’t interest me, so if it wasn’t for the annoying dash lights this wouldn’t bother me. I do have a box that reads “control unit ABS” and another unnamed box in my parts bin so maybe I could fix this...?

1/5 spooky spooks

If I turn the key too far in the ignition, half the electronics won’t work. Like headlights, HVAC, etc. It’s a common problem, and all you have to do is turn the key back an 1/8 of a turn or so. Easy enough. Although it was terrifying the first time when I couldn’t get lights on and had no idea why. I can replace the ignition, but it sounds like the problem doesn’t really get worse so it’s not really a big deal. I’ll just continue to avoid turning the key too far.

1/5 spooky ghosts

Rev hang! Good god. Maybe I’m just spoiled by the Miata, but this thing has as much rev hang as any boosted Subaru I’ve ever driven. I’m getting used to it, but where on the Miata I’d just ever so slightly blip the throttle on downshifts, with the Volvo I have to throttle down and hold it for like 1.5 seconds. This isn’t exactly a racecar, but I would still like revs to climb and drop quite a bit faster. Lighter flywheel..?

2/5 spooky ghosts

Leather steering wheel is in bad shape. This bothers me because overall the rest of the interior is beautiful.

2/5 spooky spooks

There are a couple places where the dash doesn’t fit quite right. Not really sure how to fix this, but it’s bugging me quite a bit. Maybe careful use of a heat gun?

3/5 spooky spooks

Headlight wipers are missing!!!!

5/5 SPOOKY SPOOKS 

Driver side door has a decent sized dent. The black paint makes it less noticeable than it would be otherwise, but I would like to get it fixed. PO was talking about paint less dent removal. No clue if that wil l work but someday I’ll get that taken care of.

2/5 spooky spooks

Paint is in bad shape. Clearcoat is faded in places, lots of swirls, decent amount of scratches. Not a priority, but a repaint would be nice someday.

1/5 s pooky spooks

One corner marker light housing is a bit loose. It’s not going anywhere, but it’s noticeably not flush with the bumper.

2/5 spooky spooks

Wheels rub at 90% full-lock or greater. This is a problem because this wagon has a worse turning radius than a battleship. I could do a figure 8 with the Miata in the space it would take to turn the Volvo around.

3/5 spooky spooks

And... I think that’s it! Sounds like a lot when written out, but almost none of it matters when you’re in the driver’s seat hearing that 5-cylinder rumble while swaddled in the finest leathers and Alcantara. I love this thing.

NKato > AestheticsInMotion 11/03/2018 at 17:16

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What’s your reasoning for this car? For that many flaws, I'd have a hard time justifying it. 

Nauraushaun > AestheticsInMotion 11/03/2018 at 17:25

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What if you lose traction while braking, not on a corner, but in a school zone on a wet day? You can probably get by without traction control, but consider fixing the braking.

AestheticsInMotion > NKato 11/03/2018 at 17:25

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The pros far outweigh the cons. This is such a fun car, and dailying it has been a joy. Miata hasn't been driven a single time since I've had the 850

AestheticsInMotion > Nauraushaun 11/03/2018 at 17:26

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That seems... Unlikely. I don’t go 80 in school zones and then attempt to panic stop. 

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > NKato 11/03/2018 at 17:30

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My guess is a very boosted inline 5 cylinder engine, coupled to a quite fine manual gearbox, ensconced in a steel box that could survive nuking from orbit and supported by an amazingly good suspension.  In the end, most of the flaws are age related and almost entirely aesthetic.

Dsscats > AestheticsInMotion 11/03/2018 at 17:36

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Seems like kind of a lot of money for something with that much wrong

AestheticsInMotion > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media 11/03/2018 at 17:38

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Bingo

AestheticsInMotion > Dsscats 11/03/2018 at 17:40

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Does it? I spent that much again on engine seals, water pump, timing belt and other thin gs. Even at $4k total, I can’t think of anything else I would have rather spent my money on, that combines fun, practicality, and comfort 

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > AestheticsInMotion 11/03/2018 at 17:41

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No. Volvo.

And here’s a VoVo...

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > AestheticsInMotion 11/03/2018 at 17:48

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3spooky5me

No traction control and no ABS? Just pretend it’s an old Tercel — only you know fast and turboish.

Random lights not working? What is this, T he Jetsons? Lights, sc hmights.

Flawed exterior? Lower price!

Seat warmers? Who needs ‘em! You’re no fancy boi

Fitment problems? Winter is coming! Won’t be enough daylight hours to notice.

Stereo and speakers? The sound of the engine will do just fine.

Tach? Adding 1,000 sharpens your math skills.

AestheticsInMotion > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media 11/03/2018 at 17:54

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If those aren't coconut shavings, count me in

Nauraushaun > AestheticsInMotion 11/03/2018 at 17:56

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That’s not quite the point. Do you ever drive on roads where you might unexpectedly have to panic stop?

Deer? Children? Etc?

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Nauraushaun 11/03/2018 at 18:01

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You could say that about any old car with no power brakes or ABS.

AestheticsInMotion > Nauraushaun 11/03/2018 at 18:03

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Oh, definitely. That said it's not like you can't have good brake performance without ABS. It's not like it's an on/off switch that instantly sends you into a slide. The Volvo is never going to be driven at 10/10ths, whereas my other cars that didn't come with ABS have been, with zero issues. Just gotta watch my tread level 

dogisbadob > AestheticsInMotion 11/03/2018 at 18:12

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So wait, an outdated radio is 3/5 spooky spooks but no ABS is only 1/5?

Since it already has an aftermarket radio, then installing one with Android Auto should be easy enough.

Alfalfa > AestheticsInMotion 11/03/2018 at 18:17

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I bet I know what’s wrong with your ABS, and if you have any sort of soldering skill you can fix it for the cost of a little solder.

An d if you don't, it will likely get worse until your speedometer starts randomly going out on you.

Nauraushaun > AestheticsInMotion 11/03/2018 at 18:17

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Oh totally. But that one time you lock up hard on a sopping road due to something silly, you’ll wish you had it. I believe it saved my 300ZX once.

Another time on my old Pulsar with no ABS, I missed a light going red and locked up completely sliding just over the line prior to the intersection. If it had been wet, I’d have gone straight through it. If I’d had ABS, perhaps not.

You don’t need it until you do ;)

Nauraushaun > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 11/03/2018 at 18:18

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Of course, but given that this car should have ABS and did have ABS, I’d be inclined to get it working. Never know, might be some diagnosis then an easy fix!

AestheticsInMotion > dogisbadob 11/03/2018 at 18:20

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Brakes have good stopping power, and a really nice modulation. I don’t feel like I need anything else, but if I do end up locking them up frequently (which seems unlikely) I’ll probably just get stickier tires to raise the braking limits. Maybe I’m just biased from the Miata? Obviously it’s a much lighter car, but I drive that thing to the limits and then some, in heavy rain, snow, dirt, gravel, on and offroad. I’ve never thought, “I wish my car was spec’d with ABS”.

I know it’s rediculous and dumb, but I kind of want to find one of these Panasonic head units that has tubes. Tubes!!! Also I don’t trust the wiring job on the stereo system. I really enjoyed building the Miata setup, so once I have some free time I think I’m going to build a Volvo system from scratch

(edit) and thank you for referring to the spooky spooks scale 

AestheticsInMotion > Nauraushaun 11/03/2018 at 18:22

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Fair point. If I can figure it out, or get it done cheaply then it will go back in. Traction control... Depends if it’s fully defeat able. I’m guessing it’s not.

I’ve always wanted a Pulsar. How d id you like yours? I see imported GTI-R’s from time to time around here...

Chariotoflove > AestheticsInMotion 11/03/2018 at 18:35

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But but....safety!

Anyway, will you replace the stereo with something else modern or try to get a stock one?

Edit: I saw your response to dogisabob. 

AestheticsInMotion > Chariotoflove 11/03/2018 at 18:43

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Likely modern (despite how awesome the tube amp would be). But I want it to look period correct, like I did with the Miata. No flashing lights and color-shifting strobes. For now I'll just listen to the burbly 5-cylinder.

Chariotoflove > AestheticsInMotion 11/03/2018 at 18:52

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Good call. 

AestheticsInMotion > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 11/03/2018 at 19:02

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It’s really interesting having two ‘95 cars on opposite ends of the luxury scale. Three airbags per front seat passenger! Three!

I only wish ventilated seats were a thing back then... 

diplodicus forgot his password > AestheticsInMotion 11/03/2018 at 19:04

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That radio is dope.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > AestheticsInMotion 11/03/2018 at 19:13

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Ventilated seats are one of those things no one ever needed, but now seemingly cannot be without. Don't get TOO fancy on us!

Sovande > AestheticsInMotion 11/03/2018 at 19:36

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The ABS and traction control are related, as you know. You can pull the wheels and clean the speed sensors and check them for loose wires. Or it may be the ABS brain in the car. Read this page, he’s got you covered. https://www.midwest-abs.com/About_Us.php

I may have a stock radio that will fit, if you want it. I’ll have to double check, but I’m pretty sure it’s in a tote in my garage.

You can replace the whole gauge cluster by removing a about 5 torx screws.

The dash in the 850 gets wonky like that. Yours looks better than most.

The corner lights have plastic clips that hold them to the fender. Either the clip is broken or the mounting hole is bent.

I have a V70 steering wheel with a tan leather Wheelskins cover on it. You can have it, but you will have to source an airbag. I think it will fit.

Climate control lights:   https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=19025

DC3 LS, Fuck Hyundai, now and forever > AestheticsInMotion 11/03/2018 at 19:43

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“ If I DO end up locking up the brakes around a corner I’ll just get oversteer.”

No you’ll more likely get understeer, even in a turn, not only do the front brakes apply more force. But in a turn your front tires are doing 100% of the turning while the rears are doing 0%. So your front tires are going to be much more likely to lock up, even with weight transfer, s ince the engineers accounted for it to some extent.

Not saying it’s impossible you’ll get oversteer, but it’s much more likely you’ll still get understeer. (Under panic braking, you’ll definitely get unders teer.)

That said, if you have good summer tires it won’t be an issue. The Civic I had when I was living in Washington didn’t have ABS, but I had summer tires that were really good in the rain and I never had any issue. I even intentionally tried to lock the wheels (just to see what the limit was) and it was very hard to do.

AestheticsInMotion > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 11/03/2018 at 19:47

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WIRELESS CHARGING PHONE MOUNT IN BOTH CARS . It’s too late for me....

Do you ever regret not buying RPM’s LC? Because I do, and I'm pretty sure my LC desire is about 20% as strong as yours 

AestheticsInMotion > diplodicus forgot his password 11/03/2018 at 19:49

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I love it. Panasonic unit from 15ish years ago I believe? Sold terribly, reliability woes, styling that doesn’t work in most cars...

But it’s just so cool

AestheticsInMotion > DC3 LS, Fuck Hyundai, now and forever 11/03/2018 at 19:57

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Yeah, but if I’m slamming my brakes on a corner, I’m also shifting a ton of weight to the front right? Because of all that momentum, and the fact that the front brakes take on most of the braking power? Idk, you’re probably right. I haven’t really figured out how fwd works yet at the limits. It feels so different! Does “when in doubt, throttle it out” no longer apply? That mantra has helped me quite a bit in the past. I practiced left foot braking with the Miata as a way to transfer weight and kick out the back end on rally terrain, but in the end clutch kicks were much more efficient because I didn’t have enough power to recover from the loss of momentum from mid- corner braking.

That’s what I’m thinking, ie tires. It’s weird though. With the Miata I want the most grip possible, whether it’s 200tw summers or winter rubber. I have no clue what to look for with the 850. I kinda want good longevity, noise, comfort, and grip. Sigh

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > AestheticsInMotion 11/03/2018 at 19:59

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Unfortunately for me,   I have much, much larger automotive regrets. 

DC3 LS, Fuck Hyundai, now and forever > AestheticsInMotion 11/03/2018 at 20:24

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Depends on how you apply the brakes, if you slam on them you’ll definitely lock the brakes because the weight will not have transferred yet. That’s how I wrecked the Accord, I was only going about 25mph, but the guy in front of me made a panic stop, I did the same and locked them even at that slow speed.

If you’re more gradual with your braking, it’s much less likely to lock, since the weight has had time to transfer to the front. But it’s still unlikely to lock the rears since they aren’t doing any turning and they have weaker brakes to begin with. The engineers know weight transfers to the front during braking, that’s largely the reason why the fronts are more powerful than the rears, plus like suspension, they want the car to understeer more than oversteer since it’s more intuitive for people to deal with.

Yeah, when in doubt throttle out is definitely bad for FWD (although I guess it could keep the brakes from locking, since that’s largely the reason for left foot braking, like in rallying).

The important thing with FWD is to trail brake. You wanna still be coming off the brakes when going into the turn to keep as much weight on the front. Getting off the brakes abruptly can sort of cause the opposite of snap oversteer. Where weight snaps from front to rear when the brakes are released.

Just remeber to always be smooth with the brakes and that they’re more powerful than the engine in terms of g-forces/traction.

MiniGTI - now with XJ6 > AestheticsInMotion 11/03/2018 at 21:05

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Having just past the first year of$2000 Jaguar  ownership sometime I’ll do a write up like this. I wrote up a list of known issues. It filled an entire page. And yet, it goes down the road just fine and I enjoy driving it tremendously. 

Future Heap Owner > AestheticsInMotion 11/03/2018 at 21:08

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I live for this kind of post! Honestly, this still seems like a really good deal to me. Almost all the problems are aesthetic, which, meh.

I should really do this for my truck. I’m so lazy though, and after this week I won’t even be able to take photos in daylight during the week...

Future Heap Owner > NKato 11/03/2018 at 21:08

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But it was only $2k out the door!

Sovande > AestheticsInMotion 11/03/2018 at 21:17

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At the limit you will understeer.

Get some Nokian ZLine A/S for $62 each at Amazon. They are great.

The Rev hang you have is programmed into the ECU. It’s a feature! Something to do with emissions.

A good thing to do with these cars is to clean the throttle body. The butterfly gets pretty cruddy.

Did you check the idle air control valve for the ticking and rpm fluctuations? It's an easy check. Just hose it down with carb cleaner and it will free up. 

AestheticsInMotion > MiniGTI - now with XJ6 11/03/2018 at 21:36

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You understand

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > AestheticsInMotion 11/03/2018 at 21:39

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Things wrong:

#1. It’s a Volvo

#2-194: See No. 1

MiniGTI - now with XJ6 > AestheticsInMotion 11/03/2018 at 22:38

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I’ve actually put over 6000 miles on it. Probably spent around $8k on it ha. Funny thing was there was a much much  nicer one asking $8k when I bought mine. Don’t want to spend that much I said. 

AestheticsInMotion > MiniGTI - now with XJ6 11/03/2018 at 22:53

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I’m at 250 miles and $2000 in repairs. I’m SURE that will be the last of it. Positive. Definitely.

I hope to see a write-up/review soon! More jags on Oppo can't be anything but great

cbell04 > AestheticsInMotion 11/03/2018 at 23:01

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My stepdad has long been a volvo nerd. His 850 and v70 both had the hvac bulb replaced with led for super cheap and a few hours of fiddling. He got all his info from a blog I’ll ask him and send it your way.

I find that cars turning radius embarrassing as hell when you end up doing a 5 point turn just to pull into a parking spot. It’s so damn bad!

Always liked his R’s but now he has just a plan turbo v70 and it’s just not as nice. His 750r and 850r kicked asses and ran forever.

Have fun and use these guys for parts. Honestly really nice people to work with and they have everything . https://www.erievolvo.com/

Tristan > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 11/04/2018 at 01:03

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That’s a funny way to spell “right”.

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > AestheticsInMotion 11/04/2018 at 01:52

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Those. Are.....c oconut shavings. Oh well.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > AestheticsInMotion 11/04/2018 at 02:30

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Sounds like very minimal wrong, that is awesome! My general rule of thumb is that if a car has acceptable tires and brakes and is not massively losing oil, coolant, or brake fluid then it’s good to go. This is light years beyond that standard. 

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > AestheticsInMotion 11/04/2018 at 03:52

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Instrument cluster is easy to remove and disassemble to fix that tach issue. Hard part is not breaking any plastic.

Seat heater wires tend to break off right at the seat connection IIRC. Look for broken wires right at the seat cushion. I think they’re right in the middle underneath.

Intermittent ABS issues? Can you solder? Then you can fix this. Take the ABS module apart. And re-solder the main power and ground pins on the circuit board. They're the big ones. The solder joints here tend to crack.

Hikerguy > AestheticsInMotion 11/04/2018 at 07:18

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Should have bought a 960/v90.  I've got a small fleet of them. RWD forever!

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Tristan 11/04/2018 at 08:41

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What, “it’s?”

boxrocket > AestheticsInMotion 11/04/2018 at 09:30

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This post makes me feel better about all the little nitpicks I have with my $5K ‘06 XC90, which is also a turbocharged five -cylinder brick, but with AWD, so I can pretend it’s a detuned P2 V70R on stilts.

daender > AestheticsInMotion 11/04/2018 at 09:38

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Sweet baby jebus that’s so retro.  A retro-themed NA needs to have that!

Nauraushaun > AestheticsInMotion 11/04/2018 at 17:23

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Good luck ;)

I liked it but it was my first car. Of course I did. It was an ‘88 N13 hatch with the 1.6, it was pretty shit really.

MM54 > AestheticsInMotion 11/04/2018 at 20:33

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As someone who in a past life (well, until I didn’t have time t o anymore) repaired and built tube equipment... don’t put tubes in your car. The whole precise-hot-metal-in-glass thing doesn’t do well with a bunch of vibrations and large temperature swings over and over and over.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > AestheticsInMotion 11/05/2018 at 19:13

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For your door dent.

Amoore100 > NKato 11/05/2018 at 19:25

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HAH, funny—literally every car in our fleet has like twice this number of questionable flaws and foibles. It’s a rite of passage for old Volvo ownership to have 10+ things that either don’t work or do really odd things when used .