Who's the Daddy!

[workshopmanualman]

Spotted this on e**y today - if I'd not just bought a 360GLT to replace my near concours [cough, cough] 340 I'd go for it.... May not find that many people looking for it as most I assume would search for a 340, not 343? I've been wrong more times than right in my life mind - and posting it here may help push things? Whatever. Funny time to sell a car though.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1982-VOLVO-343-DL ... dZViewItem


Phil

p.s. does anybody know where to get those little plastic holders for the headlamp wiper arms? I tend to steal them from scrap 440's, but they are usually broken in some way, so ideally would like new ones.

[Chris_C]

Saw that the other day, it really does look nice. The amount of yellow 343's lately is scary, not seen any for 3ish years, then 4 have come up at once!

[SteveP]

Aye tis nice, beware of the sill and valance paint and drivers side A pillar though...

Identical to mine, just variomatic When my car was on ebay it was listed as CLASSIC VOLVO343DL or something.... it went for £16

[workshopmanualman]

Hadn't noticed the paint defects and or customising, so top marks there for observation.

[Cornholio]

May not find that many people looking for it as most I assume would search for a 340, not 343?

My personal choice is to do a search on "Volvo (300*, 340*, 345*, 360*) -Haynes". The bits in brackets will search for one or the other, the star at the end of 360 will mean it'll find 360GL, 360GLE, 360GLT, etc). I already have 2 haynes manuals, don't need anymore, so the -Haynes stops most of them.

[Ricatron]

that look like a nice motor! and with a bit of spit and polish the colour may come up real nice?

just like mine ?


mine even runs right now!

[petefarrell360]

Yeah, I'd spotted this and have spoken to Steve about it! Top marks to him for his observation skills. It looks like it could be a damn nice car. As you say, an odd time to sell. I think the variomatic part puts people off a bit, the tales of the unreliable rubber band drive and all that. If serviced and maintained properly it's fine!

What's good is people who are buying them as a cheap run around are starting to appreciate that they are more than this and need to be looked after by an enthusiast or someone more committed to the 300's rather than running it into the ground and scrapping it. Maybe classic status isn't so far away.

Pete

[workshopmanualman]

I scrapped my 340 yesterday due to terminal rust, and just being completely knackered. Drove to work in my wife's new Honda Jazz..... nice car, but was missing something. The steering and pedal feel in the Volvo was a much better experience, being void of the driver aids. I could also hear what other road users, and my tyres, were doing when I drove the Volvo, but the new car is so well insulated from noise I couldn't hear anything.

However, I sell old classic car type magazines as a bit of a hobby.... in virtually each and every one going back some 40 years the story is always the same; new cars are nice, but not the same as the old models. Now if you look at a magazine just concerned with new cars, then old cars are always rubbish - break down a lot, blah, blah.

My point is this: are we not just turning into our dad's here? "All this modern stuff is rubbish. Not like in my day."

I prefer the driving feel of older, rear wheel drive cars for sure. But is this because 25 years ago that is what I learnt to drive in?


PIJ

[petefarrell360]

Could be, but what makes that scary is a lot of us weren't even around when some of the 300's came out, let alone able to drive, not even while they were still being produced! Somehow the 300 has gained a strong following from the younger generation, who appreciate the engineering and feel. I myself learned to drive in a newer car, but prefer the feedback and feel the older Volvo has to offer.

Pete