What has 10 row-your-own gears, 10 cylinders, 10 doors, and seats 12?

"AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion) 02/03/2019 at 15:23 • Filed to: And then there were two

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I n completely unrelated news, I flew to San Francisco and drove a new-to-me brick 9 00 miles home through multiple winter weather advisories. On summer tires. Oh and Sovande, you were right. V70 seats are in a league of their own.

Flew one of Delta’s Embraers, which was nice. Small plane, only about 60% booked. Got bumped up to first, in A4. Solo window seats plus some vodka sodas that were more like glasses of vodka with a splash of soda water made for an good flight. For a short-haul domestic first- class, it wasn’t bad.

Guys.... I think I might be becoming an AV geek. All I can think about is trying out different planes. I tried to get a friend to go to the Museum of Flight with me. And when I saw window washers cleaning the massive windows outside the waiting area.... My only reaction was to feel slightly upset that they were blocking the view.

Window washers in action. Some nice squeegee work!

I thought I knew what urban sprawl looked like. I was wrong

Anyways, on to the fun stuff!

The whole reason I flew down was because an incredibly g enerous Oppo member offered me his turbo, manual V70 T5. I took him up on it, and a few weeks later.... I was standing in San Jose with keys to my new wagon in hand!

I should mention, I purposely refrained from looking up drive- time back home until I had purchased the wagon. I didn’t want that long trip weighing down on my mind.... My longest drive at that point had been 4 hours. And it was rough.

From San Jose to Seattle?

1 3.5 hours. And I didn’t leave until 11:30am....

I really enjoyed the scenery f rom San Jose to Sacramento. Gorgeous rolling hills, and some fantastic highways. Californians , I freakin love you guys. With 70 mph speed limits, the flow of traffic was consistently 80-85 mph. With 13 hours ahead of me, that’s exactly what I was hoping for.

Unfortunately after Sacramento, there was a whole lot of nothing pretty much until Shasta lake. Agriculture as far as the eye could see. And while the Californian drivers continued to be a shining example of how to handle highways (they ONLY used the left lane for passing!!!) there were some problems.

And by problems, I mean Oregonians.

GAHHHH. Every time—without fail—there was a slowdown, it was caused by someone with Oregon plates. Camped out in the left lane at 5mph under?

Oregon plates.

Swerving into other lanes?

Oregon plates.

Braking while going up-hill?

Yep. Mr. Oregon plates.

I grew to hate the sight of Oregon’s Evergreen-bestowed license plate. Now I understand why Decay and AMGTech ride bikes everywhere....

All-in -all though, t he drive up to Shasta lake was exquisite . And the lake! It’s now on my bucket list for places to explore. I didn’t stop, but e ven from the car the views were incredible.

So this is where things got hairy. The pass had a severe winter weather advisory in effect, and boy did it materialize. I had purchased chains Justin case (summer tires ftw) but it wasn’t quite cold enough for snow. Oh no. Today was rain’s time to claim the throne.

Quick bit of background info. I’ve lived near Seattle my entire life. If there’s one thing Seattle is synonymous with, it’s rain. From an endless drizzle that stretches seasons, to storms that cripple city, I’ve grown accustomed to it all. Psssh, who cares about rain. That’s hardly worthy of being called “a storm”.

Oh what a fool I was.

That drive through the pass was a white-knuckle, try-to-stay-alive, terror-fest that seemed to go on for hours. I’ve never seen rain that hard. And it mixed with the heaviest f og. Vi sibility was so bad that I was relying on Google maps so I could see the curves of the pass ahead and adjust my speed accordingly. At one point I had to turn on my high beams just to see the reflections of the road markers further out than 5 feet. Those high beams reflected off the fog and kept me from being able to see anything but the ground, but that was the best choice I had.

When I made it out the other side, I was a sweaty mess. Checking the weather advisory, I saw that there had also been 60+ mph winds. Between the rain, fog, and semi-trucks though, I hadn’t even noticed.

I kept driving until I hit a small town in Oregon, tank on E. I’d made it halfway home , and was mentally exhausted. My eyes didn’t want to stay open, and my reaction times were quite a bit below where they started.

I rallied with a b athroom break, 20 minute nap, a quick bite at the golden arches and a coffee to perk me up. Back on the road.

For those that haven’t made the drive through Oregon , it seems like every other mile is there’s e ither an adult movie store, a strip club, or a n aggressively religious billboard telling you to repent. Huh.

55mph speed limits are awful, and 50mph speed limits are even worse. I already missed California.

Grant’s pass was pretty rough, mostly because of how dark it was coupled with my increasingly tired brain and eyes. Made it through though. Drove through Portland and ended up stopping in a small town just south of Washington’s capital for the next break. Again, mentally exhausted. Physically however, just fine. I don’t know what demonic contract Volvo interior designers entered into, and I don’t care. Those seats are phenomenal .

Got home around 2:00am, and somehow didn’t see a single cop on the entire drive. The V70 didn’t miss a beat. It was supremely comfortable, and quite fast. The turbo is very linear, with a nice flat curve. Nothing like the massive lag followed by the bag-of-bricks-to-the-face style of the 850. The tires thankfully handled rain with aplomb, and the noise-levels were quite a bit lower than my 850.

While I sincerely hope to never drive that far in a single day again, I can say that I probably had one of the b est possible cars to do it in.

Okay, picture time! I’ll do an actual review at some point, but feel free to ask any questions! I’m the 3rd owner, and have a massive stack of receipts dating pack to the initial purchase. I definitely need to replace the timing belt soon, but other than that there aren’t any major issues I’ve noticed. Lots of small things, but that’s par for the course with one of these. Damn thing jus t effortlessly made it 900 miles through two passes, at high speeds, after hardly being driven for a over a year. I think that says a good amount. I nterior is in great shape, and minus the clear coat issues on the hood and roof, the exterior is quite nice as well.

Tristan, if you ever want to nerd out on wagon stuff I’m only short drive away! Beers on me!

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > AestheticsInMotion 02/03/2019 at 15:29

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Dang, other than the clearcoat that thing is minty fresh!

Sooooo what will become of the other wagon?

AestheticsInMotion > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 02/03/2019 at 15:32

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My goal with the 850 wagon is to install all the cool options that were available in Europe. I’m sourcing parts to finish the rear seat heaters, the sun shades that roll up from the door cards, wing, OEM rally-style fog lights...

The options catalog is over 300 pages, and while it's not in English, you can figure out most things. Once I get a good start on that, I want to turn up the boost. 

Mercedes Streeter > AestheticsInMotion 02/03/2019 at 15:41

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Yessss, embrace your inner avgeek!!

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > AestheticsInMotion 02/03/2019 at 15:43

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With all of that available seating you should start a very large family!

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > AestheticsInMotion 02/03/2019 at 15:44

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What's the progress on the moving out of your condo thing? Is that still on the table?

dogisbadob > AestheticsInMotion 02/03/2019 at 15:45

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cool car

Those t hird seats are awesome! Too bad the TourX doesn’t have them! But I think the E-class wagon still does

benjrblant > AestheticsInMotion 02/03/2019 at 16:04

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Stop hogging them all! I want one!

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > AestheticsInMotion 02/03/2019 at 16:09

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You so crazy

Sovande > AestheticsInMotion 02/03/2019 at 16:11

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Well that's fantastic. 

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > AestheticsInMotion 02/03/2019 at 16:12

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Very cool! Keeping both Vo lvos?

AestheticsInMotion > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 02/03/2019 at 16:25

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Yes, but no huge rush. In a perfect world I'd find a friend with a decent job who wants to move into a nicer place, and is on business trips 75% of the time

Forrest > AestheticsInMotion 02/03/2019 at 16:26

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Glad to hear that you and the car made it home!

AestheticsInMotion > dogisbadob 02/03/2019 at 16:26

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I love jump seats so much. I think the Mercedes and Model S are the only new cars that offer them? 

AestheticsInMotion > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 02/03/2019 at 16:26

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Ehhhh. That sounds spendy

AestheticsInMotion > Mercedes Streeter 02/03/2019 at 16:27

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It’s happening!

Haha actually h alfway through the drive I thought to myself “next time I’ll have Miss Mercedes deliver and I’ll fly her back”

AestheticsInMotion > benjrblant 02/03/2019 at 16:28

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Correction. You NEED one  

AestheticsInMotion > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 02/03/2019 at 16:28

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Yes, no plans to sell anything at the moment

AestheticsInMotion > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 02/03/2019 at 16:29

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Once the Volvo bug bites... You can't cure the infection. You just have to live with it 

AestheticsInMotion > Sovande 02/03/2019 at 16:31

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I love it. Currently going through the boxes of extra parts

MM54 > AestheticsInMotion 02/03/2019 at 16:31

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This is excellent Oppo

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > AestheticsInMotion 02/03/2019 at 16:34

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Why not an emotionally aloof sexy roommate with a great job that has a fear of commitment? Best of all worlds.

AestheticsInMotion > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 02/03/2019 at 16:36

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That one is also good. Where do I find one of those..? 

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > AestheticsInMotion 02/03/2019 at 16:36

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Don’t look at me; I married my roommate.

AestheticsInMotion > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 02/03/2019 at 16:38

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Does your wife know about this?!! 

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > AestheticsInMotion 02/03/2019 at 16:42

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Yes, she even attended the wedding

*badum tsst*

Tough crowd, tough crowd.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > AestheticsInMotion 02/03/2019 at 16:44

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Delta started flying the 175’s last year on lots of their shorter routes. I rather like them. Way better than the lawn dart and dash 8.

AestheticsInMotion > Forrest 02/03/2019 at 16:46

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Me too. Thanks again for making everything go so smoothly, next time I’m down there I’ll buy you lunch!

Oh and the radio code showed up, and you were right. The stereo sounds great! 

AestheticsInMotion > MM54 02/03/2019 at 16:46

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This did seem like the sort of thing Oppo would like

AestheticsInMotion > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 02/03/2019 at 16:49

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I wish I had been able to see the exterior of the plane.

I like them too. Even the basic e conomy seats had good legroom

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > AestheticsInMotion 02/03/2019 at 17:01

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Umm I can’t put a water bottle in the seat back and fit at the same time so leg room is a bit tight but the seats are comfortable for me. They look like a 2/3 size 737 from the outside to me.

Sovande > AestheticsInMotion 02/03/2019 at 17:25

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I almost bought a wagon this weekend too but it has a bad motor and I don't know if I want to get that deep into it. 1983 Chevy Caprice Wagon. Its cream over brown velour. Yours is way sexier. 

Tristan > AestheticsInMotion 02/03/2019 at 17:43

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As I was holed up in the house all weekend fighting off some form of crud with my face buried in school books, I’m glad you made a cannonball run past Portland- I would have been a disappointing host!

That sounds like it was an epic trip- stressful for sure, but memorable! I can’t wait to check out your wagons and there's a chance I could be coming to the BC Oppo meet.  I’m supremely jealous, though my Volkswagen is starting to slowly grow on me.

Tristan > AestheticsInMotion 02/03/2019 at 17:51

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Also, as someone who’s lived all over the country, Oregon has THE WORST drivers. They’re timid, dangerously slow, and completely oblivious to their surroundings. They ALL drive a minimum of 5 under the limit, and they view the left lane as just another place to putter along at half the speed of smell.

A great example of their oblivion: when you see another car driving in the rain or at dusk with the headlights, you give them a quick on/off flash or two. Most of the time, the other car’s lights pop on afterwards. In over 4 years of living in Oregon, not a single driver has turned their lights on when I flash.

facw > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 02/03/2019 at 18:12

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I like those the E-Jets, big enough to fit normal rollaboards, while the 2x2 cabin makes them feel a lot more spacious  than a 737 or A320.

benjrblant > AestheticsInMotion 02/03/2019 at 18:25

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Ugh, i know. I had a 960 turbo wagon in high school. Collectiv ely my immediate family has had probably 10 volvos, most of them wagons.

AestheticsInMotion > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 20:11

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I thought about saying something, but I didn’t make it to Portland until 10:30...

Oh and d on’t be too j ealous. I just went to start it and now it won’t turn over. I’ve got a bad battery cable that is hopefully the culprit, but if not... It’s sounding like a bad starter. Volvo life! 

Tristan > AestheticsInMotion 02/03/2019 at 20:20

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For the first time in weeks, I was in bed by 10:00! But that was because I felt like poo.

Dad life + student life + work life + homeowner life is why I bowed out of Volvo life for the time being. I think she just wants a nap after that epic journey... or it’s a bad battery cable. Probably the battery cable.

AestheticsInMotion > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 20:27

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As much as I would love for you to have a cool wagon right now, you clearly made the correct choice. Battery is reading 8.3 volts with the headlights on 

Eh. It’s snowing. Time for the Miata to get some attention. Volvo diagnostics can wait!

Tristan > AestheticsInMotion 02/03/2019 at 20:31

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It’s supposed to snow here tomorrow. I really hope it does because m y Jeep wants to go out for SNOWNUTS!!!!

DutchieDC2R > AestheticsInMotion 02/04/2019 at 03:37

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Congratz on the new car man!! That thing is looking mint. As far as options go for the 850, Nordicar is supposed to be the biggest Volvo specialist in Holland.

https://shop.nordicar.com/nl-nl/volvo-parts/

They have their own webshop, in English too! If you need any help sourcing parts for the 850, I’d gladly help. :)

RPM esq. > AestheticsInMotion 02/04/2019 at 16:33

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I do more or less this drive (Seattle to a point in the coastal range west of Sacramento, and then back ) every summer with my dogs in the car, often solo. It’s a long way. That Volvo would be just about the perfect vehicle to do it in, though--not that I’m complaining about doing it in the 4Runner.

AestheticsInMotion > RPM esq. 02/04/2019 at 16:51

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It really was a perfect rig. 14 hour drive and my body felt perfectly normal at the end of it. The old Outback seats started causing discomfort after an hour...

I may just copy you this summer. Hopefully with a little bit of 101 thrown in for good measure

AestheticsInMotion > Sovande 02/15/2019 at 20:07

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Do you have a reccomendation for oil weight for the turbo 850? Matthew’s Volvo site seems too have as many reccomendations as there are members.

After 10 days of sitting unused in 25-35° weather I’ve got noticeable lifter tick and it’s driving me crazy.

CompactLuxuryFan > AestheticsInMotion 02/16/2019 at 02:18

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I totally missed this post! Was confused when you were talking about your “new V70". Congrats! Is it FWD?

Also, it sounds like you flew to San Jose, not San Francisco ;)

AestheticsInMotion > CompactLuxuryFan 02/16/2019 at 02:37

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I regret not at least driving through San Francisco, but I reaaaaally wanted to get home!

Yep, it's FWD. And probably the best commuter/roadtrip car I've ever driven. Plenty of power on tap, incredible seats, ALL of the cargo capacity... Definitely worth the trip! 

Sovande > AestheticsInMotion 02/16/2019 at 06:14

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I ran Rotella T6 5w40 in my V70's. It’s easy to find it cheap and it seemed to stay in the motor. I never had any luck with Mobil 1. 

CompactLuxuryFan > AestheticsInMotion 02/16/2019 at 13:24

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Don’t blame you, that drive back sounds awful. Is this that trip you were talking about? So much for trying the restaurants! You should look into a cheapo midway point hotel next time! I’m sure there were plenty of cancellations with this weather.

You now have two very similar vehicles it seems  I sense sophie’s choice coming up for you...