At $8,700, Does This 2008 Volvo C30 T5 Have The Goods?

The all-glass rear hatch connected today's Nice Price aliases No Dice Volvo harkens backmost to nan classical 1800ES of nan '70s, but its five-cylinder, six-speed manual drivetrain makes it arsenic modern arsenic they come. Let's fig retired what specified an intriguing car should rightfully cost.

The beachside organization of Malibu, California, derives its sanction from nan Chumash phrase, "Humaliwo" which nan indigenous peoples utilized to picture nan area's noisy surf. For decades, group person travel from each complete to surf those noisy waves on nan community's 21 miles of beaches. The cleanable surfer's car? Well, that's apt a position wagon for illustration nan 1981 Chevy Malibu we looked astatine connected Wednesday. Of course, nan stereotypical image of an itinerant surfer is that of a formation bum who would alternatively "hang ten" than clasp down a job, truthful our Malibu's $17,900 asking value mightiness beryllium retired of scope for astir wave-seekers. In fact, that value proved highly aspirational for astir of you and good beyond what astir would pay. Ultimately, that sentiment resulted successful a monolithic 93% 'No Dice' nonaccomplishment for nan Chevy.

The Ford Motor Company was 1 of nan first U.S.-based car builders to found a manufacturing foothold successful England and Europe, opening nan Trafford Park mill successful Manchester, England, successful 1911 to build Model Ts. Ever since then, Ford has been a ascendant unit successful some nan British and European car markets, but that hasn't stopped nan institution from erstwhile trying to drawback a bigger portion of nan pie. A awesome shopping spree from nan precocious 1980s done nan '90s saw Ford threat up Britain's Aston Martin, Jaguar, and Land Rover, arsenic good arsenic Volvo successful neighboring Sweden.

Today's 2006 Volvo C30 T5 is 1 consequence of that Ford parentage, arsenic it shares its chassis pinch nan modern Ford C-Max and Focus. The level besides served arsenic nan guidelines for Mazda's CX-7, among different cars wrong nan Ford-O-Sphere. None of that Fordiness is visible to nan driver aliases passengers, arsenic it's been heavy cloaked successful Volvo bits for illustration nan 1800ES-aping all-glass rear hatch and nan absorbing "floating' halfway stack, which could besides beryllium recovered successful nan C30's related cars, nan S40 sedan and V50 wagon.

It's besides each Volvo nether nan hood, wherever a five-cylinder version of nan company's all-alloy modular inline motor resides. That displaces 2521 cc and, pinch its turbocharged and intercooled intake, delivers a patient 227 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque.

On this car, that's mated to a six-speed Getrag M66 manual gearbox, which spins nan beforehand wheels done a limited-slip differential.

According to nan ad, that drivetrain has pushed nan C30 to 119,000 miles, which nan seller touts arsenic being a "low" number. To beryllium fair, that isn't each that much, particularly considering that this is an 18-year-old car. It's apparently been suitably maintained complete that time, too, though nan seller directs prospective buyers to Carfax for nan work history alternatively than conscionable offering highlights successful nan ad. 

A two-owner car, there's thing notably incorrect pinch nan C30, arsenic nan seller says everything connected it—right down to nan A/C—is successful moving order. It besides comes pinch a cleanable title, truthful location are apt nary awesome accidents lurking successful its history.

The seller besides notes that nan car is "senior-owned," which makes nan manual gearbox each nan much laudable an action database choice. It's described successful nan advertisement arsenic being successful fantabulous condition; however, nan pictures do show a mates of boogers that telephone that assertion into question. One of those is simply a mini ace successful nan beforehand bumper, conscionable beneath nan washer for nan driver's broadside headlamp. That's a shame since nan remainder of nan bodywork and silver-over-black overgarment does so look to beryllium successful fantabulous shape.

The different rumor is immoderate evident staining successful nan achromatic information of nan leather connected nan driver's spot squab. It's insignificant and could apt beryllium removed pinch a decent cleaner and immoderate elbow grease, but it does guidelines out, arsenic it's nan first point anyone opening nan driver's doorway will see.

We don't get to spot overmuch much of nan interior successful nan ad, but from what we do, that seems to beryllium nan only existent nit to pick. This is simply a reasonably loaded car, pinch powerfulness windows and locks and representation seating positions for nan driver's throne. It's besides a Volvo contempt nan Ford matrimony of convenience, truthful it enjoys a coagulated estimation for safety.

With nan C30, Volvo entered nan mini coupe marketplace for only nan 3rd clip successful its history, nan earlier cars being nan P1800/ES and nan 480 series. Unfortunately, nan C30 arrived astatine an inauspicious clip erstwhile coupes conscionable weren't "all that and a container of chips" for galore successful nan market. As a result, you hardly ever spot these connected nan road. This one, pinch its engaging six-speed instrumentality and frothy five, should make for a nosy commuter aliases suitable road-tripper for two. Naturally, that's only if its $8,700 asking value proves palatable successful nan process.

What's your return connected this rare-because-hardly-anyone-cared coupe and that $8,700 asking? Does that look adjacent fixed nan explanation and nan pictures? Or is that conscionable excessively overmuch to inquire for nan littlest Volvo?

You decide!

Los Angeles, California, Craigslist, aliases spell here if nan advertisement disappears.

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