Volvo appreciation thread! Lets see em...

[Spiny Norman]

I've had a few.

 

First was this '78 264GLE. Lovely car and while the PRV6 engine isn't the best, it certainly gives the hefty 200 series body the shove it needs.
 

 

Then, several years later I got my Amazon 122S. Great fun, a hoot to drive with a 2 litre twin carb engine, and at one point my daily driver because two cars 10 and 20 years its junior failed to proceed.

 

 

While I had the Amazon, I also had this, giving me two dark blue G reg 2 litre Volvos. The 'Zon felt like a Lotus Cortina compared to this barge.




Life was then a Volvo free zone for a couple of years, and should have remained so because I then bought this oven ready turkey. Looked lovely, drove like shit and had a whole heap of things wrong with it. I really dropped my guard buying this from someone I knew and thought I could trust. Never again.

 

 

I decided another 240 was in order to restore the faith so I got this one about a year ago, right on cue as I had a flat to furnish so it came into its own lugging cooker, fridge, freezer etc around.

 

Which brings us up to date with this. In contrast to the C70, this one looks like shit but drives really well, and was bought for a fraction of what I lost on the coupe.

[davidfowler2000]

Right. My turn to add photos of my members of the Scotoshite Volvo Massiv list of detritus...

 

 

My first Volvo was BECAUSE CMS206. The bastard let me have a shot in E113MFK and I immediately went on the hunt to buy one. I've still got it and it's in much better condition than when I first got it. Love it to bits. I even took it home to Sweden a few months back...

 

 

After that I got my first 960 to scratch my 3 litre and 6 cylinder itches in one go. This one was gloriously low spec with manual adjust cloth seats, a radio and not much else. This one lives on with a felly at work...

 

 

And the reason it's with a felly at work is 'cos this 960 came up...

 

 

Oh. This is technically a Volvo and it was mine until I got bored travelling 45 mins in each direction to where it was being kept to try and do it up. It's now with a small operator near Glasgow being recommisioned and the plate is now gracing the modern in my life...

 

[privatewire]

FFS I'm in Scotland and have never had a Volvo, but desperately want one. Unfortunately said purchase at the moment would strike my missus down with an industrial strength migraine coupled with paralysis of the front bottom...

[anonymous user]

sorry I rarely photograph mine as they have always been working cars, in no particular order:

1986 240 GL Estate

1988 240GL Estate

1974 164 Saloon

1967 Amazon Estate (owned twice)

1986 240 GLT Estate

1966 Amazon Estate

1990 240 DL Estate

1989 240 GLT Estate

1990 240 DL Estate

1989 240 DL Estate current)

 I'm sure I've missed one out somewhere

[They_all_do_that_sir]

My first Volvo was a 73 144GLE in JRG, in 1981. I remember getting a 240 steering wheel from a scrappie because the original was uncomfortably bus like.

Since then I've driven most of them either as company cars/ fleet demonstrators, ones I've bought to sell and a few as family cars. So even though I'm 100% English I'm fond of a Swedish brick,but......

Modern Volvos are just ordinary ! Sorry but I've looked at and test driven a Couple of V70s, an XC70 and an all singing all dancing AWD S80 Exec ( it even had a fridge FFS!). I can report that they don't have that cliched 'hewn from solid' feel that even the old S80 and XC90's still had. To add insult to injury the 2.0 ones even have Mondeo engines complete with iffy DMF etc. needless to say I haven't bought a Volvo and I worry about what future generations of the SVM will worship.

Now is the time to buy up 2006/7 S80s and ex Polis T5 V70s to salt away( maybe not literally) for the wains, especially as I see a lot of 'em on trailers behind Polish Sprinters heading East.

Totally agree - modern ones aren't a patch on the pre ford volvos. The new V70 is just a mondeo estate in drag.

 

Here's mine:

 

 

There's a thread elsewhere on it. I'm completely bowled over by it, all the car I'll ever need and more. I had niggly back pain the whole time I owned my previous daily (mk3 mondeo), a month into V70 ownership and the back pain was no more.

 

I like to think its the last true volvo, I've read the P2 designs were finalised just before Ford took over, so they may have owned the company at the time but it's a 100% volvo product - it even has headlight wipers which are pure win!

 

Some or all of this might be bollocks though....

 

Unless either someone offers me daft money (I'm not that deluded) or something AMAZING comes up I think I'll hang on to it long term.

 

I really fancy a 240 but the wife is enjoying the fact I have a non shite looking car for once.

[Leyland Lawrence]

How about this taken in 1992.

 

The brown one was fantastic. Long gone sadly. I'd pay good money for another brown A reg with FSH.

 

Blue one was first of the 1.7s and good too.

[320touring]

I appreciate not having a volvo;)

[trigger]

I've never owned a Volvo and to be honest I've never felt the need to own one, (apart from about 15 years ago when i really fancied a late 440 2.0 SE in Met. Green).

 

That said I've wanted a Amazon for for years, I went to look at this one a few years back now.

 

 

 

It was a 122S with the 2.0 lump and overdrive, sadly it was pretty rotten and i went home without paying the £1800 being asked for it, The next day the owner rang me offering me it for £800 but i still rejected it as it needed so much work. (rotten wings, chrome work, engine leaked oil, much of the interior was missing and it needed a lot of welding for the mot).

 

I will buy one one day though.

[HillmanImp]

^^^ No Mot since 24/08/2011 and untaxed/SORN since Sept 2012

[Sloth in a bowl]

 

I forget as to what a nicely proportioned looking car the V40 is. Nothing to offend the eye on it at all, with the minor exception of the indicator repeater behind the front wheel.

[Junkman]

I had a  lovely 164 auto in that marroon colour they all seemed to be with black leather.

The one I drove was in that dark turquoise metallic, which seems to be the only other colour they came in.

It also had black leather (was anything else available?) and bacon fryers in the front seats.

It had Laycock De Normanville overdrive and that 'remote control' (read: absolutely no control) gearshift poking

out of the completely console-free tunnel somewhere you didn't expect it.

The handbrake was also where you didn't expect it, namely between the driver's seat and the sill.

 

Funnily enough, I obtained a Politoys 1:25 scale model resembling the very car last Sunday at a toy fair.

[trigger]

^^^ No Mot since 24/08/2011 and untaxed/SORN since Sept 2012

 

That doesn't sound good, Looking at my photo data I must have gone to see it on 27/7/10 so I'm guessing it got though one more MOT and then taken of the road?.

[inconsistant]

 

OK, it might not be a proper Ovlov, but it has been to Scotland. Also headlamp wipers ftw.

[dugong]

JESUS CHRIST EVERYONE STOP BUYING 340S AND 360S YOU'RE MAKING ME BLOODY WANT ONE AGAIN

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Oh ,the delicious irony of your post count

[Albert Ross]

Not old by any means... not shite, until you realise it's a mish-mash of parts bin stuff. One of (allegedly) 600 odd SE Lux Powershifts in UK spec over 3 years. One of the first 50 imported. I reckon a Dealer Demo originally, utterly loaded with kit.... It tipped the scales at over £28,000 when new. I've had it a year. For a shade over £8K. PSa Hdi engine, Getrag Pre-Select... Focus platform etc.

[Six-cylinder]

Spotting this thread now is bad news, I need to get packed up for a business trip to Norfolk tomorrow and having worked for two Volvo dealers had countless company Volvos and then owned lots myself I can bore the most harded Volvo fan on the subject. I even managed to influence my wife by bringing a 1988 740GLE auto estate home, which she took over when I had finished with it. Now she has a 1999 Volvo V70 T5 Auto with 195k on it.

 

I will have to limit photos to this one as I need to get on with other things now, rather than bore you with dozens of Volvos I have know and loved!

 

[simmo]

 

Sweden Last Week

[bub2006]

After looking through this thread I quiet like the looks of the 960 and 740. Would love a 4+od 740 or auto. Like the 340 too. My grandfather had a G reg 340 dl cvt when I was young. Remember it being noisy but I did love the bleeper! Think my dad said it wasn't the best to drive and thirsty too.

[Barry Cade]

Not got pics of all of mine, although I will have a few snaps on proper photographic paper somewhere,taken with something called a 35mm camera....

 

Here was my first FWD Volvo, ex Devon and Cornwall armed Response vehicle...sticker on top of engine which said " Shell Test Engine"... had done about 220,000 miles and could still spin up the front tyres at 70+ . Came from Liverpool and sold to Kent.

 

850 2.5 10v SE, bought from Perth Auctions for 120 quid. Looked very rough under a layer of dust and flat paint/tyres/battery. 1 day later and a trip to Nobles this was the end result. That colour is my favorite colour of ever..  Came from Perth and sold to a trader in Fife for a big profit.

 

The current Peugeot engined Belgian built Ford chassied Chinese V40, in Germany.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

The one I drove was in that dark turquoise metallic, which seems to be the only other colour they came in.

It also had black leather (was anything else available?) and bacon fryers in the front seats.

It had Laycock De Normanville overdrive and that 'remote control' (read: absolutely no control) gearshift poking

out of the completely console-free tunnel somewhere you didn't expect it.

The handbrake was also where you didn't expect it, namely between the driver's seat and the sill.

 

Funnily enough, I obtained a Politoys 1:25 scale model resembling the very car last Sunday at a toy fair.

Whilst I agree most survivors seem to be maroon or tourquoise,when I was at school our deputy head- Billy Whizz, had a white H reg 164 Auto that he used to tow a posh Carlight caravan with. Having a Volvo was almost compulsory for teachers at my school ,because the only dealer in town (Aberaeron) was Lloyd Motors, a Volvo and Ford place.

[simmo]

[RobT]

I've had four. A 340 1.7 manual which was great fun when we had loads of snow in the 2007/8 winter. Skinny tyres plus RWD got me up hills others couldn't manage. No real skill involved though, I'd just floor it and snake all the way up hoping I'd reach the top.

 

Then a 360 GLT which I think Barrington Shitpeas may have also owned at some point, a black F reg slighly lowered with pimpish wheels. Not normally my thing but that was a great car. Being a bit of a short arse the upright driving position of 300s suited me perfectly, I'd definitely have another.

 

After that I had a 460 with dodgy electrics but was a decent drive, and finally a 740 to help with a house move which had the obligatory fucked headlining and fuel/temp gauges that were a bit random.

 

I think the Volvo itch has been fully scratched, although dug's early 460 looks a right hottie, wouldn't mind one of those.

[danthecapriman]

I did eventually go on ebay, just for a quick look! Fortunatly no big bumper 200's on there at the moment! There is a very tidy, low mileage 240 in that light blue colour but as nice as it is its up for a grand!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1988-VOLVO-240-GL-BLUE-/271634724921?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item3f3eb0f839

 

I WILL have one of these one day too. Great looking car and the colour is perfect!

1976 Volvo 242.

 

I dont think they were sold in the uk though unfortunatly. But for me these are the ultimate 200 series.

[Jim Bell]

Sorry, I've just remembered that I have owned some 850s too.

 

 

Roffle T5

 

 

 

 

 

LPG 850 2.5.

 

 

 

[dugong]

460 Turbo is a laugh. I must get it back on the road. 

There's quite a nice 2.0-litre 480ES on the blue forum in fart grey (citation needed) that I wouldn't mind owning, but there's not enough room at the inn right now. 

[panhard65]

Seeing all the volvo love got me thinking about another 480. This one is just down the road from me but way overpriced.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Volvo-480-2-0-ES-/181482625731?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item2a41351ac3

[phil_lihp]

I do like the looks of the 480, quite a big step for Volvo really, when you consider the rest of their model line-up was the 340, 240 and 740 ranges.  Are they actually any good in terms of performance and handling?

 

Loving the interior in that red one Panhard65 found, it does say 'offers' so he might just be an optimistic realist.

[Richard]

This dreadful scan of a dreadful picture is the 244 I learned to drive in.

 

 

A 2.1 with single carburettor, it went better than any RWD Volvo I've driven since. It used to pass its MOT every year with only the handbrake needing work but eventually it got too rusty. and went for scrap. I still regret getting rid of it.

 

It was to be 20 years before I had another Volvo, this van engined 940 estate.

 

shot_1301764050573 by RichardB5, on Flickr

 

DSC_7602 by RichardB5, on Flickr

 

Maybe it wasn't a good example but I don't share Oman5's enthusiasm for the LT engine. I felt like I had to rag it all the time to keep moving and it wasn't great on fuel. When a cheap LPG C5 came up I sold the Volvo to Lacquer Peel, it didn't go any better for him and he sold it on quite soon after. It's still MOTed at the moment but it's not taxed, so it's probably Game Over for it.

 

All the time I had the 940 I wondered what an 850 with the Audi 5 pot diesel engine would be like, so when the chance to find out came up courtesy of Jonathan Dyane on this forum I took it.

 

DSC_3910 by RichardB5, on Flickr

 

I know of a 480 that is potentially for sale in Fife. It's out of MOT but looks straight enough. The owner has left it in my friend's garden but it can't stay there forever and my friend will be pushing the owner (who works overseas) to do something with it the next time he's home.

[oman5]

A quarter turn of the fuelling screw is all it takes, although it depends how worn the engine is to start with..my 740 td was non inter cooled and was a flying machine, the current 940 not so quick but it has done 246k.

None of them are that great on fuel, 40 mpg the maximum but it will do that on whatever fuel you put in it.

You can fiddle with the pump and the turbo to make lots of smoke and power if you feel like it.