It was a good plan. A sensible plan. A necessary plan. It was also the same plan I had last year before I bought the Deliboy van...
With the increase in time spent in the office, and the resulting increase in miles covered, and the need for economical transportation, I decided that the best course of action would be to sell the Deliboy and buy a small, reliable, economical hatchback, leaving the Lexus as the 'project' car which would swallow up the majority of the maintenance costs, and be used mainly on long journeys and family trips. Sorry, that was a long sentence, wasn't it?
However, plans are not something I tend to follow through with the necessary conviction. I get distracted, and imaginative, and then the plan goes out the window and I act on impulse. I suspect I'm not the only one...
While the Deliboy was on sale, I started to look at very small cars with small engines (~1 litre) and low insurance costs. Things like the Toyota iQ and VW UP!/Citigo/Mii appealed, but only with the base engine. Opportunities came and went to get a K13 Micra with the supercharged 1.2, and then I started to look at Fiat Group products with the Twinair engine, as they seemed fun (not completely economical, but different). I then started thinking that my kids are getting bigger, and are less likely to want to squeeze into the back seat of a tiny 3-door hatchback, so I started to look at something a bit bigger. Still compact and economical, but with 5 doors and a little more space in the back.
And that was when I was contacted by a man in Rotherham who was interested in the Deliboy. He offered me a Volvo 740 in part exchange, which I immediately turned down, as it didn't really meet any of my criteria for my next car. Then my imagination kicked in. I've never owned a Volvo, and this one seemed to be in remarkably good condition, and it was definitely big enough for the kids to get in...
So, it happened.
I'll share more pictures when I've given it a clean and taken care of a couple of things. I have a busy week ahead, so the Volvo is tucked up in the garage. However, I'll post some pics that Joe from Rotherham sent me which captured my imagination.
The bodywork is in remarkable condition for a 32 year old car. I haven't even found a parking ding on it yet. Just massive flat panels with not a hint of rust. The 740 was galvanised in the second half of it's production, and this car seems to have spent a lot of time parked in a garage. The mileage is just under 75k miles...
It has some mechanical issues which will need addressing, as the previous owner (who bought it unseen) decided that his priority was to take the badges off the back (so it would look more like a Cadillac) and order a reproduction rear window louvre from a guy in Latvia...
I'll decide what to do about that after I've addressed some issues...
First of all, I noticed that the car arrived with budget tyres fitted (Austone Athena). Not a big deal, as they all had tread on them at least. Then I took a closer look at the offside front, as it was actually a Michelin. A Michelin MXL, which isn't one of their current range. I suspect this is the original spare tyre, as it was made in a mythical land called 'West Germany'...
So, the first item on the menu is to buy at least 2 new tyres, so I have a dependable set on the front axle and one which will work as a full-size spare.
What else? Well, the power steering doesn't power all the time. When you first start the car it is very very heavy, and quickly improves. Turning out of the cul-de-sac which I currently reside in takes a bit of willpower and muscle, but it's fine thereafter. I've changed the fluid in the reservoir (which was also over-filled), but more investigate work is required here.
The brakes bind a bit, which is unsurprising for a car which hasn't been used much. I'll try to free those off and replace sundry components as required.
The engine has an oil leak, which I strongly suspect to be related to a clogged crankcase breather system. A common (albeit minor) issue on redblock Volvo engines, apparently. I'll probably throw on a new part rather than try to dig gunk out of the current one.
And finally, the bulb warning light had appeared in the dash, which is a bit too bright to be ignored...
I've replaced a pair of bulbs in the rear (one of which was very dim), but it hasn't cleared it yet. I'll swap in other bulbs, and also tackle the rat's nest of scotchlocks which are leftover from the now-removed towbar.
So, another project car. Yay.
With the increase in time spent in the office, and the resulting increase in miles covered, and the need for economical transportation, I decided that the best course of action would be to sell the Deliboy and buy a small, reliable, economical hatchback, leaving the Lexus as the 'project' car which would swallow up the majority of the maintenance costs, and be used mainly on long journeys and family trips. Sorry, that was a long sentence, wasn't it?
However, plans are not something I tend to follow through with the necessary conviction. I get distracted, and imaginative, and then the plan goes out the window and I act on impulse. I suspect I'm not the only one...
While the Deliboy was on sale, I started to look at very small cars with small engines (~1 litre) and low insurance costs. Things like the Toyota iQ and VW UP!/Citigo/Mii appealed, but only with the base engine. Opportunities came and went to get a K13 Micra with the supercharged 1.2, and then I started to look at Fiat Group products with the Twinair engine, as they seemed fun (not completely economical, but different). I then started thinking that my kids are getting bigger, and are less likely to want to squeeze into the back seat of a tiny 3-door hatchback, so I started to look at something a bit bigger. Still compact and economical, but with 5 doors and a little more space in the back.
And that was when I was contacted by a man in Rotherham who was interested in the Deliboy. He offered me a Volvo 740 in part exchange, which I immediately turned down, as it didn't really meet any of my criteria for my next car. Then my imagination kicked in. I've never owned a Volvo, and this one seemed to be in remarkably good condition, and it was definitely big enough for the kids to get in...
So, it happened.
I'll share more pictures when I've given it a clean and taken care of a couple of things. I have a busy week ahead, so the Volvo is tucked up in the garage. However, I'll post some pics that Joe from Rotherham sent me which captured my imagination.
The bodywork is in remarkable condition for a 32 year old car. I haven't even found a parking ding on it yet. Just massive flat panels with not a hint of rust. The 740 was galvanised in the second half of it's production, and this car seems to have spent a lot of time parked in a garage. The mileage is just under 75k miles...
It has some mechanical issues which will need addressing, as the previous owner (who bought it unseen) decided that his priority was to take the badges off the back (so it would look more like a Cadillac) and order a reproduction rear window louvre from a guy in Latvia...
I'll decide what to do about that after I've addressed some issues...
First of all, I noticed that the car arrived with budget tyres fitted (Austone Athena). Not a big deal, as they all had tread on them at least. Then I took a closer look at the offside front, as it was actually a Michelin. A Michelin MXL, which isn't one of their current range. I suspect this is the original spare tyre, as it was made in a mythical land called 'West Germany'...
So, the first item on the menu is to buy at least 2 new tyres, so I have a dependable set on the front axle and one which will work as a full-size spare.
What else? Well, the power steering doesn't power all the time. When you first start the car it is very very heavy, and quickly improves. Turning out of the cul-de-sac which I currently reside in takes a bit of willpower and muscle, but it's fine thereafter. I've changed the fluid in the reservoir (which was also over-filled), but more investigate work is required here.
The brakes bind a bit, which is unsurprising for a car which hasn't been used much. I'll try to free those off and replace sundry components as required.
The engine has an oil leak, which I strongly suspect to be related to a clogged crankcase breather system. A common (albeit minor) issue on redblock Volvo engines, apparently. I'll probably throw on a new part rather than try to dig gunk out of the current one.
And finally, the bulb warning light had appeared in the dash, which is a bit too bright to be ignored...
I've replaced a pair of bulbs in the rear (one of which was very dim), but it hasn't cleared it yet. I'll swap in other bulbs, and also tackle the rat's nest of scotchlocks which are leftover from the now-removed towbar.
So, another project car. Yay.
