Bramz ever changing fleet merry go round.

[BeEP]

Ah sorry Peter, I didn't want to pip anyone to it! I will give you dibs however. 

 

No problem, I wasn't complaining.  It's just the way it goes, you snooze (or in my case go away for two days), you lose!  I'll almost certainly have it when you've finished with it though; you should even make a profit for once!  It's very much my sort of spec, being pretty much the base model (although it does have leather).  I've never driven a diesel auto, and reckon it would be the ideal compromise between my white one and half-decent fuel economy.

[flat4alfa]

One odd quirk with the Multipla, the rear windows are electric but you cannot open them from the drivers seat. I have never been in a car like that before.

 

ELX, TADS

 

Because Fiat forgot.

[bramz7]

Okay, so I did have another 820 until recently, but my other halfs dad is obsessed with them, and I figured it easier to give it to him, so he can have fun with a project. 

 

However, problem number one with this was the 800 sized hole it left in my fleet. Yeah yeah they are crap lololol etc. I actually like how they drive, definitely the most waft of all the barges I have tried out. However, they have become one of the cars that are either £££££ with traders, or ££££ with enthusiasts who don't want to sell them. 

 

I found one on eBay, forgot it was on there and missed out. Or did I? It got re-listed, I then successfully made a last second snipe and won it! 

 

However, the seller then told me the car was being a bit iffy. Oil spots in the coolant, bubbles, slightly gunky oil cap.....but apparently the older lady who owned accidentally put PAS fluid in the expansion tank (!!!!), which was drained right away. With some rather huge question marks over the car, the seller let me have it for less than half that I won it for. 

 

It was bloody chucking it down in SE London last night, ideal weather for a breakdown. RobT picked me up from Elmers End station in the Impreza, and once I got over the flashbacks to my parents old one, we arrived at the Rover, at the back of the drive of a very nice house. Met the seller and his MIL (who owned it since it was three months old), started the car up, did the important bits and went on our merry way. The rear tyres were sub 10 PSI, and the front's weren't much better! Got some air into them, experienced the sheer frustation of the immobiliser deciding I hadn't started the car for long enough and that faff..

 

Here it is:

 

P1050584 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

P1050585 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

P1050582 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

P1050586 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

P1050587 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

Some giffer scuffs and blemishes, and the paint is a bit scratched up close, but it's amazingly solid. Even the sills look fresh, coated in a fine mist of Londons finest grime. Interior is lovely, as per most 800s, and it really feels a par above the earlier 800 I had. Even the dashtop has barely even lifted. 

 

It drove back really well. A few uh oh moments as it stuttered slightly on the motorway to begin with, no doubt a mechanical groan at being forced to travel at a reasonable velocity after two decades of....not? 

 

Fuel economy is predictably pretty terrible, they seem to have a drinking problem by design so 30 was probably the average. The ZF box is fine, smooth changes and no noises. Windows seem fine (why do they beep when being used?!!), all of the dials seem good, etc etc.

 

The not so good is:

 

Tyres are all a bit out of date, despite reasonable tread.

Alternator bearings sound absolutely shot. It is louder than the engine!

Exhaust rattling quite badly around the front

Expansion tank is cracked

Slight oil seepage

Thermostat is awful

 

 

That seems about it for now! I really like it, and I don't plan on making this a short term ownership. It's nice to be the first person to own an older car after a long term owner, although hopefully I don't find any bodges. 

 

Found an invoice for the cambelt and water pump at 55k, it's now sat on 69k. Has a lovely, lush original Rover book wallet too, nice bit of brown leather.

[mrbenn]

Lovely. Looks very well in that colour.

[wuvvum]

If memory serves (it's been a while), the windows beep if the battery has been disconnected / gone flat.  It's kind of like that thing Renault windows do where they will only go up / down by about an inch at a time.  Unhelpfully I cannot remember how to reset them.

[bramz7]

Battery has been disconnected as it was sat for 5 months. It also doesn't like being locked and then unlocked with the key, earlier it only opened the driver's door and set the alarm off.

 

Thankfully the fob sorted it out.

 

 

-edit, just fixed the beeps. You have to calibrate the windows and sunroof by doing a cycle of them or something.

[Wingz123]

If memory serves (it's been a while), the windows beep if the battery has been disconnected / gone flat. It's kind of like that thing Renault windows do where they will only go up / down by about an inch at a time. Unhelpfully I cannot remember how to reset them.

With the Renaults you go all the way down and all the way back up and once it hits the end (both when up and when down) go one more in the same direction so that it can learn it can go no further. On those it normally occurs when battery has gone flat and it needs to relearn the parameters - whether this has anything to do with the fact that some of these Renaults have ECU’s in each door for the windows may have something to do with that - something a Rover of this vintage I’m sure wouldn’t have....

[Jim Bell]

That looks pretty awesome. Is it genuine BREXIT RAGING GREEN?

[flat4alfa]

Slight oil seepage

 

TADS

 

Because T-series.

[flat4alfa]

Found an invoice for the cambelt and water pump at 55k, it's now sat on 69k

 

That was 7 years ago tho

 

Rover said 60k / 5 years on the T16.

 

Best give your Rover dealer a ring to confirm.  Ahh, hang on..

[bramz7]

The engine and gearbox are incredibly quiet on it, shame about the alternator making a right racket. That's top of the list for replacement.

 

 

Isn't it odd how certain cars have an impact on you? I had planned on flogging the Multipla but now I'm tempted to keep it and stash it away in that barn. It's got plenty of issues but it doesn't seem like a scrapper just yet.

[bramz7]

I picked this up today

 

P1050642 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

P1050643 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

P1050645 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

P1050644 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

Apart from the normal steering wheel wear, slightly hard leather and whining pulley somewhere, it is brilliant. I was a little suspicious of how it would be as the dealer kept insisting on the no warranty, which didn't bother me as its 23 years old, but y'know....

 

Anyway, long story short, it drove back fine. Great turn of speed, the engine sounds brilliantly healthy and I think the majority of the limited toys work. Odometer appears to have broken about 2-3 years ago, so 194k is probably around 200k. 

 

It's got a fair amount of blank buttons, but has what appears to be a basic cruise control built into the headlight stalk. Load bay cover long since vanished.

 

I was digging through the generous amounts of paperwork it came with, discovering the previous owner got it serviced at the Swedish Car Centre almost bi-annually, and before that they were having it serviced at HR Owen in Regents Park!

 

I also discovered who owned it before they did, the Swedish Embassy! I have all the documents from when they registered it (and imported it from somewhere, unsure where) back in the early 2000s. 

 

It's a cracking car and I am damn chuffed about it. 

[purplebargeken]

Christ, I can't keep up with your purchases, all rather ace. Am utterly loving the Multipla, really cool car. 

[barrett]

Sounds like the service history we all dream of finding! Grey leather is pretty grim, but I like the rest of it

[Broadsword]

Can't keep up with the sheer pace of car purchases. Fantastic work. I think you have done pretty well with that Volvo there!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

This Volvo looks fantastic, I need something like this. I've done 25k in the Stilo now and would like a change, even though its working perfectly

[Kringle]

Caught a picture of you in the dealers doing the paperwork, you looked well chuffed.

 

[Tetleysmooth]

I've got a set of alloys in my garden that would fit straight on the Volvo.

 

Same as these 'uns

 

 

So, if you fancy them and you're around Rainham way, give me a shout.

The tyres will need changing though.

[Ghosty]

I wonder why you like that - the interior is identical to my T5 Cruise though, you lucky bugger. That's the only thing mine didn't have that I was hoping for. Nice buy - doesn't look to have rotten front wings either which is something. I'd suggest undersealing inside them but the arch liners on these are riveted in, moderate PITA to sort. If you do though. silicone in the gap between the wing and the end of the bumper though, to stop further dirt ingress.

[bramz7]

Cheers for the comments all, it really is a canny buy considering it was a dealer who only got it due to the ULEZ rendering it obsolete to the previous owner, bet they were gutted. I think he told me they ended up with a Focus as a replacement.

 

It is quite similar to the V70 TDI I had, but the ride is much softer, the plastics seem far more solid and durable and it just seems more Volvo like to me. 

 

Its a 4 speed box but the revs at 70 are not much different to the manual. 

[Jim Bell]

A diesel estate is one of the gaps I regret having in my Volvo ownership CV. Hope you keep that forever man.

[Wingz123]

Still going strong because 5-cyl Audi engine - sadly these have all gone to Eastern Europe because of this - had an A6 back when they had this engine in it. Ended up selling for VERY strong money for that fact!

[clayts450]

Glad you ended up with that 820 at a knockdown price - any signs of impending HGF doom ? Pretty rare on a T-series it has to be said.

[bangernomics]

Great cars and good load eaters too, the parents have had loads over the years and relatively reliable.

 

Good auto diesel combo that and no dpf nonsense either.

[bangernomics]

You riffling that Multipla yet? I’d probably take 59 tickets if it’s a good un.

[Fabergé Greggs]

Looks like a great ol’ bus.

 

I’d be removing those hubcaps for full utilitarean effect.

[wuvvum]

Love this.  That VAG 5-pot is a brilliant engine - far better than the V6 which replaced it.

[bramz7]

You riffling that Multipla yet? I’d probably take 59 tickets if it’s a good un.

No not yet. In two minds about selling it to be honest, I'm not sure why I've become attached to it

[bangernomics]

No not yet. In two minds about selling it to be honest, I'm not sure why I've become attached to it

I'm the same really I like mine just prefer the quirky earlier ones.

[yes oui si]

All about that Volvo in ways which would make ABBA blush.