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Wagons Volvo V70 Volvo V70 Wagon Experience
1827 messages, Last post on Sep 24, 2009 at 12:33 PM
You are in the Volvo V70 Forum. Your Host is kcram
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What does buying another new Volvo and a second marriage have in common? The triump of hope over experience. With the new 2008 Model Year changes, the new V70/XC70 looks attractive. Wouldn't it be slick to pick up a new one to replace our '01 and ride the new one out for the full model cycle as we did the '01? We had our XC70 now for the full run of the model cycle and stylistically had a "new car" for 7 years. Conceivably, my thinking went, if we buy an '08 this fall we could get 7 years out of that one too. (The only flaw in that argument might be that in 2015 when I am 70 I may not want to be faced with replacing a 7 year old car. But then again, if 40 is the new 30, 70 is the new 50 and I'll have a lot of miles left on my chassis.) I then remembered the problems with our '01. Problems chalked up by everyone as typical of all first year cars. But, oh well, that's a long time ago, surely Volvo/Ford have learned how to better test prototypes with computer modeling/CAD-CAM, etc. Maybe not. Recently, I had heard about the Ford 6.0 Powerstroke Diesel. It was brand new a couple of years ago and was so bad that web sites sprung up labelling it the "power joke". You couldn't keep head gaskets on it because it only had 12 head bolts to clamp each head on. Ford said that the heads could not be resufaced or even rebuilt. The diesel pickup people were irate. Ford had to rush through a revised 6.4 engine with radically different heads. Maybe non-destructive testing at Ford hasn't advanced as much as we would have hoped? |
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I finally had a free day to install my new bike rack - thought I'd share my experience. Background - I wanted a bike rack that could carry 4 bikes (our entire family). I tried a trunk mount/strap supported rack but quickly discovered that the edge of the top of the rear hatch (that supports most of the weight of the loaded rack) is made of plastic. I decided to get a trailer hitch mounted bike rack and started researching my options. 1. I found several aftermarket hitch receivers from companies like Draw-Tight, Hidden Hitch, etc. but they were only available in 1.25" receiver. The advantage is they only cost about $130 and they are simple to install - they bolt underneath the bumper in about 15 minutes with no cutting or drilling. The disadvantage is the small receiver size means the rack isn't as stable - many racks for this receiver have straps for added support. 2. The only 2" hitch receiver is the factory Volvo part. My local dealer wanted $285 for the part. The advantage is the 2" bike racks are much more stable (no support straps needed), and the Volvo receiver is custom made for the V70 (factory look and tidier installation). The disadvantage is the need to remove and trim the bumper and maybe 2 hours of labor. Ultimately I decided to do the right thing and get the 2" factory receiver hitch and a 2" bike rack. I found an online parts supplier that sold me the Volvo receiver hitch for $203 and ordered it on the spot. Then I called my local dealer to see about installation. I figured a couple hours at $75/hr and I'd be set. WRONG! I was quoted $450 labor to install the receiver hitch. I decided to do it myself. I must admit that I was nervous about this job. There are rivets in the wheel well that need to be drilled out, and I was afraid of permanently damaging the trim and bumper. After almost surrendering and calling a couple body shops for estimates. I finally bit the bullet and tackled the job in my driveway. It turned out to not be a very complicated or difficult job - the toughest part was pulling the bumper off because of all the rivets, screws and hidden retaining clips. It took me 3 hours from start to finish and I am pleased with the results. I'm glad I chose the 2" hitch receiver - it's a lot bigger and stronger than those 1.25" bolt-under units, and I think it looks a lot better too. The worst part of the experience was having the car up in the air like that and the wheels removed, and not having new rear brake pads on hand. My rear pads are ready for replacement but I haven't ordered them yet.     
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Replying to: fedlawman (Aug 26, 2007 7:54 am) When I bought the hitch I assumed that the installation was like the aftermarket ones, but the dealer informed me that it was much more involved. I didn't need the hitch right away so I took it home and thought about it. I was surprised that the hitch was in three main pieces that bolt together, rather than a single welded piece that I expected, and I hypothesized that possibly the Volvo engineers did this to allow the hitch to be installed without removing the bumper facia. However, it just turned out that removal of the facia was easier if one had the right tools and expertise, which I was lacking. My procedure was to first, cut the slot in the facia that the hitch protrudes from (electric saber saw), and then I wiggled the individual pieces of the hitch behind the bumper facia and connected them in place. In order to do this I had to cut into the facia on the underside lower edges (circular holes to access the nuts and then cuts to allow the facia to be pulled down, and I cut a circular 1 1/2" hole in the vertical face of the facia on the left, to wrench on the left bolt head. I have a black plug in that hole and it looks fine. The right side bolt head is accessed through the rectangular pop-out. One could get an additional pop out and cut a rectangular hole in the left side just like the one on the right. I intended to use pop rivets to rejoin the cut edges in the underside of the facia using sheet aluminum or scraps of facia, but I never got around to it. I am leaving the circular holes open so I could check the tightness of the two main bolts if I ever wanted to. I thought I had located a source of an aftermarket hitch for the 04 V70 with a 2" square receiver, but I don't remember now. I agree that an 1 1/4" receiver would not be as useful. We now have an 07 XC90 and I am going to put on, or have installed, an aftermarket hitch (probably Reece), because the XC90 Volvo hitch installation is considerably more involved than that for the V70--about 5 hours of labor! The Reece instructions give 1/2 hr of labor time! The only disadvantage for the Reece is that one would need a removable about 8" extension to allow the lower tailgate to clear the vertical member of a bike rack, but those are available for $50 or so. It wouldn't be needed for towing a trailer. |
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Replying to: fedlawman (Aug 26, 2007 7:54 am)
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Replying to: caliberchic (Aug 27, 2007 5:24 pm) http://www.carspace.com/guides/Volvo-V70-Receiver-Hitch-Installation
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Replying to: fedlawman (Sep 11, 2007 11:49 am) |
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Replying to: christopher8 (Feb 15, 2000 4:26 am)  die !!!
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73 Challenger body only in good shape, could I throw in the factory 340 engine to make the offer sweet it also has a factory 4 speed console |
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Can I find a 2000, 2001 or 2002 Desiel V70 without having to drive from the right ?
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Replying to: milo13 (Sep 22, 2007 6:08 am) |
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