American interested in a 360

[Fred Gwynne]

Hello,

This is my first post which I'm using as an introduction to the forum. I am an American currently living in New York about 0.5 miles away from the Massachusetts border who has gained interest in the Volvo 360. It seems like a fun small, RWD car with decent HP for it's years and weight.

I've never seen one here and doing some online research makes me think that it would be very difficult to export/import one here. However there seems to be plenty of RHD Japanese cars here. Heck there is even a used Russian car dealer somewhere up here in the Northeast and I've seen a late model Skoda driving around my home. I'm pretty sure Skoda never delved into the United States.

So anyway I'm going to be researching this car based on actual owners on this forum. Anyone, please provide your thoughts about bringing one here to the USA. Even thought this is a U.K. forum I have been told that Australia is a good place to find one of them so please help me out with that if you can.

For what it is worth I enjoyed another Boddingtons Pub Ale last night and I've got a Triumph motorcycle (third one) and a Norton motorcycle in my garage which means I've got great respect for the U.K.

[SteveP]

Welcome, would certainly be an unusual car in America... though the 360 does share some parts with 200/700/900's so it should't be too impossible to run one.

If you were looking to import, I'd look at Australian cars also - they are currently commanding much stronger prices in the UK and rust is less of an issue in Australia. You should be able to pick one up in Aus for a few hundred dollars but in the UK/Europe they are becoming a bit more collectable and the values are increasing.

A few years ago I sold a yellow 343 which ended up being exported and now lives in Maine, I believe at the time the buyer had a contact here and got it shipped over from Southampton.

[360beast]

I'd be looking to import one from Europe if I were you, yes you will pay more and it will probably need rust repairs but at least it will be left hand drive.

[bogbasic]

Lordy, now did I know that Oz drives on the left? Hmmm.

[Fred Gwynne]

Thank you all very much for your thoughts/comments. I will start searching around online for one in Australia and I'm glad to hear that one got shipped to Maine. That means to me that getting another here is a real possibility! I'm fine with RHD and LHD but I do prefer RHD purely because it is rather uncommon in the USA. I drove a few of them in Ireland and thought it was fun. Took me a couple minutes to feel comfortable shifting with my left hand. Got a real kick out of it once I did master it though.

[bogbasic]

I know someone who went to Japan and assumed they drove on the right . He only found out how british their driving is when he got a barage of honking. Good job I have found out about Oz, too (not that I'll ever get to go there!) or I might have done an Anne Sacoolas. Ouch.... shut-up Jon....

[Logan360]

Aussie is RHD (you may have gotten your wires crossed up there, i kind of did ) so it may be a bit more of an issue over there. I would be looking to import from here in New Zealand or Australia due to lack of rust and lower prices, but if it must be LHD then Europe would be the way to go.