Seriously?

[Moomoo]

Originally Posted by Othen

... not really. I started looking for 240s, and eventually bought the RB (a 1980 244 auto) because my very first brand new car (in about 1986) was a 240 (estate, I picked it up from Gothenburg and drove it back to Osnabrück where I was living at the time). I really liked that car, kept it for several years until my job moved to Cyprus and always intended to get another. 35 years passed before I got round to doing so :-). I still enjoy driving the RB, that lump of nostalgia certainly wasn't twaddle :-)

Alan

What a great adventure, like driving in Europe. You mention Cyprus, those 240s with the six cylinder , naturally aspirated Audi diesels with Starship miles on the clock! Had a 940 with the turbo version, a real beast.

And a new suit for 10p. Ah yes , I remember it well!

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Moomoo

What a great adventure, like driving in Europe. You mention Cyprus, those 240s with the six cylinder , naturally aspirated Audi diesels with Starship miles on the clock! Had a 940 with the turbo version, a real beast.

And a new suit for 10p. Ah yes , I remember it well!

I have a soft spot for Cyprus. I worked in Nicosia in the late 80s (and still have a couple of suits from Osman the tailor on the Turkish side). Later (about 2003) I bought a house at Mazotos, and owned it until just a few years ago.

I don't recall many Volvos from those days, most people drove Mazda 323s (so did I, one even came with the house at Mazotos when I bought it). Every now and then a wave of nostalgia grips me and I think it would be nice to own a 1980s 323 again - but not many seem to have survived here in the UK.

:-)

PS. A quick search found a photo of my house at Mazotos plus the ubiquitous Mazda 323. Happy days :-)

[Moomoo]

Just look at that sky!

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by nemesisthewarlock

Lol I feel such a troll for that ... still love my 960 .. tho' 740/940s look like a good back up

The 7xx series was the last purely designed by Volvo, the 9xx models had other influences so weren't pure Volvo. That said they were based on the 7xx hence the argument exists they were the last real Volvo.

Because of many things that were changed on the 9xx, i don't believe they are built to the same standards and many things were changed for cheaper, lower quality items too.

[Moomoo]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

The 7xx series was the last purely designed by Volvo, the 9xx models had other influences so weren't pure Volvo. That said they were based on the 7xx hence the argument exists they were the last real Volvo.

Because of many things that were changed on the 9xx, i don't believe they are built to the same standards and many things were changed for cheaper, lower quality items too.

Did not know that!
Everyday is a school day.

[Kev0607]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

The 7xx series was the last purely designed by Volvo, the 9xx models had other influences so weren't pure Volvo. That said they were based on the 7xx hence the argument exists they were the last real Volvo.

Because of many things that were changed on the 9xx, i don't believe they are built to the same standards and many things were changed for cheaper, lower quality items too.

My Dad had a lovely 740 manual many years ago.

Even as a child, I remember the really comfortable blue cloth seats & the roar from the engine as you gave it beans.

He still has a soft spot for Volvo & has a newer model (V70 2008). I know its not exactly new, but it is comparatively to a 740!

He always says Volvo’s are “The finest car on the road” (Solid doors, very comfortable drive etc). Even though his has nearly 160k on it now, it still feels really nice to drive (shocks replaced recently). He wouldn’t hesitate taking it on a long journey & neither would I. You can just tell its a well built car, even though it may not be a true Volvo, they still had influence in it & that shines through.

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Othen

I don't recall many Volvos from those days, most people drove Mazda 323s (so did I, one even came with the house at Mazotos when I bought it). Every now and then a wave of nostalgia grips me and I think it would be nice to own a 1980s 323 again - but not many seem to have survived here in the UK.

:-)

Nostalgia got the better of me whilst I was out walking Bob, so I thought I'd have a look and see if there was a nice 1980s Mazda 323 I could pick up cheaply and tinker with. The only one I could find was this:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/392880496...53.m1438.l2649

... it really irritates me when people describe motor cars as 'classic' when they are just a bit old and rusty. This one looks a bit shoddy: it has not been taxed since 2002, so my guess is it stood on someone's drive for 18 years when someone dragged it out, pumped up the tyres and took it to an MoT station, where it promptly failed the test (brakes and rust), they tried again the next day (31 July 2020) when it failed again (brakes, maybe the rusty brake pipes fixed themselves) and finally later that day it passed. It would seem likely that the motor car probably stood on the dealer's forecourt for the next 13 months (it being untaxed in that time) because the MoT ran out on 30 July.

So, we have a car that has not been used for 20 years, I suspect needs some serious recommissioning, has dodgy brakes and is rusty underneath, but the seller describes it as a 'classic', and the really odd bit is he/she is asking over 2 grand for it!

This should be a £600 motor car with a current MoT (or £300 without). If the dealer had been charging what it is worth I'd have probably bought it to satisfy my nostalgia and it might have been a fun project, but certainly not at £2,000!

That is today's rant over - I'm back to normal now :-)

Alan

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Kev0607

He always says Volvo’s are “The finest car on the road” (Solid doors, very comfortable drive etc).

Funny you should say that, a friend recently bought a 10 plate V50. Was trying to help her find the bonnet release and was amazed how flimsy the doors and bonnet were in comparison to my (22 years older) 760 where the doors really are solid and shut with a satisfying thunk instead of a tinny rattle.

Based on that alone, i wouldn't even consider a Volvo made after about 2000 and probably not after 96 for other reasons. Except an S80 V8 if i win the lottery that is! That would be a toy though, just for the fun of it.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Othen

Nostalgia got the better of me whilst I was out walking Bob, so I thought I'd have a look and see if there was a nice 1980s Mazda 323 I could pick up cheaply and tinker with. The only one I could find was this:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/392880496...53.m1438.l2649

... it really irritates me when people describe motor cars as 'classic' when they are just a bit old and rusty. This one looks a bit shoddy: it has not been taxed since 2002, so my guess is it stood on someone's drive for 18 years when someone dragged it out, pumped up the tyres and took it to an MoT station, where it promptly failed the test (brakes and rust), they tried again the next day (31 July 2020) when it failed again (brakes, maybe the rusty brake pipes fixed themselves) and finally later that day it passed. It would seem likely that the motor car probably stood on the dealer's forecourt for the next 13 months (it being untaxed in that time) because the MoT ran out on 30 July.

So, we have a car that has not been used for 20 years, I suspect needs some serious recommissioning, has dodgy brakes and is rusty underneath, but the seller describes it as a 'classic', and the really odd bit is he/she is asking over 2 grand for it!

This should be a £600 motor car with a current MoT (or £300 without). If the dealer had been charging what it is worth I'd have probably bought it to satisfy my nostalgia and it might have been a fun project, but certainly not at £2,000!

That is today's rant over - I'm back to normal now :-)

Alan

The later 323 V6 is considered a classic by many Alan so by extension, it could be argued that the previous generation should be too. Couldn't find a 323 V6 for sale on ebay but found one for breaking to show you the idea :

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/114198035375

Bit of a Q-car really, looks like a 323 but goes like stink!

However, the older gen like you linked to isn't really what many consider to be a classic. Most traders will simply assume anything over a certain age is a classic but sadly not the case.
My Rover is a prime example, because it's the Sterling version, it automatically qualifies as a classic for insurance purposes, however the near identical 827 SLi (leather interior, alloy wheels and cruise control missing) doesn't. When i had not only my Sterling (L reg) but also an 827 Coupe (N reg) both of which qualified as classics on insurance, i also bought an 827SLi (M reg) but guess what?

That one didn't. It may do now as there are so few of them left (howmanyleft lumped all 827 Coupe, SLi and Sterling models into one group there are that few left!) but getting an insurance company to admit they were wrong, misinformed even, is a huge challenge!

I think you're maybe a bit tight on your valuation of the 323 and eventually it may become a classic if it doesn't rot away to dust (MoT History says it's corroded underbody from front to back) before then so could be a viable investment but not at £2k, that's about a grand overpriced IMHO for that car. Interestingly it also bears out my low mileage is bad argument as by rights, having been stood for 19 years (minimum) it will need a new timing belt, new brake rubbers, all fluids changed and a lot of other sensitive recommissioning.

On the upside, it gets cheap road tax being under 1500cc.

[Kev0607]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

Funny you should say that, a friend recently bought a 10 plate V50. Was trying to help her find the bonnet release and was amazed how flimsy the doors and bonnet were in comparison to my (22 years older) 760 where the doors really are solid and shut with a satisfying thunk instead of a tinny rattle.

Based on that alone, i wouldn't even consider a Volvo made after about 2000 and probably not after 96 for other reasons. Except an S80 V8 if i win the lottery that is! That would be a toy though, just for the fun of it.

I’m not sure about the V50… I’ve sat in one once or twice.

My dad’s V70 & my S80 seem very solid. Doors are heavy & close with a proper thud. No tinny rattles whatsoever.