Wanted 480

[nigel poustie]

Hi

I'm looking to get a late 480 2.0 hopefully <£2500 to run as a daily car. I have never really worked on cars but I'm capable with tools, though I don't really want my head under a bonnet every weekend.
Do you think this is a realistic proposition and does anyone have anything for sale?

Cheers
Nigel

[cptlingo]

In Poland there is like 10 volvos around this price but most of them needs a lot of repairs

[jamescarruthers]

Quite realistic,yes. £2500 is the top of the market I'd say.

[nigel poustie]

Thanks a lot.
Any advice / pitfalls to avoid would be gratefully received.

[jifflemon]

Thanks a lot.
Any advice / pitfalls to avoid would be gratefully received.

Short version: Buy the best body you can.

Most things we can deal with, but rust, in all the usual places, will be expensive to repair.

As James has said, For £2.5k, your in the upper end of the market, so you can afford to be picky. There's still a lot of people out there that think that just because it's old, it's automatically worth a kings ransom.

[dragonflyjewels]

There is a 2 litre just popped up on ebay that looks very clean and well maintained - engine compartment is quite impressive in the pics, so is the modified headlining. Can't see the wheel arches so more pics needed. The engine is an original red dipstick version, which I also have. That means it WILL burn oil, but it is supposed to. It's designed to put a tiny squirt through the fuel injectors giving lots more bottom end grunt. Other differences to the modified green dipstick version are under piston cooling, more sporty camshaft and different crank. If you want the performance and can stand the oil use (approx 1 litre per 750 miles on mine) check this one out. There aren't many red dipstick engines left (I know, I spent years looking for a lower mileage version of mine) Most were replaced with the green dipstick version when owners complained about the oil burning. And no, the dipsticks are not interchangable, one is longer and thinner than the other. The money is top end, presumably he wants 2500 after haggling, but if it is as good as it looks and the low mileage is genuine, then it's a fair price. If I wasn't in the middle of a massive restoration on mine, I'd be heading off to look at this one.

[jamescarruthers]

Every horsepower counts in a N/A automatic 480!

I used to live in Westcliff-on-Sea‎ (Southend-on-Sea's slightly more genteel neighbour). This car did make me chuckle with the pretty ugly but thankfully reversible mods which are in fashion in that part of the world. He obviously has a soft spot for red accessories! 

We were a little gang working from all over the UK and the world at the airport there and found the locals hilarious. 

Southend is the only place I have ever lived and was scared of walking to the shops at night when I lived on the seafront there‎.

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[jamescarruthers]

LOL @ foglights and red grill surround

[jamescarruthers]

LOL @ long range lights and furry dice

[jamescarruthers]

LOL @ dials

[jamescarruthers]

LOL @ headlining

[jamescarruthers]

But, seriously, it does look in good condition. Personally, I wouldn't have an automatic again but on the condition of the rear lights and if the arches are good, then this would be a good car to have. Very good condition DRL's are a big bonus.

You'd just have to de-twat the red stuff‎, which wouldn't be too hard. The oil pressure gauge looks like it might be missing the sender (so reads full deflection) but that's replaceable, as is the McHeadlining, which I could possibly live with-- maybe the original is underneath! The ugly painted heater slides could be replaced by those slightly iffy Skandix ones‎.

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[jamescarruthers]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/264000568242
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Not quite what you wanted as you specified top price and want to drive away presumably with a ready to go 480 but... 
I'd be tempted by this GT and spend the spare cash on fixing the rear arches and giving it a mega service and suspension overhaul (last MOT has a lot of advisories). ‎In my opinion the best looking of the 480's.‎
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I'd recommend you keep an eye on Car & Classic for other cars coming‎ up, if you're not already
‎
This one ‎https://m.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1032272 is completely overpriced but you could be lucky and the rear lights could polish up nicely and he takes a more sensible offer around half of what it's up for. Description is full of waffle and no detail-- not worth £4k. Mileage is 69762 according to DVLA MOT history checker.

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[nigel poustie]

Hi all

thanks for this, It does look tidy (apart from the add-ons) but I want a manual.

I've been looking for a while now and not many come up sadly!

Want do people think of these
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1033272 - This one obviously has a pop-up headlight problem and is 1.7 - I've read the 2.0 is better, what do folk think here?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Volvo-480-Cl ... SwAN1bu2xu - the same 1.7 and is a base model, looks tidy though.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/volvo-480-gt ... :rk:1:pf:0 - 2.0 Gt, ideal but has leaks according to a previous post, how easy are they to solve?

Again any help would be gratefully received
Cheers
Nigel

[nigel poustie]

Yeah I look daily at cars and classic

The red celebration on there looks great but like you say £4000 is too much, I did think today of offering a him half the asking price and he can bear me in mind......

like you say the Green GT is cheap but maybe too many issues???

[Alan 480]

Hi all

thanks for this, It does look tidy (apart from the add-ons) but I want a manual.

I've been looking for a while now and not many come up sadly!

Want do people think of these
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1033272 - This one obviously has a pop-up headlight problem and is 1.7 - I've read the 2.0 is better, what do folk think here?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Volvo-480-Cl ... SwAN1bu2xu - the same 1.7 and is a base model, looks tidy though.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/volvo-480-gt ... :rk:1:pf:0 - 2.0 Gt, ideal but has leaks according to a previous post, how easy are they to solve?

Again any help would be gratefully received
Cheers
Nigel

2litre does about same (or better) mpg vs the 1700, lazy driving if you wish with loads low down grunt. or decent poke

depends where the leaks are

it all depends on how 'handy' you are with tools , MiG & leccy stuff, with a 480 there is usually something to keep you 'entertained'

but a decent set of rear arches saves a LOAD of grief

[dragonflyjewels]

I think if you settled for a 1.7 or an S, you would probably regret it. Your budget should definitely get you a good 2litre ES at least, so worth waiting for the right one to come up, unless you need wheels in a hurry.

[nigel poustie]

I think if you settled for a 1.7 or an S, you would probably regret it. Your budget should definitely get you a good 2litre ES at least, so worth waiting for the right one to come up, unless you need wheels in a hurry.

That's what I've been thinking.....but there don't seem to come up that regularly...I guess I have to be patient

[jamescarruthers]

I'd sort of agree with the S and 1.7 thing.

Unfortunately the 1.7 started out quite nippy (I love the few early 1.7 I've had) but they got slower and slower as time went on-- the catalyser one being the slowest. This is why they changed to 2.0 later in the car's life, to get the power back up (and probably then some more!). I had a 1.7 auto, which probably had a catalyser, and it was really slow! An auto turbo I could live with again, but likely I'd hold out for a manual on that front too. A manual 1.7+Cat (like the two-tone you linked to): I would suggest you try and drive it and make your own mind up. It's not exactly slow but it wont be as fast as it looks!

I noticed that the S model has fog lights and ES alloy wheels. If you added the info centre and a few sensors (quite easy as the wiring is all there) you would basically have an ES, save for the boot lid. So for that reason, don't entirely discount that S model if it is a good car and you are happy with a 1.7.

The pop up problem is likely to be either the hinges, the motor or the pop up relay--- all fixable if you can get spares, which wont be too difficult. Other than that the two-tone is gorgeous.

Leaks can leave the inside a bit smelly but in theory should all be fixable. They wont just be a case of lobbing sealant at a joint and hoping for the best, its rather a case of take things apart and reassemble wet with sealant-- e.g rear lights, boot lid hinges, etc.

You should probably take a few for a test drive and see what you think. Where abouts are you?

[nigel poustie]

I'd sort of agree with the S and 1.7 thing.

Unfortunately the 1.7 started out quite nippy (I love the few early 1.7 I've had) but they got slower and slower as time went on-- the catalyser one being the slowest. This is why they changed to 2.0 later in the car's life, to get the power back up (and probably then some more!). I had a 1.7 auto, which probably had a catalyser, and it was really slow! An auto turbo I could live with again, but likely I'd hold out for a manual on that front too. A manual 1.7+Cat (like the two-tone you linked to): I would suggest you try and drive it and make your own mind up. It's not exactly slow but it wont be as fast as it looks!

I noticed that the S model has fog lights and ES alloy wheels. If you added the info centre and a few sensors (quite easy as the wiring is all there) you would basically have an ES, save for the boot lid. So for that reason, don't entirely discount that S model if it is a good car and you are happy with a 1.7.

The pop up problem is likely to be either the hinges, the motor or the pop up relay--- all fixable if you can get spares, which wont be too difficult. Other than that the two-tone is gorgeous.

Leaks can leave the inside a bit smelly but in theory should all be fixable. They wont just be a case of lobbing sealant at a joint and hoping for the best, its rather a case of take things apart and reassemble wet with sealant-- e.g rear lights, boot lid hinges, etc.

You should probably take a few for a test drive and see what you think. Where abouts are you?

Thanks for that!
I'm in Leeds, so the two-tone one is away away, the 1.7S is in hull so I planning to go there and have a look and drive it get my bearings so to speak.
I think really the GT is probably a can of worms I don't need in my life, I have to smallish kids so although I'm up for doing a bit of work, I don't really want a project.

Thanks again
Nigel