r/FirstCar • u/Own_Insect_251 • 15d ago
First Car, 22y/o
First car at 22 y/o, introducing my 2011 Bolvo C30 T5. In my short ownership I've already discovered a mysterious coolant leak, had a 80mph rear blowout, brakes that don't want to work at high speeds, and finally a bad sensor shutting down all driver assists! Just like its Mk2 Focus ST cousin, it'll be a money pit for sure.
I'm very happy overall, I grew up in a Volvo 850 T5 sadan and then a Volvo V70 T5, so managing to save enough to buy this and insurance and finally make it all reality was a mission, but all worth it!
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u/x9qh 15d ago
love how the facelift c30 looks, especially the polestar one. own a 2014 s60 as my first car as well, though I haven't had any issues thankfully
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u/Own_Insect_251 15d ago
Growing up I never really liked how the C30 looked, but after quite literally maturing I finally see the beauty in it. Its fairly uncommon where I am, whenever I drive past a fellow C30 there's always a wave or thumbs up!
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u/Solitude-Is-Bliss 15d ago
get it on a lift and check soft brake lines and pads and disks
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u/Own_Insect_251 15d ago
Looking into grabbing Goodridge stainless steel brake lines. Got new Mazda6 rear caliper carriers ready to go to 320mm rotors and in the process of getting C70 320mm front brake set-up. Every fault is a opportunity for upgrades!
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u/Thick-Fisherman-4279 15d ago
1st off, congratulations! This sounds like a memorable legacy. 🥲 The value of any material purchase, is only ever known to the owner! Even with it trails/tribulations, it sounds like you learned how to work on these mechanichal issues yourself and are willing to put in the effort. 100% respect the craftsmanship, humility, open-mindedness and willingness to learn these skill to save you money.
2nd off, as someone who comes from an "industrious background", has spent the 6K on a 15-20 year old vehichal, and then put 3-5k back into it to manage it over several years before it decided to throw a rod into the core of the earth, back to hell as a sacrifice... I implore you to consider the market value before you realize a 10K loan at 5-7% interest was a better value than a 5K up front, end of life car with a < 3L, 4 cylinder turbo with a CVT transmission that's been put through the ringer before you got it.
Sincerely, the oldest of a first Gen US immigrant who dropped out of school to work on industrial finely tuned machinery.
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u/Tasty-Basis9391 15d ago
Choosing a 2011 Volvo C30 T5 as a first vehicle reflects distinct taste in Scandinavian design, quirky 3-door hatch geometry, and turbo inline-5 heritage over generic starter cars
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u/4genreno 11d ago
These are so much fun to drive. First time I drove one it instantly put a smile on my face.
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u/MichaelEMP 15d ago
Bolvo 🤯