New Vario to add to my fleet

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S10NPH
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New Vario to add to my fleet

Post by S10NPH » 27 Aug 2011 10:52 pm

I thought I'd put up a quick post to show my new purchase, a 1985 Volvo 340 DL vario:
Image

I've already posted this on the Daf forum, but thought I'd share it on here as well (the car is a Daf forum car).

So last night I went to collect it from Luton. Whilst I was there, I took the opportunity to snap some rare pictures of my existing mk1 345 with another - a 343 Black Beauty that was also at the seller's house awaiting collection:
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We have worked quite hard on the car today. We gave it a good wash (it had been in a garage for a few months), and replaced the number plate screw covers. I very happily found the original dealer tax disc holder in the glovebox, so it has a full complement of original number plates, rear dealer sticker and tax disc - result! I was also very surprised to see a full book of service stamps at the same garage from 1985 until 2006!

Here it is with my 345:
Image

We then belted along to the Volvo breakers' in Wyboston, and sourced a 'new' aerial (the car has one despite not having a radio!) to replace the one that was clearly not original. We also got a set of full Volvo floor mats, and a boot strut with the correct connector so the boot light now comes on.

This was my first time driving a vario and I was very impressed. It's a little unnerving having so many strange noises coming from the back, but it's very smooth and easy to drive. It's noticably happier at motorway speeds than my 4-speed manual 345, although still pretty noisy.

My friend has taken the original stock wheels back with him to Norwich (in the back of the 240), where he will have fun stripping them down and breathing some new life into them. Hopefully I can have them back on the car sometime next week after getting new tyres (I do like the alloys that are currently on the car, as they are an absolutely period accessory from 1985, but it makes the car look too sporty in my opinion).

Anyway, here are a couple of pictures from tonight - enjoy.
Image
Image
1977 Volvo 343 DL 1.4 Vario TUJ 247R
1980 Volvo 345 DL 1.4 PGH 590V
1981 Volvo 345 DL 1.4 ECR 312W
1985 Volvo 340 DL 1.4 Vario B168 DTU
1982 Volvo 245 GLT 2.3 Auto VKN 137X
1997 Saab 900 Convertible P290 DDF and 2018 VW Tiguan S10 NPH

Evoman
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Re: New Vario to add to my fleet

Post by Evoman » 27 Aug 2011 11:01 pm

Stunner! nice little collection! :D
Image

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jtbo
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Re: New Vario to add to my fleet

Post by jtbo » 28 Aug 2011 12:43 am

Interesting, it is closer to mkIII from inside, but outside is clearly mkII, yet how it stands is also looking similar to mkIII instead of early model, front wheel angles look different.

My 81 vario has straight mkI kind of door panels at indoors, also vents at C pillar, it is early MkII, maybe yours is early MkIII or very late MkII, is there much else different than bumpers and front wing indicator from MkIII 1985 model or was it 1986 that MkIII came?

It is very interesting to see how these cars did change over the years, trough preservation of these cars these changes are not forgotten :D

However I'm bit suspicious that there is a factory somewhere building these cars, I have seen so many really nice vehicles at these boards that it is hard to believe such can actually exist :shock:
Volvo 360GL -88 -under restoration-
Volvo 343DL vario -81 -running- Image
Volvo 240 Diesel -83 -undecided-
Citroen ZX Dturbo -97 -daily- ImageImage

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S10NPH
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Re: New Vario to add to my fleet

Post by S10NPH » 28 Aug 2011 08:56 am

This is what I would call a mk2 facelift. It has gained square door mirrors and lost the quarter light and the air vent behind the rear window. This was true of model years 1984 and 1985.
The dashboard was introduced for model year 1983, which was a year after the external mk2 facelift was introduced in model year 1982.

(Geek :oops:)
1977 Volvo 343 DL 1.4 Vario TUJ 247R
1980 Volvo 345 DL 1.4 PGH 590V
1981 Volvo 345 DL 1.4 ECR 312W
1985 Volvo 340 DL 1.4 Vario B168 DTU
1982 Volvo 245 GLT 2.3 Auto VKN 137X
1997 Saab 900 Convertible P290 DDF and 2018 VW Tiguan S10 NPH

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SteveP
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Re: New Vario to add to my fleet

Post by SteveP » 28 Aug 2011 09:22 am

Great purchasing! I was very tempted by that, it's a lovely condition Mk2 - glad it went to someone on here
1989 - Volvo 360 GLT
1985 - Volvo 360 GLS
2008 - Volvo S60 SE Lux

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Chris_C
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Re: New Vario to add to my fleet

Post by Chris_C » 28 Aug 2011 09:45 am

That is stunning :o

How many Volvo's do you have now chap!
'89(G) 340 GLE B172k
'03 S60 D5 SE, '91 (J) MX5, 1954 Cyclemaster
Ex:
'89(F) 340 GL F7R (ex B172k) - Fake -> SBKV 300 Runner Up 08, 12; '91(H) 340 GL B14.4E - Kar; '88(F) 360 GLT B200E - Jet -> BKV 300 Runner Up 09; '89(G) 360 GLT B200E - Beast

volvosneverdie
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Re: New Vario to add to my fleet

Post by volvosneverdie » 28 Aug 2011 10:17 am

Well bought indeed.

Lovely addition to the fleet! :D
Image

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mattywatsit
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Re: New Vario to add to my fleet

Post by mattywatsit » 28 Aug 2011 01:17 pm

I was actually in touch with the seller of that last week on eBay and nearly bought it last Friday. Looks great! :D

Nimminz
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Re: New Vario to add to my fleet

Post by Nimminz » 28 Aug 2011 09:25 pm

looks a nice one. That black 343's rather nice too
'88 360 +T LSD - sold
'87 760 TDI (D24TIC) - sold
'04 V40 D sport (F9Q, decat, Remapped, launch control)
'89 740 SE (b230ft, 12psi, V-cam, headwork, 'remapped', banded steels)
'86 340 DL 1.4

MCHUDD
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Re: New Vario to add to my fleet

Post by MCHUDD » 29 Aug 2011 10:29 am

Hi mate.
You have got yourself a real cracker there.
The seats look in realy good nick for there age.
I found out through the Guinness telegragh who bought the black bueaty :lol: :lol:
Good luck with the car.
Cheers Mark.

macplaxton
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Re: New Vario to add to my fleet

Post by macplaxton » 29 Aug 2011 04:57 pm

jtbo wrote:However I'm bit suspicious that there is a factory somewhere building these cars, I have seen so many really nice vehicles at these boards that it is hard to believe such can actually exist :shock:
:lol: :lol: :lol: In the top-ten best seller's list for a good chunk of the 1980s and there are probably a few more stashed away in some pensioner retirememt towns.
72 DAF 44 Estate 78 Volvo 343DL Black BeautyImageImage
82 Volvo 343DL CVTImageImage 88 Volvo 340DL Diesel

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Chris_C
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Re: New Vario to add to my fleet

Post by Chris_C » 29 Aug 2011 05:00 pm

Think I've rescued all the Bournemouth ones....
'89(G) 340 GLE B172k
'03 S60 D5 SE, '91 (J) MX5, 1954 Cyclemaster
Ex:
'89(F) 340 GL F7R (ex B172k) - Fake -> SBKV 300 Runner Up 08, 12; '91(H) 340 GL B14.4E - Kar; '88(F) 360 GLT B200E - Jet -> BKV 300 Runner Up 09; '89(G) 360 GLT B200E - Beast

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jtbo
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Re: New Vario to add to my fleet

Post by jtbo » 29 Aug 2011 06:10 pm

Chris_C wrote:Think I've rescued all the Bournemouth ones....
They can be surprisingly numerous, popping up closer than one can guess, never can be sure what lies in people's garages, one that I bought was very nearby, but never had seen the one before :shock:
Volvo 360GL -88 -under restoration-
Volvo 343DL vario -81 -running- Image
Volvo 240 Diesel -83 -undecided-
Citroen ZX Dturbo -97 -daily- ImageImage

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Hell Driver
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Re: New Vario to add to my fleet

Post by Hell Driver » 30 Aug 2011 09:42 pm

That looks like a very clean car, nicely saved! Wonder what happened to the boot lid of the Black Beauty? Bit of a dent since I've last seen a photo of it.
360 GLE Saloon (D 86)
360 GLS (A 84)
343 DL (W 80) :-)
340 GL 1.7 (G 89)
360 GLS (Y 83)
440 Turbo (J 92)
Transit Tipper 125 T350 (02)Alive Again!
Transit Tipper Smiley face Q reg
Mitsubishi Colt 1.1 (54)
R.I.P. 77 343 DL vario :-(

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S10NPH
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Re: New Vario to add to my fleet

Post by S10NPH » 20 Sep 2011 08:21 pm

Hi

Just a little update on this. I have now fitted the stock wheels, after they have been repainted and had new tyres fitted, so the car looks like it's meant to do:
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Also, as an aside, I spotted a spot of EPIC proportions in Ely over the weekend - another mk1 345!
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Aside from my own 345, this is only the third mk1 340 that I have ever seen in the flesh. I was very excited, as you can imagine.

Siôn
Last edited by S10NPH on 29 Sep 2011 08:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
1977 Volvo 343 DL 1.4 Vario TUJ 247R
1980 Volvo 345 DL 1.4 PGH 590V
1981 Volvo 345 DL 1.4 ECR 312W
1985 Volvo 340 DL 1.4 Vario B168 DTU
1982 Volvo 245 GLT 2.3 Auto VKN 137X
1997 Saab 900 Convertible P290 DDF and 2018 VW Tiguan S10 NPH

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