Considering a V70R, but this site is scaring me...

[raeste]

Hey Bigfieroman: it all sounds pretty good. And, it's great that your knowledge and experience base is already good and you can do many of the things yourself. So, we are looking fwd to the news!

Best wishes,

Blueleezard

[hntsmith]

Since Blueleezard brings up the idea "that every ‘R’ owner really ought to learn what are reasonable limits of the ‘R’ under difficult conditions", safely of course, I have had occasion to try a 4 wheel drift once in a while during the winter - even in Maryland. I have an 07 R. Thing is, I've noticed a grinding noise most likely from the angle gear when wheels are spinning, expecially when the back end breaks out. I'm guessing that's not a normal sound but I figured I'd get some confirmation from other R owners. It's especially apparent when the DTSC is off, which, of course, needs to be off for maximum fun. I don't hear anything during normal driving, even when pushing it on dry pavement.

So is there any "normal" noise from the angle gear when spinning the wheels?

Thanks

[Bigfieroman]

I am the proud new owner of a 2006 Sonic Blue V70R MT! Thank you all for the help. Photos and all that crap in a few weeks.

[raeste]

All: no noise of note from anywhere "down below" from our new-old 2004 V70R 6-speed in the aforementioned snow-based "stress tests", whether the DSTC is on or off. As I said, if I really push it in the corners (safely), I can hear (kind of like a light chatter) and feel in the steering the selectively-controlled and "microsecond" brake applications and traction changes from the FR or FL, depending on which way I am turning. Haven't had the rear end break loose since I last commented on that type of event because I haven't gone that far again. But I can tell also that these applications are really happening (e.g., it's not my imagination, and what is going on is definitely a computer-mediated braking control function that is designed to minimize lack of traction when the going gets rough -- and believe me, it works, and works perfectly).

Other than that, nothing -- especially, no noises whatsoever along the lines of what hntsmith is describing as "grinding". And, BTW, with my daily commute of ~40KM (30 miles) each way, I get lots of opportunity for losing it. The roads are downright bad right now, and the traffic is terrible (I can hardly wait for Spring!). Every day, to the city and back again, I see lots of other drivers going too fast for the conditions and "driving" their cocoon Calibers or F350s and whatnot, slipping and spinning and sliding sideways while they snooze, bouncing off curbs and going where they really don't want to go (sorry about the awful alliteration, but it just came flowing out of the keyboard, as if by magic!).

Hey, it's -25C right now with light snow, and we have a really nasty East wind ... the roads are as slick as snot, and frozen solid ... what can I say? Good conditions for testing the capabilities of the 'R', that's for sure. Just stay out of the way of the other guys who don't know why they are not going in the direction they thought they were.

Anyway, never a problem with our '04 'R' to date whether commuting or being "flung" in corners in our snow-ridden complex, and I can't say too many good things about those studded Hakkapeliittas which you have to drive to love, and you end up loving to drive. Very highly recommended.

Best of luck to hntsmith with diagnosing the grind -- I hope this doesn't indicate impending disaster.

Cheers / Blueleezard

I am the proud new owner of a 2006 Sonic Blue V70R MT! Thank you all for the help. Photos and all that crap in a few weeks.

Hey, Bigfieroman -- C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S!! You gave your notice while I was writing my last post and they crossed in the ether ... anyway, now, we all get to say: "Good on ya!"

We are all looking fwd to hearing your reports!!

Best wishes for a fantastic 'R' experience!!

Cheers / Blueleezard

[flyfishing31568908306]

I am the proud new owner of a 2006 Sonic Blue V70R MT! Thank you all for the help. Photos and all that crap in a few weeks.

congrats. what color int?

if its ATA. thats a pretty rare car.

[pilgrim1568908314]

Since Blueleezard brings up the idea "that every ‘R’ owner really ought to learn what are reasonable limits of the ‘R’ under difficult conditions", safely of course, I have had occasion to try a 4 wheel drift once in a while during the winter - even in Maryland. I have an 07 R. Thing is, I've noticed a grinding noise most likely from the angle gear when wheels are spinning, expecially when the back end breaks out. I'm guessing that's not a normal sound but I figured I'd get some confirmation from other R owners. It's especially apparent when the DTSC is off, which, of course, needs to be off for maximum fun. I don't hear anything during normal driving, even when pushing it on dry pavement.

So is there any "normal" noise from the angle gear when spinning the wheels?

Thanks

The grinding noise you hear is your transfer case AKA angle packing up.

I know this because my car is currently at the dealer getting the angle gear replaced under warranty.

The reason your back end breaks out is that there is no drive to the rear wheels.

[puppyscent]

I am the proud new owner of a 2006 Sonic Blue V70R MT! Thank you all for the help. Photos and all that crap in a few weeks.

Congratulations!

I spoke with the (now previous) owner yesterday and was impressed and excited enough about this R that I proceeded to work on persuading my wife to love Sonic Blue. Meanwhile....

So, in a matter of a few days, two Sonic Blue Rs have been sold within a reachable distance from me (in Chicagoland) -- the other being YV1SJ527362556940 which I think was sold the day it was listed on AutoTrader for probably under $15K.

fwiw, I've also been hesitant to dive in to an R based on what I've read here. I'm likely less competent mechanically than you, but I suppose that I've become less tolerant of complexity that I must care and feed and pay for (and dread, I suppose) when things go awry. I do suspect, however, that my tolerance for same would be strengthened when what I'd be caring for is so brilliant and grin-inducing.

While smaller and yes, different, the Legacy GT Wagon 5spd (another unicorn) is still on my short list.

Again, congratulations!

[Bigfieroman]

The car is Nordkap interior. I think I would prefer Atacama, but I could not find one. Do the other interior colors wear better than Nordkap, because mine is creased and looks pretty old. It was the biggest "negative" to the car, but it seems like the leather on most of these cars doesn't wear well.

I used that other car listed on auto trader to talk down my guy. I really doubt it was in as good of shape as this car. This car was pretty much flawless and I knew it was well cared for. It also had a full service history, and that other car dealer looked a little...iffy. I assumed there were some problems with it for the dealership to list it below BB/NADA value.

I like the idea of those Legacy wagons, but they are at least as rare, smaller, less luxurious, get about the same mileage (SLIGHTLY better), slower, and lack most of the V70R features. Also, since they kept their value more than the Volvo, they are really not much less expensive than a decent R.

[raeste]

Bigfireroman et al: As stated earlier I think Atacama seems to have different properties than Nordkap -- thicker, more durable? Sure seems that way. Anyway, my advice as previously stated: just treat the living daylights out of it on a regular basis, really work it in, especially at the beginning of your ownership -- it won't come back to "new" but I'll bet it will improve considerably, and you'll be happier. The wife will probably like it better, too. The Atacama in our 2004 manual is very good indeed and is on the treatment routine now. It certainly is excellent quality leather, and I'm comparing to previous vehicles with various colours of leather: a 1978 245S (dark red), 1993 All-Trac (light blue), 1996 4Runner Limited (cream), and our Passion Red 1998 S70 T5 SE (black) now in our neighbour's garage awaiting sale. All of these vehicles have served well in previous eras. Of all four, I used to think the 1998 Volvo leather was the best, and the 1978 Volvo came in 2nd. That was until the the arrival of our 2004 'R' with Atacama . It now occupies the #1 position in comparison. Note that the top three over a 30+ year period are Volvos. The Toyotas' leather quality was good, but not outstanding. Fortunately, as I've said earlier, our current 2004 'R' was very well cared for in every respect by the pervious owner, so the leather shows very little wear even after 7 years of regular use.

The silver paint on our 'R' is also extremely good quality and very appealing to the eye. Plus, I guess in terms of being a true "sleeper", the silver is better than the Sonic blue. However, just in terms of aesthetics, I admit to preferring the Sonic as first choice, and Passion Red as second. Too bad those choices weren't available at the time when the silver 'R' appeared. Without paying super-close attention, I've only see three Sonics on the market here in the past three years. None of them had Atacama, only one was a manual (at least as I recall), and two were at the local dealer so the asks were exceptionally high. Nauseatingly so, in fact. I admit to going over to have a look at one of them but I hate it when you arrive and the "vulture vendors" run out of the showroom mere seconds after you show up, and you know their ask is ridiculous to begin with. The dealer 'R's did move after a while, but I wonder if they weren't sent to bigger markets elsewhere in the country as I have not regularly seen a Sonic in the neighbourhood for some time now.

The Passion Red '07 manual originally from Calgary, then Kelowna, and then re-sold last Fall here in Calgary went to our colleague in Toronto. I reported testing that vehicle and will still freely admit to coming very close to a purchase. Eye-wise, that was truly a superb car, but again with Nordkap. I took that as not quite so desirable. Hunting Ridge Motors in NY had what appeared to be an absolutely pristine 2004 manual with +++quality Atacama and only 17,000 miles (27,200KM) that was featured as being available in late 2009 -- and from what I saw, it went fast. I paid close attention to that one because I regularly go to Westchester County on business; but unfortunately, the timing just didn't work out. And I really didn't want to bother with the US-spec gauges and controls -- not that it really would have mattered much. No matter what, I suspect it would have been a very good acquisition, especially with the low miles.

At any rate, to Bigfieroman: it's a very good thing that you now have your Sonic 'R'. Please keep up updated as you go through the first phases your 'R' ownership!

Best wishes,

Blueleezard

[hntsmith]

The grinding noise you hear is your transfer case AKA angle packing up.

I know this because my car is currently at the dealer getting the angle gear replaced under warranty.

The reason your back end breaks out is that there is no drive to the rear wheels.

pilgrim - so what did you have to do to convince the dealer the angle gear was bad?

Is there some way to diagnose it other than trying a drift on snow covered road?

[puppyscent]

I used that other car listed on auto trader to talk down my guy. I really doubt it was in as good of shape as this car. This car was pretty much flawless and I knew it was well cared for. It also had a full service history, and that other car dealer looked a little...iffy. I assumed there were some problems with it for the dealership to list it below BB/NADA value.

I agree completely. The KY car seemed to be a no-brainer in comparison. My guess is that the (very quick) buyer knew what s/he was getting into.

I like the idea of those Legacy wagons, but they are at least as rare, smaller, less luxurious, get about the same mileage (SLIGHTLY better), slower, and lack most of the V70R features. Also, since they kept their value more than the Volvo, they are really not much less expensive than a decent R.

I may place greater value on the benefits of the Legacy's smaller size than do you. I'm also a boxer fan and love the mod potential of the 2.5L (which with relatively little effort can match the V70R's stock output). Even so, the greater space offered by the V70R is very appealing for toting family + dog (at speed or not). The price differential is small when one considers the purchase price but I suspect grows when one considers maintenance, repair, and modification expenses.

Regardless, both remain on my list. What I choose could likely come down to getting the best car at the best time. Fortunately, I can afford to be patient.

[JRL]

The car is Nordkap interior. I think I would prefer Atacama, but I could not find one.

No Sh*T!

They made about 8-10 V70R Sonicamas in 2006, the odds of finding one used... and in good shape... would be like finding a used Bugatti Veryon with low miles $500K!

The classic needle in the haystack (heck that would be easier to find than a Sonicaman VR)!

[raeste]

I really like what JRL said. Generated some thoughts ...

So, this would make for a great contest. Find the P2 'R' Sonic with Atacama and manual -- no matter where it is.

Conditions of the contest would be: it really and truly has to be for sale, and the person who is looking and aiming to buy is totally serious about finding what they want.

The prime sponsor of the prize could be .. who? Let's see ... well, it's a no-brainer that Volvo should support the search somehow. There's a lot in it for them as the "prime". The brand marketing strength and their opportunities for involvement and broad market penetration would be pretty good, i would think.

Nothing like pitching "prime" brand penetration and a "meme success" -- especially if the 2012+ V70R, maybe with the 6-cylinder -- not one of those ersatz 'R' things -- is out there somewhere in the development cycle. Maybe a V-8?? Sonic + Atacama, and more??? We can dream.

Then, of course, any of the mod firms who have made the P2 what it should be, and enjoyed by many, should benefit from the "meme" penetration.

There might only be a small number of these original P2 units left out in the real world -- and we need to ask: how many of those have the ECU, sway bar, and air-handling upgrades, etc.??

And what about the prize? Well -- how about Volvo puts one of their Sonic P2 V70R Atacama manuals that they have in deep storage into the Smithsonian?

And, the one that is actually found out in the real world is purchased, by Volvo, as the prize for the person who actually finds it?

Or, the other way around ...

It must be out there somewhere ... lots of fun to contemplate ...

Cheers to all / Blueleezard

[pilgrim1568908314]

pilgrim - so what did you have to do to convince the dealer the angle gear was bad?

Is there some way to diagnose it other than trying a drift on snow covered road?

No convincing involved, actually. The rear wheels were not turning when they should have been.

On clear dry roads, it is difficult to tell if the AWD has failed, but on slick surfaces, the grinding noises are a give away that all is not well. That and an obvious lack of traction, even with excellent tires.

There is a way to diagnose this for sure and that is to put the car up on a hoist and turn the front wheels by hand.

If the rears do not turn, then the AWD is non-functional and requires further investigation. I was hoping it was just a pressure switch but it wasn't.

I have the extended warranty so I'm not saddled with a multi-thousand dollar repair.

I tried to be proactive by checking the fluid levels often, but the angle gear failed anyway.

[Bigfieroman]

Looks like my hunch on the other car was right. Here is the horror story:

http://forums.swedespeed,com/showthread.php?150726-So-far-no-R&p=1627701#post1627701

I feel really bad, he got screwed and I got the good one by simple chance!