Volvo 480 Club Europe

....I may have lost the love for my 480.

I can cope with plastic trim falling off and the infocentre being tempremental, but after spending £350 on new engine mounts and then finding my cambelt tensioners need replacing, I am seriously out of love with the 480 at the moment.

On a practical note, I have been struggling with the economy for a while as I am doing a fair mileage for work. I have been offered a swap for a diseasel Pug 106. I had one a few years ago and it is a nice little car, it's just no 480.

Not really sure why I posted this, just needed to say it to someone who will listen. My wife hates the 480, and recent problems have only reinforced her argument.

Keep the faith!

At least with your 480 you know it's foibles and you know what
needs fixing. Not only is the pug a french car 'spit' but it's an
unknown. You could swap to it and it drop it's gearbox on the
road a week down the line.

You would miss your 480 real soon. Life is short.. too short to
be driving a car that doesn't turn you on.

The wife may be logically and currently correct... but... with the 480's
problems sorted out there is no logical reason to part with it. If she
continues not to like it due to styling then you will just have to stick
to your guns. After all you don't tell her what cooker you think
looks nicer! *ducks*

Plus... who is going to wave at you in another pug as you pass each
other??

C

I bought my 480 in October last year for £550 and apart from tax and petrol it cost me zilch up until I MOTed it in April. In the past 3 months I've spent £390 on it. It now has long tax, 2009 MOT, and a new cambelt. I've definitely felt the hit to my wallet and I felt a bit reluctant to get the whole cambelt replaced as I didn't think it was worth it, but then I reconsidered and now I have an awesome quirky car which has nothing wrong with it apart from two dodgy sensors and a wee bit of surface rot.

I am very happy to be driving a car that has an engine which doesn't have any potential to go wrong, however, so I may be biased. My previous car had a K Series.

just have a pug diesel aswell....(like me ) you CAN have your cake and eat it.

The pug costs sweeties to insure and run, you might find having both is viable.

donpaulo wrote:just have a pug diesel aswell....(like me ) you CAN have your cake and eat it.

The pug costs sweeties to insure and run, you might find having both is viable.

I agree, I'm running a wee clio at the moment, while the 480 sleeps in the garage, If you have the space you should hang on to it. You can't put a price on driving a car you really like

Curtis480Action wrote:

donpaulo wrote:just have a pug diesel aswell....(like me ) you CAN have your cake and eat it.

The pug costs sweeties to insure and run, you might find having both is viable.

I agree, I'm running a wee clio at the moment, while the 480 sleeps in the garage, If you have the space you should hang on to it. You can't put a price on driving a car you really like

I'm driving my 480 while my 850 T5 has a rest for the summer, I have roof rack and boards on the 480 and the venitian blind allows me to use her as a changing room at the beach

the celeb will have its rest and tidy up over the winter..

I swop the cars on the same policy, we dont have 2 car policys in Ireland.
Which is a pity, as I love driving both.

The garage have confirmed that the cambelt tensioners are sticking and have damaged the cambelt itself

£340 for a new kit, fitted. I have until 4.30 to say yay or nay.

You are being ripped off or I got it cheap. I paid £228 for mine, that's the kit and fitment.

I can get all the parts for £60 ish quid, how much labour are they charging you?

If you do sell it let me know, I am only up the raod I might be interested.


PS: They ARE ripping you!!!!

They are quoting 4 hours work and £80 parts, with VAT brings it to £340. Working backwards, that must be about £50 an hour.

I told them to do it as I decided I do love my 480 and don't want to let her go.

The expense is possibly my own fault for using an expensive garage I guess. I know they aren't cheap, but they are good and I trust them.

£50 seems to be the going rate at the mo.

I always do my own work to my car to avoid this rip off!

I am a "regular" at the garage I go to so they may have charged me a bit less in labour than they normally do.

They've done at least one bit of work to every car I've owned. And I've owned 6 before the 480.

My brother has a Volvo garage in Nomansland in the forest.
I think he charges a bit less and does not make anything on the parts.

Between him and his mechanics they have over 30 years main dealer training so he knows a bit about them.......

I am soooooo glad I have a brother in the motor trade as there are alot of dodgy mechanics out there and it can prove costly finding a good one......