Volvo 440 Si CVT 4 SALE! - £325

[Station]

Here is my recently acquired Volvo 440 Si FOUR SALE!

A swift bit of history - it was owned by a chap since 1996. The chap passed away in 2003, and it was then owned by his son, who did limited mileage until now. He had the car serviced at Volvo and MOT'd every year.

It's a 1.8 8v with the CVT 'transmatic'. Not having much history with automatics, but it's 'smoother' than automatics with no noticable increase in rev range, and no upchanges. I'd say it was nothing like the CVT in your Mini/Metro/DAF.

 

The good:

It is a lovely browny metallicy colour.

It has MOT until the month of June 2014.

It will come with 6 months tax.

I've spent £100 on parts for it.

It has four keys and two working alarm/central locking fobs

It has just had the cambelt changed - all fluids/filters are very recent.

The car is quite solid, rear arches are free of rust, all the seams are OK.

I've put a new crank sensor on it.

It's had new tyres on the front with a few hundred miles on them.

It's just had a new Volvo battery in the past few months.

There are a few recent receipts from the past year from Volvo amounting to nearly one grand. 

 

The bad:

The interior is in nice condition - the driver's seat is stuck on the runners. I had to remove it 'the hard way', and I have a new set of runners before sale.

There is a leak from the boot area - I believe I have cured this (by sealing up the rear lights and the aerial), but the carpet is a bit damp. I've begun the process of drying it out, and it should be dry by the time someone buys it.

It was owned by a Christian couple. There is a fish sticker on the boot, and numerous Christian paraphernalia inside the car. This is a bonus if you are a fan of God (I've not been to church for years, but I don't mind him tbh).

 

The ugly:

The car is currently untaxed, but will tax when bought or when I need it (so in effect, it'll be like the countdown clock but with tax running out)

The front wing has rust around the rim - I didn't notice this until I turned the jet wash onto it, and it took paint off. It's spread two inches in. You could clean it up easily.

The chappy broke the key off in the ignition - he got a new barrel (from Volvo), so that's why there are four keys (one for doors/boot/petrol cap) and one for ignition. Alarm fob negates the use of using key in the doors.

The thermostat is open, so the heater sits just above 'L' (which stands for LOW). I have a new thermostat and will install at the weekend, (MPG is suffering because of it)

 

Price is in title, includes car with consideration for tax, parts, and cleaning up.

If the car doesn't sell, I will place it in a giant butcher's meat slicer, and slice off 1mm each day. I'M SEROUS!

 

I'll go out on my lunch break and take some photos!

[Jim Bell]

Jesus Sez: bargain. Would walk on water to purchase. But just been hammered wif tacks (tax).

[Station]

Have no proof of this, but may actually drive on water.

 

Here are the only photos I have:

 

When I spotted it:

 

 

When it was for sale:

 

 

Some of the interior/interia/inertia:

 

 

A stripped torx bolt in the seat runner. That stripped because it was seized. Also demonstrates nice patterned carpet. All bits have now been hoovered up (the ones you can't get to because they're in hard to hoover up places):

 

[fordperv]

That looks a gr9 motor

[Jim Bell]

Integrated sunstrip screen is for win.

[Lankytim]

Bet the seat runners were seized because it had one owner for so long and the sear was never adjusted for different drivers. I had a Peugeot 205 with the same problem and it took ages to shift!

[barefoot]

how much for just the god particles?

[bub2006]

I think its quiet a rare motor now? I thought they had conventional auto boxes by then. never knew cvt boxes where that late. Nice motor and good luck with sale

[warren t claim]

HOW FAST DOES IT GO BACKWARDS?

[Station]

Seat runners were either corroded to the base (and no amount of hammering would 'freely' shift them (ie, they moved 2mm with each whack)) or the old big 50p lodged in it had done it.

 

God particles are no longer in the car due to my unholy language removing the seat (on Sunday).

 

They are quite rare, the amount left must be two figures.

 

It goes quite fast backwards, I managed to reverse park this morning, but had to be quick as traffic was coming towards me. I did about 30mph.

 

Going up in a minute to a) remove some wheels I've collected from the (cavernous) boot take some photos.

[Station]

Feast your eyes on these:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Loads more here:

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/96593341@N06/sets/72157637183497834/

 

May God be with you (my child).

[Junkman]

This is quite cheerfully grim.

GLWTS etc. etc.

[tooSavvy]

Wing must be a newwey... by Bodgitt 'n Scarpa Bodyworx?

 

tooSavvy

[dugong]

Er..........I may have jumped the gun a bit on the old CVT thing. You do know I know NOTHING about sludge pumps, right?
My legally acquired* handbook from the HK Motors scrapper reckons it's a normal BW HP14.

Yes, the Torx bolts seize, I had a great** time with a T45 bit and a breaker bar in Aberdeen trying to get the leather seats out of the SXI I pirated for bits.

On the plus side, this car is ace for a 440, it drives very well - no creaking from the drop link bushes either, which is a common fault.

 

Handbrake good and strong (400 series are hilariously crap at staying in shape, Dave's is spot-on). B18U engine, so Renault based, single point injection. 90 BHP. Just over a ton so it cracks along nicely without being particularly rapid.

 

The series 2 400s are way easier to source spares for (ask me how I know).

 

GLWTS.

[Station]

It has a dipstick with CVT on it in the box. Gear selector range is different to normal autos, deffo CVT!

[dugong]

It has a dipstick with CVT on it in the box. Gear selector range is different to normal autos, deffo CVT!

 

Er........OK. I can cross post on the vibrant* and stylish** VOC 400 section if you like?

 

I do that board a disservice - there's some great guys on there.

[dugong]

Cross posted in the VOC 400 - Series section.

I copied the flickr link over and left everything else.

I have a tin hat. Would you like one?

http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?p=1510752#post1510752

[Lankytim]

Liepedia sez,

 

 

It is worthy of note that not all 440s or 460s fitted with automatic transmission had the CVT (constantly variable transmission) version, the majority having a conventional 4-speed automatic. The CVT transmission, as fitted to some of the second generation 440/460 series, differs from the earlier, rubber belt driven system as employed in the previous 340. The system as used in the 400 series makes use of steel belts, and was known as 'Transmatic'.

This differs from the rubber belt-driven system in the 340, which was known as 'Variomatic'. A dispute arose over Volvo's use of the Transmatic system in the 400 series, with DAF claiming in court that Volvo did not have permission to use the Transmatic system. DAF won the case, leading to the withdrawal of the CVT transmission from the options list some time after. This, as well as the curious operating nature of the CVT transmission, mean that relatively few CVT-equipped 400 series cars exist.

[Wilko220]

Stupid question re the above.

Didn't Volvo take over DAF's car business in the 70s, so presumably gaining the rights to the technology?

[rml2345]

^ I'd have thought that as well. Unless DAF retained the intellectual property and granted Volvo Cars a licence to produce the Variomatic gubbins? Which would seem a bit odd to say the least considering that they never pursued it in their commercial vehicle business. At least not to an extent that I'm aware of.

I like the look of this 440 and £325 seems something of a bargain. Sadly I'm also a penniless dreamer so GLWTS. 

[Wilko220]

^ I'd have thought that as well. Unless DAF retained the intellectual property and granted Volvo Cars a licence to produce the Variomatic gubbins? Which would seem a bit odd to say the least considering that they never pursued it in their commercial vehicle business. At least not to an extent that I'm aware of.

I like the look of this 440 and £325 seems something of a bargain. Sadly I'm also a penniless dreamer so GLWTS. 

 

Just found this on a different Liepedia page

 

 

 

When DAF was taken over by Volvo, the Variomatic patents were transferred to a company called VDT (Van Doorne Transmissie), later taken over by Bosch. VDT continued development of the CVT and introduced a pushband system in the Ford Fiesta and Fiat Uno. Audi reintroduced an improved version of the variomatic in 2000 under the name multitronic. This system uses a metal belt and lacks a limit to the number of gears available, switching between them without noticeable shocks. These metal drive belts are the most important part of CVT. The only factory still producing these belts, the Bosch factory in the Netherlands, produced the ten millionth belt on 9 May 2007. It is used in over 40 car models, these days even including expensive brands like Mercedes-Benz.

[HillmanImp]

I don't think that DAF would have owned the CVT patents? Its been around for a long time like. Ford had CVT Fiestas in the 80's etc and lots of modern autos have it? Think it was just a bit crapper back then and appealed to a niche market? Dunno?

 

EDIT - Dammit. 

[dugong]

The VOC forum continues to deliver the goods. 

Listed the car in 'Warwickshire \ Wirral'

 

 

 

Where in the country is this car located please?

It's not gonna be in Ystad, is it? 

[Station]

Thanks for that!

I can see selling this is going to be like selling a wasp hive full of AIDS.

[dugong]

Thanks for that!

I can see selling this is going to be like selling a wasp hive full of AIDS.

 

They're not the easiest cars to sell, no.

[KruJoe]

Bump for a very pert little bottom.

 

 

A beautiful and rare thing on a Volvo. 'Like'

[Station]

I think so, they are very tidy, but I think this may be down to 'post car purchase affection' syndrome.

I think Volvo's age well.

[Station]

Reduced to £300, can go for £200 without tax. I have three cars on my folk's driveway now (Astra, Justy, 440), and I'm about to put the Nippa on to swap the engine. CUD DO WIV SPACE.

[Station]

Changed the thermostat - the car is really warm inside and has dried out the boot carpet (and the carpet inside) and I get stupid mpg now. Must be in the 40's. I put 40 quid in and did 350 miles. Who said these cars were thirsty?

Also managed 90mph doing 2,500rpm. Why didn't CVT catch on over auto's? My MR2 does 5,000rpm at 80! Surely even better than manual for mpg? I can't praise this car enough, and would happily sell my Justy (which I was going to keep) over this. (This isn't a 'but my Volvo 440' marketing ploy btw).

[dugong]

I quite want this but it would be financial suicide. Although I might have found an ACT Spaceback tailgate for it, which would leave me with the crappiest Volvo estate outside of a Devvo song.

Also, my 460 needs putting back on the road.