Latest auction win: Volvo S60 T-5 Manual

[14Accent]

I needed another car like a hole in the head, yet here we are. My winning bid was $775, little over $1,300 with fees. 103k miles, dealer serviced it's whole life. I can see writing on the timing cover indicating the t-belt was done 30k miles ago, which was a huge selling point. There's a European junkyard full of Volvo's about 45 minutes from me, I should be able to score a bumper, fender and headlight for less than $200. From what I've been able to find, there were less than 300 manual T-5's imported in 2001, so this is a very rare bird.

Not sure if this will be a keep or a flip, but I should be able to double my money on it even with a salvage title. I'm not sure how long delivery will take, being a holiday, but I'm in absolutely no rush for it. Merry Christmas to me, I guess!

 

[cheech279]

Funny, it sure doesn't look like a manual shifter. Good luck with the car.

 

[JavierH19]

That's really good for 1,300 if it runs and drives good with a recently replaced belt and a bit of meaningless body damage. It being a manual it might not sell that well. Most want an automatic. Maybe keep it and just get minimum coverage since it's an old salvage title.

 

[JavierH19]

Funny, it sure doesn't look like a manual shifter. Good luck with the car.

Yeah they did dress it up a little. The auto is a straight up and down stick. This one has the pattern on the top left.

 

[GSCJR]

@14Accent, wait until @Astro14 finds out! Hope this goes well for you.

Do you still have the Buick? I can hardly keep track of what I'm driving these days.

 

[14Accent]

@14Accent, wait until @Astro14 finds out! Hope this goes well for you.

Do you still have the Buick? I can hardly keep track of what I'm driving these days.

I don't, the current fleet is our '02 Grand Cherokee, a '06 Kia Spectra that I'm currently driving as it has the snow tires and rust already, my '95 Cadillac Seville (an even cheaper Copart find), and my '79 DeVille that will be for sale this spring.

The wife can't drive a manual, so this would be a "me" only car. I can't bring myself to sell any of our DD's, as they all have a purpose and are all under 100k miles (save for the Jeep).

 

[GSCJR]

@14Accent, getting these cheap (but safe) rides is a rush!

 

[Oillover]

That thing is practically an antique (rare one at that).
IIRC, the engines in these are more stout/reliable than the one offered in the S60/V70R.
Good Luck!

 

[andrew_j]

Cool car. Curious as a flip if manual repels or attracts buyers.

 

[Kira]

if manual repels or attracts buyers.

Repels some, attracts others.
I once called a guy in NH who was selling a manual V/XC-70.
He repeatedly mentioned that it was manual and told me the message still doesn't get through to many.
He said they'll show up and say they can't drive manual.

If a different look for the shifter is desired, "the Spaceball" shifter is available for that family of vehicles.
Stories of them popped up often so it's apparently a veery doable mod.
You have the 2.3 liter 5-cyl. upped to "T5 status", which I think is ~240hp?

Ha-ha, as always, job #1 with that car is physically examine both rear parking brake mechanisms.
You're checking for delaminated shoes with bits of friction material free to fling about. Replace with Volvo only.

Also give the headlamp sockets a look as Volvo used inexcusably thin plastic which crumbles away.
I've replaced a few. NAPA #787143 for the H11 bulb.
Perhaps you have the Zenon option?

Also, soldered joints are said to cause the common instrument cluster -DIM- failures.
The blue "high beam" indicator would fail to light in my 2002. The failure didn't deepen.
However, the one in the 2007 went completely nuts; every LED, gauge and the entire message screen flashed frantically.
The company I found is actually having a special, $300 offer on these particular 2001-2008 DIM repair. 1 year warranty.

Because I just used them, reinstalling my repaired DIM -same as yours sans any boost meter- yesterday, I proffer the name of the electronics repair shop.
The entire turn-around was 2 weeks.
Up Fix
4991 B U Bowman Dr.,
Ste. 100,
Buford, GA 30518
ph. (888) 979-9343

Best of luck with that cool car.
It's not necessarily an AWD, yes?

 

[meep]

My favorite sedan EVER. This is the second one of these in a manual that BITOG has scored in about a week. I’ve had three of these in autos and pretty much gave up on finding it in a manual.

Check the PCV system and move to synthetic oil.

There aren’t many EGR and vacuum hoses in this car, but the ones that are there will be tired.

There is an electric vacuum pump and possibly a few interesting bits that build vacuum for the brakes. If you have a stiff pedal at cold start then the electric switch/valve that triggers the pump is worn. All easy to get to, just be aware that it’s there. Really, i e found these cars dont need much once you work the kinks out.

You need a scanner that can reset the airbag system errors. Take the wrong post off the battery first, it sets an error. Disconnect the HVAC controls and it sets an airbag error. Spit on the wrong side of the sidewalk and it sets an error.

Remarkably quiet car for the time. Great ride. Best seats ever. Clever programming for HVAC, afterblow. Also, the vehicle is sensitive to ambient air temp sensors, which are in the mirror or mirrors one or both. A bad air temp sensor will mess with the HVAC. The cars are quite integrated. A diy person can have a very nice vehicle in one of these. A lot of folks let one or two things deteriorate, give up on them, and sell them. Fix the little things as they come up and they are really nice!

The one I had with the smaller rim size rode the best and still handled extremely well.

 

[14Accent]

Repels some, attracts others.
I once called a guy in NH who was selling a manual V/XC-70.
He repeatedly mentioned that it was manual and told me the message still doesn't get through to many.
He said they'll show up and say they can't drive manual.

If a different look for the shifter is desired, "the Spaceball" shifter is available for that family of vehicles.
Stories of them popped up often so it's apparently a veery doable mod.
You have the 2.3 liter 5-cyl. upped to "T5 status", which I think is ~240hp?

Ha-ha, as always, job #1 with that car is physically examine both rear parking brake mechanisms.
You're checking for delaminated shoes with bits of friction material free to fling about. Replace with Volvo only.

Also give the headlamp sockets a look as Volvo used inexcusably thin plastic which crumbles away.
I've replaced a few. NAPA #787143 for the H11 bulb.
Perhaps you have the Zenon option?

Also, soldered joints are said to cause the common instrument cluster -DIM- failures.
The blue "high beam" indicator would fail to light in my 2002. The failure didn't deepen.
However, the one in the 2007 went completely nuts; every LED, gauge and the entire message screen flashed frantically.
The company I found is actually having a special, $300 offer on these particular 2001-2008 DIM repair. 1 year warranty.

Because I just used them, reinstalling my repaired DIM -same as yours sans any boost meter- yesterday, I proffer the name of the electronics repair shop.
The entire turn-around was 2 weeks.
Up Fix
4991 B U Bowman Dr.,
Ste. 100,
Buford, GA 30518
ph. (888) 979-9343

Best of luck with that cool car.
It's not necessarily an AWD, yes?

Thanks for all the tips! This one is FWD, thankfully. I'll take the weight and complexity savings over a little extra traction.

My favorite sedan EVER. This is the second one of these in a manual that BITOG has scored in about a week. I’ve had three of these in autos and pretty much gave up on finding it in a manual.

Check the PCV system and move to synthetic oil.

There aren’t many EGR and vacuum hoses in this car, but the ones that are there will be tired.

There is an electric vacuum pump and possibly a few interesting bits that build vacuum for the brakes. If you have a stiff pedal at cold start then the electric switch/valve that triggers the pump is worn. All easy to get to, just be aware that it’s there. Really, i e found these cars dont need much once you work the kinks out.

You need a scanner that can reset the airbag system errors. Take the wrong post off the battery first, it sets an error. Disconnect the HVAC controls and it sets an airbag error. Spit on the wrong side of the sidewalk and it sets an error.

Remarkably quiet car for the time. Great ride. Best seats ever. Clever programming for HVAC, afterblow. Also, the vehicle is sensitive to ambient air temp sensors, which are in the mirror or mirrors one or both. A bad air temp sensor will mess with the HVAC. The cars are quite integrated. A diy person can have a very nice vehicle in one of these. A lot of folks let one or two things deteriorate, give up on them, and sell them. Fix the little things as they come up and they are really nice!

The one I had with the smaller rim size rode the best and still handled extremely well.

Appreciate all the tips! I've got two full-function scanners and tons of Volvo experience, I worked in an Indy shop for 15 years in a neighborhood full of European vehicles. Being a 2001, this model is slightly less complex both electronically and mechanically than the '04+ cars.

 

[Astro14]

@14Accent, wait until @Astro14 finds out! Hope this goes well for you.

Do you still have the Buick? I can hardly keep track of what I'm driving these days.

Totally jelly! Love that 6-speed!

 

[tbm5690]

Nice. I have fond memories of driving my Dad's '01 V70 T5 5-speed in high school...didn't know the S60 T5 was a 6 shooter...thought that was reserved for the R. These were sleepers in their day, especially at altitude vs NA motors.

 

[14Accent]

Nice. I have fond memories of driving my Dad's '01 V70 T5 5-speed in high school...didn't know the S60 T5 was a 6 shooter...thought that was reserved for the R. These were sleepers in their day, especially at altitude vs NA motors.

This one is a 5-speed, the 6-speed was reserved for the S/V60R and the '04+ S60 T-5, the latter of which are even more rare than my new '01.

 

[Astro14]

This one is a 5-speed, the 6-speed was reserved for the S/V60R and the '04+ S60 T-5, the latter of which are even more rare than my new '01.

Ah - my mistake! the T5 was available with a 5 speed and I had forgotten that since the shifters look so similar. I actually searched a long time for a V70 T5 manual - ended up getting a red V70 T5 automatic - love that car and my oldest is still driving it 10 years after I gave it to her. Had it been a 5 speed, I might just have kept it…

Scratched the itch with an R about 6 years after I gave away the T5.

 

[tbm5690]

This one is a 5-speed, the 6-speed was reserved for the S/V60R and the '04+ S60 T-5, the latter of which are even more rare than my new '01.

Makes sense...I saw your pic of the R-style silver shift boot and assumed. Now I am looking closer at the shift diagram next to it and see it is a 5 speed. The V70 T5 I drove was a leather boot.

 

[Cheetah-kins]

While it's true that most buyers won't want a manual trans, I bet you'll find people that are definitely interested in the car. Especially with it's rarity. Someone who wants something a bit different that is also manual will likely jump on the car quickly, imo.

 

[ecotourist]

Funny thing about manuals. Most people don't want one but the people who do want one will pay extra to get one.

I bought my Accord new. Same price for manual or auto. I bought the manual because I wanted a manual. It's probably worth more than an auto but I would have to find the right buyer. But then I plan to keep it so it doesn't matter.

 

[tbm5690]

Funny thing about manuals. Most people don't want one but the people who do want one will pay extra to get one.

I bought my Accord new. Same price for manual or auto. I bought the manual because I wanted a manual. It's probably worth more than an auto but I would have to find the right buyer. But then I plan to keep it so it doesn't matter.

The number of manuals available has decreased at a far greater rate than those who still would like one. I admit we're a dying crowd, just not at the same rate that automakers are killing the sticks. Therefore, demand could stay strong.