240 General: New (to me) 1980 Volvo 244

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

The trick is to tighten the various nuts, bolts and clamps on the exhaust system when they're hot Alan, flange nuts need no separate washer as it's "built in" to the nut.

Glad you got it sorted anyway!

Thank you for both of those tips Dave. Come to think of it, I'd have re-assembled it cold, I should have then warmed up the motor and re-tightened.

[Othen]

I decided it would be just about legal to fit black and silver number plates to the RB, so I ordered a set to try:



... and at the back:



These are just held on with blutac at the moment - I wanted to see what they looked like before committing to them. My first thought is that they make the RB look a bit too old, but I'm not sure.

What do people think? Good or bad idea?

Alan

[john.wigley]

Originally Posted by Othen

I decided it would be just about legal to fit black and silver number plates to the RB, so I ordered a set to try:



... and at the back:



These are just held on with blutac at the moment - I wanted to see what they looked like before committing to them. My first thought is that they make the RB look a bit too old, but I'm not sure.

What do people think? Good or bad idea?

Alan

I'm afraid you're a few years out, Alan. Reflective number plates, optional from 1968, became mandatory on all new cars in 1973, so therefore a legal requirement on the R.B. The precise design has however varied over the years, so a better bet might be to source some period correct ones for the R.B.?

Regards, John.

[Laird Scooby]

I'm not normally a fan of them Alan but strangely they actually suit the RB - perhaps keep them and the Smurf-sh!t (BluTak) for show use and leave the reflective yellow and white ones for normal everyday use? Best of both worlds then!

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by john.wigley

I'm afraid you're a few years out, Alan. Reflective number plates, optional from 1968, became mandatory on all new cars in 1973, so therefore a legal requirement on the R.B. The precise design has however varied over the years, so a better bet might be to source some period correct ones for the R.B.?

Regards, John.

Not quite John, the law was changed recently so the RB is (just about) entitled to have the black and silver plates. I think it was this thread several posts up where i posted the link to the .gov site where it gives the definitive answer but the date given on there as "cars built before" and the registration date of the RB are so close, it's reasonable to assume (when shipping time from Sweden to the UK etc is factored in) that the RB was built before that date.

However, just to be clear, what you quote about the 1973 date was indeed accurate until fairly recently.

[Othen]

Originally Posted by john.wigley

I'm afraid you're a few years out, Alan. Reflective number plates, optional from 1968, became mandatory on all new cars in 1973, so therefore a legal requirement on the R.B. The precise design has however varied over the years, so a better bet might be to source some period correct ones for the R.B.?

Regards, John.

See what Dave said above John. We had discussed this previously and Dave came up with the definitive. The RB is just about over the line).

Alan

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

I'm not normally a fan of them Alan but strangely they actually suit the RB - perhaps keep them and the Smurf-sh!t (BluTak) for show use and leave the reflective yellow and white ones for normal everyday use? Best of both worlds then!

Maybe you are right Dave, I'll leave them held on temporarily whilst parked up for a few days and see if they grow on me.

I'm not sure I'm ever going to take the RB to a show :-)

Alan

[john.wigley]

Pesky Government, changing the rules like that ...

One feature of non-reflective plates is that, as I understand it, they do not register on the ANPR system. Not that that would in any way be seen as an advantage, of course!

Regards, John.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by john.wigley

Pesky Government, changing the rules like that ...

One feature of non-reflective plates is that, as I understand it, they do not register on the ANPR system. Not that that would in any way be seen as an advantage, of course!

Regards, John.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm, ideas, ideas!

[Othen]

Originally Posted by john.wigley

Pesky Government, changing the rules like that ...

One feature of non-reflective plates is that, as I understand it, they do not register on the ANPR system. Not that that would in any way be seen as an advantage, of course!

Regards, John.

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

Hmmmmmmmmmmm, ideas, ideas!

... I am told by a magistrate friend of mine that is the case John.

Now if I really was keen to evade the ANPR system I might be tempted to use the manufacturer's first attempt at the plates:



... but of course I'm far too law-abiding to do that, aren't !.

:-)