The Volvo 480 looks good as is, but if you have the desire to give it a more personal look you can find out what others did to their 480 and be inspired.
Moderators: jifflemon, coyote1980, Rachel
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jamescarruthers
- 480 Is my middle name
- Posts: 2106
- Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2003 3:19 pm
- Location: Cambridge
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by jamescarruthers » Tue Mar 23, 2021 5:51 pm
jifflemon wrote: ↑Mon Mar 15, 2021 8:44 am
Have never seen castor or lyra fitted on a 480.
I imagined they wouldn't look too bad but they look way worse than I thought they would:

(can't pictures to work so follow link below)
From this listing in Germany
https://www.motorbasar.de/oldtimer-volv ... 42920.html
Last edited by
jamescarruthers on Tue Mar 23, 2021 6:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
1987 Volvo 480 ES, 507274, 217 - Red (Ness)
2003 Renault Avantime 3.0 V6 (Big Ren)
2008 Mini Cooper convertible (Mau)
Previous 480's:
J123 CFU -- ES
J449 MNL -- ES auto
D864 CPV -- ES
L691 JFC -- Turbo
F70 MNR -- ES
H858 FGV -- Turbo auto
E981 KHM -- ES (509849)
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dcwalker
- 480 Is my middle name
- Posts: 1131
- Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2012 12:30 pm
- Location: York
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by dcwalker » Tue Mar 23, 2021 6:01 pm
I agree with you James - they look ok-ish on a pre-facelift 460, but on a 480 that just doesn't work.
David
Current: 1994 480 GT, 1995 Celebration 331 (plus 2004 C70 Collection & 1995 440 ES)
Previous: 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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MisterH
- 480 Connoisseur
- Posts: 830
- Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2018 6:15 pm
- Location: Stockbridge
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by MisterH » Tue Mar 23, 2021 6:51 pm
dcwalker wrote: ↑Tue Mar 23, 2021 6:01 pm
I agree with you James - they look ok-ish on a pre-facelift 460, but on a 480 that just doesn't work.
David
I disagree, I think they look brilliant, but only with certain combinations. This car also being from the black rubbing strip era certainly doesn't help...
Current Jobs to do (1/1/21):
Fix Central Locking
Fix drivers side speaker
suspension creaking below 40mph
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dcwalker
- 480 Is my middle name
- Posts: 1131
- Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2012 12:30 pm
- Location: York
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by dcwalker » Tue Mar 23, 2021 8:31 pm
MisterH wrote: ↑Tue Mar 23, 2021 6:51 pm
dcwalker wrote: ↑Tue Mar 23, 2021 6:01 pm
I agree with you James - they look ok-ish on a pre-facelift 460, but on a 480 that just doesn't work.
David
I disagree, I think they look brilliant, but only with certain combinations. This car also being from the black rubbing strip era certainly doesn't help...

each to their own...
Current: 1994 480 GT, 1995 Celebration 331 (plus 2004 C70 Collection & 1995 440 ES)
Previous: 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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MisterH
- 480 Connoisseur
- Posts: 830
- Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2018 6:15 pm
- Location: Stockbridge
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by MisterH » Tue Mar 23, 2021 8:51 pm
dcwalker wrote: ↑Tue Mar 23, 2021 8:31 pm
MisterH wrote: ↑Tue Mar 23, 2021 6:51 pm
dcwalker wrote: ↑Tue Mar 23, 2021 6:01 pm
I agree with you James - they look ok-ish on a pre-facelift 460, but on a 480 that just doesn't work.
David
I disagree, I think they look brilliant, but only with certain combinations. This car also being from the black rubbing strip era certainly doesn't help...

each to their own...
Haha, my pick would be Graphite Grey, coloured bumpers, with Castors, has that Golf P-Slot look to it, that's the look in my mind, but I do agree that on light colours and black bumpers they aren't the best...
Current Jobs to do (1/1/21):
Fix Central Locking
Fix drivers side speaker
suspension creaking below 40mph
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Aram
- 480 Newbie
- Posts: 22
- Joined: Wed Sep 26, 2018 6:05 pm
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by Aram » Tue Mar 23, 2021 9:01 pm
Atlas, Lyra & Taurus.
Lyra would be top pick if 15", then Taurus, then Atlas as they're the ones I'm running now and they look good. Wish they were 15 though. I'm browsing for a set of OZ Crono 16" for mine. A friend that has an E30 running 15" on Bridgestone Potenzas (and it looks MEAN) says 16 is too much, not a lot of tyre on that. I don't daily drive the car and it's already on LesJofors springs (-30mm) so...
I photoshopped it to see if they'd look the part.

edit: here's a shot of mine, lowered on Atlas.

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Joe S
- 480 Newbie
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2007 11:57 pm
- Location: Reading
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by Joe S » Wed Mar 24, 2021 9:14 pm
I am quite fond of the original Pollux wheels. They are in keeping with the car, angular and futuristic for the time and having owned 480s continuously since 1989 it was only variation seen on both the ES and Turbo for several years.
So continuing with the chunky five spoke design I like the Taurus wheels. After which come Vesa and Lyra which to me appear to be a nod to the BBS wheels of the time that were often fitted to many of the vehicles that I converted back in the eighties.
So, my choice;
1: Taurus
2: Vesa
3: Lyra
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MisterH
- 480 Connoisseur
- Posts: 830
- Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2018 6:15 pm
- Location: Stockbridge
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by MisterH » Sat Apr 03, 2021 12:04 pm
I have come to realise that I was wrong about the Castor, it is now my 4th favourite, as I have remembered the wheel I had in mind was actually the Columbia wheel. This was used on 480s and can be seen in the crash test footage, it is also the wheel I saw on that barn-find car once that made such an impression
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc15 ... b5d489.jpg
What I said about the Castor still stands, but this one I prefer on a 480, Graphite Grey with colour bumpers or black
Current Jobs to do (1/1/21):
Fix Central Locking
Fix drivers side speaker
suspension creaking below 40mph
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jimmi480
- 480 Newbie
- Posts: 11
- Joined: Thu Jun 19, 2014 4:29 pm
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by jimmi480 » Mon Apr 05, 2021 9:38 am
1.Vega
2.Atlas
3.Canis
Just love five spoke weeks on the V480.
Vega- Is just super lovely to the cars design.. And make the car looks low and fat..
Atlas- Its lika a pree Volvo R-rim. the strikt design is perfekt..
Canis- It make the car more adult and exclusive. Too bad the are not left and right turned.
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phil480
- Knows where Volvo is from
- Posts: 127
- Joined: Tue May 08, 2007 7:08 pm
- Location: Littlehampton, West Sussex
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by phil480 » Tue Apr 06, 2021 3:27 pm
My picks:
1. Vesa -IMO the best looking, plus they are what is on my current 480
2. Avior -My '93 ES had these and I much preferred the look of them over the 5 spoke options
3. Castor -Maybe slightly controversial, but I like the retro looks of these, they look good on the older models
Current: 480 GT 2.0 '94 in Red
Previous: 480 ES 2.0 '93 in White K464SWP -Sold in 2009. Presumed dead