Differences between a Mk3 saloon and hatchback?

Rust problems and repairs, leaky sunroof... Battery, starter, lights, fuses, airco, heating unit, stereo... | Tuning: custom spoilers & bodykits, fiberglass parts...
NO parts requests here, please use our V3M BUY & SELL corner
User avatar
Alex Laidlaw
Posts: 230
Joined: 10 Nov 2009 01:54 pm
Location: Oxford and Worcester

Differences between a Mk3 saloon and hatchback?

Post by Alex Laidlaw » 09 Dec 2010 12:46 am

Hi guys

I'm wondering what the differences are between a mk3 saloon and hatchback.

I'm interested in knowing whether the propshaft is the same length and whether the front bumper, lights and bonnet are the same?

Alex

User avatar
Chris_C
*** V3M DONOR ***
Posts: 9600
Joined: 18 Jun 2004 11:53 pm
Location: South Coast, UK

Re: Differences between a Mk3 saloon and hatchback?

Post by Chris_C » 09 Dec 2010 08:47 am

All those the same, as is the rear bumper. Just the brackets that are different.
'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

User avatar
Speedy88
Posts: 4057
Joined: 04 May 2009 11:52 pm
Location: Bristol

Re: Differences between a Mk3 saloon and hatchback?

Post by Speedy88 » 09 Dec 2010 12:21 pm

I think its about an inch longer too, but this might just be the bumper.
'88 340 Williams (Sold)
'85 360 GLS - Drift project (Sold)
'77 Colt Sigma
'96 940 Drift project

User avatar
Chris_C
*** V3M DONOR ***
Posts: 9600
Joined: 18 Jun 2004 11:53 pm
Location: South Coast, UK

Re: Differences between a Mk3 saloon and hatchback?

Post by Chris_C » 09 Dec 2010 05:05 pm

Fakes rear bumper came of a saloon ;) They are the same.
'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

User avatar
trabitom99
*** V3M DONOR ***
Posts: 4398
Joined: 06 Jan 2007 02:38 pm
Location: Bonn, Germany

Re: Differences between a Mk3 saloon and hatchback?

Post by trabitom99 » 09 Dec 2010 06:12 pm

Some accessories are different: tow bar, rear bodykit bits, louvre, rear aerial ...

Cheers

Tom
343 GL Touring B14.1E CVT (155) 98000kms 1980 (sold)
343 L Junior B14.3E MT4 (155) 229000kms 1981 (scrapped)
343 DLS B19A MT4 (155) 167900kms 1982
360 GL Injection B200F MT5 (231) 348598kms 1988 (scrapped)
360 GLT B200F MT5 (302) 230000kms 1988

User avatar
Speedy88
Posts: 4057
Joined: 04 May 2009 11:52 pm
Location: Bristol

Re: Differences between a Mk3 saloon and hatchback?

Post by Speedy88 » 10 Dec 2010 12:52 am

Chris_C wrote:Fakes rear bumper came of a saloon ;) They are the same.
No I meant the body - I'm sure it pokes out an inch more than the hatchback? By this I mean the bootlip on a saloon would poke out more.
'88 340 Williams (Sold)
'85 360 GLS - Drift project (Sold)
'77 Colt Sigma
'96 940 Drift project

Ride_on
Posts: 2262
Joined: 26 May 2009 05:34 pm
Location: Belfast, N. Ireland

Re: Differences between a Mk3 saloon and hatchback?

Post by Ride_on » 10 Dec 2010 01:28 pm

The Saloon body is a few inches longer (4.5cm to be exact), thats why the rear bumper brackets are longer (the rear leaf spring mounts + mounting holes for the brackets are in the same place as the hatch).

Even the rear doors are the same, differences are in the visible body parts behind the rear doors.
1980 345 DL_______1987 360 GLE (project car restored to GLT spec and B230FT'd)
1984 360 GLT______1987 360 GLT
1983 360 GLS______1989 360 GLE
1985 340 GL_______1986 340 1.4
1985 360 GLS______1995 940 SE 2.3 Turbo Estate (daily)
1987 340 GL 1.7

User avatar
trabitom99
*** V3M DONOR ***
Posts: 4398
Joined: 06 Jan 2007 02:38 pm
Location: Bonn, Germany

Re: Differences between a Mk3 saloon and hatchback?

Post by trabitom99 » 10 Dec 2010 01:39 pm

What I never understood was why Volvo gave the saloon a slightly smaller boot than the hatch. What's the point of making a saloon if it has a smaller boot than the 3/5dr variant? Beside the classic good looks of course ;-)

Tom
343 GL Touring B14.1E CVT (155) 98000kms 1980 (sold)
343 L Junior B14.3E MT4 (155) 229000kms 1981 (scrapped)
343 DLS B19A MT4 (155) 167900kms 1982
360 GL Injection B200F MT5 (231) 348598kms 1988 (scrapped)
360 GLT B200F MT5 (302) 230000kms 1988

Ride_on
Posts: 2262
Joined: 26 May 2009 05:34 pm
Location: Belfast, N. Ireland

Re: Differences between a Mk3 saloon and hatchback?

Post by Ride_on » 11 Dec 2010 03:56 pm

trabitom99 wrote:What I never understood was why Volvo gave the saloon a slightly smaller boot than the hatch. What's the point of making a saloon if it has a smaller boot than the 3/5dr variant? Beside the classic good looks of course ;-)

Tom
What do you mean smaller? Of course its smaller it doesn't have the height the hatchback has, hatchbacks are so much more practical. To equal the hatch back you'd have to have another 2ft of boot out the back of the car or make it into a van/estate.
1980 345 DL_______1987 360 GLE (project car restored to GLT spec and B230FT'd)
1984 360 GLT______1987 360 GLT
1983 360 GLS______1989 360 GLE
1985 340 GL_______1986 340 1.4
1985 360 GLS______1995 940 SE 2.3 Turbo Estate (daily)
1987 340 GL 1.7

User avatar
trabitom99
*** V3M DONOR ***
Posts: 4398
Joined: 06 Jan 2007 02:38 pm
Location: Bonn, Germany

Re: Differences between a Mk3 saloon and hatchback?

Post by trabitom99 » 11 Dec 2010 04:35 pm

1980s saloons tended to have more boot space than the hatchback versions. Booted Novas, Belmonts, the VW Jetta (huuuuge boot), at a guess the Ford Orion too ... Seemed strange to me that Volvo would make one which was less practical than the hatch and smaller too ...

Tom
343 GL Touring B14.1E CVT (155) 98000kms 1980 (sold)
343 L Junior B14.3E MT4 (155) 229000kms 1981 (scrapped)
343 DLS B19A MT4 (155) 167900kms 1982
360 GL Injection B200F MT5 (231) 348598kms 1988 (scrapped)
360 GLT B200F MT5 (302) 230000kms 1988

User avatar
Hell Driver
Posts: 1415
Joined: 18 Aug 2009 09:58 pm
Location: Doncaster UK

Re: Differences between a Mk3 saloon and hatchback?

Post by Hell Driver » 11 Dec 2010 07:47 pm

When they introduced the saloon I remember wondering why they had done it, I suppose they were wanting to make sales to the people who were used to other saloons and didn't like the hatchback style. It would have made sense to make an estate too, but I suppose the costs of putting into production the new rear design we not going to be made up for in sales?
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 :-(

User avatar
trabitom99
*** V3M DONOR ***
Posts: 4398
Joined: 06 Jan 2007 02:38 pm
Location: Bonn, Germany

Re: Differences between a Mk3 saloon and hatchback?

Post by trabitom99 » 11 Dec 2010 07:57 pm

Your're right, in the 80s a hatch was still a novel, unusual thing for some buyers. It was considered "brave" at the time for Ford to launch the 85 on Granada / Scorpio in hatch-only guise, the Saab 9000 springs to mind too ...

The 300 estate didn't make it past the prototype stage unfortunately:
Image

Tom
343 GL Touring B14.1E CVT (155) 98000kms 1980 (sold)
343 L Junior B14.3E MT4 (155) 229000kms 1981 (scrapped)
343 DLS B19A MT4 (155) 167900kms 1982
360 GL Injection B200F MT5 (231) 348598kms 1988 (scrapped)
360 GLT B200F MT5 (302) 230000kms 1988

User avatar
Chris_C
*** V3M DONOR ***
Posts: 9600
Joined: 18 Jun 2004 11:53 pm
Location: South Coast, UK

Re: Differences between a Mk3 saloon and hatchback?

Post by Chris_C » 12 Dec 2010 07:17 pm

The main problem I'd imagine with an estate is it would compete with every other car Volvo were selling at the time. The small hatch was an area that they didn't have prior to the 300 (nor ever since really... the 400 just doesn't count ;))
'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

User avatar
V6 Man
*** V3M DONOR ***
Posts: 1204
Joined: 27 Jul 2004 11:36 pm
Location: Belper, Derbyshire UK
Contact:

Re: Differences between a Mk3 saloon and hatchback?

Post by V6 Man » 12 Dec 2010 11:25 pm

Saloons also appeal to those that like a fully secure area to keep things in that are not accessible from anywhere other than the bootlid. They also have the benefit of being quieter than hatchbacks with less road and wind noise.
Terms and conditions apply. This post may go down as well as up. Regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Hard hats to be worn. No reversing without a banksman. No admittance to unauthorized persons. Stop that. Put that down. Leave that alone.

User avatar
Alex Laidlaw
Posts: 230
Joined: 10 Nov 2009 01:54 pm
Location: Oxford and Worcester

Re: Differences between a Mk3 saloon and hatchback?

Post by Alex Laidlaw » 13 Dec 2010 02:18 am

Thanks for the replies.

I now have a rather rusty saloon and a 1.7 engine sitting on my garage floor... need to start a thread ;)

Post Reply