My new Volvo. '97 S70 2.0Turbo, manual, LPG.

"Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'" (otto-the-croatian)
09/02/2020 at 14:43 • Filed to: tack volvo, car-buying

Heyoooo. Here it is. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , following absolutely everyone’s advice - even outside Oppo. It just seemed like the right thing to do.

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The car immediately feels more powerful thant the NA wagon, even around a parking lot. Everything seems normal until you hit around 3K RPM. Then you hear the whoosh.

At around 4K - even though you have your foot at the same amount of gas - it just picks up and accelerates like crazy. If this is a somewhat more restrained turbo (internet says so - it might even be a low pressure turbo, although I’m not sure) - I daren’t imagine what the 80s crazy turbo setups were like. Can you tell it’s my first turbo car? Or is this just normal and I was unaware of this? I thought only the crazy 80s stuff and like twin-turbo Supras (or whatever tuner thing you like) felt like this. I mean I’ve driven new rental cars, 4-cyl 2.0 turbos in Hyundais and random Ford Fiestas and other bullshit - but none of them were like this. Most of them had pretty linear acceleration and weren’t close to this fast.

Maybe I’m still under strong impression of it so I might be exaggerating, especially combined with my lack of experience. But this thing is dangerous man, I just want to hear more of the whooosh - and who thought letting go of the gas could be fun as well! Then you get the khsssssh . This car is a lovely combination of whoosh -es and khhsshh -es. I’ll have to get used to it since it makes me put my foot down and prick my ears up to hear it, then I look at the instruments and whoops, I’m at going-to-jail speeds. The overtaking 60-90km/h acceleration is fantastic. The gear-shifts feel nice and direct, altho the clutch is reaching it’s end soon.

The interior is a bit ratty - but still in much better shape than my wagon was. None of the infamous Volvo dash-rattle here. No other squeaks or rattles to mention. One hook of the cool privacy screen is broken + the driver’s seat leather is a bit torn. Maybe a few dings on the trim pieces. Other than that... it’s pretty dirty, but in good shape. It smells nice! It’s also BRRROOOOWWWN or I mean BEEEEIIIGEEE .

For now it seems to be more difficult to park than the longboi wagon - because I have no idea where the ass ends or begins. I’m sure I’ll get used to it tho. I kept the steering wheel (fresh leather on it) and the original radio from the wagon.

So anyway, these are just my first impressions. My temporary plates have run out (3 days for the testing). I will do a detailed Oppo-review once I get it registered again. I have to first fit a new rear+front bumper and trunk-hatch. I got those in good condition with the car - but they are from a silver one, so will need a repaint.

Cheers, and thanks for your advice folks!
Lov e from Croatia.

DISCUSSION (21)

Just Jeepin' > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
09/02/2020 at 15:13

Congrats!

If I changed vehicles more often than every 8 years, I’d absolutely buy some tall orange cones and use them in an empty parking lot to figure out where the new vehicle begins and ends. Even after 6 years I struggle a bit interpreting what my mirror is showing me about where the back of my Jeep is.

GoodIdeaAtTheTime > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
09/02/2020 at 15:16

The manual gearboxes really wake these cars up. My old 850 turbo wagon was a riot after the 6 speed swap .

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
09/02/2020 at 15:40

Is it that Volvo dark green or black? I really can’t tell.

That car appears to be in much better condition than your wagon. That’s a good trade even if you give up the long roof. I actually like the brown and beige interior. You’ve got two whole shades of it to appreciate!

subexpression > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
09/02/2020 at 15:42

I think most current turbocharged engines are set up to be more comfortable/consistent for regular street driving, reduce the feel of turbo lag, and favor efficiency over power . I’ve heard similar comments about other mainstream 80s/90s turbocharged cars, they hit the magic engine speed and suddenly take off .

Mark - Sixpots None The Richer > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
09/02/2020 at 16:26

Awesome purchase! Enjoy it! :-)

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
09/02/2020 at 16:43

Nice!

jminer > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
09/02/2020 at 16:53

While I never owned one of them my understanding of what you’re experiencing of a 90's turbo car is. Lag that’s a bit at or under a NA car then BAM EVERYTHING TOOO THE MOOOOOOON!

My father had an S6 0 that was a few years newer than this and it still had that lag then boost that came on all at once and it was hoot to drive.

Nice looking purchase - have fun with the car!

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
09/02/2020 at 17:03

Gb Rl Ea Ec Nk

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
09/02/2020 at 18:14

Exactly, multiple beiges. It’s dark green, here are a few pics from a previous ad...

Kinja'd!!!

I’ll take better pics on a brighter day.

Just Jeepin' > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
09/02/2020 at 18:15

That is a fantastic color.

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > jminer
09/02/2020 at 18:16

Thank you! To the moon it goes, for sure!

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > GoodIdeaAtTheTime
09/02/2020 at 18:18

Yeah I really enjoy the gearbox. Such a step up after the Twingo, which was like stirring a pot of soup. Sometimes I hear a bit of a click when getting a gear, like I imagine a gated old Ferrari shifter would sound.

Imagination is a powerful thing I guess.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
09/02/2020 at 20:07

Congrats, not bad at all! What’s up with the rear bumper cover?

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
09/02/2020 at 23:54

What’s wrong with the trunk lid? I don’t see anything in these photos. I hope you keep the green because it’s such a great color for those cars.

What are your future plans for it? Repair the bodywork and just drive?

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
09/03/2020 at 03:17

Yep I’ll keep it the same green! The car was hit in the backside when parked, the previous owner had the metal in the rear straightened back to original condition, but the trunk lid is still slightly bent towards the inside, and it doesn’t fit correctly to the right rear side. Hard to see in the photos and it really is a minor thing - but hey since the car is in such good condition to begin with - it’s worth dealing with even the minor gripes.

My plan was to fix it up, clean it and bring it as close to factory condition as I can and then sell it, keep some money on the side and get something else with the rest, like maybe an older Honda Civic EF or a CRX if I can find one, or maybe even go older - with the money made from this I could get a near-perfect Renault 4.

However, I really love the way this drives, so I will keep it a bit longer. Who knows, maybe I fall in love with it and keep it longer, we’ll see.

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > subexpression
09/03/2020 at 03:20

Yeah the take -off part is really an experience, I urge you to try something like this out if you get the chance.

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
09/03/2020 at 03:21

Eeh, this bumper will be replaced as it was hit, the metal beam under it is all bent and the attachment points are broken. I just have this blue strap on to help hold it, just in case, since I was driving it on the highway. I have a new one to fit, along with the metal underneath.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
09/03/2020 at 08:30

H opefully the body that metal bar mounts to isn’t bent...?

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
09/03/2020 at 08:42

I think it was, but the guy I got the car from had it straightened out by a professional bodyshop. We’ll find out once I test fit the new bootlid.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
09/03/2020 at 09:19

*turbo whoosy noise beckons to you*

I think you’ll end up keeping the Volvo for longer than you think unless someone offers you a killer trade. From what I gather it is the sort of thing that gets attention in Croatia.

Those Ford era Volvo engines were fantastic and decently reliable. The only problem was the Ford build quality. Over here almost all of them were saddled with a meh slushbox that didn’t let the engine really get a workout. The manual must make all the difference in this case.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
09/03/2020 at 11:58

Here’s hoping all goes well! :)