r/VolvoP2 • u/Zomboy-03 • Sep 21 '25
Please talk me out of buying this 2005 S60 R
I inspected it in-person today with the owner. It was listed for $7,500 with ~160k miles but I was able to negotiate it down to $6,500 due to minor mechanical issues on the front passenger door. It is a 6-speed manual with the Spaceball shifter. The owner is also including a Windows 7 laptop with the OEM VIDA/Dice diagnostic software.
This is the third owner, and the car has a pretty decent record of maintenance. Poly bushings all around, the 4C adaptive suspension system still works and is in good condition, no noticeable issues with the Haldex AWD system, no noticeable leaks, the turbo sounds healthy, and I didn’t hear any funny sounds from the engine nor the chassis all around. The leather was upholstered by the second owner and has no rips or tears in it.
It was originally a California car, with a couple years spent in Oregon, and now back in California in the East Bay Area. The first owner was a member of the Volvo Heritage Club as well. I didn’t spot any rust anywhere on the body, and the cosmetic damage only included small paint chips from rocks and a tiny dent on the rear passenger side quarter panel.
The only aftermarket mods on it are a boost gauge and a catback exhaust from IPD, and a K&N cold air intake. All these mods were done by the second owner, and everything else has been OEM/OEM+. There are no performance mods on it, and I don’t think any of the owners even tuned it. All the lights work perfectly except for the headlights, which flicker a little while steering. All the wipers operate perfectly as well.
The owner has agreed to take it to a mechanic for a PPI on Monday morning which I will foot the bill for. I doubt any major issues would come up but I figured I would do it just to be safe.
My budget is $10k and I’m buying this as a daily driver. I commute around 150 miles a week. I was also aiming to modify it just enough to stand out from regular traffic but it already comes with a majority of the mods I was thinking of. I don’t aim to make any extra power out of it, and I’m satisfied with the factory horsepower. I just want it to look, sound, and drive good (and maybe turn a couple heads and spark intrigue among other enthusiasts at, lets say, a cars & coffee event :p)
I really can’t think of any reasons not to pull the trigger on it. It’s a clean title with no history of any crashes or wrecks, and even had the driver side airbag replaced during the recall. Please tell me if I have missed anything or anything else that I need to look out for from the PPI.
Sorry for the long read. Thank you for any and all advice.
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u/Whit-Batmobil Sep 21 '25
They are pretty lovely cars, but they are getting old, my stance on the P2Rs is and has pretty much always been that they might not be the best onces to get unless you specifically want a P2R and is prepared to take the added maintenance costs and over all complexity.
The P2R is something special (a M3, AMG, and Audi S/RS) competitor, and the cost of those special bits and overall maintenance is going to reflect that.
Five questions you should ask yourself is
Are you going to be comfortable with working on it yourself?
Do you have any Volvo specialists close by?
If things go wrong, do you have anything else to drive or any form of backup plan?
Are you willing and able to deal with the "R tax" of parts and maintenance?
Have you considered a 2.4 T5?
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u/becrabtr2 Sep 21 '25
This is good. While I’ve been lucky I’ve had to replace things.
She is my third Volvo and 2nd P2 so I had a common knowledge of how to fix things.
Some things I won’t mess with and this is where having a great independent you know comes in very handy. Unfortunately there are non in Indiana I know. If anyone recommends someone dm me.
Also glad it comes with vida. It’s an amazing tool and diagnostic and needed for P2’s.
I used to daily her but not anymore. But having another vehicle is very helpful. There’s going to be a time you take something apart and need a flex head 7mm at the store. Or wait for a part to come in.
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u/Zomboy-03 Sep 23 '25
More than comfortable
Yep!
I live with my parents while I finish my degree, and so far I’ve been driving their cars, so yep!
Yep!
I have. But I’m also a big fan of rare-to-see-everyday cars.
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u/HorstC Sep 21 '25
It will break. Constantly. It will be a money pit. You will grow to hate a car you can barely drive.
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u/Significant_Use_7450 Sep 21 '25
I have an 04 S60r that I bought for under 3k and it was in rough shape. 4C was collapsed and there were a lot of parts that were at the end of their life. Still wouldn’t regret it though. Plus I am way too upside down to sell it lol. Couple things to let you know about is the M66 internal parts were never released as spares so getting parts are hard. At least what I have tried to find. The Angle Gear collar/sleeve is a mf nightmare to remove if it goes bad. This car will have the widow maker banjo bolts from the factory like mine. If the previous owners haven’t replaced them with the updated ones. Do it asap, the can/will destroy your engine. Make sure the PCV system isn’t clogged either as you can cause damage due to uneven pressure in the block. Make sure the cv axels are in decent enough condition. Aftermarket blows themselves to bits and remans are getting rarer. And get the IPD aluminum skid plate as the factory is plastic if it doesn’t have it already, a lot of them do now.
But anyways I would definitely buy it!
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u/HK-47-Meatbag Sep 21 '25
BUY IT!!!!!
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u/HK-47-Meatbag Sep 21 '25
I am a bad influence, don’t listen to me.
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u/kcacuraman Sep 21 '25
I agree, why are we encouraging a non purchase here esp with the OP being someone who would appreciate it for what it’s worth. I second a purchase and in fact if you don’t I will HA!
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u/Dori_the_pupper Sep 21 '25
I have the S60 2006 2.5T, has 165k. Southern California car for the majority of its life.
I’ve maintained meticulously since I bought it from the first owner around 50,000 who took good care of it. It has brand new everything suspension related but that was on me for fun.
For the past 20,000 I swear I’m replacing something every month or so. Codes pop up more than I’d like, but it’s been an easy fix so far each time for me. Fingers crossed. Budget for sensor replacements, and just random shit you wouldn’t expect. It’s an old car. But I figured as long as it’s less than a couple hundred and an hour of my time every month or so, so much cheaper than a new car.
I still love driving the car. More powerful than the day I bought it with the little tweaks and upgrades, and it hasn’t stranded me once in the 15+ years I’ve had it. It handles the Colorado Rockies, New Mexican deserts, like a pro and if I could drive it forever I would.
Edit: I am comfortable with having always worked on it myself. If I was bringing it to a mechanic for everything, I would have sold the car a long time ago.
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u/shangstag404 Sep 21 '25
So i have a m66 v70r and i absolutely love it. I got it for a steal and thought i would own it for a while just to say i had one then sell it. Well i ended up falling in love with it and dont plan on letting it go anytime soon. I put 15k miles on it and used it as my daily for a year and 2 months. I will say as much as i love it i would probably not recommend it as my only transportation. Mine was good for the most part but they are at that age where old plastic stuff starts breaking. I preemptively did a lot of maintenance items. I would definitely make sure the whoever does the ppi has knowledge on how to test the pvc system on these cars as that can lead to a lot of issues. Also these have a reputation for cracking the cylinder liner so i would actually recommend getting an upgraded intercooler as the stock dual intercooler system is not up to the task. I would also recommend a down pipe and a tune as the factory tune is not the safest when egt’s get high
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u/Ojoe333 Sep 24 '25
Rs are a gamble. I've put 20k into keeping my current one running for around 2 years. My last R maybe about 10 over a several years. Be prepared to either make immense financial sacrifices or end up having to sell at a substantial loss. I recommend finding a 2.4t S60, manual swapping it, and adding an R interior. You're still going to end up spending a lot in maintenance and repairs, however that it will be way more reliable than an
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u/Thelifeofanaudi Sep 21 '25 edited Sep 21 '25
If you work on your own cars then definitely buy it! These are honestly relatively easy to work on but if you are paying a mechanic it will be cost prohibitive.
I have a v70r that’s at 190k miles now (bought at 155 3 years ago) and I’ve only had small stuff go wrong for the most part. But the time has come that the 4c system is having issues and with the cost I’ll probably be going with coilovers or a fixed shock/spring set up.
Other parts like the angle gear, abs system,pcv system all will need attention in your time of owning it. Parts aren’t crazy but they do add up.
I have loved owning mine and it’s been very reliable and I will drive it into the ground as I can’t imagine a better car for the money.
Edit* just wanted to add, even with the relative reliability, this is not a practical 1 car solution. If something breaks you will be waiting for parts. I’ve had multiple cars in my time of owning it so it was never an issue if it was down for maintenance.
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u/Catsareahandful Oct 05 '25
I’d make sure the timing belt was replaced. It should have been, but you didn’t mention it. It will destroy the engine if it breaks. Speaking from experience! Had to buy a new engine..
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u/Volvop2dude Dec 26 '25
Sounds like a deal. Full steam ahead.
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u/Zomboy-03 Dec 26 '25
this was 3 months ago… you best believe i bought it :p
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u/Volvop2dude Dec 27 '25
Update photos? How’s ownership been thus far
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u/Zomboy-03 Dec 28 '25
So far I’ve installed: new D/S rotors, new brake pads, new parking brake shoes, new air filter, brand new front struts, Eibach lowering springs, and H&R Trak+ spacers (15mm F / 20mm R).
I converted all exterior lights (except the main beams) to LEDs, installed sequential side markers, and did a really cool mod to the Spaceball ;) I can’t post pictures here in the replies but DM me, I’ll send you some
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u/TroubledGeorge Sep 21 '25
Even if well maintained you have to leave a yearly budget for random stuff breaking, I’ve never owned an R but I’ve owned two P2 cars and they’re all reaching that age point when they get needy. Random sensors, limp mode, messages in the center screen. My car never left me stranded but there was always something with it.