This may be an overly lengthy ad so if you're in a hurry then there's a Quick Summary at the bottom of the ad along with loads of pics.
With much thought and fussing I've decided to sell my much loved and cherished 480, Poppy.
Surely, the real definition of 'Future Classic'!
Just in case you didn't know, the Celebration is a special run-out model for the UK only of which there were only 480 made. This one is number 212. The unique plaque on the dash shows this.
As you may know if you're familiar with these cars they are well specced featuring:
- Full Two Tone Grey Leather,
- Heated Seats,
- Info Centre Trip Computer giving you your constant MPG, average MPG, average speed, fuel range, oil temperature, coolant temperature and the external temperature.
- Air Conditioning,
- Electric Windows and Mirrors,
- Central Locking,
- Philips CD Player
So put simply, a very well specced hatchback for 1995!
The car is MOTed until 6th of November and is also Taxed until November too.
The car wears a nice private number plate worth about £250 which will stay with the car for the buyer. The number is on legal pressed aluminium plates which just look smarter and stay looking good for longer.
It was last serviced using genuine Volvo parts and Mobil Super Semi-Sythetic 10W40 oil in November when I dragged the car out from its' short slumber at about 78,000 miles, now it's on 84K.
The History.
The service booklet contains many entries up until 2005 and I have MOT certificates dating back to 2005. Plus, I also have a HPI report from the dealer I bought the car off. I too have all the receipts and bills from my ownership, I am an enthusiast so anything I get I keep, this even includes tax reminders! Sad I know! Looking back at the money I've spent on the car does make me wince!
The car was originally registered N448 WNP and was supplied by Johnsons Volvo of Worcester. It still has its' original dealer sticker in the rear window and key ring!
The car has 4 previous keepers before me.
I am a big Volvo enthusiast, owning a V70 too, I'd always wanted one of these so when this popped up local I just had to have it!
I've had the car since March 2011, love the car but just feel it's time for a change.
When I got the car the water pump started to leak so I had my garage replace it along with the cambelt as there were questions as to when it was last done so that's not due for another 3 years or 40,000 miles or so.
Then, in April 2011 I had a custom one-off Powerflow cat-back Stainless Steel Exhaust with a stylish tailpipe and rerouted exit built for the car which cost £330. It sounds lovely when the throttle's open but when you're cruising along it's reasonably quiet, much quieter than other cars with tuned exhausts I've had! If it wasn't to your taste then an original replacement can be had off eBay for under £100 delivered which would be replenished with the sale of this s/s one.
I had the car on the road for the first 3 months of having it and then took it off the road in the June as I needed a bigger car to go on holiday in. From about July 2011 to November 2012 it was under a waterproof car cover in my garage.
In October I sold my other car so pulled this one out. It was MOTed in November 2012 and was back on the road so the next MOT is due on 06-11-13. It passed with zero advisories after having new Brembo Rear discs and pads and some rear anti roll bar droplinks as they were knocking.
The starter motor also failed while it was at the garage so I had a brand new one installed. The alternator was playing up too so it had a brand new one put in, the battery is fairly new too. Ever since it's been running perfectly fine, brilliantly infact! Hasn't let me down once, regular trips up to Birmingham involving mixed driving, sitting in heavy traffic etc.
The Exterior.
Overall the paint is just lovely, it's a joy to wash this car just so you can show off how smart it looks. The car is clearly in very good condition, it polishes up a real treat but being 18 years old now it does have the odd chip and mark around it. Worst being an inch or so long scratch on the bonnet, stone chips across the nose cone and a bit of laquer peel by the passenger door handle, these really don't detract from the car's overall appeal, always turning heads and getting positive comments, people asking 'Is it a classic?' lol. It looks fantastic and I have no doubt you'll agree if you were to see the car in person.
The rear arches are a weak spot for rust on these cars but this one is perfect in this respect! I haven't seen one with arches this good in years!!! If I'm 100% honest though there are a couple of tiny little bubbles at the bottom of the driver's door, bought the car like it and it hasn't worsened at all. Just keep the car clean, washing out the arches etc and it'll stay this nice!
The rear lights are good (usually they fade and go very cloudy/misty) these are still presentable after a quick polish and were sourced last year so were also resealed and as such don't leak water into the boot, no ensuite jokes here!
The front spoiler is present and intact (which, again is unusual).
The car wears it's original wheels with very good Avon tyres all round. The Cetus alloys themselves are almost immaculate.
The front fog lights have some yellow tint vinyl applied as I personally think it looks good but can be easily peeled off to reveal the fogs in their original condition.
The Interior.
The interior of these cars make a very nice place to be with their low seating position and good all round visibility, you really feel like you're in something special, and you are. The leather is supple and lightly worn, although the driver's bolster does have some slight wear, nothing serious but worth mentioning for those picky ones.
The dash surround corner is a place that usually falls victim to the little sun we have and cracks and breaks off. This was the case when I got the car so I sourced a good replacement which has very minor cracking which I've reinforced with glue from the back. The belt supports and door pockets are all in mint condition unlike most! I've gone to great lengths to keep the original stereo so rebuilt one out of 2 bad ones.
I've also gone though all the switches and replaced any blown bulbs and replaced any switches with worn faces for good ones just because I'm that picky. We still have the original rare carpet mats which are in great condition, also included are some custom red ones. The car still has its' desirable roller blind in the boot which tends to sell for £75 on its own!
The Drive.
As you will know if you're reading this these cars drive fantastically! This one is no exception. It starts first time everytime, no matter what. It runs smoothly with no unwanted noises anywhere, no vibrations either at any speed. It starts perfectly in all conditions since replacing the starter last year. All together it makes a refined cruiser. There is one warning light on the dash mind, the SRS light. This is on as last year I had the steering wheel off to test fit another but never got round to resetting the light. It wasn't an issue for the MOT.
The Electrics.
Some people seem to have the idea in their heads that these cars have weak electronics and maybe they do. This car however has been a darling. The only issue I've had that hasn't been mentioned yet is that one headlight motor failed while the car was garaged so has obviously been replaced and ever since the pop ups have been working perfectly, coming up together with no delay whatsoever. I've installed some expensive LED bulbs in the DRLs to keep them from overheating and damaging the lenes.
Another point with these cars are that the Info Centres are known to play up or not work altogether, here it's perfect. There was a time though were it wasn't working so I took apart the dash for inspection to find the connector on the back of the dials was loose so just clicked it back in and now it's fine, and that was a couple of months ago.
The electric windows, mirrors, locking etc work faultlessly! All the lights work, inside and out plus in all the switch gear, even in the door locks when you pull the door handles up so you can see where to put the key in the dark. When you have the front wipers on and you put the car in reverse the rear wiper comes on full speed which is very helpful, also it parks in the correct place.
What It Comes With.
The car has a few spares to go with the car including:
- A brand new exhaust front pipe/down pipe,
- A spare original stereo for parts only,
- A spare heater matrix and pipework,
- A genuine oil filter and a set of spark plugs,
- A spare headlight,
- 2 keys,
- Quite a bit of paperwork,
and quite a few other little bits and bobs.
Summary.
- 84,000 documented miles only,
- Private number plate,
- Mot until 6th November 2013,
- Tax until November too,
- FSH with all the paper work from my ownership,
- A handful of spares,
- All electronics working perfectly,
- Runs and drives superbly,
- Fabulously clean bodywork with rust free arches!
The Price.
Well I don't know, I'm going to put the car on eBay soon with NO RESERVE but as it's bad practice to not put a price so let's just say £1800. I may be interested in p/xs so fire away!
I do have a selection of rare accessories I'll be selling including a cupholder armrest, digital clock/stop watch, auxiliary guages with the correct sensor, plastic floor mats and a hard plastic boot liner. All genuine Volvo bits and very rare! These will be available seperately but I suppose I could make a deal for the lot for the buyer of the car.
If you have any questions then please ask away, I'm more than happy to produce any photos etc for you.
Thanks for looking
P.S. Here's the link below to the album of the photos to see in full size.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/83938051@N ... 613009432/
