480 boot space

[devreeze]

Im looking at getting a 480, just wondered if the rear seats fold down, and is there as much space as a fiat seicento.any info would be great thanks

[v70torslanda]

The 480 ES was known to Volvo employees as standing for en suite cos every one would fill up with water in the boot and provide the owner with an impromptu shower . . .

The seats fold but you will have less boot space than in a C30.

Bad things. Headlamp motors. Check, check again and if there's the opportunity, check.
Check the condition of the lights (expensive) and the glass (approaching obsolesence). Bodywork must be sound, only 'car park' dents, nothing worse. Interior trim will be IMPOSSIBLE to obtain unless you pay in uncut diamonds.

Personal point: Don't buy a 'fixer upper' cos you won't be able to. . . Don't buy anything with a noisy engine. Don't buy anything with bodywork damage. A late model 2.0 was the nicest drive. Turbos are quick but getting fragile. Don't bother with a 1.8. Get friendly with a local garage, Euro Car Parts in Preston and a decent tool kit. Give it oil changes every 6 months with a genuine filter and a decent quality oil and you won't go far wrong.

HTH, luv'n'stuff

J

[devreeze]

haha thanks for all that, they just look so good. never mind.

[v70torslanda]

haha thanks for all that, they just look so good. never mind.

Don't mind me, I'm cynical! There's nothing wrong with them as cars, they're just a 20 year old design. A fact that becomes plainly obvious when you are used to the ergonomics of 'modern' cars.

I'm sure that at the time my 86 RX-7 was a stoater! But my D5 is faster!

[Al115]

Amazed you haven't mentioned the Infocentre...

Had one for a few years and they are hilarious little cars... handle well since so low, plenty of power from the 2.0 NA, and pop-up headlights on a Volvo... what more could you want?

Leak in the boot is always the rear light clusters not sealed properly, so an easy fix. And I agree with everything else above!!!

Buy one, make sure it's a good-un, have fun in it

[Filterlab]

Amazed you haven't mentioned the Infocentre...

LOL! And the wonderful fuel gauge - it did give one a rough idea of the fuel remaining, but rough is the operative word.

Actually, the 480 was a great car. It had its quirks but then what good cars don't? As has been mentioned, check the headlamps as they are prone to hassle. The rear arches had a tendency to rust but are easy to repair. With the rear seats down the space is quite large, but the damp boot problem is a problem. Light seals, boot seal, washer nozzle seal - they all need TLC.

Get a very late ('95M or '96N) Anniversary model with the N/A 2.0 and aircon, you'll get the nicest interior, the nicest paintjob and reliability should be just fine. Do remember though that the newest models are 14 years old and the first year models have been classic cars for two years.

[daveforber]

Boot space:



Check the condition of the rear lights. It's the most common cause of 'damp boot' syndrome. ANY cracks in the rear lights are bad and will cause water ingress into the boot. Rear lights are also VERY expensive - rare to find used and over £150 each at the stealers.

Info centre can be tempremental.

My "fix" list so far on a 1995 car:

* Driveshafts (both)
* Wheel bearing
* Brakes
* Dizzy
* Rear light (fortunately I found a used one)
* Bumper scrapes
* Heater matrix

Essentially you want to check for dampness in the passenger footwell (UNDER any rubber mat!) and the boot. Plus what everyone else has said.