What does you 700/900 mean to you?

[Prufrock]

Thanks for the lead Laird...I'd like to sort the 800 as it's a shame not being used, and despite the age of the design it drives very well.

Have the airbag light on the 800, told this was because the battery has gone flat a few times.

With regard to what is a proper whatever...my view on Volvo is this (I'm not biased becasue I have 740s). The heritage of Volvo is for simple, robust, rwd cars designed and built by Swedish folk - so there's the lineage, the DNA: the ethos if you like.

Therefore, following that principle, the last true Volvo was the 700 series simply because it was the last Volvo to stay true to those original principles.

Others are proper in the sense they're adorned with a Volvo label, all Volvos since the 700 are the lesser brethren...and whilst the newer cars and the current cars are good, they are"just"white goods, consumables. Despite what their owners might believe.

I love cars, but most moderns do nothing for me. Look at the media, and TV in particular, what do they want to do when they want to confer character on a policeman or such? Get him driving a classic car - Morse in a Jaguar, Luther in various Volvos (including a 744) and a Mercedes W123, and Inspector Lynley in a Bristol. The there was that one-off the Eastenders guy did, in that he drove a W126 S-Class.

I''ll get off my soap box now.

Glass of cold cider beckons!

Prufrock.

[Ralphead]

Ooh cider.. There's a place selling scrumpy up the road from me, you have to strain it through your teeth!

The mish mash of parts in new cars does rather take away from the images that manufacturers like to attach to their badges. A Ford is a Mazda is a Volvo ect.
But most people take no more interest in their car than they do in how their TV works or the uncertain future of society. As long as it has a warranty and impresses other people who think newer is better, period, then they're happy.

Talking of white goods, this evening I've been taking my reasonably high end Whirlpool dish washer to bits to find a leak, the culprit? The wash pump, the same poxy Askoll wash pump I've found numerous times in Magnet, Diplomat, Teknics and other dirt cheap rubbish machines. I was naive enough to think I'd bought a decent machine when in fact it's badge engineered tat.

[stephend]

+1 to the comments re P5 and P6, both on the wanted list for my classics collection (when I win the lottery... sigh...). And a classic Range Rover, please.

[Dan J]

Back to the original topic...

My 760GLE was bought as a temporary car whilst I found myself a decent 240. In several months though I've fallen in love with the car which transports my kids to nursery and me to the train station every day. I also use it at weekends in preference to the brand new S-Max we have sat on the driveway (my wife's car).

When an excellent 740 came up for sale I took the plunge so I now have two 700 cars. I will service up the 740 to my satisfaction over Summer which will effectively leave me with a rock solid, simple to maintain car that I reckon with a bit of care I can easily drive for 5,10,15 who knows years. I (currently at least) have the luxury that I don't need cheap motoring but having it means more money for stuff like holidays, mortgage and so on and that combined with a car that I love and consider a potential classic it's a winner all round.

[Prufrock]

Originally Posted by Ralphead

Ooh cider.. There's a place selling scrumpy up the road from me, you have to strain it through your teeth!

The mish mash of parts in new cars does rather take away from the images that manufacturers like to attach to their badges. A Ford is a Mazda is a Volvo ect.
But most people take no more interest in their car than they do in how their TV works or the uncertain future of society. As long as it has a warranty and impresses other people who think newer is better, period, then they're happy.

Talking of white goods, this evening I've been taking my reasonably high end Whirlpool dish washer to bits to find a leak, the culprit? The wash pump, the same poxy Askoll wash pump I've found numerous times in Magnet, Diplomat, Teknics and other dirt cheap rubbish machines. I was naive enough to think I'd bought a decent machine when in fact it's badge engineered tat.

Where in Cornwall?

Prufrock.

[Ralphead]

I have a horrible feeling that my Vittesse's rear seats got binned. I hope not.

This will make all you Rover fans green. About a mile from me is a P6 estate! It's obviously cared for and in immaculate condition.

A chap I used to work with now and again uses a P4 everyday. It's a bit tatty here and there but it's looked after and used as it should be. He doesn't like to talk about mpg though..

I like the P6, there was some amazingly forward thinking in it's design. I heard that the funky front suspension was designed to accommodate a jet turbine engine! Looking at some of Rovers experiments and prototypes of the time I can well believe it.

[Ralphead]

I'm in Launceston, right by the Devon border and the A30.

I got mixed up, blame the drugs. The rough scrumpy is from out by Camelford, I found a caterpillar in the last bottle.
The stuff from Felldownhead, up the road from me, is damn good, they do different varieties and drynesses? Made up word, I can't think of the term right now.

[Laney760]

Originally Posted by Ralphead

I'm in Launceston, right by the Devon border and the A30.

I got mixed up, blame the drugs. The rough scrumpy is from out by Camelford, I found a caterpillar in the last bottle.
The stuff from Felldownhead, up the road from me, is damn good, they do different varieties and drynesses? Made up word, I can't think of the term right now.

I know what you mean, I've been to a few of the Young Farmer's parties down your way, simply the best parties ever, lol, the scrumpy was toxic :-)) I was in a converted library bus in those days, not a Volvo, the ex banned me from buying bricks, lol, he hated my 244 :-))

[Prufrock]

Originally Posted by Ralphead

I'm in Launceston, right by the Devon border and the A30.

I got mixed up, blame the drugs. The rough scrumpy is from out by Camelford, I found a caterpillar in the last bottle.
The stuff from Felldownhead, up the road from me, is damn good, they do different varieties and drynesses? Made up word, I can't think of the term right now.

Know Launceston v/well, also have friends nr St Mellion and Trewoodloe.

Having a week's holiday down there soon.

Prufrock.

[doingitsideways]

Ah, the A30... The road that traffic laws forgot!!

A pretty scary road when on a long haul to St Buryan (up the road from Penzance) straight from a day's work, non stop from Manchester in what can only be described as a hurricane!!

I was pootling along at about 50 in zero disability, avoiding VW campers and cars were flying past me like I was standing still!!

I drive it quite often now, and it's usually a good run in decent weather

Steve