Hi Everyone.

As some of you might know i collected my first V300 nearly Four weeks ago; I am currently learning to drive (18 today! and hope to put in for my practical soon as i've passed my theory and been learning a while - the 360 is amazing to drive totally different to my Astra!)

I bought it from one of Mac's good friends down in Ipswich. This meant a couple of train journeys down there totalling nearly four hours and then a 305mile journey back (of which the 360 took in its stride ) taking around 5hours.

It did need a few niggles sorting out, but having had older cars in the past i was expecting that. There were a few mechanical bits to fix aswell as some cosmetics including painting but the car really is a credit to its first and second owners who owned it for the 25 and a half years before me!

Here is a list of some of the following fixed on 'Project Vera' (pics to follow of actual items being fixed at a later date):
- Speedometre and odemetre fixed (strip down and repair bayonet on cable)
- New Driver's side fog light Glass
- Re-painted front bumper
- Re-painted rear bumper
- Re-Painted side grills
- Sorted rust on Drivers door and resprayed
- Replaced Rear passengers central locking motor with brand new part
- Replaced Front passengers electric window motor with secondhand part (after trying to re-condition old part)
- Replaced towball, bumper guard and added breakaway cable plate (bought for towing)
- Replaced knackered old rear numberplate
- Replaced Battery in key fob (needs new bulb though - damn! batteries were hard to find!)
- Added Flatblade wiper blades (vast improvement)
- Added 70's AA badge to replace worn Mayday badge
- Added Volvo twin coachline/side stripe
- Added Pioneer iPod stereo/CD player to replace non-original Panasonic tape dec
- Added chrome exhaust downpipe trim
- Added new tax disk holder
- Cleaned inside and out including engine bay
- Repaired mudflaps and made Volvo emblem white (with white tyre pen - took 5 coats!)
- Resealed rear passengers door handle temporarily as water was getting in

There is more i just can't remember off hand!

Here are some before pictures, Just after purchase - taken at Peterborough Services en-route home:






Now for the more important after photos:





















Plans are to keep it relativley standard and OEM looking

Thanks for Looking.

Cheers,
Matthew.

Hot damn, that's a clean 360

Well done for putting all that work in. It was worth it, the car looks great

Tom

car looks stunning, alittle jealous

Woah, youve been busy dude.

Car looks minty fresh, looks like it was worth the round trip man.

Not many people keep them OEM, but when they look that good, I dont think Id have the heart to funk with it.

That looks really clean, not many left like that!

looking good mate, its sooooo clean! Happy birthday too!

Get that practical test booked!

what did you use on the bumpers to get them so nice?

Hi Mate,
Project Vera looks awful mate, I can pretty much guarantee that under all that deliciously beautiful paint work, and that unmarked as new interior the unseen parts are held together with a thin veneer of rust!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As this is without a shadow of a doubt the case, and because Im such a nice person I hereby offer to purchase this terrible car from you, if only to save you from the cost and heart ache that no doubt awaits you!
Yours sincerely
Jason

Very, very nice - wish I'd bought it myself

Damn that looks awesome, something about changeover mk2/3's that I like.

Never seen the mk2 bonnet with the plastic rain catcher with a mk3 heater box before, wonder how many of those were made

Well spotted, I've only seen one of those rain catcher thingys in a box of parts. Never seen one fitted before ... None of mine have ever had them.

Jaspersilus wrote:Hi Mate,
Project Vera looks awful mate, I can pretty much guarantee that under all that deliciously beautiful paint work, and that unmarked as new interior the unseen parts are held together with a thin veneer of rust!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As this is without a shadow of a doubt the case, and because Im such a nice person I hereby offer to purchase this terrible car from you, if only to save you from the cost and heart ache that no doubt awaits you!
Yours sincerely
Jason

That's so thoughtful of you Jason
Tom

Hi Tom,
whats a rain catcher, and whats it do???????

thanks for all of the nice comments Took it out yesterday for a few miles now its on the road again.

I hadn't realised that 'rain catcher' wasn't standard - nice to know though - Thanks

Matt.

Hi chaps,
ok so thats a rain catcher, what does it catch rain for??????????