Looking at a 480

triumphtoledo · Post by **triumphtoledo** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 3:05 pm

He did want Ã‚Â£200 but after I went thorugh the problems with him and said that it is a project car, he basically said it would be going to scrap in a few months then as 'er indoors was giving him some ear ache about it.

Basically, I am tempted by it as a project car but it's these little niggly bits that could be a problem, which is why as much knowledgeable help regarding these odd little cars would be great.

Ideally I'd love a 2.0l car witb leather, so if anyone has one of those going cheap, with work needed...

sallysal · Post by **sallysal** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 4:12 pm

Hi there,
I agree with Volver - keep looking - that one is a real project - - I'm sure you can get a better one than that..... ( I know we did........ very recently in fact...

...very nice M reg dark green ES...... that's 5 between us now.... although 2 of them are beyond saving and are being stripped as we speak)

The price of 480s seems to be coming down, I suppose they are just getting older and older, and rustier and rustier so they just aren't worth much to folk so they are getting rid of them. Even the 'newer' ones - the M and N regs are starting to rust and in a couple of years they too will become projects in need of new subframes, new doors/door repairs and new arches.

The value won't start to go up again until there are fewer of them on the road. In 5 years' time only the well tended/restored ones and the rusty old bangers will be left - THEN the 480 will be worth something (in monetary terms).

I guess what I'm saying is that now is a good time to buy, be prepared to travel to get one - most of ours have been liberated from south of the border.

Good luck
Sx

JohnTurbo · Post by **JohnTurbo** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 6:12 pm

Lol. Well i agree with me, so there!!

Should be a piece of piss to get a good one for 400 quid....sound arches and all.

But then i've not been looking much at ebay 480s of late.

triumphtoledo · Post by **triumphtoledo** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 6:25 pm

Looks like it's a no then.

As a motoring journalist, I have spoken to several editors of car magazines and, if they "commission" a few installments on "how to do up a Volvo 480" then I will get this car.

However, if not, the owner will scrap the car. It should provide lots of useful bits though. It is located near Shrewsbury so if anyone is interested ina Ã‚Â£50 480, then drop me a PM and i'll approach the owner.

Still up for a cheap but tidy(ish) 2l 480 ES if anyone has one...

R

glasgowjim · Post by **glasgowjim** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 7:10 pm

You would be crazy to buy that car for that price as a scrap car its only worth Ã‚Â£40 at best (the price from a scrapyard) . Keep looking theres plenty out there just wait.

Got a 480 s for Ã‚Â£70 only needed a complete gut out inside as the velour had not been cleaned for at least 3 years , its was practically growing an alien lifeform. Had water intrusion, duffed mirrors and a dropped door . But runs like a dream and bodywork ok a hell of a lot better than the car you describe.

pick ones with easily fixed problems rather than end up spending Ã‚Â£700 or more and never have great car.

Ettore Bugatti · Post by **Ettore Bugatti** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 8:09 pm

If you want to keep the car for a long time then its is feasible to give some tender, love and care to it.

The Volvo 440/460 arches will fit, but you need some adaption work (not too hard).

Some of the jobs may be very simple, but they also can turn out very diffucult to solve (especially the engine and infocentre problems)

But since the prices of Volvo 480's in the UK are so low (a good 480 in the Netherlands would go for 1500-2500 euros

) it is a consideration to look futher.

Although a lot can be said for saving a future classic

People will restore 480's in worser shape then this one within 5 years. (so be the first

)

Good luck!

eEm · Post by **eEm** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 7:50 am

The running rich could be all manner of things but more than likely a dirty air filter, mucky throttle body (according to my Volvo dealer!) but you really need to check the lambda sensor.

It could be dirty as I found with my 2.0l (green dipstick) the oil separator from the crankcase breather hadn't been changed since new so the inlet manifold was sucking oil in to the cylinders and this probably ruined the lambda. So much for FVSH!

Also note that if the arches are that far gone then the sills will be well on their way and the brackets holding the mud guards in the rear bumper will have rotted through the chassis under the boot floor.

Ã‚Â£50 seems very reasonable as you will spend 10-20x that doing it up.

Best to keep it for spairs.

triumphtoledo · Post by **triumphtoledo** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 10:34 am

would anyone on here be interested in paying Ã‚Â£50 for it as spares? Despite the faults, it does have some sigificant good points

eEm · Post by **eEm** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 11:27 am

Where you at dogg?

I'm interested.

triumphtoledo · Post by **triumphtoledo** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 4:43 pm

the car's near Shrewsbury (Shropshire, i.e. midlands); pm me if u r interested

chris1roll · Post by **chris1roll** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 9:20 am

AAArghh, triangle garage!! If they did the cambelt do it again yourself. Voice of bitter experience after having to replace the entire top end of the S40.

Definitely looks like a spares car, depending on what you reckon is actually any good for spares...

guitarcarfanatic · Post by **guitarcarfanatic** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 12:24 pm

Basically don't do it! It's god awful! My first 4 480's all cost under Ã‚Â£125 and they were all in loads better condition that that!

Just keep looking, they do turn up. Loot.co.uk, Freeads and tradeit/fridayad are all good websites for finding cheap ones. Autotrader generally has the overpriced ones but soemtimes you get a bargain on there. Also check out the volvo owners forum as they often turn up there!

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 1:24 pm

The issue here is not so much the cost of repair but just how much of the work you can do yourself. there are probably loads of good spares on the car worth keeping otherwise take it to the weighbridge and you'll get about Ã‚Â£70 scrap value. sacreligeous i know but!

robkendall · Post by **robkendall** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 2:47 pm

rear arches arent that bad....the opposite side front 440 arches fit, and unbolt off the donor car...so what? maybe 10-15 quid for the pair?
interior.....if you look areound and are lucky enough, you could get the complete interior...plastic works, door cards seats etc etc for maybe 50 quid....i paid that for a jaquard one 9the nicest interior by far)

so far weve got what...50 for car, 50 for interior, say 20 for wings.....120...not too bad so far.
labour...do as much yourself....free.

engine.....bad running....reset the ecu, by having battery off for a while...change plugs, leads, dizzy cap, rotor arm, air filter...oil filter, oil....basically a damn good service....maybe another what? 50 quid for half decent parts?
give the throttle body a damn good clean with carb cleaner..
so....so far youve spent a conservative 200 quid, which includes buying the car.....it aint that bad really.

to offset this though.....be prepared to have a lemon on your hands....ive had 480s of varying condition and value, and tbh, theres only one of them been unsaveable, which was a turbo that was literally shot to shit.

so its up to you....spend 200 quid (my guess'timate!) and have a car that you *may* end up loving, knowing youve done loads of work on it...plus it giving you the prod to do more etc etc....or wait, spend that bit more, and buy one that *looks* nice, which may be knackered just the same....

i personally would give it a go...nothings that unfixeable if youve the time and inclination....we're too disposable as a society...bit of rust? throw it away lol....look at Dakky's diary thread....see how much work hes put into his and look at what its like now....that would probably have been scrapped over here.

rgrds
rob

muddyfox470 · Post by **muddyfox470** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 5:21 pm

triumphtoledo wrote:the car's near Shrewsbury (Shropshire, i.e. midlands); pm me if u r interested

Woah man

480 in shrewsbury! What colour, or is it the one pictured?

Only seen a few around there (i'm from around copthorne)

Ian

I had to do a 300 mile round trip to get my 480

triumphtoledo · Post by **triumphtoledo** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 1:06 pm

It's in Nesscliffe. Yes, it is the car pictured

Volvo 480 Club Europe

Looking at a 480

Scrap