William's 1993 480ES Two-Tone

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MisterH
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Re: William's 1993 480ES Two-Tone

Post by MisterH » Sat Feb 05, 2022 10:44 pm

WillC9303 wrote:
Sat Feb 05, 2022 9:31 pm
MisterH wrote:
Sat Feb 05, 2022 7:14 pm
So sorry to hear this Will, but I know you are in absolutely the right place to get it going again.

Now the things that I can comment on.

Info Centre: you may already have tried this, but Take the dash out and have a good look behind it, check the circuit board is in good shape, if it is, then take a look at the big block connectors that plug in. Get some Contact cleaner and WD40, and squirt it into the connectors to get the connections working well. While you're at it have a go at getting any other electrical contacts as it can't hurt (usually) and it'll possibly sort a few other problems you didn't know you had. If all else fails, give it a Dutch Holiday (no not that type) and see if Brinkie can make head or tail of it (he will probably make both) and that should be the dash sorted.

Bodyshop: Well I know you live Woking way, but if you are really determined I know one near me who are very good, and will (hopefully) be doing mine (again) soon, although it will probably be unfeasible given that it will be hard for them to come out and give it a quote. Although if it isn't hindering the cars driveability, then once it is ready for such a trip feel free to drive down to mine and we can go see them, it'll be a good shakedown for it and could give you some more clues as to any issues.

These cars do have a tendency to throw curveballs, mine was practically perfect in every way, then one summer evening it was possessed by an evil spirit, or so I thought. The wipers were going haywire, and would only stop with the passenger door open. Only that this stopped the indicators. I opened up CEM and found that a tiny bit of residue had breached one of the circuits on the motherboard. Plugged a new one in, totally fine. You will get there, you are not alone :D
Thanks for the reply, I'm hoping that the info centre just 'fixes itself' at this point. It's not inherently broken, its just giving wildly inaccurate readings so I'm not too worried at this stage now. I might bring it inside to dry out and hope that fixes it. It sounds like your car was possessed! I can thankfully say while mine isn't possessed per se, I would describe it as 'throwing a tantrum' If it does get worse though, I won't hesitate to describe it as such :lol:

As for the body shop - do tell - The one's I've tried contacting in and around Woking clearly don't want my business, so I may as well go elsewhere.
Ok so I used Romsey Car Accident Repair, Jon who runs it is very good at what he does and will be realistic with it.
https://romseyaccidentrepair.co.uk/

It is a bit out of your way, but they are very professional and we have used them several times, and well, the results can be seen on my (pre Bin lorry) 480
Current Jobs to do (23/1/22):
Fix Central Locking
Fix drivers side speaker
Annoying Scratching Squeak
Water leaks
Complete Front O/S rebuild

richard-smyth
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Re: William's 1993 480ES Two-Tone

Post by richard-smyth » Sun Feb 06, 2022 7:44 pm

Hello William, your TT doesn't half look mighty fine.
I am also new to owning a 480 except I am probably about the average age of a 480 owner being born in the last millennium.
Isn't it great ?! Not felt like this since I owned my first car, a black 1973 Volkswagen convertible Beetle with a beige interior which I purchased sort of by chance before the long summers of '96 and '97.
Do like your ownership plan including being realistic about insurance and tax etc.
As the Volvo 480 was not manufactured in or before 1985, unfortunately young 480 owners can't take advantage of any younger driver classic car insurance schemes.
When I recently took out my classic car insurance it stated the minimum age was 21.
Hang in there and as I'm already sure you know it will be worth it.

Hope you don't mind but I looked your car up on the Gov.uk MOT site :
https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/
The online records for any car only go back to 2006.
So for the 15 years 2006 to 2021 your SGO only did 8886 miles which is an average of 592 miles per year.
Only a few advisories came up from time to time :
Nearside Front Shock absorber has a light misting of oil or slightly reduced damping effect.
Nearside rear parking brake recording little or no effort or brake efficiency below requirements.
Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing and Offside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing.
So might be worth considering these before your next MOT in June 2022.

All the best.
Cheers, Richard.

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WillC9303
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Re: William's 1993 480ES Two-Tone

Post by WillC9303 » Sun Feb 06, 2022 8:57 pm

richard-smyth wrote:
Sun Feb 06, 2022 7:44 pm
Hello William, your TT doesn't half look mighty fine.
I am also new to owning a 480 except I am probably about the average age of a 480 owner being born in the last millennium.
Isn't it great ?! Not felt like this since I owned my first car, a black 1973 Volkswagen convertible Beetle with a beige interior which I purchased sort of by chance before the long summers of '96 and '97.
Do like your ownership plan including being realistic about insurance and tax etc.
As the Volvo 480 was not manufactured in or before 1985, unfortunately young 480 owners can't take advantage of any younger driver classic car insurance schemes.
When I recently took out my classic car insurance it stated the minimum age was 21.
Hang in there and as I'm already sure you know it will be worth it.

Hope you don't mind but I looked your car up on the Gov.uk MOT site :
https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/
The online records for any car only go back to 2006.
So for the 15 years 2006 to 2021 your SGO only did 8886 miles which is an average of 592 miles per year.
Only a few advisories came up from time to time :
Nearside Front Shock absorber has a light misting of oil or slightly reduced damping effect.
Nearside rear parking brake recording little or no effort or brake efficiency below requirements.
Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing and Offside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing.
So might be worth considering these before your next MOT in June 2022.

All the best.
Cheers, Richard.
Hi Richard,

Thanks for the info on insurance. I have to say the main reason as to why I’m not getting her on the road yet is due to running costs nowadays. At near 300 a year to tax, it’s double the price of my Dad’s diesel Mercedes and FOURTEEN times the price of the tax on my mum’s Citroen C1! And that’s before insurance (which is expensive anyway for a 1st time driver) and of course fuel economy on 480s most certainly isn’t their strongest point. The 2.0i is the most frugal engine of the lot, bizarreley. Even then they average in the low 30s combined. I knew all of this already though, and the way I see it: it’s better to drive a car that is actually worth putting fuel in, even if it is considerably more money to do so :D

As for the history, I don’t mind at all if you look it up. It’s a public document anyway. I find it quite a good way of seeing how a car has been treated all it’s life. I have a pretty good idea of SGO’s life before me: Bought new by a couple in 1993 - run as a daily for 7 years until 2001 when I assume one of them retired and it sat in their garage for most days of the year up until 2021 when the wife decided to give up driving altogether (I assume) and then sold it to the chap I bought it off, who used it as his daily for about 4 months. Sort of as a stop-gap car before he bought a 5 series estate. Now she’s mine!

As for the advisories - there are no surprises. The tyres were fitted in the 42nd week of 2001 and despite having plenty of tread left, they are very cracked and old.

Both the rear dampers I’m pretty sure are in their way out. Due to the rust on them, the rear suspension groans every time I sit in the back seats or put something in the boot

All the brakes are completely shot - the front ones especially. It was only on the test drive up a very steep hill that Dad realised that the handbrake wouldn’t hold the cars own weight!

The timing belt is another thing that needs doing as it is the original (yes ORIGINAL) timing belt. So that’s a ticking time bomb right there!

William
William

1993 2.0i Limited Edition

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MisterH
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Re: William's 1993 480ES Two-Tone

Post by MisterH » Mon Feb 07, 2022 5:49 pm

I reckon fuel economy is much better than that, indeed these cars are very frugal I would say. My 1.7 B18E has regularly clocked a consistent 40MPG, it is all about technique and the Info Centre really helps with it, it isn't totally accurate but it is good.
Current Jobs to do (23/1/22):
Fix Central Locking
Fix drivers side speaker
Annoying Scratching Squeak
Water leaks
Complete Front O/S rebuild

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dcwalker
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Re: William's 1993 480ES Two-Tone

Post by dcwalker » Mon Feb 07, 2022 5:59 pm

WillC9303 wrote:
Sun Feb 06, 2022 8:57 pm
richard-smyth wrote:
Sun Feb 06, 2022 7:44 pm
Hello William, your TT doesn't half look mighty fine.
I am also new to owning a 480 except I am probably about the average age of a 480 owner being born in the last millennium.
Isn't it great ?! Not felt like this since I owned my first car, a black 1973 Volkswagen convertible Beetle with a beige interior which I purchased sort of by chance before the long summers of '96 and '97.
Do like your ownership plan including being realistic about insurance and tax etc.
As the Volvo 480 was not manufactured in or before 1985, unfortunately young 480 owners can't take advantage of any younger driver classic car insurance schemes.
When I recently took out my classic car insurance it stated the minimum age was 21.
Hang in there and as I'm already sure you know it will be worth it.

Hope you don't mind but I looked your car up on the Gov.uk MOT site :
https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/
The online records for any car only go back to 2006.
So for the 15 years 2006 to 2021 your SGO only did 8886 miles which is an average of 592 miles per year.
Only a few advisories came up from time to time :
Nearside Front Shock absorber has a light misting of oil or slightly reduced damping effect.
Nearside rear parking brake recording little or no effort or brake efficiency below requirements.
Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing and Offside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing.
So might be worth considering these before your next MOT in June 2022.

All the best.
Cheers, Richard.
Hi Richard,

Thanks for the info on insurance. I have to say the main reason as to why I’m not getting her on the road yet is due to running costs nowadays. At near 300 a year to tax, it’s double the price of my Dad’s diesel Mercedes and FOURTEEN times the price of the tax on my mum’s Citroen C1! And that’s before insurance (which is expensive anyway for a 1st time driver) and of course fuel economy on 480s most certainly isn’t their strongest point. The 2.0i is the most frugal engine of the lot, bizarreley. Even then they average in the low 30s combined. I knew all of this already though, and the way I see it: it’s better to drive a car that is actually worth putting fuel in, even if it is considerably more money to do so :D

As for the history, I don’t mind at all if you look it up. It’s a public document anyway. I find it quite a good way of seeing how a car has been treated all it’s life. I have a pretty good idea of SGO’s life before me: Bought new by a couple in 1993 - run as a daily for 7 years until 2001 when I assume one of them retired and it sat in their garage for most days of the year up until 2021 when the wife decided to give up driving altogether (I assume) and then sold it to the chap I bought it off, who used it as his daily for about 4 months. Sort of as a stop-gap car before he bought a 5 series estate. Now she’s mine!

As for the advisories - there are no surprises. The tyres were fitted in the 42nd week of 2001 and despite having plenty of tread left, they are very cracked and old.

Both the rear dampers I’m pretty sure are in their way out. Due to the rust on them, the rear suspension groans every time I sit in the back seats or put something in the boot

All the brakes are completely shot - the front ones especially. It was only on the test drive up a very steep hill that Dad realised that the handbrake wouldn’t hold the cars own weight!

The timing belt is another thing that needs doing as it is the original (yes ORIGINAL) timing belt. So that’s a ticking time bomb right there!

William
Hi William

I certainly don't envy you the insurance - that brings back some memories and reminds me that there are some advantages to being older... :lol:

Turning to the points you cover here, the tyres are just one of those things, as you clearly recognise. Nothing lasts forever, and I would definitely change them before you do any significant driving of SGO.

Rear shocks are usually knackered on any 480 of a certain age. Fortunately there are still plenty of aftermarket available at a whole range of proves to suit the budget!

Brakes, again fair enough. They are the sort of thing that if you have any doubt at all I would change anyway. Again, pads, discs, calipers and handbrake cables are all available.

Timing belt....... :shock: :shock: ....that is definitely on borrowed time! I'd say that goes to the very top of the to-do list, because failure could be calamitous. And before you say "but surely brakes are a safety matter and so more important" my rationale is that you only need them once the car is moving, and with that timing belt I wouldn't even be running the engine, let alone putting it to work ;)

You'll get SGO there - just stay focussed on how much you'll enjoy driving her when she's done. And as Ben says, you should manage the top 30's and into the early 40s mpg with a well maintained engine.

David
Current: 1994 480 GT, 1996 460 CD & 1997 440 LE with lots of optional extras & 2007 V50 SE Sport
Previous: Celebration 331 (re-homed with Richard S), Celebration 467 (returned to Martin Mc); Celebration 346 (re-homed with Alan480); Celebration 269 (scrapped abandoned project), Celebration 73 (sold on after 6 years), 1992 ES, 1988 ES - and numerous other non-480 Volvos!

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Jay-Kay-Em
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Re: William's 1993 480ES Two-Tone

Post by Jay-Kay-Em » Mon Feb 07, 2022 7:34 pm

Hey William, your car looks really smart. Hang in there old chap.

No one said any L-reg car is easy or cheap to maintain; that's why they are rare after all.

Sometimes I get down with any project - but I think the saving grace with the 480 (for me anyway) is the numbers. When we take the 2.0 Limited Edition, with a peak of 172 cars, now down to 5, I like to think that 167 previous owners have failed to do what you are trying right now. I find that quite inspirational to triumph where others have given up.

Saw an article on the Lotus Carlton the other day, and someone noting only 100 left. We laugh at your rarity in these parts!

And yes, 25 years restoring classic cars and the dealing with paintshops never gets any easier :lol:

Best wishes with the gremlins and to the other members excellent replies.

JKM
Jay-Kay-Em
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Click here for My 480 Turbo Diary
Click here for My Cars

richard-smyth
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Re: William's 1993 480ES Two-Tone

Post by richard-smyth » Tue Feb 08, 2022 7:17 pm

Think we are all looking for one of those. . . . . and I as a rule don't even like cup holders !

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dragonflyjewels
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Re: William's 1993 480ES Two-Tone

Post by dragonflyjewels » Wed Feb 09, 2022 10:08 pm

As dc says, the cambelt is a ticking timebomb - the more often you turn the key the sooner it will break and destroy your engine so leave everything else until that's done.

I (hopefully) have a solution to the 2ltr badge problem, just sent you a pm to explain my thoughts.
Sylvia

Snazzy - 1993 Paris Blue ES red dipstick 2.0i bought 2001
Lethal Lily - 1991 White Turbo
Paris the Unicorn - 1991 Paris Edition
hubby has
Sven - 1994 Racing Green GT
Evil Eva - 1992 Paris Blue Turbo

no previous 480s - can't bear to sell any

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WillC9303
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Re: William's 1993 480ES Two-Tone

Post by WillC9303 » Mon Feb 28, 2022 9:43 pm

A very special update on SGO:

Even though it's been less than a month since my last update which turned out to be a bit of a disaster, lots and lots of developments have happened:
  • - I finally replaced the dodgy aftermarket ignition barrel with a used one (Thanks to Jeff and Sylvia). None of the connections had been cut off, so it was simply just plug and play. Far more secure than something that looked like it belonged on a changing room locker door.
  • After one of the tyres deflating overnight, I decided to replace the ancient Firestones and bought a set of brand new Taurus's. It's cool that they have the same name as the alloys :D
  • Finally replaced all of the disc brakes and pads with brand new QH's - SGO should stop on a dime now.
  • Fitted the auxiliary gauge. Even if its more of a gimmick than useful, it definitely looks better than just a carpeted hole in the dash.
  • Took off the rear bumper bar, which looked decidedly rotten. I was assured this was normal! Anyway, I sanded it down, patched it up with fibreglass, painted and treated it. Should keep the rust at bay for many years to come.
  • Took off the front spoiler to sand down and repaint once I find some Smoke Silver.
  • Thanks to DC Walker, I finally got hold of the elusive "bonnet release catch plastic triangle thing".
  • Did some other small jobs too, sanded down and covered some small hidden rust patches behind the rear bumper and I'm working on the 2.0 badge that Sylvia and DC Walker helped me with.
  • I've also got SGO booked in (with a date) to get some key welding work done on the rear arches and the passenger door and wing.
  • Minor electrical faults have been sorted too, although I still can't get the seats out!!!
  • On top of all that, I managed to find an intact 'Limited Edition' badge from someone off Facebook!
I am having a little trouble sourcing a clutch kit and timing kit. All the ones I've seen for sale are for the 1.7s...

Now for the best bit: About 2 weeks ago now, I sent a letter to the original owner of my car asking to get in contact with me if she still had any information or pictures. I was prepared to not get any response due to the chances of her living at the same address after 28 years. Well, this evening I got a phone call. To my amazement, it was the original owner and she shared a few things about SGO! Up until now, I've called my 480 'SGO', partly because I'm not very imaginative with names, but also because I couldn't think of a good one. It turns out that SGO's actual name is Josephine! Affectionately given to her by the original owners. I was also told that she decided to sell Josephine due to getting a smaller car (Smart For-two for those wondering). I can well imagine a low-slung manual coupe is difficult to live with for an elderly person. Apparently Josephine went on many adventures too and from Scotland back in the day. I was assured that she has been very well looked after, garaged all her life, washed regularly and never crashed!
It also turns out that the damage to the passenger wing wasn't the owner I spoke too after all. That would be the guy I bought it off who did that apparently :?
Really nice lady though, and we had a pleasant conversation. She commented on car's practicality and comfort and told me it had never let her and her husband (who sadly passed away a couple of years ago) down, apart from the odd electrical mishap. So to anyone who has the contact detail of previous/original owners I highly recommend you give it a shot and ask for any info on the car. You never know, you may just get a response!


I have pictures for all the jobs I've done, so can post them if you want too see the recent progress on Josephine.

Image
William

1993 2.0i Limited Edition

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dragonflyjewels
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Re: William's 1993 480ES Two-Tone

Post by dragonflyjewels » Mon Feb 28, 2022 10:17 pm

Well done on all the progress ! That's an impressive amount of work.
How very nice to get to chat to the original owner. Not many 480s come with such information these days, even the V5 no longer gives the previous owner's details. I wouldn't mind betting your lady was quite chuffed to know Josephine is still alive and getting lots of tlc.
Sylvia

Snazzy - 1993 Paris Blue ES red dipstick 2.0i bought 2001
Lethal Lily - 1991 White Turbo
Paris the Unicorn - 1991 Paris Edition
hubby has
Sven - 1994 Racing Green GT
Evil Eva - 1992 Paris Blue Turbo

no previous 480s - can't bear to sell any

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dcwalker
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Re: William's 1993 480ES Two-Tone

Post by dcwalker » Tue Mar 01, 2022 9:38 am

Excellent work!

Great to get the back story as well - you'll not look at Josephine the same way again now you know her background so fully :D

I have messaged you about the clutch...

David
Current: 1994 480 GT, 1996 460 CD & 1997 440 LE with lots of optional extras & 2007 V50 SE Sport
Previous: Celebration 331 (re-homed with Richard S), Celebration 467 (returned to Martin Mc); Celebration 346 (re-homed with Alan480); Celebration 269 (scrapped abandoned project), Celebration 73 (sold on after 6 years), 1992 ES, 1988 ES - and numerous other non-480 Volvos!

100
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Re: William's 1993 480ES Two-Tone

Post by 100 » Tue Mar 01, 2022 10:31 am

WillC9303 wrote:
Mon Feb 28, 2022 9:43 pm
  • Took off the front spoiler to sand down and repaint once I find some Smoke Silver.
From one two-toner to another:

https://www.carcolourservices.co.uk/colour-code/

Silver is 306

Green is 314

In my experience, the colour match is excellent.

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MisterH
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Re: William's 1993 480ES Two-Tone

Post by MisterH » Tue Mar 01, 2022 5:26 pm

That is fantastic! I tried getting in touch with the old owners of my car but to no avail, and ICS UK Ltd, who the bill of sale is for, doesn't show up on companies house at all.

And if she's known as Josephine...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MkTQYtrN7c
Current Jobs to do (23/1/22):
Fix Central Locking
Fix drivers side speaker
Annoying Scratching Squeak
Water leaks
Complete Front O/S rebuild

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Jay-Kay-Em
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Re: William's 1993 480ES Two-Tone

Post by Jay-Kay-Em » Tue Mar 01, 2022 6:09 pm

Excellent work. The limited edition badge is great news. What a find!
MisterH wrote:
Tue Mar 01, 2022 5:26 pm
ICS UK Ltd, who the bill of sale is for
The most famous ICS that I know was “Industrial Control Services” founded by Pete Hall. He sponsored Andy Rouse in BTCC for years. Google any picture of a Rouse car - be it BTCC Sierra, Mondeo, SD1 etc and you’ll find ICS livery on it somewhere. That would be a cool link!
Jay-Kay-Em
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Click here for My 480 Turbo Diary
Click here for My Cars

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WillC9303
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Re: William's 1993 480ES Two-Tone

Post by WillC9303 » Thu Mar 03, 2022 10:38 pm

100 wrote:
Tue Mar 01, 2022 10:31 am
WillC9303 wrote:
Mon Feb 28, 2022 9:43 pm
  • Took off the front spoiler to sand down and repaint once I find some Smoke Silver.
From one two-toner to another:

https://www.carcolourservices.co.uk/colour-code/

Silver is 306

Green is 314

In my experience, the colour match is excellent.
Thanks for the info :D I’ve read previously on here that Peacock Green 314 is notoriously difficult to find…
William

1993 2.0i Limited Edition

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WillC9303
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Re: William's 1993 480ES Two-Tone

Post by WillC9303 » Sat Apr 02, 2022 2:42 pm

My first drive in a 480!

Briefly taxed and insured to get the tracking done (which was FAR out on both front wheels.) and thought I might as well get a bit of driving done after it had been sorted!

Did about 50ish miles between today and yesterday.
Here are my thoughts on the car:
  • Short ratio gearbox was a slight curveball. I found I was travelling through the gears quite fast. It's going to get some getting used to, although the gearbox is very slick. (needs new oil though)
  • The comfy half-leatherette(?) & half-velour seats, which have lots of support and keep you in you seat during tight corners do compensate for the firmer-than-I-would-ideally-prefer ride, but nothing terrible. It's a sporty car after all, but I CERTAINLY won't be fitting aftermarket shocks or springs.
  • Handling very impressive, plenty of feel and perfectly weighted. Perhaps my favourite thing about driving the 480 so far.
  • Interior trim rattle proudly following 480 tradition, but not silly levels and totally to be expected from a 93. I just mentally block it out.
  • Visibility very good, thanks to slender A-pillars and doors that extend past your shoulders. Side mirrors provide good visibility despite being small.
  • Feels quite a narrow car (which it is by modern standards)
  • Even considering my last post on the safety of this car, I didn't feel unsafe at all driving it. Quite the opposite actually, considering the long bonnet.
  • Is a heavy clutch just a characteristic of these cars or is mine just a little worn?
  • Plenty o' torque, drives effortlessly up quite steep hills without the need to change down at all. Much more relaxing to drive than my instructor's Eco boost fiesta, which has about as much torque as an electric pencil sharpener.
  • Sunroof is really nice. Gives nice fresh air which is needed seeing as I don't have A/C. Almost no windnoise whatsoever, which is a bonus aswell.
  • Engine very smooth, lovely sound for a 4cyl. I like the very faint background 'whine' when accelerating. I saw a some complaints from people online about the French drivetrain origins like that's a problem somehow. In my books that's one of this car's strengths! However, the engine does start to 'boom' a little at higher RPM.
  • Got a smile and thumbs up at a petrol station. The combination of a distinct shape + paint scheme is very noticeable.
  • Averaged 35-ish MPG on 30-40mph town roads, with frequent stopping and starting, which is respectable for a 1990's 2.0 coupe (but as low as 11 mpg driving around town when engine cold)
  • I'd have liked the Info centre to be a little brighter. It's barely readable in daylight.
  • Dash shake sometimes quite bad when setting off from standstill. Going to have to do something about that.
  • Very planted and composed on the road. Has the road holding characteristics of a much bigger car.
  • Very good adjustment for driving controls.
  • The sun visors are a bit large and I kept slapping myself in the face with it every time I had to lower/raise it. They also completely block my vision at some angles.
  • I do agree with HubNut's opinion on the square hand brake lever at least. It's not at all comfortable. Did the designers over an Holland think lego figurines were the main customer base for these cars?
  • I can't comment on power, but she goes at a decent speed with only very light throttle usage. Overtaking cyclists was quick and effortless, so no worries there. 110hp doesn't sound much on paper, but its way more than enough for a car that weighs only 1 tonne. I certainly wouldn't call it 'underpowered' that's for sure.
  • While I only stalled once during the 2 hour-ish drive, it was at a savage 6-crossroad busy roundabout just as I pulled out and a couple other cars had to stop for me. That wasn't a pleasant moment.


I even spotted a red Celica GT4 (complete with popups) whilst out on the road.

Josephine was very patient considering the slightly inept driver. Starts EVERY time, FIRST time and doesn't miss a beat
Last edited by WillC9303 on Sat Apr 02, 2022 3:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
William

1993 2.0i Limited Edition

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WillC9303
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Re: William's 1993 480ES Two-Tone

Post by WillC9303 » Sat Apr 02, 2022 2:58 pm

Some gratuitous pictures. Took me ages to do this as the website would give me a 403 every time I posted more than one at the same time. :badmood:

Image

At a relatives house

Image

I don’t think I’ve posted a picture of my interior yet, so here it is. I think only the TTs got this upholstery. It’s really nice, but the velour part is starting to get a bit baggy. Door pocket will be replaced once the weldings done. Leather steering wheel is nice

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(No, this wasn’t a breakdown. It sounded like the cam belt was tearing itself apart, but turned out to be some dead leaves in the vent) :lol:

https://ibb.co/Bq4xTds
William

1993 2.0i Limited Edition

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MisterH
480 Is my middle name
Posts: 1161
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2018 6:15 pm
Location: Stockbridge

Re: William's 1993 480ES Two-Tone

Post by MisterH » Sat Apr 02, 2022 4:06 pm

Congrats Will, so glad you were finally able to get out!

In regards to the handbrake, while it is mostly subjective, the design is pretty good, especially when you can rest your arm on the centre console which is perfectly positioned. HubNut didn't really do the car justice, even tho most of his content is pretty good. I guess where I did all my learning in the 480 (didn't touch an instructors car) it is second nature, and the Rover, Audi particularly, took some real getting used to.

Funny what you say about the gearbox, as I do find it a bit short in my car too, when most cars are fairly happy doing 40 in 3rd the Volvo doesn't seem to like it that much. It will do it, but it'll moan about it. But, that does mean that the overtaking performance I would describe as "elastic". I once overtook a learner car (don't judge me, I am always nice to learners, this one was just doing 30 in a long straight 60) and I was able to shoot from 30 to 60 far quicker than I expected due to being right on the cam (I suspect, performance driving is an art I haven't yet mastered)

A heavy clutch is probably getting on for being worn out, but later cars don't have the 'borehole' effect that early ones did (see my threads for the clutch repair saga)

Digital screens are by their nature difficult to read in sunlight due to the contrast, its why on the Porsche Boxter there is both an analogue and digital speedometer.

My advice for the sun visors is have it as far out as it will go so it is effectively touching the screen. The 480 suffers from having a small forward vision space, the rear view mirror takes up a big chunk and creates a blind spot, but if you put the visor all the way forward you maximise vision while also getting the effect from it.

What generation GT4 was it? The ST165 is really high on my want list
Current Jobs to do (23/1/22):
Fix Central Locking
Fix drivers side speaker
Annoying Scratching Squeak
Water leaks
Complete Front O/S rebuild

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WillC9303
Knows an Aerodeck isn't a 480
Posts: 297
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2021 8:46 pm
Location: Surrey

Re: William's 1993 480ES Two-Tone

Post by WillC9303 » Sat Apr 02, 2022 4:47 pm

MisterH wrote:
Sat Apr 02, 2022 4:06 pm
Congrats Will, so glad you were finally able to get out!
Thank you! It's been a long 5 months :D
MisterH wrote:
Sat Apr 02, 2022 4:06 pm
HubNut didn't really do the car justice, even tho most of his content is pretty good.
I personally found that video to be a little half-arsed. Not only did he get a lot of facts wrong (unusual for Ian), but he generally didn't show much enthusiasm towards it like he does in other reviews. He even concluded by recommending the 440 over it! Hmmm Perhaps he was in a rush that day.
MisterH wrote:
Sat Apr 02, 2022 4:06 pm
My advice for the sun visors is have it as far out as it will go so it is effectively touching the screen. The 480 suffers from having a small forward vision space, the rear view mirror takes up a big chunk and creates a blind spot, but if you put the visor all the way forward you maximise vision while also getting the effect from it.
Ah! I knew something wasn't right . Thanks for the advice.
MisterH wrote:
Sat Apr 02, 2022 4:06 pm
What generation GT4 was it? The ST165 is really high on my want list
ST185 I believe. Spotted in Chobham if anyone here knows (or is) the owner.
William

1993 2.0i Limited Edition

User avatar
WillC9303
Knows an Aerodeck isn't a 480
Posts: 297
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2021 8:46 pm
Location: Surrey

Re: William's 1993 480ES Two-Tone

Post by WillC9303 » Sun Jun 19, 2022 1:38 pm

Finally got the car back from the body shop after almost 2 months. New plates have been welded in the lower arch/sill area, and the passenger door that had previously dropped is now fixed and doesn't crunch the passenger wing like it used to. In other words, I have a working passenger door!

It turns out that my efforts to track down a two-tone passenger wing was in vain, as the shop ended up sanding it down and repainting it anyway. They also provided me with some touch-up paint for both colours as well. Surrey Car Craft UK of Fairoaks, Surrey, completed the work to an exceptionally good standard for a fair price. No complaints there, except that maybe communication isn't their strongest point.

So what's next? Well, mostly minor jobs really. Hopefully in the coming few days I will have a go at renewing the timing belt, as I have no clue when it was last changed. Headlining is sagging, paint needs touching up especially on the bonnet and nosecone, interior needs a lot of attention and cleaning & the front spoiler needs spraying and refitting. Oh, and the heated seats are still broken, but I've given up on those for the time being.

Hopefully, I should be getting the oil pressure sender & adapter from the E-reg ES that is currently being broken, as well as an early front ash tray, which is a nicer piece of design than the later ones. Things like a kill switch, footwell lamps and boot roller blind are all things that I would like to fit in the next few weeks/months.

MOT is about to expire, but there's not much point in getting it done just yet as the insulting fuel prices mean that I can't afford to drive just yet.
William

1993 2.0i Limited Edition

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