The Adventure Wagon: A 2004 Volvo XC70 Overland Build

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Young Satchel

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Ok....

Hi there... [emoji1309][emoji1309][emoji1309]

So it’s been a very long time. Very very.

Ima Offer a lightening run-down for those who are curious and can fill-in details later (maybe) and of course pics because who the **** am I ?! [emoji23]

While I remain as enthusiastic about the build as ever, life circumstances have intervened in ways that have seriously compromised my ability to maintain, fix, or modify it further. I have taken on an even larger heap of responsibilities in my family such that I have net-zero free time. It’s ****ed. Y’all who follow this know the deal with my older son, his rare disease and all that bull****. He’s “ok”, but the simple fact of the matter is raising him and dealing with his issues is a task so gargantuan and so totally ****ing exhausting that I literally can’t even explain it to you in words. So I won’t try. Just know Satchel lives on the ****ing limit and that’s that.

So....

Late 2016-End of 2017 been a kinda ****y year for The Adventure Wagon[emoji769]️ too. Between about 145K-155K miles the following has been done to the Wagon by some combination of me, Precision Volvo, or the god’s amongst men at L&B. FWIW I was mostly the party responsible for BREAKING the things while the two other parties mentioned did most of the fixing.[emoji23][emoji24]

- Steering Rack
- Front Axles (swapped to XC90 Axles)
- both front wheel bearings
- brakes all 4 corners (upgraded to larger rotors thanks @Antherzoll! [emoji6]
- shocks
-struts
- endlinks
- LCA/BJs
- Angle gear leak fixed
- PCV job (partial)
- new rear wiper motor
- upper torque mount
- Tranny Flush

...And other **** I’m sure I’m forgetting. Also if you recall I crashed it which resulted in 3 months off the road, and a bunch of new **** (rad, condenser, headlight etc etc)

So THEN, after it came back from its trip to VA, I started throwing some ****y electrical tantrums. Was driving in the mountains and in the course of about 15 minutes the following happened:

- ABS Light
- BRAKE light
- Brake failure warning message
- Speedo died
- temp gauge die
- trip odo zeroed out
- “D” disappeared from DIM

But absolutely nothing about the car’s performance was affected at all! So I drove it home (kinda liberating driving sans speedometer, gotta say [emoji23]) and parked it up. Consulting with my dudes led me to believe it was a BCM or ABS issue; likely a module failure. Googling revealed the same. So busy with a bunch of other ****, I left it to sit and drove the V60 for about a month.

This was fine, until last weekend when the snow came. I didn’t have the winters on the V60 (I KNOWWWWWW.....[emoji24]) and no time to put them on. So I decided to see what was up with the XC since it has the admirably-adequate-for-winter BFG KO2 treads on it.

Started it up and get an immediate “transmission service required” message. WTF?! So I let it warm while googling around. My dudes suggest a battery reset so I do that. ABS and BRAKE lights gone, but tranny warning persists. GAH. So I decide to take it for a drive. “It’s been parked on an incline in cold temps for almost 4 weeks, maybe it’s a fluid-read issue” I think to myself. So I take it out for a spin. 30 minutes or so. Stop here and there, Shut off and restart the engine 3-4 times, and boom...4th time its gone! DIM 100% clear and no symptoms of any sort while driving. It’s snowing and in fact, it’s handling like a ****ing champ in every sense.

Park it up again and resolve to take it out once more that evening before loading the wild boyos into it the next day for an inaugural snow adventure. I do so, and put about 40 Miles on it in the snow that night. Roads are nicely covered and it’s a ****ing BLAST. I’m out drifting around with the heater up and a goofy ass grin on my face. And again, zero issues or warning lights of any sort *♂*♂*♂

So next day I take it out and we do this sort of stuff.....[emoji16][emoji16][emoji16]





























We climb mountains, drift corners, kick up snow, yell, and generally jus slide around with gleeful smiles on our faces.

So that’s it.

At least for now, we back [emoji4] . . .


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jhewitt03

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29 palms CA
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John
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Hewitt
I love this I love when people make a different build this is so sweet


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ChrisXC70

Rank II
Launch Member

Enthusiast I

404
Severna Park, Maryland
First Name
Christopher
Last Name
Gomba
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10018

image1 (3).JPG I just wanted to say that I've been following this conversation thread for several weeks now and finally felt compelled to join OB because it's awesome to see such rare appreciation for the XC70 P2's. I own two of them currently, 2005 & 2007. I'm in the process of building my '07 XC into a multi-task vehicle: DD & Rally and the Yokohama GO15 AT's are being put on as I write this. I ordered the IPD skid plate yesterday but I haven't done too much else to the exterior yet. The bulk of the effort so far has been on the power plant and exhaust - went from stock 200HP to just under 350HP ; it now drives quick & tight after the build was completed. I've also installed performance grade stage 3 exhaust & downpipe, performance intercooler & raditor, direct dry intake (also being installed as I write this) IPD front & rear suspension replacement parts, body frame tie bars in the front & rear, and a Volvo roof rack set w/cargo basket. 302mm slotted & drilled rotors, pads and calipers on the front & rear are being installed now too. I'm still on the fence about buying and installing the P2 Lift Kit from the Bad Sweede because I'm thinking I could get the same just by installing XC90 P2 springs & struts.

Just thought I'd share this with you all and will shamelessly admit that I did copy you on the tires 215/70R16 for the stock wheels; I have a complete set of 17" Pegasus rims that I'm considering mounting some summer performance tires on since my '07 has got the speed. Still I'm torn between wanting to drive at 130mph + highway with wider performance tires or doing 60mph+ off road rally driving with larger & wider AT tires.

BTW...my '05 XC70 is completely dead as I jumped it a few years back and have held onto it since then for nostalgic reasons! I look forward to reading more about what you all are doing with your XC70's and maybe I'll even run into you all on the trails up in PA someday! Cheers - Chris

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ChrisXC70

Rank II
Launch Member

Enthusiast I

404
Severna Park, Maryland
First Name
Christopher
Last Name
Gomba
Member #

10018

Some more shameless self promotion! Really because I love the XC70 P2's and how they are SO under appreciated in the States for the full range of capabilities they came with from the factory. They are much more than the typical stereo-types people here in the States put on them as "Soccer Mom Cars" or "Grocery Getters".

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Antherzoll

Rank III

Contributor III

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Canada
The bulk of the effort so far has been on the power plant and exhaust - went from stock 200HP to just under 350HP ; it now drives quick & tight after the build was completed. I've also installed performance grade stage 3 exhaust & downpipe, performance intercooler & raditor, direct dry intake (also being installed as I write this) IPD front & rear suspension replacement parts, body frame tie bars in the front & rear, and a Volvo roof rack set w/cargo basket. 302mm slotted & drilled rotors, pads and calipers on the front & rear are being installed now too.
Very cool [emoji41]

What tune and turbo did you go with?

I'm still on the fence about buying and installing the P2 Lift Kit from the Bad Sweede because I'm thinking I could get the same just by installing XC90 P2 springs & struts
The XC90 suspension is not a bolt-on modification. The fronts will work, but the rears are quite different. Would be super cheap to pull from a junkyard to try and work with them, otherwise, the Badswede kit is 100% bolt on and the springs are beefy. I helped Satchel install his, and I have a set in my shopping cart now waiting to pull the trigger.

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ChrisXC70

Rank II
Launch Member

Enthusiast I

404
Severna Park, Maryland
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Christopher
Last Name
Gomba
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10018

Very cool [emoji41]

What tune and turbo did you go with?

I upgraded from the stock Mitsubishi TD04L-14T to a Garrett GT3582R with the ball bearing spool. The GT3582R is rated at a max of 640HP (paid roughly $1,500 for the unit alone) - this upgrade choice may seem a bit overkill at first but I'm hoping to do more all terrain rally driving where the additional power boost will be extremely helpful keeping the AWD moving forward on soft muddy ground. It was very difficult for my mechanic's to fit and install because the XC70 engine box is already so tight just with the factory stock. But when it was finally installed, on my first test drive the intercooler charge pipe blew out because of the power spike during the the initial turbo boost when I performed a speed acceleration from a standing start position. I have no desire to street race and hard acceleration from a standing start will destroy the AWD gears & rear-end but once I get the power output on plane then I can hang with the Tier 1's on open road. And I also had to upgrade the engine oil cooling unit as well to match the power generation. I haven't seen any major side effects on the engine temp so far to justify installing a H2O/Meth cooling kit. But I have noticed that the PCV system will need a mini-breather installed to discharge the excess heat.

And thanks very much on the XO90 suspension issues and it makes more sense to me to go with the Bad Sweede's coil-over kit.
 
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StuntmanMike

Rank IV

Advocate II

1,135
Newport RI
Great thread! Very cool build. I actually found this thread and forum while searching for XC70 stuff a while back.

I have a stock '07 that just hit 205k miles. I just keep up with the maintenance on it, haven't done any mods (yet?).

I love the car, it's super comfy, a beast in the snow, and great on dirt roads. I'm probably not going to lift it like yours, I really want to, but I don't think it's practical as this is my DD and the mileage is up there. I use it when I go camping and mountainbiking though, it's great for that. I'm going add more lighting this spring to make it better for that; some extra interior LED's as I plan on outfitting it to make it better to sleep in (too many times I rolled up to campsites in the rain last year), as well as maybe some exterior rear facing LED's to light up the camp site as well as visibility when in reverse. I also maybe want to do a smaller rooftop cargo box for gear, as well as rig up some sort of quick setup awning for shade at the campsite/trailhead, as well as some sort of "changing room" to get in and out of bike gear.

OR, I'm thinking of just keeping the 'VO as a DD and buying an older Grand Cherokee/4Runner/Tahoe, etc as a camp/offroad rig. I like the higher roof height in the SUV, I can't quite sit up comfortable in the cargo area of the Vo.

Decisions, decisions...
 

GreggNY

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Westchester County, NY
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Well I just found this thread and went through all 10 pages. I’m a jeep guy but the wagon and what you’re doing with it are pretty cool. Good to see another NY overlander enjoying the Catskills too!
 

StuntmanMike

Rank IV

Advocate II

1,135
Newport RI
@StuntmanMike I'd keep the XC70 as a DD and get something like a XJ/WJ/Tahoe/similar size SUV as a camping rig.
Yeah, you're probably right. I was thinking a 3rd gen 4Runner (96-02) but finding one that doesn't have a swiss cheezed frame is going to be a bear here in New England. A XJ is a little too small for me, but a V8 WJ is definitely a contender. An early '00's Tahoe is a possibility too, I've always liked those and am a big fan the LS series V8's, though I'm concerned it will be too big and low for actual trails work.

I'll just have to go and drive some to see what I like, I guess.
 
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Young Satchel

Rank V
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Pathfinder I

1,798
Well I just found this thread and went through all 10 pages. I’m a jeep guy but the wagon and what you’re doing with it are pretty cool. Good to see another NY overlander enjoying the Catskills too!
Thanks man!


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ChrisXC70

Rank II
Launch Member

Enthusiast I

404
Severna Park, Maryland
First Name
Christopher
Last Name
Gomba
Member #

10018

Great thread! Very cool build. I actually found this thread and forum while searching for XC70 stuff a while back.

I have a stock '07 that just hit 205k miles. I just keep up with the maintenance on it, haven't done any mods (yet?).

I love the car, it's super comfy, a beast in the snow, and great on dirt roads. I'm probably not going to lift it like yours, I really want to, but I don't think it's practical as this is my DD and the mileage is up there. I use it when I go camping and mountainbiking though, it's great for that. I'm going add more lighting this spring to make it better for that; some extra interior LED's as I plan on outfitting it to make it better to sleep in (too many times I rolled up to campsites in the rain last year), as well as maybe some exterior rear facing LED's to light up the camp site as well as visibility when in reverse. I also maybe want to do a smaller rooftop cargo box for gear, as well as rig up some sort of quick setup awning for shade at the campsite/trailhead, as well as some sort of "changing room" to get in and out of bike gear.

OR, I'm thinking of just keeping the 'VO as a DD and buying an older Grand Cherokee/4Runner/Tahoe, etc as a camp/offroad rig. I like the higher roof height in the SUV, I can't quite sit up comfortable in the cargo area of the Vo.

Decisions, decisions...
The lift kit for the P2 XC70 is only 2” and I was on the fence about it at first myself. So with the additional 2” in height for the 07 XC that will roughly match the same clearance height of the new V90 Cross Country wagon straight off the production line. But I installed the lift along with the front/back anti-sway bar kit from iPD and the car drives tight on & off-road -I don’t feel the higher center of gravity at higher speeds because the car seems to naturally lower itself above 90mph. The car’s overall standing body stance doesn’t look that dramatically different either.

My XC70’s mileage is 150K and drives great, unfortunately there’s not much that can be done about the fuel consumption. But that was never a concern for me. The late generation XC70 P2s (06 & 07) are starting to become very sought after by Moose loyalist and new enthusiasts. Early 06 P2s thru o4 when the 2nd gen started production are not as popular now because of their history of bad trannies at production.
 
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Young Satchel

Rank V
Launch Member

Pathfinder I

1,798
So with the additional 2” in height for the 07 XC that will roughly match the same clearance height of the new V90 Cross Country wagon straight off the production line.
Not quite:

P2 XC70 = 8.2”
V90CC = 8.4”

P2 + Bad Swede is quite an improvement over either generation’s stock ground clearance






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