New discovered interior?

shimon340 · Post by **shimon340** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 2:37 pm

hi

very interesting re the other US spec prototypes.

The one Im aware of is/was owned by a Dutch chap from the volvo enthusiasts club. I might be able to contact him via the club if he is still a a member. This car is maroon metallic and has no volvo markings on it at all. It was built for customer clinics in the US. It has all orange side lights (only inner main beam lamp remains), the dash has words instead of pictures and according to the owner it has a different differential or 5th gear ratio (or both!) given that it revs so much lower on the freeway compared to a Euro spec 480. The image of the car in swedish collection seems to be very similar (if not the same). Maybe the car was sold on?

Does anyone have the webaddress for Swedish collection? Can't seem to find it!

Any more info on the US spec cars?

very interesting!

shimon340 · Post by **shimon340** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 2:42 pm

here we go

Deze in nieuwstaat verkerende 480 heeft slechts 85 kilometer gereden. Het is een prototype ontwikkeld voor de Amerikaanse markt. Het is de enige 480 met een Turbo motor i.c.m. een automaat. Ook de bumpers en verlichting zijn anders dan bij de normale versie.

Type 480 Turbo Aut Prototype
Merk Volvo
Bouwjaar 1987
Kilometer stand 85
Motor 1.7 Turbo 4. cylinder
Versnelling Automaat
Kleur ext. Bordeaux rood
Kleur int. Beige stof
Herkomst Nederland

The site is http://www.swedishcollection.nl/swedish ... lectie/19/

I think this is the same car I saw in 2003 at the Volvo Enthusiasts club show

shimon340 · Post by **shimon340** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 2:44 pm

Van · Post by **Van** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 6:13 pm

It is not true it is the only turbo automatic.

480s partner · Post by **480s partner** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 7:21 pm

And another..., and another..., and another!!! (drooling)

[url=http://img515.imageshack.us

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shimon340 · Post by **shimon340** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 5:40 am

wow!

nice post of the other pics! so three there, one in Holland and one in Swedish collection (might be same car!)

So how come the other three were sold/saved to the public??

anyone know about that?

Seems the car I saw at the Volvo enthusiasts club show from Holland is as rare then!!

Ive found the contact details for the guy I think owns the one I saw at the VEC event.

I'll update this post if I hear from him. Interior was as you have posting, words on dash and different heater controls etc

still interesting how these cars were released/sold from volvo BV.

Shimon

Ettore Bugatti · Post by **Ettore Bugatti** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 11:02 am

The Swedish collection is located in de the Netherlands, I dont know if that is what you mean? The collector is Hans Blokzijl. (http://www.carros.tv/petrolminds/hans-blokzijl)

Most cars have as far as I know a link to Volvo employees.

It was quite a hectic time when Volvo car BV changed into Nedcar BV.

Van · Post by **Van** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 7:23 pm

At a yard I have spotted a LHD 480 with a dash with miles/kilometers speedo and grey/green connectors, when I'm around I will check it out for any similarities.

jimmi_swe · Post by **jimmi_swe** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:04 pm

I know a guy in Holland and he worked with developing the gearbox to Volvo 480 and his friend owns a Volvo 480 turbo with CVT-automatic gearbox.. ItÃ‚Â´s a prototype car and what stories tells, itÃ‚Â´s mutch fun to ride.

/ J

bbf · Post by **bbf** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:50 pm

turbo with CVT?!
I know it's an option for CVT on 400 but to hold a power of turbo?
I was considering once to install CVT in my turbo, but wasn't sure about power. I must have been altered or something..
I own a 345 with CVT and yes, it is fun!

shimon340 · Post by **shimon340** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 1:06 pm

CVT...now that's interesting.

The 440 came with CVT for a while but Daf sued volvo over the use of CVT saying they sold the rights to the variomatic CVT system to volvo with the 300, 66 and 46 series cars (46 was sold as Daf model by volvo, 66 got extensive upgrades to become the volvo 66) but...Daf maintained they did not sell or licence the rights for volvo to use CVT in general. In the end, Daf won the case and volvo had to end production of the 440 CVT cars.

Or so Im told...I'd love to find out more on this ie newpaper articles from the time etc etc.

CVT in a 480...interesting as I have a friend in Wales whose friend had a 480 with a CVT box. I never thought the 480 ever got that box?? My friend has driven it and was certain is was indeed a CVT. Unfortunately the car was scrapped a few years ago. Would be interesting to find out the reg of that car and then check with volvo if indeed it was a CVT from factory.

What's most interesting about these non-production prototypes that have survived is that volvo allowed them onto the open market. Given that they werent necessarily built to production standards (and most likely dont have full european homologation for production vehicles). Seems risky that they would allow them onto the open market.....

interesting though!!! would be nice to hear about all such cars. I 'guess' most identified ones will be owned be people in a car club somewhere...ideally this dutch based 480 club!

shimon340 · Post by **shimon340** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 1:10 pm

hi jimmi_swe

could you post some pics of this car please? and any further info? very interesting!

Ettore Bugatti · Post by **Ettore Bugatti** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 6:09 pm

The Volvo 440 and 460 were for some time available with the socalled HighTech automatic, which was a CVT gearbox from VDT (Van Doorne Transmission, located in Tilburg). It was only an option on the B18U engine (1794cc, 90hp).

My dad used to drive one. It was quick from the standing start, it embaressed a lot of quick cars till 80kmh.
With 30hp and 30Nm more a 480 Turbo mighty be f*cking quick. Also accelerations from 80 to 120kmh would blistering fast since a CVT quickly put some gears back without shifting any poke. I dont know how the electronics of a CVT needs a connection with the engine ECU.

Although reliability was a big issue, not a lot of these gearboxes run much more then 100.000km before an expensive rebuild (which was quite works for specialists)

I thought that the Dutch goverment owned at that time shares in VDT and Volvo Car/Nedcar. So they just put 1 and 1 together...

jimmi_swe · Post by **jimmi_swe** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 7:19 pm

What a know from this car is that the ownwer drives it on track sometimes beacuse it was realy quick the turbo charges more then a non automatic one.
But! The reson the CVT didenÃ‚Â´t come as a optinal was what a was told that the gearbox didenÃ‚Â´t last long enough for Volvos quality standards.
Sorry have no pic. But asked about to buy the car but got no for answer.. well you never knows, right.. lol

jimmi_swe · Post by **jimmi_swe** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 7:32 pm

I found a old mail and are coping some of the text in.

/
Those were the days, and now most of this is over (i hope for a while)
The 480 turbo just looks like a normal production car. Mechanicaly there is just an other transmission inside. But the driving fun
is like you drive almost twice the engine power in a small an comfortable car. Picture "CVT" is a cutaway of this transmisson.
It is the series transmission from Rover 100 and 200, 25, 45, MGF and Volvo 440 and 460 and BMW Mini. The versions in 100, 200
and Volvo had no electronic control and therefore very good for tuning and competition.
The 480 turbo car is a one only, has street licence and is driven once and a while.The transmission has with 165 Nm lifetime endurance,
the turbocar has 175 Nm, therefore it will have shorter lifetime. Buth enough to have fun. I believe it is now about 15 years old and has
about 75000 km. /

And then he writes about a formula car he built with a CVT box.
0-100kph less then 4sec and there is less then 0,1 sec difference between first or fifth atempt.. cool!!

/ jimmi

Van · Post by **Van** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 7:31 pm

shimon340 wrote:CVT...now that's interesting.

The 440 came with CVT for a while but Daf sued volvo over the use of CVT saying they sold the rights to the variomatic CVT system to volvo with the 300, 66 and 46 series cars (46 was sold as Daf model by volvo, 66 got extensive upgrades to become the volvo 66) but...Daf maintained they did not sell or licence the rights for volvo to use CVT in general. In the end, Daf won the case and volvo had to end production of the 440 CVT cars.

Or so Im told...I'd love to find out more on this ie newpaper articles from the time etc etc.
...

I never heared about this. Your sources aren't most thrustworthy.
Like automatic was a normal option for the 480 Turbo.

shimon340 · Post by **shimon340** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 10:17 am

Hi

Thanks for the correction. This thing about Daf/Van Doorne taking Volvo to court was something I heard a few years ago. From the post above it seems the g/box was sourced direct from Van Doorne Transmissions. So what was the dispute between Volvo and VDT then? Was it centred on the g/box not being as durable as Volvo assumed it would be? Was this a production defect on the behalf of VDT? Presumably Volvo wouldnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t have used the box in the first place if it didnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t meet their durability requirements?

Anyone know when the first CVT 400s came about? Ive got a friend with a 1995 440 CVT. Did the Mk1 440/460 get the box also?

Look forward to hearing from you!

Shimon

Van · Post by **Van** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 11:57 am

What I know is the first CVT's were very restricted in the power they could take. So the 480's overwhelming bhp would have been to much

shimon340 · Post by **shimon340** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 1:24 pm

nice cutaway pic of a CVT unit for a 400 series

http://www.autotransonline.ro/cataloage ... vd_cvt.pdf

shimon340 · Post by **shimon340** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 2:01 pm

http://www.punchpowertrain.com/web/powe ... 01&stype=X