340 CVT 3 Door

[vinylweatherman]

Has to go by the 8th October (insurance runs out).

Needs work, could be used as donor car, or repaired.

Non-starter (worked a few weeks ago).

MOT and Tax to end of October 2009.

Only just made MOT last year as Carb "knackered", will probably fail on emissions this time without carb refurbishment.

2 front tyres worn close to legal limit

One CVT belt showing signs of wear (was told this last year by garage).

Car is in Bracknell, Berkshire.

any offers to vinylweatherman@ntlworld.com

[vinylweatherman]

Here are a couple of pictures I took today.

It is a 1989 registered model, so is one of the last not to be legally required to have a cat fitted on the exhaust.

I have to park it on what is considered the public highway, so therefore cannot put it on SORN, nor leave it there with no tax and MOT (council rules), even if insured.

It has covered 103K miles, but this is with a Renault engine, not a proper Volvo one. It is, in effect, a DAF in disguise. I learned some of this before joining the VOC, but since joining, I have learned a little more.

The front offside wing has a dent in it, I don't know who did it, but a friend pointed it out to me. There are small patches of corrosion at both bottom left, and bottom right, of the windscreen.

Sometimes, I have had trouble getting the gearshift to move between D, N, and R, and when I have this trouble, the light and beep no longer sounds. It looks like the "clutch" is sometimes failing to operate when the switch is depressed.

The exhaust is new(ish). I bought it & fitted it myself a while back.

I have plenty of receipts for parts bought, and work done, since I bought it from my brother.

It has always been a working car, and has done little of this during the last couple of years since I was given a car for free when my mum decided to quit driving. It's main task this year has been to take rubbish to the local tip, and it has now gone on strike, with my garage still filled with rubbish that my other car will now have to carry.

If I end up scrapping it, I will post here which yard has it in case anyone was after parts, but didn't want the whole car.

[AUTOMAN]

Come on guys, save this car. I am in hospital and can't make the arrangements to do it, so please somebody get it saved.

Ian.

[vinylweatherman]

Well, I have been digging out all the paperwork, and can confirm I have the ORIGINAL owner's pack from the dealer.

Bound in cheap vinyl, it shows it was sold by the dealer:-

Johnson Brothers
Birmingham Road
Bromsgrove

A delivery date is given of 29/11/89

There is a service history out to 02/11/2001 recorded in the book, complete with relevant receipts.

I noted some new keeper history before I registered it in my name, since DVLA removes earlier entries from the registration document.

I got it in June 2004 from my brother, who only had it for 3 months as an "infill" car whilst he looked for another car that suited him better.

As well as the early service history, the pack contains the original Volvo 340/360 owner's manual, plus the Volvo 340 CVT supplement.

To round it off, I have the Volvo Traveller's Guide for 1989.

In another cheap vinyl bound booklet, I have more receipts, documents, etc.

This is important should the car become a true classic in years to come, something I believe the antiques trade call "provenance" (feel free to correct me - I am not an antiques dealer).

The tax and MOT last till the end of the month, but I don't fancy paying for a new annual insurance for a car I may never get going again, since I would have to scrap it & lose out on the insurance refund.

I may ask the insurance company about buying an extension for 1 month, to give more opportunity to save this car before it becomes illegal to leave it where it is. I do not know whether it will be worth it.

IF I could get it going again, I would consider having an MOT done to find out how bad things really are, it may still only be a matter of emissions, and this can be addressed by refurbishing the carburettor, or even getting a new or second hand one.

[vinylweatherman]

The Volvo 340 has now gone to Braydon Motors, who will at least save any parts worth keeping before crushing it.