Cheap S40 under £1500 ?

[smallzoo]

Volvo V40 Sport MOT 08-2020
2.0 petrol manual 2 keys
154k miles
Two keepers, 03 Reg

according to owner :-

"Been serviced regularly in the years ,Timing belt changed at 134k miles ,By the way is an advisory, the brake pipes ferrule is maybe corroded, but is something can be changed with about £60! My mechanic who did check the car underneath told the me body is rust free, which is important I think, there is no rust on the arches or under the sills, so the body is rust free"

£900

[P156KWJ]

Originally Posted by smallzoo

I presume the pre 2004 T4 should be avoided if I dont want big bills ?

T4s are like hen's teeth although there's at least one V40 with a T4 on eBay at the moment.

But yeah, I think they are more at the 'fun' end of the scale rather than practical!

[ITSv40]

Originally Posted by smallzoo

Volvo V40 Sport MOT 08-2020
2.0 petrol manual 2 keys
154k miles
Two keepers, 03 Reg

according to owner :-

"Been serviced regularly in the years ,Timing belt changed at 134k miles ,By the way is an advisory, the brake pipes ferrule is maybe corroded, but is something can be changed with about £60! My mechanic who did check the car underneath told the me body is rust free, which is important I think, there is no rust on the arches or under the sills, so the body is rust free"

£900

That does sound the sort of thing you should be looking for.

I would check for service history - proof of by way of receipts - and the MOT history on line. MOT history really does give an indication of the way a car has been maintained over the years. Ask the vendor for the reg number and run a check on line. If the vendor is reluctant to give the number, I would be very suspicious that they have something to hide.

The 'sport' designation indicates the trim level not the 'boy racer' power under the bonnet. The trim levels were: Bog standard, Sport. SE and Sport Lux. There were also many option packages that the original purchaser could specify over and above the standard, so most S/V40's will be more or less unique when it comes to equipment levels.

An '03 if it has been looked after should be rust free. Check the bottom of the front wings where they meet the sills just in front of the door and also underneath the sills just in front of the rear wheel arches - if these are sound the rest should be good.

[smallzoo]

Thanks

Last MOT was June 2019

FAIL ( which were repaired of course for the PASS )

Rear Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (1.1.13 (a) (ii))
Nearside Rear Upper Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))
Offside Rear Upper Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))
Bonnet cannot be secured in the closed position (3.1 (b) (i))

advisories
Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a)


MOT 2018 Advisories

Nearside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material front to rear (1.1.11 (c))
Offside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material front to rear (1.1.11 (c))

MOT 2017 Advisories
Nearside Front Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)
Nearside Rear Tyre Slightly Perished
Offside Front Seat belt slightly damaged (7.1.2 (b) (i))

[smallzoo]

Originally Posted by ITSv40

That does sound the sort of thing you should be looking for.

I would check for service history - proof of by way of receipts - and the MOT history on line. MOT history really does give an indication of the way a car has been maintained over the years. Ask the vendor for the reg number and run a check on line. If the vendor is reluctant to give the number, I would be very suspicious that they have something to hide.

The 'sport' designation indicates the trim level not the 'boy racer' power under the bonnet. The trim levels were: Bog standard, Sport. SE and Sport Lux. There were also many option packages that the original purchaser could specify over and above the standard, so most S/V40's will be more or less unique when it comes to equipment levels.

An '03 if it has been looked after should be rust free. Check the bottom of the front wings where they meet the sills just in front of the door and also underneath the sills just in front of the rear wheel arches - if these are sound the rest should be good.

so do you think £900 is a fair price for a 17yr old volvo ?

[ITSv40]

Originally Posted by smallzoo

so do you think £900 is a fair price for a 17yr old volvo ?

How long is a piece of string

Seriously it all comes down to condition. The recent mot history is not too serious, although rear brake pads worn should have been picked up during service. The bonnet was most likely the catch needed lubricating, but again shows a lack of thoroughness in servicing, dust boots is just bad luck. I would also ask if the rear brake pipes have been replaced as that is a common weak point - if not, use that to negotiate the price.

I would want to see proof of servicing and would also do a mot search going back as far as possible to gauge the standard of maintenance.

It is a 17 year old car with only 2 owners? and in reality what do you expect for £900. If it looks good and feels right I would definitely try to do a deal.

[smallzoo]

Originally Posted by ITSv40

How long is a piece of string

Seriously it all comes down to condition. The recent mot history is not too serious, although rear brake pads worn should have been picked up during service. The bonnet was most likely the catch needed lubricating, but again shows a lack of thoroughness in servicing, dust boots is just bad luck. I would also ask if the rear brake pipes have been replaced as that is a common weak point - if not, use that to negotiate the price.

I would want to see proof of servicing and would also do a mot search going back as far as possible to gauge the standard of maintenance.

It is a 17 year old car with only 2 owners? and in reality what do you expect for £900. If it looks good and feels right I would definitely try to do a deal.

Reg is. BJ53UFG

[ITSv40]

Originally Posted by smallzoo

Reg is. BJ53UFG

There is nothing too serious there. The brake pipes have been renewed which is good as they are a pain to replace. I would definitely arrange a viewing.

[CharlesStevenson]

Originally Posted by smallzoo

I presume the pre 2004 T4 should be avoided if I dont want big bills ?

Having owned a 1.6, 1.8 and now a 2.0T (all manual) I would say that if you're looking for economy and you've got low miles then a 1.8 would be best ... however, if your insurance quote is low enough, then I'd say a 2.0T4 is much more fun.

MPG? my 2.0 T4 gets 28 +/- a couple round town but goes up to 34-35 on a run.

Shop around as there are A LOT of extras that come with the different trim levels, plus Volvo bundled these up in packages so you can see 'top of the range' cars with some items missing that you'd expect, when lower level cars might have them.

The bills won't automatically be less for a less-sporty model, especially if that's been run on a shoestring by previous owners.

Eg clutch, timing chain, brakes, heater control, lighting control are all relativaely similar across all models

[P156KWJ]

I was lucky in finding a high spec one with the vast majority of options onboard, worth the wait as there was some absolute sheds around, S40s with buggered cloth seats and no options were going for around the same price as one with cream leather, a good body, heated seats, AC, winter pack and stuff. All about patience.