Seriously?

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Othen

I know Dave, and I fully appreciate that many folk like big Volvos for exactly that reason, just as antiques dealers (amongst others) did back in the day. I’m a bit tongue in cheek when I call them VWWs - but that is the way many owners will use them.

My first "need" for a big estate was 20 years ago when i was married with a wife and 3 step children and the need to deprive local supermarkets of half their entire stock on a weekly basis while transporting aforementioned family with me. It also came in useful for other things too.

Things have changed now but my circumstances now mean i have to carry large loads including two big dogs very regularly so my need for an estate continues. Sadly i now have difficulty getting in/out of a 7/9xx estate so needed something higher. It took me a long time to settle on the Honda CR-V that i now have but aside from a slightly smaller load deck, it does everything i need it to do and is also very versatile.
Granted i've had a few reliability problems with it (not very Honda like! ) but those are all down to missed/incomplete servicing and have now been pretty much sorted.

Originally Posted by Steve 940

Absolutely no offence, I like to think my VWW is more like a Swiss Army Knife, capable on many levels😀👍

Cheers
Steve

Agreed, they certainly are! Ditto for my Honda, the front seats convert into two single beds, there is a picnic table between the front seats and another, larger one in the rear load deck with space underneath where the spare wheel might have been (it is bolted to the tailgate on the outside) where things can be stored, there is a 12V socket in the back suitable for powering things like coolers/fridges - the list goes on.

Good estes are always useful vehicles!

[Johnny64]

My reasons for lovin' the 240 estates VWW are also primarily practical; 30 years ago i had series of VW Passat GL5 estates which were just great.. i had 3 and finally ended up with one made out of 3 so it had (at one point) a maroon body, a gold tail gate and a silver bonnet! i had both manual and automatic versions both were great and attained some pretty high mileages before they finally went to the scrappy. Having kids, big hairy dogs, carrying logs and bales of hay etc as well as regularly doing long journeys meant they were perfect.

Now, its grandkids, big hairy dogs, (reluctantly..) bales of hay and logs etc but just loaded with more care, cleaned more regularly, fretted over during use but most importantly, done with a bit more style!

[ITSv40]

The appeal of Volvos for most folks are the estates, particularly for the era of cars generally discussed on this thread. They have always attracted a premium over the equivalent saloon.

My own experience of C70 ownership bears this out. Given that the C70 was the most expensive model in the range and my own car was over £30,000 new, they are now as cheap as chips as very few want them. I bought mine for £2500 seven years ago with full Volvo service, 50,000 miles and in immaculate condition. This, a car based on the legendary P80 platform, tweaked by Tom Walkinshaw Racing and designed by no less than Ian Callum.

I am a member of several Facebook groups and have attended various meets, but no-one is interested in a C70 , they all drool over the estates or modified saloons. I went to the Guinness world record attempt - over 900 Volvos there. Parked in line and a modern Volvo parked behind. The driver got out and declared, ''good god, I haven't seen one of these since I used to sell them when new''. Me thinking I might get into an interesting conversation with him made some encouraging comment back, to be met with the refrain, ''yes, they were cr*p then and cr*p now''. To which he promptly walked off. That was the only comment my car received all day.

So, it would seem, if you want a Volvo get an estate, if a convertible, a BMW or Audi. However, I love my C70. Attachment shows it partaking in the world record attempt parade.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Johnny64

30 years ago i had series of VW Passat GL5 estates which were just great..

That was when VAG made good cars. I remember the Passat GL5 and the pilot model, the Santana GX5. The Mk1 Passat was still in production when the Santana was launched and very well recieved. A year or two later, the Mk1 Passat was discontinued and the Santana was rebadged as the Mk2 Passat with the (i believe) top spec model being the GL5.

I had a D reg Audi 100 CD 5E which was basically the same as the saloon Passat 5-pot, a very good car and the only red car that i actually had a little luck with - it was written off while parked outside my mates house and the insurance paid out about £1100 more than i gave for it.

[Othen]

Originally Posted by ITSv40

The appeal of Volvos for most folks are the estates, particularly for the era of cars generally discussed on this thread. They have always attracted a premium over the equivalent saloon.

My own experience of C70 ownership bears this out. Given that the C70 was the most expensive model in the range and my own car was over £30,000 new, they are now as cheap as chips as very few want them. I bought mine for £2500 seven years ago with full Volvo service, 50,000 miles and in immaculate condition. This, a car based on the legendary P80 platform, tweaked by Tom Walkinshaw Racing and designed by no less than Ian Callum.

I am a member of several Facebook groups and have attended various meets, but no-one is interested in a C70 , they all drool over the estates or modified saloons. I went to the Guinness world record attempt - over 900 Volvos there. Parked in line and a modern Volvo parked behind. The driver got out and declared, ''good god, I haven't seen one of these since I used to sell them when new''. Me thinking I might get into an interesting conversation with him made some encouraging comment back, to be met with the refrain, ''yes, they were cr*p then and cr*p now''. To which he promptly walked off. That was the only comment my car received all day.

So, it would seem, if you want a Volvo get an estate, if a convertible, a BMW or Audi. However, I love my C70. Attachment shows it partaking in the world record attempt parade.

How interesting. I’d forgotten Volvo had made a convertible - as had most of the rest of the world it would appear. I’ve just done a search on eBay and can see that one may find what appears to be an okay motorcar for a couple of grand - and bear in mind it is the middle of summer - prices will plummet once the rain gets colder.

You are right that Volvo don’t have a name for convertibles, so this model is somewhat unpopular (and hence cheap), but that makes it quirky - and that appeals to me. I may revisit this search on a bleak day in November if my garage extension project is complete by then and there is nothing filling the extra space.



Addendum: Like this one for example:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/235635236188

... unfortunately the dealer has very carefully ensured the registration number isn't visible in the photos, so I can't look up the MoT history...

... the dealer replied to my question very promptly (it is 06:30 on Saturday morning). The registration # is PX54 HKU. Unfortunately it is in the £415/year bracket for road tax - so the costs of ownership would be high (compared with its value).

[ITSv40]

Originally Posted by Othen

How interesting. I’d forgotten Volvo had made a convertible - as had most of the rest of the world it would appear. I’ve just done a search on eBay and can see that one may find what appears to be an okay motorcar for a couple of grand - and bear in mind it is the middle of summer - prices will plummet once the rain gets colder.

You are right that Volvo don’t have a name for convertibles, so this model is somewhat unpopular (and hence cheap), but that makes it quirky - and that appeals to me. I may revisit this search on a bleak day in November if my garage extension project is complete by then and there is nothing filling the extra space.



Addendum: Like this one for example:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/235635236188

... unfortunately the dealer has very carefully ensured the registration number isn't visible in the photos, so I can't look up the MoT history...

... the dealer replied to my question very promptly (it is 06:30 on Saturday morning). The registration # is PX54 HKU. Unfortunately it is in the £415/year bracket for road tax - so the costs of ownership would be high (compared with its value).

Yes, that example illustrates my point perfectly. That has been hawked around the internet for several weeks and still not sold. I also like quirky😀

[Othen]

Originally Posted by ITSv40

Yes, that example illustrates my point perfectly. That has been hawked around the internet for several weeks and still not sold. I also like quirky😀

Absolutely.

There seem to be a plethora of similar motor cars at good prices. This one is even cheaper, it has a few more miles but a full service history:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/116186421...mis&media=COPY

… very interesting indeed.

[ITSv40]

Originally Posted by Othen

Absolutely.

There seem to be a plethora of similar motor cars at good prices. This one is even cheaper, it has a few more miles but a full service history:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/116186421...mis&media=COPY

… very interesting indeed.

The sad thing is that so many have been scrapped for no more than the want of an oil change and set of plugs.