Buying a 360GLT

Hi
Cant seem to find much info on buying a 360 GLT. Can anyone give me some advise on what to look out for. I am after a late model with power steering and a sunroof.
Cheers

ADH

[foggyjames]

Don't get one with a sunroof...more trouble than its worth!

Rust is the biggest enemy....other than that they're pretty solid...the engines go on forever, but the suspension can go a bit saggy with age. Don't be put off by high mileage...rust really is the critical factor.

cheers

James

Thanks for the reply James.

Where should I check for rust and whats the problem with the sunroofs in these ?


Cheers

ADH

[foggyjames]

Rust...

Bodies are OK on the whole...some cars seem to suffer on the bonnet, but then some don't?!

Bad areas are the sills, doors (especially the rear ones...I'd be tempted to get a 3dr..), and the metal sunroofs...

Which leads us nicely onto....

Sunroofs. Now if it has the glass flip-up one (a-la 340DL), then you're ok, but the metal ones suck bigtime.

1) I've finally found a scrap one that isn't rusty. I think the problem is that the sunroofs weren't made by Volvo themselves (?!) and whoever made them never put a laquer coat on the *inside*, meaning that water eats straight through the colour coat and rots them out. Mine is getting a good coat of laquer squirted up its insides!

2) The mechanisms break....mine (kinda) lifts, but it doesn't open. Go to the scrap yard, and almost all of them will have scrape marks on the panel where its broken and become mis-adjusted. Mine also won't close itself without a hefty shove. Again, its a common problem.....

You'll also almost certainly need a new seal, or it'll make a lot of wind noise. I'm setting mine up so it looks OK, then setting it shut and taking the handle off....in fact, the handle hasn't been on for months...You should see my current panel...total mess...

cheers

James

[pettaw]

yeah. rust is the real problem on these cars, particularly the sills, like mine which are gone and then made worse by the cowboy who welded patches onto it and the associated jacking points.

Hope that helps

Andy

[SteveP]

Thanks for the info also, as I'm still pondering on buying a 360 myself sometime soon. Shame my current car passed its MOT needing absolutely no work, as it would've gave me an excuse to buy one now!

As owners of 360s, what would you say would be their advantages and disadvantages? I sometimes go off the idea to buy one for purely the poor-ish fuel consumption...

Decent examples are becoming rare to find, either they're miles away or the saloon variant which I find looks ugly. I'd also be aiming for the GLT as they do look sportier than the other models and nicer colours!

I agree with the 3 door option, but they're alot harder to come by then the 5 door model. Some I see have rusty doors, then others have absolutely none...strange!

On both of our '82 345s the front valances rusted on the edges, I assume this would also apply with the 360.

Still considering....
Steve

[foggyjames]

Yeah, my front valance is a little rusty, but you can't see it from the outside....its one for the 'next year' list ;)

Advantages:
+ Performance better than you'd think, or than people expect...bit of a weapon at the lights, not least due to the traction.
+ Totally reliable. Ours hasn't broken down since new.
+ Safe, given its age.
+ Individual...they're becoming rare..
+ Comfort...arguably the best seats going? Certainly better than the ones in our 940, and they're pretty damn good!
+ Build quality....they're pretty solid, and dont rattle much.

Disads:
- Fuel Economy not good around town, but the carb version can do 50mpg on the motorway...that's better than todays 1.4 corolla!
- Are 'detuned'...don't give good top-end power (ie: above 3000rpm), although this is easily rectified...
- Are old fashioned - wind noise, etc not up to modern standards
- They rust a bit...

Most of the 'genuine' cars have gone - only the very best are still owned by 'normal' motorists, hence auto trader normally won't help you. Look out on this forum (and auto-trader....you never know...), and be prepared to travel. A tank of fuel will get you across the country, and its worth £35 to get a good example, surely?

The three types of cars you'll find are...
1) Bangers (thrashed & not maintained....run for 2 years then scrapped)
2) (Like mine is currently) People still hanging on cos they're so much better than modern cars in some ways. Probably the best to buy.
3) (As mine is soon to become) Enthusiasts pieces. Rarely for sale.

cheers

James

[SteveP]

Thanks for the information James, greatly appreciated!

I do alot of town/40mph dual carriageway driving but I think that I'd be able to put up with the fuel economy problem as the purchase price of the car would be so low, and insurance is pretty good. The only bad thing is that my 1.3 Favorit is extremely economical in comparison!

Volvo really know how to make seats! The seats in the 345's we had were one of the best seats I've ever sat in, most modern car seats don't come close (apart from newer Volvos)!

I've been shamefully looking at 480's but they are a bit too Renault based for my liking and plagued by electrical problems, whereas the 360 is a 'proper' Volvo.

There doesn't seem much to worry about, I'll certainly be keeping my eye out.

Thanks,
Steve

[foggyjames]

Economy is bad in town, but good 'on the move'. It really isn't that bad though...I'm a student, and I can afford it :) Of course if you pedal it...

Too right about the renault involvement in the 400...its what killed the 340 1.7 (bad inlet design leads to warping over time and makes for poor idle....plus the electrical problems). The 400 with Fi was far better (gave it a reprieve), but I'm glad they ditched Renault....did them no favours long-term.

As Tony quite rightly says though, the economy is what killed the red-block, but in the right configuration they can give good results.

Whereabouts are you located...if you're anywhere near Derby or Devon, maybe I could give you a spin in the 360?

cheers

James

[SteveP]

I think I'd have to just put up with the fuel consumption. I could buy something else thats economical... but end up spending more repair wise.

The 400s just do not seem to be built as well as the 300s. I feel the 400 was a step backwards in production. The other day I saw an N reg 460 parked next to a H reg 340, the 340 was in far better condition and no rust, where the 460 was rusting along the bottom of the doors.

My friends tend to look at me strange when I say I'm considering a 360, even performance figures/interior pics wont convince them.. the injections are pretty swift. Think I'll have to buy one just to prove them wrong ;)

Do you have any pics of your car? There are very few in the gallery section of this site :(. I'm located in Birmingham, so not too close to Devon, but not far from Derby I guess!

Thanks for the food for thought!
Steve