1987 480 ES Project -- D-reg, 2nd oldest in UK

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jamescarruthers
480 Is my middle name
Posts: 2501
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2003 3:19 pm
Location: Cambridge

Re: 1987 480 ES Project -- D-reg, 2nd oldest in UK

Post by jamescarruthers » Wed Sep 09, 2020 8:43 am

Image
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)

User avatar
jamescarruthers
480 Is my middle name
Posts: 2501
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2003 3:19 pm
Location: Cambridge

Re: 1987 480 ES Project -- D-reg, 2nd oldest in UK

Post by jamescarruthers » Wed Sep 09, 2020 8:48 am

Wings and back emd built up by the body shop. Addition of rear lights really made it look like a 480 again.

I took a trip to Lake's for the interior light loom which had shorted and melted on mine. Interestingly my original had the wiring for the rear grab handle lights which never made it to UK production cars. Sadly, no nuts in the roof so I couldn't rob the handles from a 440, which was my plan. There was a very distressed 480 in the back which had been run over with their crane but it did have the loom in still (and a few bits for R1 project car!).

Image

This shorting must have been a known problem as the later cars have a flat wire assy. going up to the interior light, as opposed to the earlier car's bundle which chafed snd comitted wire suicide.

I picked up some original springs from Jeff to address this car's tail-high stance with the Monroe springs which are just plain wrong. I presume that they think a 440, 460 and 480 are all the same so we end up with tall 480s.
Last edited by jamescarruthers on Thu Sep 10, 2020 9:28 am, edited 2 times in total.
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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MisterH
480 Is my middle name
Posts: 1161
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2018 6:15 pm
Location: Stockbridge

Re: 1987 480 ES Project -- D-reg, 2nd oldest in UK

Post by MisterH » Wed Sep 09, 2020 9:08 am

Going for painted bumpers then? You don't see many from this era with those, wasn't there an option for a lighter grey plastic in addition to the darker anthracite black option that mine has?
Current Jobs to do (23/1/22):
Fix Central Locking
Fix drivers side speaker
Annoying Scratching Squeak
Water leaks
Complete Front O/S rebuild

cranna21
Can tell where the 480 was built
Posts: 313
Joined: Sat Jan 11, 2014 3:44 pm
Location: Aberdeenshire, Huntly

Re: 1987 480 ES Project -- D-reg, 2nd oldest in UK

Post by cranna21 » Wed Sep 09, 2020 9:14 am

seeing this makes me want to save my wee '88 ES I have sitting :eek:

Sadly the GT is no longer with us, but I do still have 90% of the parts

Image
'91 480 ES 2.0l 16v 'Williams' Conversion - 212bhp/230nm
'90 940 GL 2.0l Estate
'08 XC90 D5 SE Premium

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

Re: 1987 480 ES Project -- D-reg, 2nd oldest in UK

Post by MisterH » Wed Sep 09, 2020 9:18 am

What's wrong with the '88 car, doesn't look too bad from 20ft...
Current Jobs to do (23/1/22):
Fix Central Locking
Fix drivers side speaker
Annoying Scratching Squeak
Water leaks
Complete Front O/S rebuild

cranna21
Can tell where the 480 was built
Posts: 313
Joined: Sat Jan 11, 2014 3:44 pm
Location: Aberdeenshire, Huntly

Re: 1987 480 ES Project -- D-reg, 2nd oldest in UK

Post by cranna21 » Wed Sep 09, 2020 9:23 am

When I bought it it hadn't run in many years, I've still never tried, it arrived with no spark plugs and its been like that a while too.

I've robbed the odd bit from it, mostly superficial things with the exception of brake servo and I sold the exhaust as it was stainless steel. It had a lovely half leather interior that someone had retrofitted from a later car but the mice got the drivers bolster, not much of a loss as it was kinda knackered anyway as they all are but the rest of its still there - it needs the usual weldings and a good tidy up, it's also got a manual sunroof fitted!

it could be saved, and being an early car with early manual bonnet prop, old-style power steering reservoir and under bonnet light, I have this weird liking to it :lol: I think if I ever do anything with it I'd love to transplant a diesel into it, nothing crazy, just a reasonably modern Renault 1.9 dti or dci

one day maybe haha
'91 480 ES 2.0l 16v 'Williams' Conversion - 212bhp/230nm
'90 940 GL 2.0l Estate
'08 XC90 D5 SE Premium

User avatar
jamescarruthers
480 Is my middle name
Posts: 2501
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2003 3:19 pm
Location: Cambridge

Re: 1987 480 ES Project -- D-reg, 2nd oldest in UK

Post by jamescarruthers » Thu Sep 10, 2020 9:25 am

MisterH wrote:
Wed Sep 09, 2020 9:08 am
Going for painted bumpers then? You don't see many from this era with those, wasn't there an option for a lighter grey plastic in addition to the darker anthracite black option that mine has?
Yes, painted bumpers. I just don't really love the black on red combination and if I'm paying for a respray I have to love the end result. In my defense of this crime against originality I can tell you that I asked John de Vries personally about the black bumpers and he told me that he never intended for the car to have them. They only exist in black as a Volvo cost cutting exercise. So I feel exonerated!

lighter coloured grey bumpers were only in the first year of production so you will only see these in the NL or Europe, I guess. The 480 was available in LHD for 1 year before they did the RHD ones for us. I saw one being broken up at Orlando's yard in NL and its chassis number much earlier than mine.
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)

User avatar
jamescarruthers
480 Is my middle name
Posts: 2501
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2003 3:19 pm
Location: Cambridge

Re: 1987 480 ES Project -- D-reg, 2nd oldest in UK

Post by jamescarruthers » Thu Sep 10, 2020 9:29 am

cranna21 wrote:
Wed Sep 09, 2020 9:14 am
seeing this makes me want to save my wee '88 ES I have sitting :eek:
Make that 2021's project. I wonder who will be the first to have an electric 480?!
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)

cranna21
Can tell where the 480 was built
Posts: 313
Joined: Sat Jan 11, 2014 3:44 pm
Location: Aberdeenshire, Huntly

Re: 1987 480 ES Project -- D-reg, 2nd oldest in UK

Post by cranna21 » Thu Sep 10, 2020 9:35 am

jamescarruthers wrote:
Thu Sep 10, 2020 9:29 am
cranna21 wrote:
Wed Sep 09, 2020 9:14 am
seeing this makes me want to save my wee '88 ES I have sitting :eek:
Make that 2021's project. I wonder who will be the first to have an electric 480?!
I kinda want to reserve that for my 940 :rofl:
'91 480 ES 2.0l 16v 'Williams' Conversion - 212bhp/230nm
'90 940 GL 2.0l Estate
'08 XC90 D5 SE Premium

Alan 480
480 Is my middle name
Posts: 1489
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2011 9:03 am
Location: Aberdeen

Re: 1987 480 ES Project -- D-reg, 2nd oldest in UK

Post by Alan 480 » Thu Sep 10, 2020 11:50 am

cranna21 wrote:
Thu Sep 10, 2020 9:35 am
jamescarruthers wrote:
Thu Sep 10, 2020 9:29 am
cranna21 wrote:
Wed Sep 09, 2020 9:14 am
seeing this makes me want to save my wee '88 ES I have sitting :eek:
Make that 2021's project. I wonder who will be the first to have an electric 480?!
I kinda want to reserve that for my 940 :rofl:
lots of room for lead acid batteries in there :-)
Alan

480 ES 2litre 'Celebration' ? , C30 1.8ES, SS1

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

Re: 1987 480 ES Project -- D-reg, 2nd oldest in UK

Post by MisterH » Thu Sep 10, 2020 5:44 pm

jamescarruthers wrote:
Thu Sep 10, 2020 9:25 am
MisterH wrote:
Wed Sep 09, 2020 9:08 am
Going for painted bumpers then? You don't see many from this era with those, wasn't there an option for a lighter grey plastic in addition to the darker anthracite black option that mine has?
Yes, painted bumpers. I just don't really love the black on red combination and if I'm paying for a respray I have to love the end result. In my defense of this crime against originality I can tell you that I asked John de Vries personally about the black bumpers and he told me that he never intended for the car to have them. They only exist in black as a Volvo cost cutting exercise. So I feel exonerated!

lighter coloured grey bumpers were only in the first year of production so you will only see these in the NL or Europe, I guess. The 480 was available in LHD for 1 year before they did the RHD ones for us. I saw one being broken up at Orlando's yard in NL and its chassis number much earlier than mine.
Ah well if it has come from him who are we to question? :lol:

Always liked the way the black bumpers gave it a very left field look, proving in my eyes that unpainted bumpers didn't have to look cheap, indeed they could look quite sexy if done right, though I do think that all colours should have had either a red or blue pinstripe on them if they had either red or blue piping. When its all complete I think it will look stunning, I do get what you mean on black and red, if we could have got black and grey bumpers that would have been interesting, but hard work to keep smart I imagine
Current Jobs to do (23/1/22):
Fix Central Locking
Fix drivers side speaker
Annoying Scratching Squeak
Water leaks
Complete Front O/S rebuild

cranna21
Can tell where the 480 was built
Posts: 313
Joined: Sat Jan 11, 2014 3:44 pm
Location: Aberdeenshire, Huntly

Re: 1987 480 ES Project -- D-reg, 2nd oldest in UK

Post by cranna21 » Fri Sep 11, 2020 11:52 am

Alan 480 wrote:
Thu Sep 10, 2020 11:50 am
cranna21 wrote:
Thu Sep 10, 2020 9:35 am
jamescarruthers wrote:
Thu Sep 10, 2020 9:29 am


Make that 2021's project. I wonder who will be the first to have an electric 480?!
I kinda want to reserve that for my 940 :rofl:
lots of room for lead acid batteries in there :-)
Exactly sir! Haha
'91 480 ES 2.0l 16v 'Williams' Conversion - 212bhp/230nm
'90 940 GL 2.0l Estate
'08 XC90 D5 SE Premium

User avatar
jamescarruthers
480 Is my middle name
Posts: 2501
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2003 3:19 pm
Location: Cambridge

Re: 1987 480 ES Project -- D-reg, 2nd oldest in UK

Post by jamescarruthers » Sun Sep 27, 2020 10:21 am

brinkie wrote:
Thu Mar 29, 2018 11:09 am
jamescarruthers wrote:
Thu Mar 29, 2018 10:09 am
Unfortunately I could only see the left side as it is parked hard up against the wall on the right and is very immobile with four flat tyres. A bit of rust on the arches, but not so bad that it will need repair panels, just a few chunks welded in. (famous last words!)‎
Don't do just a few chunks, you will regret this 2 years later, when the rest of the arch starts to fall apart.

Great barn, errrm, garage find by the way!
Brinkie was right, it needed the repair panels in the end! The unseen corrosion between the inner and outer rear arch panels meant the originals could not be rescued
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)

User avatar
dragonflyjewels
480 Is my middle name
Posts: 1584
Joined: Sat Dec 18, 2010 10:38 am
Location: Norfolk

Re: 1987 480 ES Project -- D-reg, 2nd oldest in UK

Post by dragonflyjewels » Sun Sep 27, 2020 5:27 pm

MisterH wrote: ↑
Wed Sep 09, 2020 9:08 am
Going for painted bumpers then? You don't see many from this era with those, wasn't there an option for a lighter grey plastic in addition to the darker anthracite black option that mine has?

Yes, painted bumpers. I just don't really love the black on red combination and if I'm paying for a respray I have to love the end result. In my defense of this crime against originality I can tell you that I asked John de Vries personally about the black bumpers and he told me that he never intended for the car to have them. They only exist in black as a Volvo cost cutting exercise. So I feel exonerated!
Not so much a crime against originality as an homage to John de Vries !

The story he told us was that after working on the 480 clay models in Coventry on and off for 3 years, he left Volvo to go to Daf so he could see more of his wife and children. At the point when he left, the 480 models and drawings had colour coded bumpers which he wanted as they make the car look faster by being more streamlined. He felt that the black bumpers in fashion at the time created too much of a full stop at either end of the car. After he left he was replaced by Steve Harper who finished off the design. When the car launched at the Geneva Motor Show, John went to the Volvo stand to see the finished product and was quite horrified to see the colour coded bumpers he'd fought so hard for had been replaced by black ones.
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

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

Re: 1987 480 ES Project -- D-reg, 2nd oldest in UK

Post by MisterH » Sun Sep 27, 2020 6:06 pm

dragonflyjewels wrote:
Sun Sep 27, 2020 5:27 pm
MisterH wrote: ↑
Wed Sep 09, 2020 9:08 am
Going for painted bumpers then? You don't see many from this era with those, wasn't there an option for a lighter grey plastic in addition to the darker anthracite black option that mine has?

Yes, painted bumpers. I just don't really love the black on red combination and if I'm paying for a respray I have to love the end result. In my defense of this crime against originality I can tell you that I asked John de Vries personally about the black bumpers and he told me that he never intended for the car to have them. They only exist in black as a Volvo cost cutting exercise. So I feel exonerated!
Not so much a crime against originality as an homage to John de Vries !

The story he told us was that after working on the 480 clay models in Coventry on and off for 3 years, he left Volvo to go to Daf so he could see more of his wife and children. At the point when he left, the 480 models and drawings had colour coded bumpers which he wanted as they make the car look faster by being more streamlined. He felt that the black bumpers in fashion at the time created too much of a full stop at either end of the car. After he left he was replaced by Steve Harper who finished off the design. When the car launched at the Geneva Motor Show, John went to the Volvo stand to see the finished product and was quite horrified to see the colour coded bumpers he'd fought so hard for had been replaced by black ones.
well there has been a development with my ones, and I feel quite horrified...
Current Jobs to do (23/1/22):
Fix Central Locking
Fix drivers side speaker
Annoying Scratching Squeak
Water leaks
Complete Front O/S rebuild

User avatar
jamescarruthers
480 Is my middle name
Posts: 2501
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2003 3:19 pm
Location: Cambridge

Re: 1987 480 ES Project -- D-reg, 2nd oldest in UK

Post by jamescarruthers » Thu Oct 08, 2020 8:01 am

Image
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)

User avatar
jamescarruthers
480 Is my middle name
Posts: 2501
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2003 3:19 pm
Location: Cambridge

Re: 1987 480 ES Project -- D-reg, 2nd oldest in UK

Post by jamescarruthers » Thu Oct 08, 2020 8:01 am

Image
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)

User avatar
jamescarruthers
480 Is my middle name
Posts: 2501
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2003 3:19 pm
Location: Cambridge

Re: 1987 480 ES Project -- D-reg, 2nd oldest in UK

Post by jamescarruthers » Thu Oct 08, 2020 8:02 am

Image
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)

User avatar
dragonflyjewels
480 Is my middle name
Posts: 1584
Joined: Sat Dec 18, 2010 10:38 am
Location: Norfolk

Re: 1987 480 ES Project -- D-reg, 2nd oldest in UK

Post by dragonflyjewels » Thu Oct 08, 2020 8:04 am

Looking superb!! Black pinstripes next?
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

User avatar
jamescarruthers
480 Is my middle name
Posts: 2501
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2003 3:19 pm
Location: Cambridge

Re: 1987 480 ES Project -- D-reg, 2nd oldest in UK

Post by jamescarruthers » Thu Oct 08, 2020 8:16 am

Superb progress at the bodyshop!

It looks like a huge blob of red in real life without the black stripes and number plate holder to tone it down a bit! Its very weird how little styling things can change a car so much.

To do: Side mouldings and black stripes, windscreen, headlining, door access hole sealing, and I'm sure lots of other stuff!

Wheels will go away for a refurb as while not terrible, are a bit curbed. Will get paint matched to centre caps to avoid the usual 480 refurbished wheels disaster hopefully!

Dashboard from Brinkie finally tested after instalation months ago. Works perfectly.... as if I had any doubt!

Another emergency trip to Lake's to get some clips from the crashed car. Those two have been surprisingly useful.

I've never owned anything with perfect paint like a new car. It is going to be nerve wracking leaving it anywhere now.
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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