Volvo 480 turbo - are high miles bad?

[AnthonyG]

The Rover 75 diesel will be OK as long as it is a cared for example, you need to avoid all the multi-owner specials that get constantly punted onwards whenever a problem rears its head. Diesels have a lot less problems than petrols.

 

It's worth checking out all electronics work as they should.

 

Don't be too sensible though, you might end up with an Avensis !

[r.welfare]

Don't be too sensible though, you might end up with an Avensis !

What's wrong with that?

 

I like those Primeras, but if you look at it make sure it's not had irregular oil changes with 20W50 as the camchains seem to snap. Also rust in the rear wheelarches/sills is a ballache.

 

A Primera is probably closest to a Pug from a handling perspective when it comes to the Japanese stuff.

[face]

Excellent......"Here you are like a couple of Saturday boys"

[trigger]

Still confused as to why you'd want to move from a lovely 309 to some dull nondescript thing. Just get another man!

He has a point, how about this lovely little Automatic one with 9000 miles from new for £795?.

 

1987 Pug 309 1.6 SR

[carlo]

I would have thought a nice 406, petrol or diesel would be a nice progression from the 309. Even more comfortable, still drives like a Peugeot if a little more remote, and thousands to choose from including in scrapyards.

[MK5 Escort]

If you want to stick with Peugeot and want something larger than your 309, then yes, I'd also recommend an early 406. One of the last of the pretty Peugeots.

 

A Primera or earlyish Toyota Avensis should last forever even if only half-cared for, and should now easily come within your budget. They're both dull as dishwater though and the latter isn't that brilliant to drive either. Dependable, but forgettable. My brother had an early 'R' plate Avensis hatchback for about three years. With his work, he put about 120,000 on it in that time, including various towing. It already had done 54,000 miles when he bought it. Other than a wheel bearing it never missed a beat and with his mechanically unsympathetic approach to driving, that's bloody good going.

 

I wouldn't mind having the Rover 75 CDT from your list but yes, they do have fuel pump issues. A friend of mine briefly had a Freelander van with a recon CDT diesel in it, and that went though two fuel pumps in the space of about ten months... Shame really, because otherwise I'd have a serious horn for a 75 myself, preferably an early one.

 

You should be able to get a decent lower-end VAG TDi product with £2000. The 1.9TDi (red 'i') is a great engine and pulls like a train. Standard spec is usually miserable but built solid.

 

Aren’t Mondeo TDCis a bit fragile as far as fuel injection components go?

I'm not a great fan of either the 115bhp or 130bhp 2.0 TDCi engine if I have to be honest. At work we had several 05 plate Mondeo's with the 115bhp lump in and all but about two were dreadful. Very noisy on tickover, knocked alarmingly at low speeds and the all the injectors failed in three of them before clocking 100,000 miles. We have a few 07 plate (old shape) 130bhp models still hanging on in the fleet and they're barely any better.

 

The earlier TDDi's we had before then, also in Mondeo's, were much more reliable and arguably quieter.

[RedSparrow]

Is your 309 doomed then? I hope not.

[Parky]

How about something like a first generation Seat Leon or Toledo? Very practical and basic stuff is all screwed together relatively well.

[Pillock]

http://autoshite.commlm/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9058

 

Get on it! Less than half your budget, use the spare cash to get blind drunk and forget that a 535i isn't anything like what you were looking for.

[blimp]

Thaks everyone - taking notes!

 

The 309 is most likely a gonner - I think the front end is a bit twisted as the drivers door catches on the wing now and even if it was all straight and true fixing it is a bit beyond my skillz and abilitiez. Plus the damage on the back would need filling and spraying and would never look quite right .

 

It was only ever meant to be a temporary car, 9 years ago, but I got a bit attached to it in the end so I kept spending to fix things.

 

As for another 309, I don't really fancy one again - it will never be quite the same again. Scarily another grey GRDturbo appeared on auto trader, but I'm not tempted. Yet. I was only the second owner, after an old guy up the road had bought it new and I had known of it since it was 2 year old - so I always justified spendig on it as I knew the history.

 

Anyways, I feels like something different - something a bit bigger maybe, with a bit more go - so probably not an older diesel!

 

I shall have another perusal of the cheapies this weekend - I have scaled my budget down to a £1500 maximum just for the added challenge!

[Cavcraft]

Still confused as to why you'd want to move from a lovely 309 to some dull nondescript thing. Just get another man!

He has a point, how about this lovely little Automatic one with 9000 miles from new for £795?.

 

1987 Pug 309 1.6 SR

I still remember how the scrapyards laughed when I wanted an autobox for one of these moons back. I'd have been better off asking for 2,000 brand new genuine Ford wings for a Mk1 Cortina.

Mine made a 'wonderful' screeching noise shortly before 'doing a Laguna'.

[Rocket88]

You should find a decent 306 rag top for that money, and you can get hard tops for them, if it doesn't have one already. Very pretty cars, especially with the hard top on!

[blimp]

On Sunday afternoon my eye was caught by a bronzed beauty on a forecourt, ok, well a T reg 406 1.8 GLX, with 12 months ticket for £1095.

 

What are these like in terms of fixing costs? Do they take hours and hours to do cambelts and the like - which inevitibily leads to large labour bills?

 

Apart from the high insurance quotes, I'm quite taken with it and hopefully I will be able get back this week and take it out for a test drive before someone else buys it.

 

I'll be pressing all the buttons inside to make sure the electricals work,but is there anything particular I need to be looking for?

[AnthonyG]

On Sunday afternoon my eye was caught by a bronzed beauty on a forecourt, ok, well a T reg 406 1.8 GLX, with 12 months ticket for £1095.

 

What are these like in terms of fixing costs? Do they take hours and hours to do cambelts and the like - which inevitibily leads to large labour bills?

 

Apart from the high insurance quotes, I'm quite taken with it and hopefully I will be able get back this week and take it out for a test drive before someone else buys it.

 

I'll be pressing all the buttons inside to make sure the electricals work,but is there anything particular I need to be looking for?

The current (August) issue of car mechanics has a buyers guide on these. From memory (I've given the magazine away now) there were no particular horrors involved in repair costs.

 

If you amend the thread title, or start a new one with Peugeot 406 advice in the title, then somebody more knowledgeable than me should be along soon!

 

Is it a facelift model? These have better safety kit on them. Easist way to tell is that newer ones have different grilles (without slats in them)

[blimp]

Thanks - must hunt me out a copy of the magazine tonight then...

 

Yes it's a facelifted model - always liked the look of them... even with a couple of scratches!

 

and title changed - had been trying to work out how to do it for ages....

[cms206]

My mate had an X-reg 406 1.8LX a few years ago in metallic red. Bought it at about 36k, sold it at about 120k 18 months later, and in that time it needed a brake light switch and a clutch. Since then he's had two 407s (one petrol, one diesel), two 206s (both 1.4 petrol, the older of the two needed an ECU reprogrammed at a couple of hundred quid) and is currently running a 407 2.0 petrol and a K-reg 205 1.1 Zest, and swears that he'll never buy another make again. The 406 is a fine driving car, the 1.8 isn't a bad lump all in all... on that basis, I'll add another +1 for the 406.

[trigger]

The 406's are comfy cars and quite a pleasant place to be, they don't hold their money though so I'd be trying to polish of that £1095 asking price a bit if it was me.

 

I might be wrong but do these also have issues with HGF?

[dollywobbler]

The 406's are comfy cars and quite a pleasant place to be, they don't hold their money though so I'd be trying to polish of that £1095 asking price a bit if it was me.

 

I might be wrong but do these also have issues with HGF?

Not more than any other car. The TD's can blow head gaskets but with both engines, it's more likely to be caused by people refusing to change the coolant.

[r.welfare]

1.8 will be a petrol. I think the facelift 1.8 is a 16-valve, I'd imagine it should be durable. Low number of owners/lots of history (receipts as well ideally) will be the kickers here. Also check the a/c still works.

[Charlie Croker]

I have had 3 xantia's. A L plate 1.8 petrol. The only problem i had was a burst pipe at the rear. Cost 170 quid to repair at a local Citroen specialist in edinburgh. A L plate 1.9 dizzler. Painfully slow but proper relaible. A N plate 1.9 turbo dizzler. Fantastic car mega cheap to buy and run and comfy beyond belief. Buy a pre hdi turbo diesel. Get a good one and drive in style and comfort.....cheap.

[peter9000uk]

Funnily enough my latest shite is 1997 "R" plate 406 estate with 2.0 16v engine. 111k with full history inc cambelt change and MOT till Mark 2011 for £250. Mate is an ex-Pug mechanic and says they do not really have any bad points apart from the remote locking going AWOL. Later ones can give grief with the hydraulic clutch. Mine is an early one so cable! Climate controlled ones can throw a hissy fit but again mine has rotary controls a button for the air con. Air con probs are normally condensor or a front pipe both are a peice of piss to change apparently.

[Pete-M]

I've got an 03 plate 406 LX HDi 110 which may well be up for grabs shortly. I was offered £1500 by a trader for it, which I found somewhat astounding, but as he's not come across with the cash it may well be available shortly. Need to put a clutch in it first though.

 

It's on 147k and is more than likely Cat C, but I've not checked yet. Drives really really well (other than the slippy clutch when you boot it), belt was done at 130k, engine is spotless, it's great on fuel, has AC and a few other gubbins. Dark blue, very tidy (but not mint).

 

MOT'd until end of May 2011, taxed until the end of October I think. If you want it as is, it'll be a grand or so.

[blimp]

I have gone off 406s, and have had my eye caught by an L reg Volvo 480 turbo - how many miles are these engines good for?

 

The one I have seen that is near me has 145000 on it with FSH, and is at £995 with a local dealer. Is this too many miles for too many pounds?

 

I would prefer a n/a one, but they seem pretty thin on the ground these days, well at least I can't find many for sale within a decentish distance from me.

[Jack_Harpers_Teeth]

I had a non turbo ES in the mid 90's;

 

 

Ex fleet car that had covered that sort of miles, biggest problem I encountered was dodgy electrics (especially the Star Trek dashboard) and expensive replacement parts (£1,000 for two rear brake calipers from Volvo!!!) I guess there are plenty of specialists who are able supply parts now though?

 

Great cars though, always a felt as though as you had something different to everyone else - easy to find in the car park too!

[AnthonyG]

I would be wary.

 

You seem to have moved from 'sensible' (Avensis, Rover 75, 406) to 'wacky'!

 

It could be fine but IMHO its a lot more of a risk than other of the others you've thought about. These 480s were not very reliable even when new, and the main problems centred on the electrical bits.

 

I would avoid for everyday transport myself, but it is classic 'autoshite' so maybe you had better get it!!

[blimp]

Agree on the wacky, but what I really want is something a bit different and my 309 was just that. When I got it, it was a toss up between sensible 309 and a 480 - the 309 won because it was cheaper to insure at the time.

 

Now I really fancy a 480, but of course it is nine years later, so everything is even older and more fragile.

 

Why oh why can't I be content with a 12 year old boring/normal car?I just don't feel brave enought to tool around in a Chevette or Maestro...but I don't want another 309!

[trigger]

Hmm... Another car I'm not that keen on, The turbos are very quick but torque steer like a bitch, much like the 440/460 models with the same engine (I'd sooner of one of these myself) The interior is very cheap feeling and the dash creaks on every one I've driven, I could never get comfy in them myself neither, but i am 6ft tall.

 

The mileage shouldn't be to much of a issue as the engines are meant to be pretty good I'm let to believe but I'd be nervous about the turbo letting go as that would write the car off.

 

I also think they suffer from tin worm, I certainly remember working on them 10 years again with rotten arches.

 

I'd be wanting to pay near £500 myself and expecting to spend a small fortune keeping it on the road.

 

You sure you really want one?.

[Volksy]

I had a 480 Turbo, ran it for a couple of years, and to be honest, it was great.

 

Mine had obviously had a hard life, but despite this it was reliable, fast, comfy and reasonably practical.

 

They do rot, especially round the rear arches and sills. And various electrical gremlins will surface, as there is a lot of trick stuff on them. i.e. at night if you lift the doorhandle a little light illuminates inside the lock to help you find it.

 

I think a nice one would be fantastic, given mine was a high mileage heap bought as a stopgap.