I have a 1999 Volvo V70 CrossCountry Wagon. The body is in great shape but the engine seals are leaking oil. How easily can this car be converted to a hybrid.
No practical way to do it. Take a look at the Prius web site to get an idea what’s involved. It would cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Two easy steps:
- Sell the Volvo
- Buy a used hybrid
Twotone
I have no doubt that it could be converted into a hybrid of some sort with the application of very large amounts of cash to the problem. How it would actually function is another matter entirely, as the words home-built and hybrid don’t normally go into the same sentence.
At best, this project would probably cost many times the book value of the car, and the result is not likely to be very good. As was said, the best solution is to sell the Volvo and buy a used Prius.
Many times, “engine seals” oil leaks can be cured by simply tightening down the valve cover a little. Before you condemn your Volvo, isolate the EXACT source of the oil leak…Repair might not be as costly as you think…And FORGET any hybrid conversion. You could buy 2 new Prius’s for what that would cost…
It would be cheaper to buy a new hybrid.
The engine can’t take the shock of being started and stopped all the time. Buy a hybrid that was built to be one.