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New Vario to add to my fleet

Posted: 27 Aug 2011 10:52 pm
by S10NPH
I thought I'd put up a quick post to show my new purchase, a 1985 Volvo 340 DL vario:
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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:
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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.
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Re: New Vario to add to my fleet

Posted: 27 Aug 2011 11:01 pm
by Evoman
Stunner! nice little collection! :D

Re: New Vario to add to my fleet

Posted: 28 Aug 2011 12:43 am
by jtbo
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:

Re: New Vario to add to my fleet

Posted: 28 Aug 2011 08:56 am
by S10NPH
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:)

Re: New Vario to add to my fleet

Posted: 28 Aug 2011 09:22 am
by SteveP
Great purchasing! I was very tempted by that, it's a lovely condition Mk2 - glad it went to someone on here

Re: New Vario to add to my fleet

Posted: 28 Aug 2011 09:45 am
by Chris_C
That is stunning :o

How many Volvo's do you have now chap!

Re: New Vario to add to my fleet

Posted: 28 Aug 2011 10:17 am
by volvosneverdie
Well bought indeed.

Lovely addition to the fleet! :D

Re: New Vario to add to my fleet

Posted: 28 Aug 2011 01:17 pm
by mattywatsit
I was actually in touch with the seller of that last week on eBay and nearly bought it last Friday. Looks great! :D

Re: New Vario to add to my fleet

Posted: 28 Aug 2011 09:25 pm
by Nimminz
looks a nice one. That black 343's rather nice too

Re: New Vario to add to my fleet

Posted: 29 Aug 2011 10:29 am
by MCHUDD
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.

Re: New Vario to add to my fleet

Posted: 29 Aug 2011 04:57 pm
by macplaxton
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.

Re: New Vario to add to my fleet

Posted: 29 Aug 2011 05:00 pm
by Chris_C
Think I've rescued all the Bournemouth ones....

Re: New Vario to add to my fleet

Posted: 29 Aug 2011 06:10 pm
by jtbo
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:

Re: New Vario to add to my fleet

Posted: 30 Aug 2011 09:42 pm
by Hell Driver
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.

Re: New Vario to add to my fleet

Posted: 20 Sep 2011 08:21 pm
by S10NPH
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.

SiƓn