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 Car of the Month
Car of the Month February 2004 belongs to Martin Holmes, member 1006.
Welcome to this little page about my 1993 Volvo 480 TURBO. She is:
- My 2nd 480
- Black
- Quick
- Great to drive
- Turbo charged
- Automatic
- Fitted with full leather
- Equipped with ABS and Airconditioning
- Sitting on those nice 15” Taurus wheels
- Fitted with the newer white front blinkers
- Modified with a manual boost controller and dump valve
- Fitted with Electric windows
Buying her
In 1999 I was learning to drive. I saw a red 480 parked up while out walking to my sister’s house and I wanted one.
My dad used to own a Triumph TR7 and I really love the wedge look. My family told me to forget about the 480 because
it was too fast and I would never get the insurance on it.
I was earning really good money as a computer engineer and I decided to buy a 480S 92 model. My first 480 was a real
dream to drive. I remember taking her out on our first drive and thinking: "wow I bet everyone is looking at us".
Things I really love about the 480
The 480 is so sporty and feels great when going round corners and just sticks to the road, the looks are so non-normal
and just shout out loud that I am an individual and I do what I want. I could have bought a ford Escort or a Vauxhall
Nova but that’s no fun. I drive around and I just see the same boring looking cars going around. When I pull up at
the lights, people look and stare, I want to be myself and the 480 is a big part of me because it’s not like every
other car on the road because it’s special.
My partner does not like the 480 but that’s tough luck because my 480 will be around longer then she will be.
Things that bug the Volvo 480
The technology is based on the 1980’s, so the electrics can be flaky. My 480 can hold it’s own with more up to
date cars because it (most) has a TRIP computer and that has lots of toys that other 80’s/90’s car never came with.
They don’t seem to idle very well but that can be fixed :-)
Getting TURBO-power
My 480 S was driven for a year and then parked on my driveway for another year because I started a new role at work.
I had two company cars until I changed jobs and I went back to driving my 480 S, but I wanted more power. I thought
about other cars but the 480 just kept calling me and I picked up my 1993 480 TURBO.
WOW, My first turbo charged car! POWER is kick ass and I love the extra power that the turbo gives me. The car is the
same as the S or ES but the power is just and on tap :-) I drive an automatic so I get no turbo lag between gears.
I have a manual boost controller which allows the turbo to make more power and it’s a very cheap and powerful upgrade
to have installed. I would like to buy some 17” alloys and a de-cat pipe next.
If you would like to see some major mod ideas then look at Dragons website.
Buy a 480 Turbo if you can afford the extra insurance. I am 22 and it costs me £900 a year fully paid up. The 480 S was £2326 to insure when I was 19.
Martin Holmes, member 1006
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