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Apr 12, 2016 20:17:30 GMT
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This is my first ever post although i have been lurking on the site for a while now. So the story goes......I am due to be getting my first car soon and i have narrowed it down to an old polo, or a 300 series volvo due to reasonable insurance prices, but i'm not sure what to go with. The main appeal with volvo 340s is the fact that they are rwd, which of course means mad skidz! But my dad has had many polos and keeps trying to convince me that they are the way forward. I do like polos and they like a more sensible first car choice but i really want something rwd. Has anyone on here had polos or volvo 300s that would offer some advice? Thanks in advance
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oli123
Part of things
Posts: 134
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Apr 12, 2016 20:33:42 GMT
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Hey man,
The Volvo 340, my nan used to have one, it was pretty diabolical.
Standard engine guise, they are all horribly slow.
I read a very interesting article in a retro car mag recently about a 340 drift project. The guy spent lots of money on it, it had a turbo lump in it from a bigger Volvo in it (not sure what model) He spent a lot of time and threw many parts at it to get it sideways, but in the end he gave up due to it being way too snappy and not very predictable on track, he said a virtually stock 328I would run rings around a heavily modified 340. They are getting scarce now too, and pretty rotten.
The mk2 polo. Also very slow, but super simple to work on. And look cool once slammed with steelies or some dished 13's.
For a drifter consider a 316 / 318I? Loads about for no money at all.
Plenty of other cool retro hatches about too.. mk3 golf is a good car.
Vauxhall Nova with a red top is fun too.. although a bit chavvy.
I had a 98 focus 2l zetec a long time ago. Ugly, boring to look at.. not particularly retro. But with a slight drop and some new wheels it was a absolute laugh to drive. Went REALLY well and handled superbly for a hum drum hatch.
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Cars so far I've had: 1995 Corsa B Van 94 Golf MK3 2.0 Driver 98 BMW e39 520i 98 Focus TDDI 04 Honda Accord exec 99 BMW 728i 02 Corolla T sport 98 Focus 1.8 Zetec 98 Subaru Impreza wagon 06 Merc Cls 320cdi 07 Yaris 99 BMW 328i 04 Volvo S60 T5 98 Golf MK3 Wagon 1.8
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Apr 12, 2016 20:49:52 GMT
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Thanks for the reply, i'll have a look at the bmws but I reckon insurance will be a killer. My real love is old japanese barges like cressidas, laurels, bluebirds etc but even if i was to find one, insurance would once again be a killer.
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Hey mate. I bought a very long time ago a 360 GLT? sedan. That was a great car. Similar to the 340 just a bigger ass. I did lots of Km's in it and loved all of them. I traded that one on a 440 GLS or GLT can't remember. That was an even better car and really like that thing. I presume that they will be cheap to insure as well. I have driven a fair few small VW's. They were all just great. Never missed a beat but man they are boring.....(in stock form)
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I've had a mk2 Polo, a mk2f Polo, a Volvo 340 and a Volvo 360. I still have the 340 and 360.... If you want to skid then please take note that the 340 has a really weak driveline, the propshaft splines are bonded in with rubber and are notorious for tearing - props are getting thin on the ground now. Regardless, I do use my 340 for drifting and it's good fun - this just has a standard 1.7 engine. All I have is a stripped out interior, welded diff, landy shocks, lowering springs and bucket seats. It cost me about £700 to build this including buying the car. Mk2 Polos are good cars. But rear wheel drive is a lot more fun, and the whole Volkswagen scene, particularly the Polo scene really just riles me up.
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Last Edit: Apr 14, 2016 12:27:54 GMT by Roy Royson
1966 MK1 Cortina 1971 Hillman Super Imp 1985 Volvo 360 GLEi 1986 Volvo 340 1.7 1990 Mercedes 190e 2.0 1993 Peugeot 205 STDT
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tsoob
Part of things
Posts: 107
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Apr 13, 2016 10:13:57 GMT
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Learn how to drive before you start thinking about trivial curse word like what wheels are driven. A slow RWD car is not more fun to drive than a slow FWD car, the opposite in fact.
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tomglt
Part of things
Posts: 137
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Apr 13, 2016 10:25:40 GMT
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I say go for a 340 have some fun on some slippery round abouts from time to time but don't expect to have it kicking the rear end out in the dry as it just isn't powerful enough, keep it for a few years then upgrade the engine to either a 1.7 or 1.8 F7P.
This way my old 1.8 F7P 340
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Last Edit: Apr 13, 2016 10:26:45 GMT by tomglt
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Apr 13, 2016 10:34:23 GMT
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Volvo all day long.
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Specialist Bodyshop & Fabrication Classic, Retro, Prestige & Custom Small Repairs to Concours Restorations Mechanical Work Vintage to Modern
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Apr 13, 2016 11:21:20 GMT
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It seems beyond belief to me that someone would choose a FWD over a RWD...... ;-)
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The Millenium Volcon"Get yourself a Volvo if that's what you really want, you might be dead next year. In the meantime, you could be going sideways in a gigantic land barge."
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G4vBr
Part of things
Posts: 200
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Apr 13, 2016 16:11:48 GMT
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I've just listed my Mk2f/Mk3 polo breadvan on the for sale pages. They're great cars and are very easy to work on, cheap to run/maintain and look great with a few simple mods - wheels/suspension.
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Apr 13, 2016 16:42:46 GMT
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Volvo anyday, because RWD for occasional slidey fun and because MK2 Polos are boring and common as anything. Go to a car meet and there's almost always gonna be some sort of Polo there.
Just my opinion though.
But honestly dude it's up to you, maybe take both for a drive see which you prefer.
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2001 vauxhall corsa 1972 VW Beetle 1986 Ford Capri Laser1999 BMW E36 323i Touring 1991 Volvo 940 estate 2002 Mazda 323f 2.0 sport 2016 Mercedes Sprinter 1999 nissan almera 1.4 1995 lexus gs300 1995 lexus ls400 1975 bmw 1602 fiat punto 2003 ford fiesta something else...
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Apr 13, 2016 16:49:23 GMT
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tough choice . I've had both but for your situation, go for the polo.
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EmDee
Club Retro Rides Member
Committer of Autrocities.
Posts: 5,932
Club RR Member Number: 108
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Apr 14, 2016 11:23:13 GMT
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tough choice . I've had both but for your situation, go for the polo. ^ This is good advice. Without engine work, the Volvo will only be fun in the snow or mud (RWD only counts if you have enough power to lose traction), but the Polo will be fun to drive most of the time and are ideal for a first car. People saying they're common must live somewhere odd though as I never see MK2 Polos! I'll admit to being a tad biased.
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Apr 14, 2016 12:26:34 GMT
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My 340 hasn't had any engine work and loses traction in the dry no problem, just takes balls.
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Last Edit: Apr 14, 2016 12:26:50 GMT by Roy Royson
1966 MK1 Cortina 1971 Hillman Super Imp 1985 Volvo 360 GLEi 1986 Volvo 340 1.7 1990 Mercedes 190e 2.0 1993 Peugeot 205 STDT
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Ken
Part of things
Posts: 147
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Apr 14, 2016 12:38:10 GMT
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I've owned both ... 360GLT and a 1.3 GL Breadvan.
There's a clinical class to the Polo, an honesty. It does what it looks like it can do and it does it with total dependability (if you get one that's not been bodged) The 1.3 is a strong little engine too and the 5 speed will give motorway cruising. Safe handling in that if you over cook it when cornering, it'll redily just let the front end slide out.
The Volvo was more fun though. It was a B reg and would have been 10 yrs old when I bought it. It was chosen because after literally yrs of research I knew that it was the fastest car I could afford to insure (due to the solid safety shell keeping the rating down) The fancy diff / rear box setup fitted to the 2.0 injection engines holds the handling surprisingly well, giving you oversteer but not a full 'looking though the drivers window' full smoking tyres way. I've memories of doing just that that are making me grin as I write this! The leccy windows, heated seats (leather in some), central locking and powersteering (on later ones) that can come with the 360 are great when they work.
The 1.4 / 1.7 300s do give you the option to throw in a Renault Turbo engine once your insurance comes down but they don't have the fancy drive train and I understand they don't cope with the turbo power for very long.
Ken
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Last Edit: Apr 14, 2016 13:10:56 GMT by Ken
Saab Freak (in order of favouite first) '88 900 Turbo8 '86 900i Old Stripy '72 99 CM4 '83 99 '06 9-5 Aero 260 '96 9000 Turbo CSE '93 900 LPT SE (absolute Shed of a car) www.uksaabs.co.uk
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