Trading the Volvo for a Volvo...

"Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'" (otto-the-croatian)
08/21/2020 at 03:59 • Filed to: trading, Car Buying

I got an offer to trade my Volvo V70 for a same year S70.

So I have this V70 wagon which has cost me a pretty penny to get fixed up a bit, and I still have problems with it. I expect multiple thousand kunas of expenses in the coming months. A guy I know who deals with these P80 Volvos offered me an unregistered S70 2.0 Turbo (pictured) for my NA wagon, beacuse he is looking for a wagon body for a project.

Here are the stats:

My V70 wagon
530.000 kilometers (350.000 miles) on the clock
Timing belt LOOKS ok but I don’t know when it was changed.
AC works sometimes
Brakes are shit, the discs and pads need changing
Vacuum leak God knows where (the diagrams are useless since it has a botched LPG conversion job)
Rear shocks are shot
Exhaust leak. Sounds nice but will have to get fixed before registering next year
Leaks
But... It’s cool and I love it.
Worth when fixed up: 12.000 kuna
Total invested by me SO FAR: 14.000 kuna :/

Offered S70 sedan
330.000 kilometers (200.000 miles) on the clock
Timing belt, water pump and fluids changed recently
AC works perfectly
LPG works perfectly
Brakes are perfect, front ones are upgraded to slotted thingys
New Sachs shocks all corners
Dinged front and rear bumper, bad trunk door. He has all the parts needed to fix them, I just have to mount them and spray paint them. I have a guy for the painting.
Worth when fixed up: 20.000 kn
Investment needed: 3.500 kn for the registration process.
But... It’s ugly. I just don’t like it.

The turbo is a rare car here. All P80 Volvos are pretty rare, and the turbos can fetch a nice price and go quickly. So I think the sedan is a better deal for me - I have a chance to get my money back. I doubt there’s any serious problems with the sedan, even though I only drove it around on a parking lot (because no plates on it). I trust the guy, I have known him for a while now.

Why does he want to trade then? He just wants a wagon body. His logic is that after selling the sedan he will have to spend months looking for a wagon to pop up for sale (again, these cars are rare here). He could finish the restoration on the sedan, and maybe sell it and look for a wagon in Austria and Germany, but then he would have to go through a long import process, which he says he doesn’t want to deal with. He plans to rip apart the whole wagon and use just the chassis for another project. I think he found a BIFUEL model which he needs a new body for. Hence his ignoring the problems the wagon has.

If I end up hating the S70 - I will finish the bumpers and minor repairs and sell it. Then I will have some money to get something I like and probably have some cash left over.

A bittersweet deal, but I went with reason over heart.
Waddaya think Oppo?

P.S. Does anyone have experiences with the 2.0turbo? Is it noticeably faster than an NA or...?

DISCUSSION (16)

Cé hé sin > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
08/21/2020 at 05:07

I'd say go for it!

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
08/21/2020 at 05:20

i did not know there were people that wanted nonwagon volvos....lol :p

unless ofcourse its a 480

Kinja'd!!!

oh wait...that could just be my opinion

maybe

(edit) it does sound like hes offering you a pretty good deal tho

duurtlang > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
08/21/2020 at 06:28

I have no experience with these, but I’d go for the trade. Seems like a big step up from a condition point of view. The fact that it is a sedan is a bit odd and impractical, I forgot Volvo even made sedans at that time. I still see the wagons, but the sedan? A unicorn.

Anyway, do you need the extra functionality of the wagon? If not, go for the sedan. You are shopping in a price category where you will have to accept compromises.

How much does LPG cost per liter in Croatia? It might motivate me to go there for holiday ;)

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
08/21/2020 at 06:38

I agree with you to be honest lol

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > duurtlang
08/21/2020 at 06:51

Yeah, I keep forgetting these as well. Not a pretty backside I think. The wagon is much more handsome.

I actually used the wagon to it’s full potential quite a bit! And again, since this is a step-up, I could always sell the sedan, get my money back and invest it in a good condition wagon, or something else I fancy.

1L of LPG is around 3,5 or 4 kuna (0,5 EUR). I can really recommend the trip, lemme know if you go through Zagreb!

Jb boin > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
08/21/2020 at 06:51

Go for it, it will be easier in the future to exchange it with a better wagon or sell it for more and it will most probably cost you less in the meantime (and be saf er) .

And i love the green (the blue was also nice but green cars are rare these days) and might prefer the look of the sedan to the wagon...

duurtlang > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
08/21/2020 at 07:01

Almost h alf my colleagues actually work in Zagreb, and Zagreb is ‘only’ 560 km away. So I might just do that!

LPG price is similar here, at the cheap places.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
08/21/2020 at 07:56

As much as it stinks to get rid of the wagon, I think this is going to save you a lot of hassle and money in the long run. I'd take the turbo sedan, enjoy it for a little while, and then look to trade it for another wagon.

atfsgeoff > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
08/21/2020 at 08:26

Wo rth it for that lovely shade of green

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > Snuze: Needs another Swede
08/21/2020 at 10:30

I think that’s exactly what I’ll do!
I might go the opposite of the 2 ton wagon and get a nice, light, and very analog , nice-condition Honda EF Civic...

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
08/21/2020 at 10:40

As hard as it is to give up the longroof life, it doesn’t make sense to turn this trade down. It is in far better condition with lower miles, better body, and has more return on investment. I find it unlikely that you would hate it, especially with that delicious turbo 5 cylinder. I don’t know what LPG does to how it drives, but what I presume is almost the same engine in my mom’s XC90 is delightful (except for the fact that it is an a FWD car weighing 5000 lbs with big rolling resistance and huge body roll). It also would have been reliable if it weren’t so overstressed by the weight of the vehicle. I think the turbo alone is worth the trade.

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > duurtlang
08/21/2020 at 11:07

Very cool, we can have a small Oppomeet and a beer! Here’s hoping.

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
08/21/2020 at 11:46

I agree with you, that tends to be a concensus with all comments, and I have to be honest it’s a huge relief to know that - especially since I was so stressed out about the money and lack of mechanical knowledge - all this car business is a huge gamble for me. This will hopefully be a more stress-free car owning experience!

And yes, if the I5 is delightful in that big chonker, it should be happy in the S70!

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > Jb boin
08/21/2020 at 11:46

Yeah I like the green too! It works with the beige interior.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
08/21/2020 at 12:09

And the turbo on those is great. Old school enough to get a rush of boost but modern enough that the lag isn’t overwhelming.

Losing the longroof is a small price to pay for a nearly identical rare turbo I5 with G R E E N paint with intact clearcoat and much better overall condition. You’d be much less stressed about its problems with the sedan. I doubt you could find a better trade anywhere, not to mention the greater monetary value if by some off chance you don’t like it.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
08/21/2020 at 16:30

That would also be a fun car!