OT cars.

Estate - HUGE boot.
Bulletproof.
Diesel (probably)
Low insurance group (no NCD)
Very cheap purchase price.

Pikey as you like, pretty/speed is not a concern (I already have an SO).
Pure function.

What?

 

One of the old Volvo tanks.

£500 or so should get a 240 or 740 in decent condition.

A bit more, but if it's a good one, probably worth it - Torslanda's got
all the toys thrown at them:

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/819747.htm

Here's one that has to be worth looking at:

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/817857.htm

Engines on the big side, so insurance groups not the lowest - but
shouldn't be too pricey to insure so long as you're not a young kid.

 

Huge-booted estate = Volvo - V70 is good, older 760/960 even bigger,
RWD, but very old now, although my FiL's only just replaced his 1989
model which was still going strong. Gave it to his SiL, IIRC.

Also try VW Passat, always much bigger than other in its "class" (and
the latest model is actually 2" longer in the load area than the V70,
albeit slightly narrower in our 4WD model). Audi A6 pays highly for
its name. BM tourers really nothing special, and Merc E class is big
but expensive, and doesn't give any extra function for the price.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Ace

What him said.

I had a 940 that was incredible. I realised how capacious it was when I
picked up a new washing machine, and didn't have to fold the rear seats.

 

I wanna 850 wiv white wheels innit. (I always loved them on bttc)
I'm going to have to look up all the volvo numbers and see what they
mean. It was volvo I had in my mind when I posted but wanted
confirmation in the 'bulletproof' area. How available are spares?

I bet learning to park one will be fun.
Given where xmas is, and what the markets are doing. Is the arse end of
the car market affected? Inflated cause noone wants new? inflated cause
people want a bomb for a year? or depressed because noone's got any
money? or does it plod on because it is what it is?

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, cat

Very, http://www.gsfcarparts.com and there's no shortage of them around
in the breakers.

It's an old Volvo. You can make a gap.

Pass.

 

740/760 were 4 and 6-cyl models of the same car. Big, tank-like, RWD.
Bulletproof and will go on for ever. Avoid the 2.9l 6-cyl petrol auto
model (had one briefly) - uses a Renault powertrain which was utterly
gutless. 2 litre models are plenty powerful and will pull a full load
all day at well over legal speeds.

The 850 was the all-new front-wheel-drive model that came out in the
early 90s. Mostly 5-cylinder engines, loads of power in the
low-pressure turbo models. Not quite as large as the 700 series, but
still very big indeed.

The 940/960 was pretty much the same as the 740, with some different
engines and trim levels, just that they rebadged it to reflect the
fact that it was bigger than the new 850.

The V70 of the late 90s was a reworked 850 - lots of internal changes,
but effectively the same body shape. I had a 1999 Cross Country model
for 9 years and was very happy with it. Just shy of 200 horses and it
drove more like a german sports saloon than anything else.

Newer, rounder V70 models from 1999 on are just more modern, softer,
and perhaps suffer somewhat from the Ford ownership.

Very. Volvo owners expect to keep them running for years, and usually,
or at least often, continue main dealer servicing well into the second
or even third decade of the car's life.

Actually, due to their square edges, you can easily see exactly where
the corners are. Both J's pug 206cc and the Passat R36 I've just
bought are actually more difficult to park than the Volvo was, despite
the latter's all-round parking sensors and on-screen display.

Now the question is this - where were you about three months ago when
I was trying to get shot of ours, and prepared to accept a mere
pittance for it from anyone happy to collect it from Alsace. Eh?
Missed a good-un, you did.

 

ISTR the 9xx series got independent rear suspension rather than a live
axle.

 

Whatever. I know that they were significantly more expensive for the
same age car than the 7xx, but the body and interior space was
visually unchanged.

 

Well, rub it in, why don't you?
Cheers for the run down.

 

'cat' wrote...>

Well you could have had this if you were quick enough, but Champ has
bought it.

http://tinyurl.com/4zdaoq

 

I really really really did not get on with the 306 I had.
I took my various shitty hyundias to bits and put them back together on
my ownsome. I couldn't get the fucking spark plugs out of the pug. I'm
scared of them.

 

and the drums fit in where?

 

I really really really did not get on with the 306 I had.
I took my various shitty hyundias to bits and put them back together on
my ownsome. I couldn't get the fucking spark plugs out of the pug. I'm
scared of them.[/QUOTE]

Hint: old diesel pugs don't have spark plugs, just XUD engines that go
on and on and...

--
+----------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Gilera Nordwest * 2 Yamaha WR250Z |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+----------------------------------------------------------------+

 

Hint: old diesel pugs don't have spark plugs, just XUD engines that go
on and on and...
[/QUOTE]
I know that, but I still have the fear. They're built out of torx screws
and cheese.

 

I know that, but I still have the fear. They're built out of torx
screws and cheese.[/QUOTE]

Pugphobia eh? Can't torque the torx. 'Tis true that though the XUD lump
will run seemingly for ever, the ancillaries can be a bit ropey. Spares
are cheap enough from, well, pugspares.

I coaxed my ancient 306D through three MoTs before it became
uneconomical to repair.

I was put off Volvos by my father's 340s - but then they were really
DAFs with Renault engines IIRC, but without the clever belt drive.

--
+----------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Gilera Nordwest * 2 Yamaha WR250Z |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+----------------------------------------------------------------+

 

In the artic, with the roadies. Duh.

 

Ford Maverick 2.7 turbodiesel with intercooler.

Cheap as chips if you look around and pre-2001 keeps the road tax down.

YKIMS

 

Phil Collins, obviously.

 

Why's everyone down on Phil?