Where are they now...??

[Ian Mac]

Having just had an operation to repair damaged tendons in my hand and being unable to work or drive I thought I'd kill some time by seeing how many of my old 340s still appear on the DVLA records and if any of them are known to V3M members.

My first 340, C79VEA was a three door DL in an eye catching shade of beige with a green interior. I sold the car in around 2001 and according to the DVLA the last tax disc expired in March 2003.

I then owned a very nice five door 1.4 GL in red, G737EWP. I sold this car locally in 2003 and according to the DVLA it is currently taxed until May 2010. Is the car still in the West Midlands I wonder?

In April 2006 I bought a mint condition Vario from a guy in Bournemouth and sold it to my window cleaner the following month after his CVT expired and he kept pestering to buy mine. I gather he then re-sold the car to someone in Birmingham. The registration number was G59FJT and according to the DVLA it hasn't been taxed since May 2006. This car was totally rust free and I would have expected it to last for years. Maybe its now languishing on someones drive with a broken belt or something?

Next on the list is G279XVT which was a grey three door 1.4 DL. I sold the car for spares or repairs in November 2006 at which time it needed a steering rack and welding to the offside rear inner sill around the jacking point. The genuine mileage was just 23000 when I sold it and according to the DVLA the last tax disc expired in March 2008.

My next 340 was a superb 1.4 five door GL, F336DWT in metallic blue which I sold to a guy in Oxford in December 2006. I really should have kept this car, it was SO nice but I fell out of love with it when a lower front spring cup parted company with the strut just as I was joining a motorway. The spring shot down the leg and thru' the inner sidewall of the tyre and the associated commotion was dramatic to say the least. I was unaware at the time that new cups are available so I spent a fortune on a complete strut from Volvo instead and once repaired I immediately sold the car in what now appears a huge knee-jerk reaction. The car had done around 35000 miles when I sold it and according to the DVLA it is currently taxed until May 2010 so somebody still loves it presumably?

Then came my three door green 1.4 GL, B56NLP which I sold to a guy called Pete Denton from Holmfirth in July 2008. It was then acquired by VND who I think re-sold it. It is currently taxed until this July and is hopefully being well looked after by its new owner.

Finally, my Vario GL J551GNH which I sold to a guy from Barnsley in July of last year having spent a fortune on new belts, clutch and tyres plus some welding to the nearside rear inner sill. This was another low mileage car (42000) with a full dealer history and being a late model GL it had all the toys.

In between the above cars I've also owned a 1.7 five door GL, G171TWL which I sold to a guy from Bristol in July 2005. This car doesn't appear on the DVLA records so maybe it fell victim to the scrappage scheme?

I also owned a J plate 1.7 GL and a F plate Vario but for the life of me I can't remember the full registration numbers although the 1.7 was J***WOC. Including my current 1.4 DL this adds-up to a total of eleven 340s in the last ten years. Can I claim this as a record?

Probably not...

[volvosneverdie]

Then came my three door green 1.4 GL, B56NLP which I sold to a guy called Pete Denton from Holmfirth in July 2008. It was then acquired by VND who I think re-sold it. It is currently taxed until this July and is hopefully being well looked after by its new owner.

Confirmed still giving excellent dailly service, being well looked after by its new female owner and possibly attending the York meet. Had to have a tire change recently due to deterioration of the rears. (were origonals, plenty of tread left, but developed a 'hernia')

[Chris_C]

Including my current 1.4 DL this adds-up to a total of eleven 340s in the last ten years. Can I claim this as a record?

Probably not...

Lol, I realised I'd owned the first of mine for 9 years this month

I've only "owned" 4, and 2 of those were only for a short period although I've bought several others (MOT failures) for spares from time to time.

Kar, H312 CMT I bought in Feb 2001 from a small car salesman in Bedmond near Watford and drove as a daily until first week of Jan 06, when it swallowed a washer. Fake (F732 SOR) was next, bought in 03 (March/Apr/May ish) from a family in Soton for spare parts as it had epic running issues that the previous owner had spent a fortune on and had had enough. He was kind enough to leave a note on Kar's windscreen saying it was going to the scrappy and did I want the 4 new tyres on it. Fake was parked at my parents, and frequently robbed for bits for Kar.

Beast (G956 AGP) was from the VOC forum, the owner wanted someone to have a go at repairing it and if not viable to at least use the parts. That was summer 05 but only drove her 1200miles before the MOT was up, and it was well beyond what either myself or the owner expected, she'd been used as a road rally car at some point in her life and there was little of the floorpan left attached as well as the sills being knacked. No idea how it'd got it's previous MOT! Beast was stripped down to a bear shell and parts gradually hidden in my loft every day when Mum went to work.

When Fake was put back on the road (Feb 06, as parents didn't want 2 300's on their drive and didn't understand me going to look at a broken 1.7 when I already had one on the drive), all the bits I'd stolen off Fake to put in Kar were replaced from bits of Beast from the loft (Confused yet )

Then Jet (F947 NRK) I had last summer, bought from Pete Farrell and sold to VND whilst I was fixing Fake. Now owned by Stealth.

I'd love to know where Mum's old 340 went, E294 DNM. Mum bought that new, and it's one that it'd like to get hold of, and restore it to standard mintyness as thats how I remember it. Also wouldn't mind finding her old 440, H242 HDX, I really liked that at the time.