Interesting ad came in to the paper last week... published today and I'm half interested in taking a look...
Volvo 360 2.0 in gold (so an embarassing colour, which would make it cheaper!) - has done no mileage in eleven years save for an annual run down the road for the MOT to be done. Basically the lady selling it lost her husband that many years ago and has kept the car but never used it - it is being sold as 'immaculate' so I'm intrigued to know what it may need beyond fluid changes straight away? Surely its only worth a couple of hundred tops, so could be a bargain!
Is this a crazy idea?
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Daveym, if you don't want it and it's a 3 door let me know. I could be interested.
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GLE or GLT?
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Oil and filters change, most likely brakes overhaul and some tyres.
And away you go i would expect!
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and maybe some oil seals....
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I really do have a love for these.
I was about 6/7 years old when they came out, and compared to everything else on the road at that time they looked like they had arrived from outer space.
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Check that it's got power steering, or else you'd soon fall out of love, and your arms out of their sockets.
The basic 340 came without it and had the most ferociously heavy steering that I've ever encountered (fortunately this was only a test drive) - strange as they sold a lot of them to elderly people.
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If you thought the 340 had heavy steering, you should have tried an unassisted 360. IIRC they had 155 tyres on. It would have helped the steering weight, but did nothing for braking ability with that two litre lump under the bonnet.
I've got a curious affection for them after looking after my father-in-law's 360, and daughter's 340. Did they all suffer from porous petrol pipes?
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I've just realised the Volvo 3 series is one of those cars that's just kind of disappeared off the roads without my noticing. When did they all disappear? I still see loads of bigger Volvos from the 80's around, but very few of these.
Never one of my favourite cars, personally. However, anything of that age with that genuine mileage has to be worth a punt for the right money. A mate's mum once bought a 12 year old Micra 1.0 auto with a genuine 16,000 miles on it (and a full Nissan S/H). Just great to sit in what was a fairly old car, with a completely immaculate interior, and the driving manners of a brand new car.
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One of the things I noticed about 340s and 360s was how high off the floor the gear lever knob was, presumably because they were rear wheel drive and hence needed a high transmission tunnel. Lifting your arm to reach the gear lever knob was much more of an effort than with front wheel drive cars. (OK, so I'm a wimp!)
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The steering on the 340/360 isn't particularly heavy for a car of that era. In fact, because it is a transaxle, there is less weight over the front than in many cars.
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I hired a few of these back in the 80's. The 1400 was a bit gutless but the 2 litre (360) was fine. I found it a nicely balanced car to drive. As the gearbox was in the back the gearchange was not as precise as a RWD Ford but far better than BMC's products or air cooled VWs. I cannot recall that the steering felt heavy - maybe we were stronger then! Definately worth a look.
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I had a 1.4 340GL three door on a C plate. I thought it was a well made car of good quality for the time. Poor man's Golf perhaps... They may not have lasted as well as the larger Volvos of similar vintage because the 300 series (and its successor the 400) were built by Nedcar at the old DAF factory.
Problems I had with mine were the brake master cylinder and servo, door hinge pins dropping, tappets needing adjusting and new rear shocks. I found the 1.4 Renault engine thirsty and underpowered. Frustratingly my car didn't have a rear wiper.
Anyone remember the original ad with the car falling out the window and the crash test dummy walking away.
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I had one bought off an elderly family friend that saw me through 4 years at University. Just the 1400cc and 3 door in a reddish metalic with contrasting purple seats. It was also a 1985 C plate bought at 18k miles and run up to 75k before I moved it on for a nearly new Citroen ZX in the mid 1990s to celebrate actually getting a job after uni. The handling of the 340 was always exciting, lots of body role and a bit tail happy espeically on wet roundabouts. The Citroen was a revelation after 4 years in the 340.
However it never let me down, I had to put on a new radiator and alternater but other than that it was bullit proof and it had little attention or maintenance. It was painfully slow and being at university on the south coast I was probably the youngest 340 driver by about 70 years.
A friend bought me a tweed trilby hat (sorry HJ) which I used to keep under the front seat. Often put it on and slowed to an even slower pace to aggrevate which ever boy racer was sat on my rear bumper and unable to pass me.
Happy days....
According the the DVLA website it was only recently taken off the road. I remember the press advert for them where the car was inside a block of ice for 24 or 48 hours and an AA man chipped his way in to find that the 340 started first time. You forget how far technology has moved on don't you!! Bonus point for being a real anorak. I think the strap line was 'Volvo's start at -20degress and £4500....
I'll get my coat!
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I had one of these, the 1.7 GLE. No pas but only really noticed this when trying to do three-point-turns on narrow roads. Very comfortable heated seats. The 360 GLT was generally considered nippy by the standards of the time.
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i had two of these. the first was a 360gle that went pretty fast and was a good spec and later i had a 1.4gl in white. The 1.4 used to get thrashed up and down the m5 at least 4 times a week and never went wrong even once.
if i saw a clean one cheap I'd be tempted as they are pretty rare now
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My ex-wife, a non-driver, somehow acquired a late DAF or early Volvo in gold, in that bodyshell (more or less) with a smallish Renault engine and DAF CVT. I didn't like it much as a car although the CVT made a charming whistling noise on the overrun. Daughter's BF stuffed it on a dual carriageway on the A24. Prat.
Edited by Lud on 12/06/2008 at 17:58
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"Champagne gold". Same colour as ours.
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Erm....
I've still got an aerosol of light metallic green I bought for the 360 :>(
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My dad bought a 340 DL brand new in 1984. dark blue with white pinstipes. He kept it until 1992 when he traded it in for a brand new 440 1.7. Because we lived in Germany (RAF) the 340 took us everywhere (Italy, Spain, Holland, Belgium, and all around the UK visiting family). I don't remember any major grief apart from fuel vapourisation after filling up when the engine was hot, and fitting a second hand wiper motor.
Btw, I saw an orange 343 on a T-plate the other day.
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"somehow acquired a late DAF or early Volvo in gold, in that bodyshell (more or less) with a smallish Renault engine and DAF CVT."
That would have been the 340/360s predecessor, the 343 or 345 (depending on number of doors)
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They were meant to be a successor to the DAF/Volvo 66. Cracking car the Volvo 66 with the CVT gearbox. Quick for its size and nicely made. My mum had one (an estate) in red.
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Yes PU, I think it was a 66. But I can't swear to it. Didn't drive it enough to really get used to the CVT, although I could tell it would respond to, er, 'elegance' in operating it. But the Renault 1300 or whatever was a bit thrashy in that example, and anyway the daughter's (then) BF demolished it for no good reason, the carphound.
Young people, I dunno. I suppose that particular one might be over 50 by now, but wouldn't have been a really desirable son in law at any age although not entirely unsympathetic. Long gone, alhamdulillah!
Edited by Lud on 12/06/2008 at 21:34
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IIRC the CVT model didn't have a diff, it relied on 'belt slip'.
You could hear them squeal a tyre on tight corners.
Wasn't there a single seat racing car class? The lack of diff could be a help.
Edited by bathtub tom on 12/06/2008 at 21:50
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In theory the cvt cars could go just as fast backwards as forwards istr.
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I remember as a teenager in one of these that I could burn off Rover 2200s from roundabouts !
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! - they were quick off the mark, or seemed so to a 18 year old whipper-snapper.
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Only the early Daf 33s didn't have a diff. The rest did; with a fancy De Dion tube on some of them.
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Anyone remember the original ad with the car falling out the window and the crash test dummy walking away.
You compelled me to search for this as I vaguely remembered it:
youtube.com/watch?v=cFoKNCEaZho
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had a manual which was acceptable and then an Auto , the belt - driven CVT , biggest pile of rubbish ever, and no wonder a) they were mostly bought by Octogenarians as a last car to take to the grave and b) there are none left when plenty of 244/240 / 260 models remain
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The 340 is a diffrent car really compared to the 360, the 340 had a firkin Reno injun the 2ltr is a nice set of wheels m8 ... just bcause a car has a low mileage - don't necessarily
.*********
p.s. its not automatic is it ?
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I would be facinated to hear if you went to see it and what it was like. My mum had a 345 Auto from new (NYA72V) and kept it for 20 years.
I had my first crash in it after passing my test trying to drive down a lane with a lorry coming the other way. Width of car and lorry slightly (say a foot) wider than lane. Lorry stopped, I didn't and 'rearranged' all the side of the car with the lorry's wheel nuts on one side and a bank / hedge on the other. Not a happy mummy when I got home I can tell you.
The CVT auto was bizarre. Put foot hard on accelerator, wait for huge spinning of engine and lots of whining and then slowly the car would pick up speed, engine screaming away at a rate completely diproportionate to the speed of the engine. Did 20 mpg at best even on a gentle cruise, but handled very well (compared with my step-father's Renault Fuego.
Volvo got passed to brother who drove it for another few years. Expect it is dead now.
At an auction in Devizes, Wilts (not a car auction, a general odds and sods one) a few years ago an immaculate Renault 5 came in. Beige, less than 20k on the clock but very old (I seem to remember about 18 years old). A local elderly lady owner who could no longer drive wanted rid. Went for nearly £2,500 - so don't be surprised in the Volvo is worth a bit more with it's low mileage and good condition. You only need 2 people who want one to get a higher price.
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I worked on the Daf range and some of the earlier Volvo derivatives for about six years. I can remember the delight of the storeman on the day that Volvo took over the range, his stock value quadrupled - his two quid Renault head gasket was now an eight quid Volvo item.
The Daf range was well like by older folk and the disabled for two reasons, Auto transmission and two VERY large doors.
The only ones fitted with a diff were the 46's (and they were unreliable as they only had one drive belt) the 66's and the Volvo range.
Volvo soon gave up with the variomatic setup and went for the manual transaxle. They kept a lot of the Daf 66 features such as the two longitudal chassis members, which on the Daf doubled up as ducts directing cool air from the front of the car to the belts, as well as adding loadbearing sill areas. This sort of thing all added to the weight of the car and fuel consumption, but did make the car very strong and safe (in yesterday terms). The one weak point that Volvo retained was the aluminium rubber jointed prop shaft, and anyone considering buying a 340 / 360 should be aware that constant fierce acceleration can cause failure of the shaft.
I recently got rid of my old 340 as it was getting a bit smokey (and don't even consider overhauling a Renault 1.4 engine) and everyone at work complained - they all liked it, part of the scenery - part of the car park - looked solid and reliable etc. etc.
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I had a 1988 360 GLT as my university car. I had saved up some cash from summer jobs, and thought I'd end up with an Escort 1.3/1.4, but then saw F838SME advertised by a reputable local trader with just 17,000 on the clock.
Well, 17,000 turned out to be 77,000 (blamed on the newspaper printers), but the car was honest enough, and the previous keeper confirmed no problems. The insurance was remarkably reasonable at a time (1994) when an Astra GTE or Golf GTi would have be uninsurable for a 20 year old.
My 360 gave wonderful service, laden with my stuff, on high speed runs from east London down to Exeter, usually without a break (M25/M4/M5). Once in Devon, it enjoyed runs up to Dartmoor and Exmoor.
If I'm honest, it never felt particularly rapid in acceleration (I dread to think how underpowered the 1.4 must have felt), and there wasn't much in the way of handling. As a 'hot hatch' it was a little ridiculous. But as a long distance cruiser, it was great - aided by decent (heated!) seats and effective heating/ventilation. It had a 'hewn from solid' feel that was missing from mates Astras, Fiestas etc.
I kept the 360 when I started work, and would probably still have it today, had some Travellers in a uninsured Transit not reversed at speed into the nearside of poor SME.
I couldn't bear to keep it, battered and bruised, and the repair would have been uneconomic, so I chopped it in for an early 850 GLT 2.5 20v.
Whatever the merits of my current transport (Accord diesel), I still smile when I think of my years in 'hot' Volvos.
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