Volvo 480 (1987 - 1995) - I eventually brought one!!

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
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Mon 24 Nov 2008 23:12
I eventually brought one!! - frazerjp
Well everyone after debating what to buy www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=2&t=66...4

I brought a white E-reg Volvo 480 with 83k. £650 plus 12 months tax @£180

Driving it home was a bit scary at first being that I had to pick it up in North Greater London just before rush hour & had to stop at Borhamwood DVLA office to apply for a new logbook, but apart from that it drove brilliantly on the M25 & M40.

Obviously it isn't perfect, one of the pop up lights don't go down, the other one only pops up when it wants to LOL.
The passenger side lecky window don't work.
The boot lid doesn't hold by itself as my Dad found it when he had a browse around ...nearly an ouch!

The 1.7 engine goes like a bomb if you put your foot down (this a non-turbo we're talking bout here)
But overall I'm really impressed with it, I'm hoping this inspires other 20 somethings like myself to go for a retro car if the time is right.
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Tue 25 Nov 2008 00:45
I eventually brought one!! - Marc
Good luck with it. Always fancied one myself although I never got round to buying one. Honest John dubbed it the "coupe from hell" mind...
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Tue 25 Nov 2008 10:02
I eventually brought one!! - Falkirk Bairn
Obviously it isn't perfect one


I assume the rear wiper does not work and it is compulsory that only 1 x day running light works. The driver seatback will be burst/worn on the driver's seat.

My son had a H Reg some 15 yrs ago - great car apart from minor electrical (electric window/rear wiper) but at least his pop-ups worked - they had been replaced by the previous owner - about £300 IIRC
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Tue 25 Nov 2008 10:06
I eventually brought one!! - Alanovich
Congratualtions, I hope you like yours as much as I did mine - a G-reg red 480ES (1.7 non-turbo). I bought that in about 1998 for £1500. It was teriffic fun and I'd love to get another as a weekend car.

Mine went up to 175k miles driving like new, and was written off after being driven in to by a dust cart. :-(

One problem I never got to the bottom of though. Sometimes, it just wouldn't turn over for no apparent reason. As if the battery was dead, but it wasn't. This happened once every couple of months. After a few hours, it would then suddenly spring to life. Even a Volvo dealer couldn't locate the fault, but said "we've had a few in that do this, never got to the bottom of it". I hope yours doesn't suffer similarly!

The other thing to be careful of is the electronic fuel gauge. In very bright sun mine got very difficult to see, and there is no audible low fuel warning. So I ran out once on the M25. Not funny. I always filled it up at half empty after that.
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