New Ovlov

[whiskeyonesix]

Hi Folks,

 

Been lurking here awhile (some of you might know me from macdroitwich ) and would like to present my new heap........

I recently emigrated to Australia, to the land of Straight-6's and V8, and what do I buy???? A 1986 Volvo 360 GLT.... GR8 4 DRIFTIN whaddya reckon?

 

 

You're welcome

 

 

Tom.

[Monkey_boy]

Looks very tidy!!I guess it drives fine etc??

[whiskeyonesix]

Seems ok......... Only volvos ive owned in the past were two 740's and an S40 though. Clutch seems to slip a little, but it doesnt seem like its totally knackered. Does seem to go well - although I've been told to be cautious in the wet stuff.... Only modifications will be a pair of those ferrari-like Prancing Moose stickers for the wings. I figure if you're prepared to drive a car like that, in a country like this, then a sense of humour is a very good thing ( I was actually after a Leyland P76, but I think most of them rotted away years ago...)

[Mr Lobster]

Quality! Never knew they got them in Oz.

[fotorabia]

cute sensible choice..still a few Ovlov wee floaters here in NZ...cheap as well..and if u wanna P76 u should come here..but importing tax would kill ya..

[r.welfare]

GR8 purchasing skills!I saw at least 3 360GLT's in Perth when I visited there a couple of years ago - but they were all the earlier type. Bloody expensive when new, according to copies of Aussie mag Wheels that I have, so you wonder why they bothered...

[MrRegieRitmo]

It's weird how a car I used to find so dull when they were plentiful is now mildly interesting! I snapped a W reg 345 DL this morning, unfortunately not a 343 but considering there was a green V reg 343 in town inside the last few years, this must be one of the first of the 345s!

[VWPowered]

It's weird how a car I used to find so dull when they were plentiful is now mildly interesting

was thinking exactly the same thing, 10 years ago you'd be laughed at for driving it, but now as they've got abit thinner on the ground and less seen on the road its inner coolness is start to shine :Dlooks well tidy chap

[Richard]

I always quite liked them. They may have been a bit dull but at least they did things differently from all the other clones. Leaf springs, RWD, gearbox at the back, no universal joints on the propshaft, speedo cable sticking out of the front hub. They seemed to be better built than the mainstream competition too, although that may because they appealed to people who looked after their cars.

[Owain-328i]

My only recolection of these were as curtosey cars from the dealer in the early 90's when the folks 740 estate went in for servicing. Volvo servicing was second to none at that time, engine bay always looked like brand new, car totally valeted every service. Not like the poor service you get from the likes of BMW and Mercedes these days.

[r.welfare]

Didn't Volvo do something called "Lifetime Care" in the 80s, whereby any repair they carried out was guaranteed for as long as you owned the car? Remember reading about it in the sheafs of history with one of my brother's 740s.I have a soft spot for these cars as I had a 340 as my first ever motor. I think the survival rate was mainly down to predominantly old-giffer-first-owner syndrome, but the 340/360 range regularly featured in the UK Top 10 sales charts for much of the mid/late 80s! Although a lot were bought by families too as a second car/"safe" alternative to a Scrote, and so were run into the ground as quick as the competition too.They're really drying up here now, which is a shame. The Western Australian climate will surely be kinder to whiskeyonesix's example - I was astounded to see Vauxhall Belmonts (or rather the Daewoo equivalent) in Perth with totally mint rear wheelarches...

[andrew e]

I had a 340 1.7 for a couple of years and it never skipped a beat. Hello btw!

[Adrian_pt]

Good cars, I think the styling is definitely becoming interesting again... My dad kept one going for about twelve yers as the safe second car, it looked a complete shed by the end but never skipped a beat. Far better imho than the 440 series...

[bigstraight6]

Lovely Always fancied a Volvosaurus 3 series with the 'Boss' motor! welcome aboard by the way!

[Owain-328i]

Didn't Volvo do something called "Lifetime Care" in the 80s, whereby any repair they carried out was guaranteed for as long as you owned the car? Remember reading about it in the sheafs of history with one of my brother's 740s.

Yes lifetime care was still going strong well into the 90's. What it basically was as long as you kept up volvo main dealer service, if anything major cacked it that wasnt a service item, Volvo replaced it FOC. This lifetime care was free until 100,000 miles (as long as it had FVSH), after which you had to pay a bit extra for it.

[mk2_craig]

Didn't Volvo do something called "Lifetime Care" in the 80s, whereby any repair they carried out was guaranteed for as long as you owned the car? Remember reading about it in the sheafs of history with one of my brother's 740s.

Yes lifetime care was still going strong well into the 90's. What it basically was as long as you kept up volvo main dealer service, if anything major cacked it that wasnt a service item, Volvo replaced it FOC. This lifetime care was free until 100,000 miles (as long as it had FVSH), after which you had to pay a bit extra for it.

Volvo really went on the sales offensive with these circa 1988, remember reading loads of What Car mags with ads majoring less on the Volvo safety aspect (cos the 300-series was probably not actually all that special in this respect) and more on the list price saving over an Escort GL etc. For a time the UK was actually the best market for the 340/360 I believe?Ford also did a Lifetime Guarantee on replacement parts, but these schemes were all quietly dropped... probably got rinsed by old boys going back to them for exhaust systems.

[whiskeyonesix]

Yep, from what I've been told, the 300's were in the top-ten lists of new cars sold for a number of years. How can I tell if the clutch is on the way out? The bite is right near the top, however it doesnt seem to be slipping ,though it will crunch if I try to hurry putting it in reverse - though, I've been told to expect that with 360's.

[Split_Pin]

Hello and nice purchase.I've always liked the 340 with its kind of dumpy looks. My dad had an A-reg one for a while, and DVLA stated it lasted to 2004 I still have the 'Lifetime care' book supplied with another of my dads Volvos, and I also got the Stahlberg dealer model and a couple of brochures too.I also purchased a Hotwheels 343 on e-bay from - Australia lol!

[MrRegieRitmo]

I also purchased a Hotwheels 343 on e-bay from - Australia lol!

Pictures please. Sounds like the one I've got, is it plain white with stickers in the box that you can apply should you wish but you don't because it looks better in plain white & it would ruin the mint status of the item?

[MrRegieRitmo]

Volvo really went on the sales offensive with these circa 1988, remember reading loads of What Car mags with ads majoring less on the Volvo safety aspect (cos the 300-series was probably not actually all that special in this respect) and more on the list price saving over an Escort GL etc. For a time the UK was actually the best market for the 340/360 I believe?

http://motoring.aol.co.uk/motoring-galleries/worst-cars-of-70s/gallery/3093

[whiskeyonesix]

http://motoring.aol.co.uk/motoring-gall ... llery/3093 These lists crop with annoying regularity on AOL/MSN and the like. Often focusing on cars from a british background - knowing full well that the manufacturers have long since gone to the wall, and are unable to sue...