First time I can't identify a 300!

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Duvel78
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First time I can't identify a 300!

Post by Duvel78 » 21 Oct 2015 12:24 am

Hello guys,

I hope you're all fine! As I have explained to some of you, the arrival of a little baby changed a lot of things in my life, and unfortunately time left for the Volvo 300 Madness shrank even more... But I do NOT forget you and V3M, I'm just spending more time behind the scene. I'm pretty sure you're still having fun here!

Now having said that, I'm still deeeeply attracted by 300 series and I just can't resist when a nice one is for sale. I just bought a strange one, a very strange one because it's the first time I'm not able to identify properly the car, despite my good knowledge of these cars since years...

The facts: it's a beige 5 doors 300 with a B19A engine and 5 speeds gearbox. The VIN number XLB345213DC****** confirms this, and "DC" tell us it's a '83 model year. The dashboard is the "new" style one, door cards too. Don't look at the tailgate, it has been replaced in the past, badges aren't matching anymore. The body is right (spare wheel at the back, battery space, etc...), it's definitely not a converted B14. There are no tinted Windows and no rev counter!

From my point of view, it's a strange mix between a '82 345 DLS and a '83 360 GLS.

- No foglights spaces -> '82 345 DLS
- No tinted Windows -> '82 345 DLS
- Beige interior with little squares -> '82 345 DLS
- No chrome on the bumpers -> '82 345 DLS
-------------------------------------------------
- 5 speeds gearbox -> '83 360 GLS
- New Dashboard / door cards -> '83 360 GLS
- VIN with "DC" letters -> 1983

So it's not a 345 DLS, and it's not a 360 GLS! Which model is it? Can we imagine a "late" 345 DLS production with parts of the future 360 GLS in use? It's weird! I've never seen this before... Help! :mrgreen: Any idea? The color is also quite "basic" for the B19 on the belgian market, but it was quite common to see that kind of combination (non metallic paint + B19/B200) in Scandinavia, another strange point...

Cheers
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Collection: '78 343 Black Beauty, '82 345 GLS, '83 340 DL 2.0, '84 340 DL vario, '88 360 GLT 5d (2x) & 4d (2x), '89 GLT, '91 340 vario
Dad's cars: '87 340 vario, '89 340 vario
Lot of donors cars and parts...
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macplaxton
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Re: First time I can't identify a 300!

Post by macplaxton » 21 Oct 2015 07:13 am

Duvel78 wrote:From my point of view, it's a strange mix between a '82 345 DLS and a '83 360 GLS.
Has the tailgate just got "360" on it? I guess that it's a poverty-spec, tax-buster, hush hush, we-don't-advertise-them-but-they-are-available-if-you-ask-discreetly special.

A bit like this Austrian > Hungarian one. viewtopic.php?f=50&t=16196
72 DAF 44 Estate 78 Volvo 343DL Black BeautyImageImage
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360beast
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Re: First time I can't identify a 300!

Post by 360beast » 21 Oct 2015 07:42 am

Wow now that's a symphony of brown, no wonder the 300 series had an O.A.P image :lol:

I actually like the colours!

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Re: First time I can't identify a 300!

Post by trabitom99 » 21 Oct 2015 07:50 am

Good to see you back Aymat!

Strange combination, I'll have a look at the brochures when I get a chance. Reminds me of that Scandinavian-spec beige 1983 B19A 340 (not 360!) Anjo posted a while ago. I wonder what your car was originally badged as? 340 or 360?

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

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Duvel78
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Re: First time I can't identify a 300!

Post by Duvel78 » 21 Oct 2015 09:14 am

macplaxton wrote:Has the tailgate just got "360" on it?
It has "340 DL" on it! The tailgate paint isn't excatly the same, something happened (respray or whole tailgate changed, I don't know yet) But now, reading Tom's post, I'm thinking the "340 DL" is maybe right, and that's crazy! A '83 340 DL with B19A and M47 5 speeds gearbox? The most insane thing I've ever seen on a 300 :D

I wouldn't be suprised the car is from Finland (or Sweden?), there is a similar case in Finland if the description is right. Shame we don't see the interior and tailgate. http://www.nettiauto.com/volvo/340/7315656

I've maybe the best 340 sleeper ever for a R-sport kit upgrade! lol
trabitom99 wrote:Reminds me of that Scandinavian-spec beige 1983 B19A 340 (not 360!) Anjo posted a while ago.
I'm searching for this post, not found yet sm1
Collection: '78 343 Black Beauty, '82 345 GLS, '83 340 DL 2.0, '84 340 DL vario, '88 360 GLT 5d (2x) & 4d (2x), '89 GLT, '91 340 vario
Dad's cars: '87 340 vario, '89 340 vario
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Re: First time I can't identify a 300!

Post by classicswede » 21 Oct 2015 09:26 am

It does sound like a Swedish market 340DL with 2ltr engine. I was talking to a customer in Sweden a few weeks ago and he has one of these 340's but a little later iirc.
Dai

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Re: First time I can't identify a 300!

Post by Duvel78 » 21 Oct 2015 10:37 am

Yes, I think the Swedish or Finnish market is the explanation, but it's still a weird combination of specs and badging... Why did they do that? And how long? I'm now searching for more examples.

There is another one in Finland, assuming that there was no badge change and engine swap
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Collection: '78 343 Black Beauty, '82 345 GLS, '83 340 DL 2.0, '84 340 DL vario, '88 360 GLT 5d (2x) & 4d (2x), '89 GLT, '91 340 vario
Dad's cars: '87 340 vario, '89 340 vario
Lot of donors cars and parts...
V3M for life!

macplaxton
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Re: First time I can't identify a 300!

Post by macplaxton » 21 Oct 2015 10:59 am

Duvel78 wrote:Yes, I think the Swedish or Finnish market is the explanation
But if the VIN plate correct, it shows market code "20" for Belgium, not "10" Sweden or "13" Finland. (Plus those markets might have headlamp washers?)
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Duvel78
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Re: First time I can't identify a 300!

Post by Duvel78 » 21 Oct 2015 11:51 am

macplaxton wrote:But if the VIN plate correct, it shows market code "20" for Belgium
+1! I forgot that market code. I'm confused again, a belgian car with some scandinavian specs & badging? :D
macplaxton wrote:(Plus those markets might have headlamp washers?)
Good point, but I'm not 100% sure they all had headlamp washers there in 82/83? Engine pre-heating system was also very popular, I couldn't see one...
Collection: '78 343 Black Beauty, '82 345 GLS, '83 340 DL 2.0, '84 340 DL vario, '88 360 GLT 5d (2x) & 4d (2x), '89 GLT, '91 340 vario
Dad's cars: '87 340 vario, '89 340 vario
Lot of donors cars and parts...
V3M for life!

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Re: First time I can't identify a 300!

Post by volvomania » 21 Oct 2015 03:56 pm

Yep they do exist.
I just didn't know that they have also been sold in Belgium.
I know of Dutch (MC21) cars that were sold in 1982 (no MY known) amongst others to the police that were badged as a 340DL but were in reality a DLS. Ussually used over there as a plain clothes car.
Looking at the VIN plate it is indeed a MY83.

I saw the ad in Belgium as well but thought the opposite; that it was a 1.4 and that the owner had advertised it as a 2.0 out of ignorance or in the hope of getting a faster sale.
Fast it was for sure as you got it..... :lol:

I think that the tailgate is the original one, looking at the paint, and that is a "Wolf in sheeps clothes" intentionally.
To be 200% sure you will have to have a look at the tailgate bolts "inside" the ceiling.

For some markets a sticker was stuck at the back to market it as a 340 2.0l
I will have to have a dig in my folders..... :?: but time.

Any chance that you can send me the full Vin?
Last edited by volvomania on 22 Oct 2015 11:40 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: First time I can't identify a 300!

Post by Duvel78 » 22 Oct 2015 11:09 am

volvomania wrote:I just didn't know that they have also been sold in Belgium.
I know of Dutch (MC21) cars that were sold in 1982 (no MY known) amongst others to the police that were badged as a 340DL but were in reality a DLS.


I feel better if you confirm that you wouldn't have expected a version like that in Belgium :D , The 343/345 DLS has the old dashboard style and M45, don't you find surprising that this one has the new dashboard style and M47 gearbox?
volvomania wrote:I saw the ad in Belgium as well but thought the opposite; that it was a 1.4 and that the owner had advertised it as a 2.0 out of ignorance or in the hope of getting a faster sale.


To be honnest, I thought the guy simply mixed by ignorance registration year and cylinder capacity... :D But there was still a doubt because I couldn't see the prominent B14 fuel tank on the pictures (I know, a real Sherlock Holmes investigation with sophisticated brightness and luminosity analysis of the existing pictures... I'm not normal haha :D ) Because of this only remaining doubt, I decided to go there in the evening with a flashlight, I was pretty sure to find a B14 and to leave the place immediately. First check: oh oh, no B14 fuel tank at the rear! Second check: oh oh, the bottom of a B19 engine! Very exciting moment, it wasn't a quick stop anymore :lol:
volvomania wrote:I think that the tailgate is the original one, looking at the paint, and that is a "Wolf in sheepd clothes" intentionally. To be 200% sure you will have to have a look at the tailgate bolts "inside" the ceiling.


I'm pretty sure something happened with the tailgate; it's not closing nicely when it falls down, there is definitely a small color difference with the rest of the car, the Volvo badge is too much to the right, and there are small ceiling damages where the tailagte bolts are located... A closer and deeper investigation is needed!
volvomania wrote:a "Wolf in sheepd clothes"


Excellent, a non-standard 300 series, I love the idea :340:
volvomania wrote:For some markets a sticker was stuck at the back to market it as a 340 2.0l
I will have to have a dig in my folders..... :?:
I suppose the same as the red Finnish 340 in my previous post?

PM sent for the full VIN!

Cheers
Collection: '78 343 Black Beauty, '82 345 GLS, '83 340 DL 2.0, '84 340 DL vario, '88 360 GLT 5d (2x) & 4d (2x), '89 GLT, '91 340 vario
Dad's cars: '87 340 vario, '89 340 vario
Lot of donors cars and parts...
V3M for life!

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Re: First time I can't identify a 300!

Post by Chris_C » 22 Oct 2015 03:48 pm

Odd that both your car and the red Swedish one look to have the Volvo badge on the tailgate at the incorrect height too? The same incorrect height? Or was it supposed to be that low at that time?
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'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

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Re: First time I can't identify a 300!

Post by bogbasic » 23 Oct 2015 12:00 pm

Epic work man, I once had a Ford Escort that colour ;-3
1988 340 1.4 GL, 218k, 5 door (Grey Bess). Gone to CBA.
1991 340 1.7 GL, 64k, 5 door, petrol blue (Deep Blue).
1988 360 2.0 GLE, 140k, 5 door, ocean blue metallic (Blue Bess).
1989 340 1.7 GL, 108k, 3 door (Red Ness).
More info here!

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Re: First time I can't identify a 300!

Post by macplaxton » 23 Oct 2015 12:28 pm

Chris_C wrote:Or was it supposed to be that low at that time?
Supposed to be that low, I think the question was how far in from the left it was.

MY82:
Image
DSCF1104 by macplaxton, on Flickr

MY88:
Image
DSCF6998 by macplaxton, on Flickr
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Re: First time I can't identify a 300!

Post by SteveP » 24 Oct 2015 05:07 pm

That is a strange combination! The boot badges are supposed to be that low - but strangely on Aymat's beige car it looks as though the 'Volvo' badge on the bootlid is too close to the centre and it's also silver, I'd expect a car of this age and being a DL to have black badging - this seemed to coincide with the all black bumpers and black grilles on earlier DL's. EDIT: Should've read your post in more detail, you know this :D :lol:

What's the paint match like on the front valance? Could it perhaps have been in a front/rear bump - with the valance skin being replaced with a 340 one? Sounds like a long shot....! Do you have some form of logbook with it to see what it was originally registered as? Regardless, it's a strange colour for a B19 car!

I can't remember ever seeing a 2.0 car fitted without the cut outs in the front valance come to think of it!
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