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Is ANY 300 really worth this?

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Old Aug 23rd, 2011, 20:39   #21
Chris_C
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Its the tyres ! decent set transform it .. they do roll a little too much but nothing wrong with the roadholding at all , not a lot can keep up with my B14 along the beautiful windy A466 from chepstow to Bigswier :-) what exactly is wrong with yours ? i would take a guess and say you dont have a premium tyre ?
I was indeed being sarcastic FWIW, Mine is slightly over tyred (195/50 15's mean it has a bit too much grip, you can't tweak it as much as you can on a 185/60 14) but it has (unknown to James )

Fully rebuilt front suspension, uprated springs to counter the slightly heavier engine, custom front dampers, new bearings, ball joints and poly bushes ontop of an uprated crossmember running a mk1 steering rack for adjustable preload rather than the later stuff, custom geometry setup, adjustable rear dampers and adjustable brake bias. She handles very well indeed, near spot on weight distribution now and on track can push enough so that either the front or rear breaks traction when you want it, infact the only problems I can think of I need to sort now are the rear axle wind up (due to the tramp making the axle move fore aft about the single anti tramp bar) and on gravel stages the lack of a slipper makes low speed corners less predictable. It gets autotested, autosolo'd, rallied, tracked, whatever I can find and afford really.

As to the OP's question, I consider my own car to be worth roughly the ball park of this ebay listing. It has a huge amount of custom development and engineering in the engine and drivetrain to cope with the increased power, same with the suspension and brakes. Add onto that a bodyshell which although isn't likely to win BKV's, has had 6 solid weeks of my time over 2 years being welded to ensure it's not only strong but that nothing has affected the geometry (I've seen too many 300's with the front leaf hangers moved recently). That price wouldn't touch the amount of money and hours thrown at it.

It's one of the reasons I try to bring it to BKV's etc, it doesn't look much but it drives amazingly. Thing is, that doesn't convey itself that well when it's stood in a field
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Old Aug 23rd, 2011, 20:51   #22
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I think I'll be joining the "double anti-tramp bar club" in due course...mine's a bit bouncy!

Is the front a lot happier since I was last in it?

cheers

James
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Old Aug 23rd, 2011, 21:15   #23
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Thats very impressive chris , great to see someone developing the 300 . If only i had the time ... yes i have often thought about that missing l/h reaction rod ( i didnt think volvo cost cut in those days ! ) and what about a panhard rod perhaps ?

All volvos were a bit soft back then they were transformed when the 850 came out and the 900 series went .. the softness never really got worse as huge miileages grew on the cars . I have 175 65 14 pirelli P6000 i find they suit the 300 ( B14 ) well .

Did you use the heavier 360 springs James? it may interest you to know that the B14 had positive front camber and the other varients ( B200 B172K) had some negative front camber .
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Old Aug 23rd, 2011, 21:24   #24
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The fronts a lot better James Geometry isn't quite right yet, but she's got a set of figures that I'm nearly happy with.

The second anti tramp bar never really noticed to me on stock power, but it's horrendous on the current engine. The second anti tramp bar isn't so much to cure the tramp nor bouncyness, but the crabbing you experience on full power launches or exiting slow tight corners really needs you to be on top of it.

Clan, I have thought about a pan hard, but before then I want to test what it feels like with the 2 tramp bars, it may not be needed. One way to find out! The camber change between B14 and B172 was tiny thought wasn't it? something like 30seconds?
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Old Aug 24th, 2011, 00:10   #25
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My Grandparents had a 1985 340GL 3 door. C159 BTA It was blue and was manual with the 1.4 engine. We had it for nearly 6 years. I liked the car and for a small car it was quite roomy and well laid out. I did nearly come to grief when I went round a right bend and then a left bend in the wet doing about 15mph. A bit scary as I was heading towards a lampost. The weight rolled to the left and lost the back of the car. I managed to correct it and was on my way again. My Grandparents were a bit shaken.

It did have it's starting issues after being driven. You would have to wait 15 minutes to restart from warm sometimes.

I would definately have another 300 although a 360GLS or GLT. My dad had one of these and it was 2 litre volvo block and quite fast if he wound it up It was about an 83.

We were moving and bought a volvo estate and had no interest in the 340 as it was quite rusty on the arches but did have 9 months MOT. Sold to a dealer for £50.00. Shortly after saw a woman driving it. I bet it's been scrapped now. It was rather scruffy body wise.

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Old Aug 24th, 2011, 17:45   #26
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Hi, I have been showing some interest in this car but would really appreciate some advice on the vario drive. I have owned a number of 340's over the years but never a vario. I always do my own maintenance but what should I expect to cause problems with the vario and can you get parts from anywhere. How long do belts last etc. Any views on the vario would be appreciated. Are they really thirsty compared to the manual? Many thanks..
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Old Aug 24th, 2011, 19:26   #27
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Rusty pulleys, worn belts, worn clutches.

Clutches last for ages if the clearance is kept tight, at least until some monkey down the garage revs the living daylights out of it in "P".

Belts last okay if kept in adjustment, up to 40-50k a pair, unless the pulleys are rusty and chew the sides of the belt up.

Parts can be dug up through the DOC, or over the water in the Netherlands.

They can be thirsty, depends on how you drive them and whether the transmission is in tip-top trim.

If you can do your own maintenance AND learn and understand the system, you're most of the way there.
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Old Aug 25th, 2011, 09:24   #28
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Rusty pulleys, worn belts, worn clutches.

Clutches last for ages if the clearance is kept tight, at least until some monkey down the garage revs the living daylights out of it in "P".

Belts last okay if kept in adjustment, up to 40-50k a pair, unless the pulleys are rusty and chew the sides of the belt up.

Parts can be dug up through the DOC, or over the water in the Netherlands.

They can be thirsty, depends on how you drive them and whether the transmission is in tip-top trim.

If you can do your own maintenance AND learn and understand the system, you're most of the way there.
Ever seen a Volvo driver with lacerated knuckles? He's changed the belts on a vario.
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Old Aug 25th, 2011, 15:31   #29
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Hi, I have been showing some interest in this car but would really appreciate some advice on the vario drive. I have owned a number of 340's over the years but never a vario. I always do my own maintenance but what should I expect to cause problems with the vario and can you get parts from anywhere. How long do belts last etc. Any views on the vario would be appreciated. Are they really thirsty compared to the manual? Many thanks..
I loved my vario, though luckily the box had been very well looked after and ran perfectly so I never had to do anything to it! It did take some "learning" after other auto's (don't start in P, don't rev it in P etc), and feathering the throttle to get the "overdrive" to kick in was a real art! Once mastered though it was like a go-cart to drive and utterly brilliant for whizzing round town in. Fuel econ was terrible at best 24mpg, and worse than my 940, but yes I'd have another tomorrow - indeed I'd have this one, at the right price!!!

If you really are interested, do let me know, as I said it is only down the road from me and I'd be happy to give it a proper look over for you.

Graeme
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Old Aug 25th, 2011, 19:24   #30
Clan
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lami17 View Post
Hi, I have been showing some interest in this car but would really appreciate some advice on the vario drive. I have owned a number of 340's over the years but never a vario. I always do my own maintenance but what should I expect to cause problems with the vario and can you get parts from anywhere. How long do belts last etc. Any views on the vario would be appreciated. Are they really thirsty compared to the manual? Many thanks..
I found in service over the 20 years that the CVT was around that most belts needed changing around 30000 miles due to whine and deep cracks ( You are allowed cracks more than 30% through . )

there are probably 6 or 7 reasons why the transmission wouldnt change up properly if at all ie go into overdrive .
below 50 mpg it relied on the vacuum to draw the pulleys together and change up , after 50 mpg the cenrtifugal weights in the primary unit assisted , so even if the vacuum system was faulty it would cnage up over 50 mph .
The horrendous fuel consumption issues are either due to driving everywhere under 30 mph or the transmission not changing up into overdrive properly if at all due to one of the 6 or 7 faults . The B14 / CVT combination was great to drive and very nippy so if you drove it like that it would use more fuel .
It was as fast as a Vauxhall cavalier 1.8 injection from 0 - 80 mph ..

clutch adjustment was part of servicing and often neglected , so causing a premature end to the clutch . An easy job to replace though and put back 3mm of shims with a new volvo clutch as a starting point to getting the gap as small as possible without draging ..
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