Time for my 1st 480!!

Cleaned up the garage, found parts laying around, but it turned out to be a complete Volvo 480? If you want to sell your car (480 only) you can place an advert here.

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zapcity
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Time for my 1st 480!!

Post by zapcity » Tue Nov 15, 2016 12:50 pm

After owning many Volvos for the last 20+ years, it's time to scratch the itch.

The wife had a brand new silver 480ES back in '88 and I've always wanted another, so as I have an empty garage and I want a new hobby, it's time to invest in a 480.

I'm after as good a car as I can get as it will be a keeper. I intend to get it to the best possible condition and just run it through the summer.

Ideally a RHD GT or Celebration but I'm happy to consider all options. Condition and originality is key for me.

So if you are thinking of selling, drop me a line as I'd like to help keep the 480 line going for many a year. :D
Last edited by zapcity on Thu Nov 17, 2016 8:19 am, edited 1 time in total.
1994 480GT - arrived!!
XC60 and XC70 for the daily grind.
C70 Coupé Convertible for the sunny days. Should sell it but can't!

aidanmorris
Started learning about 480
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Re: Time for my 1st 480!!

Post by aidanmorris » Tue Nov 15, 2016 1:06 pm

Hello & welcome!

There are a couple of low mileage GT's on the Car&Classic website at the moment. Rather than paste the links here have a look at the recent posts under the "Auction" thread.

Haven't seen any really good Celebrations or GT's recently but I'll keep my eye out.

Aidan
1967 Land Rover Series IIA SWB
1995 Volvo 480 Celebration (sold)
2003 Condor Squadra and 2008 Condor Italia (2 wheels, no engines!)

zapcity
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Re: Time for my 1st 480!!

Post by zapcity » Tue Nov 15, 2016 2:46 pm

Thanks Aiden. I'll check them out.

I drive past a flame red Celebration everyday in Suffolk (see spotted section).

Must knock on the door and try my luck!!
1994 480GT - arrived!!
XC60 and XC70 for the daily grind.
C70 Coupé Convertible for the sunny days. Should sell it but can't!

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jamescarruthers
480 Is my middle name
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Re: Time for my 1st 480!!

Post by jamescarruthers » Tue Nov 15, 2016 5:30 pm

Have you seen the lovely silver 88 B18E engined one on eBay?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/291942558762

MOT history looks promising
1987 Volvo 480 ES, 507274, 217 - Red (Ness)
2006 Citroen C6 Exclusive 3.0 petrol/LPG
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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brinkie
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Re: Time for my 1st 480!!

Post by brinkie » Wed Nov 16, 2016 7:57 am

Well, if the seller takes pictures with a dumpster in front of the wheel arch, I'd be very suspicious. Also the rear lights are faded and cracked, which do not really tell the story that the car has been garaged. On top of that, I wouldn't drive an inch with a car of which the last cambelt change is unknown (max. 6 years)

I'd buy the 480 ES that was offered for sale a couple of weeks ago from a deceased owner. Maybe it needs some tidying in the wheel arches but I'd rather spend some money to the bodywork of an otherwise carefully owned and driven car than buying something that has been standing still for years.
Robert.

Present cars: 1994 Volvo 480 GT 2.0i, 1999 Volvo S70 2.5 Europa, 2010 Volvo V70 2.0F Momentum

Martin Mc
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Re: Time for my 1st 480!!

Post by Martin Mc » Wed Nov 16, 2016 2:41 pm

I may be in the market to sell my recently resurrected 480S (see the 'She Lives' thread http://www.volvo-480-europe.org/forum/v ... es#p209645) due to an imminent change of circumstances.

The car is low mileage (just gone 46K with history), has had around £1200 spent in the last 12 months including all important cam-belt and some minor welding, is rust free around the arches, and whilst she is not pristine, she is a very very good example of the marque, and great fun to drive :)

PM me if you might be interested.

Regards

Martin
1991 ES White / 1995 ES Red / 1995 ES Red / 1994 S Black / 1995 Celebration Red / 1994 S Paris Blue / 1995 Celebration (again!) Red - Currently free of all extramarital cars, wrench-loose and fancy free :)

zapcity
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Re: Time for my 1st 480!!

Post by zapcity » Wed Nov 16, 2016 2:51 pm

Thanks Martin. I'll take a look.
1994 480GT - arrived!!
XC60 and XC70 for the daily grind.
C70 Coupé Convertible for the sunny days. Should sell it but can't!

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dcwalker
480 Is my middle name
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Re: Time for my 1st 480!!

Post by dcwalker » Wed Nov 16, 2016 8:00 pm

Good luck with your search!

Good ones are becoming increasingly hard to find, and if you do so I think prices are starting to go up - I guess we are at the point where people with the good ones now are the people that intend to hang onto them.

Just be aware that once that 480 bug gets you it never lets go! I had my first 480 in 1992 when they were current. Next one was as a project in around 2003...managed about 6 months without that before having my Celebration for 6 years, sold that (why oh why oh why?) "having finished with 480s" and lasted without one for about 2 years before I could stand being 480-less no longer. Then found my lovely GT I have now...and I know I am not alone in this sort of pattern!

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!

zapcity
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Re: Time for my 1st 480!!

Post by zapcity » Wed Nov 16, 2016 8:32 pm

Hi David,

Thanks for the reply. Is yours the stunning green GT (Lily) I've seen on the Volvo Forum?

If it is its a picture. I love the care and attention you give it. I feel the same way about my cars, that's why I'm happy to wait for the perfect 480.

This seems a friendly forum. The Volvo Forum can be a bit hostile! :dispute:
1994 480GT - arrived!!
XC60 and XC70 for the daily grind.
C70 Coupé Convertible for the sunny days. Should sell it but can't!

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brinkie
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Re: Time for my 1st 480!!

Post by brinkie » Wed Nov 16, 2016 9:08 pm

Martin Mc wrote:I may be in the market to sell my recently resurrected 480S (see the 'She Lives' thread http://www.volvo-480-europe.org/forum/v ... es#p209645) due to an imminent change of circumstances.
:shock: Tough decision :(
Robert.

Present cars: 1994 Volvo 480 GT 2.0i, 1999 Volvo S70 2.5 Europa, 2010 Volvo V70 2.0F Momentum

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dcwalker
480 Is my middle name
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Re: Time for my 1st 480!!

Post by dcwalker » Wed Nov 16, 2016 9:30 pm

zapcity wrote:Hi David,

Thanks for the reply. Is yours the stunning green GT (Lily) I've seen on the Volvo Forum?

If it is its a picture. I love the care and attention you give it. I feel the same way about my cars, that's why I'm happy to wait for the perfect 480.

This seems a friendly forum. The Volvo Forum can be a bit hostile! :dispute:
Thank you very much for the compliments - Lily is indeed my GT... :D

This forum is certainly a friendly one; elsewhere can be unpredictable at times, shall we say... :wink:

Your perfect 480 will come along in time, I am sure!

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: Time for my 1st 480!!

Post by Jay-Kay-Em » Thu Nov 17, 2016 5:19 pm

Hey zapcity, good luck with the search. Took me a few years but I did myself no favours wanting a specific colour / trim.

Its interesting what you say about the friendliness. I think being a forum which is model exclusive helps, everyone is working towards a common passion. Everyone on here understands the rationale for the wedge; many of which stem from memories. Compare that to all my mates who think i'm crazy though....!

There will always be a Swedish/Dutch model hierarchy in the bigger Volvo clubs. That's what I have found anyway. It was the same with the Porsche forum when I owned the 944. The aircoolers looked down on the watercoolers. Such is life.
Jay-Kay-Em
-------------------------------------
Click here for My 480 Turbo Diary
Click here for My Cars

zapcity
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Re: Time for my 1st 480!!

Post by zapcity » Fri Nov 18, 2016 8:01 am

Cheers Jay. Love the website and cool car/bike collection. Can totally relate with the craziness comments!!

I spend countless weekends with my brushes, polishing pads and microfibre cloths detailing cars just for fun. Most people's idea of hell. Never join the Detailing World forum, it's a downward spiral to disaster!
1994 480GT - arrived!!
XC60 and XC70 for the daily grind.
C70 Coupé Convertible for the sunny days. Should sell it but can't!

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brinkie
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Re: Time for my 1st 480!!

Post by brinkie » Fri Nov 18, 2016 9:40 am

Jay-Kay-Em wrote: Its interesting what you say about the friendliness. I think being a forum which is model exclusive helps, everyone is working towards a common passion. Everyone on here understands the rationale for the wedge; many of which stem from memories. Compare that to all my mates who think i'm crazy though....!
Not trying to be sarcastic, but it is more compassion than passion really. I see many stories here of enthusiastic people who have more or less given up on their cars (for their own good reasons, don't get me wrong!), this is where the friendliness comes from. Whereas generic Volvo forums have a tendency to say "please go away and don't come back until you have bought a real Volvo", this particular forum shouts "please don't go away and do come back anytime, we feel so alone in our struggle to keep our cars alive!"
There will always be a Swedish/Dutch model hierarchy in the bigger Volvo clubs. That's what I have found anyway. It was the same with the Porsche forum when I owned the 944. The aircoolers looked down on the watercoolers. Such is life.
I had a friend with a Porsche 928, the watercooled V8 made the flat-sixes in the 911's look like VW Beetles. And now the days that aircooled cars have been produced are long gone, the 924/944 is rising in value. But I know the feeling, I used to own a Talbot-Matra Murena 2.2 - looked down upon by its parent Peugeot-Talbot and virtually the entire sports car scene. Maybe I have a preference for undervalued cars. Though not so extreme as another friend, who is passionate about Eastern-European cars :lol:
Robert.

Present cars: 1994 Volvo 480 GT 2.0i, 1999 Volvo S70 2.5 Europa, 2010 Volvo V70 2.0F Momentum

zapcity
Knows an Aerodeck isn't a 480
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Re: Time for my 1st 480!!

Post by zapcity » Tue Nov 22, 2016 9:02 am

Very tidy car on ebay: - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/142186497610? ... EBIDX%3AIT

As i'm new to the market i'm guessing this is top dollar for a relatively unspecial 480. Its the same price as the white 480ES on car and classic and looks in similar condition. This seems to be the current dealer ceiling price for a very tidy 480.

However, and again i'm guessing, if the condition is good then there is not too much to be spent on it so maybe not as expensive as it looks?

I've noticed this car doesn't have the cubby hole gauges. Was this an option or were they removed towards the end of production?
1994 480GT - arrived!!
XC60 and XC70 for the daily grind.
C70 Coupé Convertible for the sunny days. Should sell it but can't!

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dcwalker
480 Is my middle name
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Re: Time for my 1st 480!!

Post by dcwalker » Tue Nov 22, 2016 9:25 am

I have just seen that one.

Yes, it looks to be in good condition, but it is not a 1995 as stated - with orange indicators, lambda badge on side pillar, old-style front fogs, and a non-airbag steering wheel the latest it'll be is 1992 so my guess is the "J" plate is the original and accurate plate.

Top whack price - as you say if the history and condition are as good as stated then it might not need much but as 480s age (and that is, after all, about 24/5 years old) all sorts of things need attention, regardless of condition and mileage.

As for the cubby hole, the original 480s came with oil pressure & volt meter; when the turbo came out a turbo gauge was added where the blank was but the two dial unit stopped. So any post-1989'ish car you see with the two gauges (many later ones, including my GT) has had it added later on. Lots still around and the harder parts to get are the sender (I have a spare) and the mounting bracket/adaptor (I don't - the hardest bit to find).

Car is worth what you're willing to pay for it - whether "bog-standard" 480 ES's (no offence intended to anyone) of even "special" ones (GT, Celebrations) are now worth that sort of money I guess only the buying market can say...

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!

zapcity
Knows an Aerodeck isn't a 480
Posts: 251
Joined: Wed Nov 09, 2016 4:01 pm
Location: Ipswich, Suffolk

Re: Time for my 1st 480!!

Post by zapcity » Tue Nov 22, 2016 11:47 am

Thanks David for the info. Always best to ask those who know!! Good point on the age. Perishable items and electrics will always need attention.

I don't see any great demand for the non-Celebration, or GT models yet. Cars don't seem to be shifting quickly and I guess the higher prices cars just don't have a demand.

Interestingly, there is a thread on Volvo Forum with a lady selling a 31K miles '91 440GLT (it has the volt and oil pressure gauges by the way!), family owned car and she cannot shift it. She only wants £500. I guess this highlights that some cars are just not special enough yet to warrant a following. The 480 probably still falls into that category for now so a good time for me to buy. £3K for the J reg on ebay just seems too much to me. The white ES on C&C is more appealing but the price needs to start with a '1'!

I'll keep looking.
1994 480GT - arrived!!
XC60 and XC70 for the daily grind.
C70 Coupé Convertible for the sunny days. Should sell it but can't!

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glasgowjim
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Re: Time for my 1st 480!!

Post by glasgowjim » Tue Nov 22, 2016 6:34 pm

2.9k for a 480 PMSL :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :nuts: :nuts: :nuts: :nuts: :nuts:

Jimbo_uk
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Re: Time for my 1st 480!!

Post by Jimbo_uk » Wed Nov 23, 2016 10:17 am

glasgowjim wrote:2.9k for a 480 PMSL :rofl:
Are they not good cars? Are they not rare (around 400 on the road) and unique cars? A modern classic? £2.5-3k only gets you a 10 year old hatchback with 100k on the clock around here, it's not exactly a fortune to be spending on a car. Same issue with the Porsche 924, values are finally creeping up but it's been a long road resulting in lots of cars being scrapped because repair costs for basic jobs soon eclipse the current value of the car.

Currently I obviously don't disagree with you, maybe a low mileage full service history special edition could creep up that high, nice looking cars are going for less than £2k at the moment though and not that quickly.

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brinkie
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Re: Time for my 1st 480!!

Post by brinkie » Wed Nov 23, 2016 9:29 pm

I know these cars are really undervalued in the UK, but seriously, where would you find a 480 in this condition, without too much electrical trouble (29/04/1992 so it is a Phase 2 with updated electrics and CEM III) with such a low mileage, full service documentation and recent cambelt these days? And Paris Blue is one of the prettiest colours. Granted, the 102 bhp 1.7 isn't the fastest and the smoothest unit available, and it seems to be a bog standard 480 ES, but I think you have to search very long to find a Volvo 480 in a condition like this one.
Robert.

Present cars: 1994 Volvo 480 GT 2.0i, 1999 Volvo S70 2.5 Europa, 2010 Volvo V70 2.0F Momentum

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