Six Cylinders Motoring Notes - Saying goodbye to a fleet member!

[Six-cylinder]

14 minutes ago, HMC said:

Interesting comparison of the launch era 480s. re the body coloured / black plastic bumpers on the @jamescarruthers / @Six-cylinder 480 models respectively- was that a trim Level difference from new or a later change to the spec?

As far as I remember all the early 480ES except black ones had dull plastic bumpers. Black cars had gloss black bumpers and looked a lot better for it, I think that was part of the reason I choose a black one for myself. All turbos had body coloured bumpers.

My guess I is @jamescarruthers car has had a bumper swap at some time and looks a lot better for it.

1990/91 I worked on the same Volvo dealers separate used car site and was allowed to pick any car out of stock for my personal transport that included these two 480ES's.

[garycox]

It was a rusty front subframe which caused terrible handling; I ended up giving the car to a friend in exchange for some mechanical work on something else and he managed to locate and fit a NOS one.

It was transformed after that and a really nice car to drive. He sold it on and sadly a couple of owners later it was stolen and burnt out.

[D.E]

Yes, the unpainted grey bumpers eventually disappeared, and from that point on all models had shiny painted ones. I am not 100% sure, but I think this happened with model year 1993, when other changes (introduction of the 2.0 engine and S version) were introduced as well. Mine is an early MY 1993 (built in 1992) entry level S, and the painted bumpers are original.

[Floatylight]

I started working for a local hifi dealer in early 1990 as a Saturday job, business was good he had just opened his second shop, he had recently taken delivery of his first brand new car, A 480ES turbo, lovely car. Unfortunately there was one major flaw, the boot of the Volvo could just about fit a boxed pair of bookshelf speakers, a decent pair of floorstanders and the rest of the system had no chance, if lasted another few months before he gave in and p/x for a ex demo 740 estate..

[Six-cylinder]

18 minutes ago, Floatylight said:

I started working for a local hifi dealer in early 1990 as a Saturday job, business was good he had just opened his second shop, he had recently taken delivery of his first brand new car, A 480ES turbo, lovely car. Unfortunately there was one major flaw, the boot of the Volvo could just about fit a boxed pair of bookshelf speakers, a decent pair of floorstanders and the rest of the system had no chance, if lasted another few months before he gave in and p/x for a ex demo 740 estate..

I was much crueller than that, I insisted on taking my 480's on holiday limiting my kids as to how many toys they could take just so I could use the 480!

Yes I worked for a Volvo dealer and could have easily swapped cars with a college for a more roomy car.

[Crackers]

This might be of interest for the future.

@Mrs6C

[Six-cylinder]

4 hours ago, Crackers said:

This might be of interest for the future.

@Mrs6C

Involved with Trackwork at FoD Light Railway

[hairnet]

puttin it down now baws

[hairnet]

christopher you hooligan

@Six-cylinder catching up on the calendar and obvs the gs is there

owned for a few months then hyowj gap then long time till now

why the gap?

offer you couldnt refuse?

[Six-cylinder]

17 hours ago, hairnet said:

christopher you hooligan

@Six-cylinder catching up on the calendar and obvs the gs is there

owned for a few months then hyowj gap then long time till now

why the gap?

offer you couldnt refuse?

I did my driving practise on a green GS 1220 Club, in the 1980s I bought a couple of my father’s cast offs a silver GS Pallas 1220 and a brown GS X2.

In 2007 I did some work for a car mad boss and during the working day was allowed encouraged to browse eBay classic cars for sale. When I found the GS he said he would go to Grimsby with me and drive it back. I won the auction and we collected the car.

It was an MOTed running car and I enjoyed it, but realised it was going to need a lot of work sometime in the future. I sold it while it still had some life left in it. When it next came up for sale Mrs6C said we should buy it back, I declined knowing that it was going to need a lot of work at some point. That happened 3 more times until the car was on its knees and in danger of becoming a parts donor.

Mrs6C still said we needed to save it so I bought back the scrap G special in 2013. We then sent it to Chevronics for a mechanical refresh and had the body work sorted out including new doors, new floors and a respray.

31 days of our cars I have driven 2022

https://calendar.myadvent.net/?id=hhc8tn1h0b9fvr4dy1i6bxa2483r7z5x

 

 

[hairnet]

49 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

 Mrs6C said we should buy it back

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mrs6C still said we needed to save it 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

good job @Mrs6C has a good memory

[wuvvum]

I've had a couple of 480s (that I can remember) - a white E-plate 1.7 and a late blue 2.0 which I ended up swapping for a Commer Walkthrough burger van.  I love the styling of them but the electrics, especially the dashboards, were a right PITA on both.

[richardmorris]

31 minutes ago, hairnet said:

good job @Mrs6C has a good memory

I thought he was brave blaming @Mrs6C

[hairnet]

i think he tagged cos hed only forget

she also tells him to buy the interesting cars

[Six-cylinder]

I don't think there is going to be any car stuff today!

The view from my office window might be nice but greeted with -7.8° C outside and +13.5° C indoors and I am not even keen to even sit at my desk. The garage is the lowest I have ever seen it +5°C. I can't wait for my Chinese heater to arrive!

[Snake Charmer]

The brown GS jogged an 80's memory, the brother of an ex-girlyfriend had one. He tore the drivers door off trying to reverse out a muddy verge outside his house. All those childhood years he never noticed the lamp post.

I was asked to do some Mot welding and had to decline after looking under the carpet, there was river silt and rust everywhere. His second car I declined to weld. 

 

[Six-cylinder]

6 hours ago, Snake Charmer said:

The brown GS jogged an 80's memory, the brother of an ex-girlyfriend had one. He tore the drivers door off trying to reverse out a muddy verge outside his house. All those childhood years he never noticed the lamp post.

I was asked to do some Mot welding and had to decline after looking under the carpet, there was river silt and rust everywhere. His second car I declined to weld. 

There was an awful lot of work done on ours.

[hairnet]

sploof

 

[Six-cylinder]

2022, it has been a fantastic motoring year for us, we have managed to have 39 of our own cars out and about on the road during the year all legal.

Credit for this has to go the Autoshite gang who have helped me, checking tyre pressures, logistics, grass cutting, engine lifting, selling me great cars, obtaining parts and consumables and countless tasks that have made this possible.  I am afraid to add names in case I forget somebody. 

1.     Alfa 156 V6 Saloon

2.     Mercedes CLK 320 Convertible

3.     Mazda MX5

4.     Citroen 2CV

5.     BMW 325i SE E30

6.     Peugeot 306 Cab

7.     BMW M3

8.     Renault Clio 2 RN 1.6 Auto

9.     Range Rover TDV6 Vogue

10.  BMW 3.0 S

11.  Citroen DS D Super

12.  Citroen GS

13.  Jaguar E Type

14.  Daimler Sovereign S1

15.  Daimler Sovereign S2

16.  MGB GT

17.  Chrysler Sebring Convertible

18.  Triumph Vitesse 2 Ltr convertible

19.  Ferrari 308GT4

20.  Citroen AX 14TRS

21.  Mercedes 200TE

22.  Lancia Trevi 2.0

23.  BMW 735i SE

24.  Citroen C15D Van

25.  Citroen XM SX 2.0 16v Auto

26.  Citroen ZX 1.9TD Estate

27.  Alfa 156 Sportswagon Veloce

28.  Citroen BX GTi

29.  MG Metro

30.  Citroen Visa 17RD C reg

31.  Triumph Toledo 4 door

32.  Citroen Ami

33.  Mercedes 230TE

34.  Fiat Seicento

35.  Mercedes E320 Coupe

36.  Lancia Gamma

37.  Citroen Xantia Activa

38.  Volvo V70 T5 Auto

39.  Peugeot 404

[hairnet]

54 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

 

 

 

❤️❤️❤️

 

[chaseracer]

4 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

Being let loose in the D Super, Trevi and C15 was definitely an automotive high point of the past year.  

The last pic just sums up for me the 'FoD vibe', as well as the generosity and hospitality of the 6Cs...

[Noel Tidybeard]

having dipped my toe in the water actually going to the FOD and being driven by the gov'nor in the DS, this will have to be a next step

 

i want to have a go in the big blue invisible elephant in the drive 😁

[Dick Longbridge]

23 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

 

Absolutely love this. 

If you've still got it in a few years when Longbridge Jr is old enough, I'll have to attend a FOD session in the vague hope the MG is there for a quick raz...

Edit: You have 39 cars on the road?! That must be one hell of a key cabinet!!!

[Mrs6C]

20 minutes ago, Dick Longbridge said:

That must be one hell of a key cabinet!!!

There are three of them...

[hairnet]

1 hour ago, Mrs6C said:

There are three hundred of them...

 

[Six-cylinder]

Borrowed cars 2022

For borrowed my criteria is a car I have use of without the owner being present. All these were stabled at my house. I have excluded a run up the road such as Chaseracer's Dyane or  Wuvvum's Toyota on this list.

·         Kia EV6

·         Mini e

·         Fiat 500e

·         Vauxhall Astra DTi Eco

·         Austin Allegro 1500 special

·         VW Caddy

·         Triumph 2000 Mk1 estate

Kia business sale were great to deal with and after I said I would not be buying a Serento because our boat was too heavy for the hybrid they asked if there was anything else I could do for me. I cheekily said I would like to try a fully electric car. A few weeks later an EV6 level 3 was delivered to my house for a week. I enjoyed driving it and like the looks but at £50k it just did not fit in.

After the Kia I had a taste for electric cars so I looked at the cheaper ones and tried the Mini e, again through business sales so I had it overnight. I enjoyed the car but the sub 100 mile range knocked it out of court.

I had also enquired from Fiat business sales for a 500e loan and they delivered to my door a pink 500e cabriolet for a week. I loved it and even the pink was growing on me, I was sorry to give it back but at £33k that had to be. I could have bought a decent banger every other month and thrown it away for the payments.

Andyrew asked me to look after has spare Astra DTi Eco in the summer and use it if I wished. I had no need of it until the winter came and I put my toys away, now it is my go to car.

I was very pleased when Andyrew’s Allegro 1.5 Special ended up at my house and I enjoyed taking it to a show. The Allegro then did not want to leave and developed a clutch slave problem so it could have an extended stay.

Zel left his VW caddy with me for logistical reasons and I could not resist the offer to use it. A most useful car that is easy to drive around in.

The other car I have borrowed this year is a Triumph 2000 MK1 estate fitted with a 2.5Pi engine. It belongs to my favourite garage and I have watched him take it from a rusting hulk to a good useable car. I had always shown interest in it and been offered a drive up the road in it. I decided to chance my arm and ask to borrow it overnight so I could take it to a local Triumph meeting. That all worked out well and got to borrow it for a second Triumph Club meeting.

Thanks to everyone who trusted me with their cars.

[Six-cylinder]

As my Grandad used to complain "wear the old ones out first"

[Six-cylinder]

Today at last the timing gears for the Saab 95 arrived. The engine is not rebuild and won't be ready for my planned between Christmas and New Year drop back into the car. 

[AnthonyG]

That Triumph 2000 estate is gorgeous.
I’d much rather have it than any of those electric moderns. 

[Six-cylinder]

I have just been given this book by my sister in law, how many do we own!