Volvo 480 Club Europe

Chances are that you can revive the popup motor by letting it popping up and down for 15 minutes or so (pull the relay and bridge contacts 87 and 30/30a in the relay socket)

Not sold through eBay as it shows 0 bids. Hope it doesn't turn up at a crooked seller. A very dilapidated example of a 480 (but with valid MOT and "recent" service) was sold here for 500 and snapped up by a very nasty wannabe dealer, who managed to sell the car for 1500 to a hapless victim. It is as...

As a former owner of a Matra Murena for 14 years (2000-2014) I really have a soft spot for the last model produced by Matra Automobiles in Romorantin-Lanthenay. Every time I see one I'm grabbing my camera. This one is gorgeous in "Steppe" (211), one of the last I think as production ceased in 2003.

jifflemon wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 31, 2021 3:18 pm

Where everything is usually knackered..... Even when it started off ok!

Exactly!

Martin63 wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 31, 2021 11:12 am

Great use of that classic English word "knackered" Robert!

It's because of lockdown I'm communicating more in English than in my own language
(and have watched too many HubNut videos on YouTube I guess)

Just before corona came, I've sent my wedge for the APK (Algemene Periodieke Keuring = General Periodic Test, our MOT) at a local workshop. My regular 480 mechanic lives almost an hour driving from me, so I thought I'd find the failures first and then allow him to order parts in advance and then giv...

There are two auto boxes:
- non-turbo with 4.405:1 final drive
- turbo with 4.225:1 final drive

So changing from a turbo auto to non-turbo has some ramifications for top speed (4% lower), but will improve acceleration. You can counter this slightly by fitting 195/50-15 instead of 195/55-15 tyres.

The story begins where John de Vries left off, covering the period 1985-1986. I think the creator/presenter of the Big Car videos got a bit carried away with the fact that Steve Harper is amongst one of his viewers. Harper tells in the interview he took on details like the 480's grille and designs f...

1. Vega. Rare as hen's teeth but the clean design is so beautiful. 2. Vesa. Less rare and has that "classy" look. Currently on my car. 3. tough one... with little margin I choose Canis over Pictor. Pictor was on my first (and current) 480 when I bought it, Canis on my second 480 (sold to a friend, w...

There appears to be not much uncorroded metal left, but the mileage looks genuine. Last MOT was in 2015 and with these advisories, I don't think this car is worth anywhere near the advertised £876.00 Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1) Offside Front Tyre worn close to the leg...

Please don't send me any more instrument clusters from the UK. I will more or less repeat my previous post. Not just the customs which is getting increasingly difficult. The 22 Euro VAT exemption is gone, so a receiver will be hit with VAT and clearance fee and there will be considerable delays at C...

I have heard, but have not checked this myself, that original Volvo bushes are still available.

It's the main reason 480's have electronic gremlins. Moisture creeps into the cable connections, or in case of an early car, the CEM, and causes corrosion. Early CEM (before 1991) had connectors on top with wiring to the side repeaters in the front wings, allowing water to seep into the enclosure. C...

The wheel arches look surprisingly tidy, everything else, not so much. Given this is a Phase 1 car with CEM-01, you can expect MANY electrical problems with that amount of moisture in the car. It's a good starter for a project though, if you can get those replacement rear light cluster covers from F...

t would mean 70/30 all year round here? assuming that the ethanol tended to 'not evaporate' properly, will I (not) ask which food stufs were not grown to provide the fuel :wink: The problem with ethanol-fuelled engines is that they won't start at lower temperatures. E100 (100% hydrous ethanol) like...

Short answer: DON'T PUT E85 IN YOUR CAR UNLESS IT IS CLEARLY DESIGNATED AS FFV (FLEXIFUEL VEHICLE)! Long answer: E85 is a blend of bio-ethanol and unleaded petrol, in a 85/15 mix (winter 70/30). If your engine likes running on ethanol at all, it is highly corrosive and will eat into your fuel system...

Well, here's a report from mainland Europe, where E10 has been introduced a couple of years ago. I've been driving my daily car, a Volvo V70, for almost 4 years now and have recorded fuel consumption right from the start. In 2018 I've driven from the Netherlands to Norway (with a ferry from Kiel to ...

There was an immaculate white 480 Turbo automatic for sale last year in Luzern. Only 51,000 kms and genuinely in perfect condition. I've spoken to the owner, a Dutchman who migrated to Switzerland, many times. But nobody wanted it. It's still for sale, now from The Netherlands. € 10,950 https://www....

Update: Sending parcels the UK is difficult at the moment because of Brexit and coronavirus. DPD has suspended service to the UK and DHL only offers next day delivery at vastly inflated prices (£50 for a parcel) The Netherlands is currently in lockdown because of the coronavirus spreading, all non e...

I'm all in, but given the rate of reopening in this country run by lobbyists (and then relapsing in a next lockdown probably) it will probably be September before I'm allowed to do anything abroad.