Volvo 300 series potential classic?

Post by **Colex** » 12 Dec 2007 12:23 am

What do you think, would the 300series for 10-20years from now become a classic car?

P.S. I have an 86' 1.7 360 whit which i have a dilemma:
a) replace: one back light, front windscreen, front bumper, driveshaft, make a full engine reparation. And leave it in mint condition for the next years.
b) take away all the unnecessarily weight, put into a bigger engine (740 2.3 or 440 1.7 turbo) and sports exhaust, lower the suspension, anti-roll bar and transform it into an race-drift machine.

What would you do?

Post by **sven360** » 12 Dec 2007 12:51 am

Unlikely and b.

Classic car is a much banded about expression-often you see such junk as Marinas and Allegros advertised as classic cars-admittedly they're old but classic,hmmmmm ......... I'd say the jury was out on that one.

Any old car with a competition history ultimately makes the big bucks and classic/cult status.Look at rwd Escorts pure basket cases that require a lorry load of panels and a fortnight of welding fetch 4 figures.Many Vauxhall/opel marques are going the same way ie Manta,Chevette,Fienza etc,etc

Ultimately 300 series will be always be remembered as summit ya Grandad drove.Perhaps not what ya wanted to here but tis the truth

If you do go with option a don't forget the tweed cap for the rear parcel shelf

Post by **trabitom99** » 12 Dec 2007 10:28 am

sven360 wrote:Classic car is a much banded about expression-often you see such junk as Marinas and Allegros advertised as classic cars-admittedly they're old but classic,hmmmmm ......... I'd say the jury was out on that one.

If that were the case, then "Practical Classics" should change its name to "Practical old-but-dull cars which no one gives a toss for". However AFAIK, it's the UK's best-selling classic car magazine and is filled with bread-and-butter once-boring cars which people keep precisely because grandad used to have one.

Call me soft, but it breaks my heart when Top Gear fills a Triumph Dolly, a restored Rover SD1 and an Austin Princess with water, effectively wrecking them. For me, ANY car (even 70's BL-crap) is a classic once it gets to a certain age - some cars take a little bit longer to get there, others are instant classics the moment they come on the market.

Most people who drive cars because they are old, not although they are old, drive cars which they remember from way back. That's the reason why prices are rising for such unlikely classics as a Mk2 Escort or an Allegro - whereas pre WWII car prices are stagnating because there's no one around anymore to remember them anymore.

The Volvo 300 may well be a future classic simply because it was a car which bucked every automotive trend going on at the time. Quirky looks, the aerodynamics of a brick, RWD, the engine in the wrong way, gearbox in the wrong place, automatic transmission driven by elastic bands. And Volvo stubbornly continued building it right into the nineties!

It won't have the same cult following as the bigger models, but since there are so many people around remember them, I doubt it'll be forgotten ...

Tom

Post by **SteveP** » 12 Dec 2007 10:44 am

I think the 300 series could well become a classic in the future, and I'd go as far to say the early Mk1's already are at that stage in some respects. They certainly have a following now, and are quirky enough to stand out from other cars of its time.

Re: the BL Top Gear episode.... the car's they used were not exactly the best of examples. The Dolly was clearly knackered, and rusty - and the SD1 had a load of filler at the bottom of the C Pillar. The only one that looked remotely respectable was the Princess really...

Post by **Chris_C** » 12 Dec 2007 11:08 am

I'm not convinced about the cult status of the bigger Volvos. There isn't really that much of a following for them, the main use is still the window cleaner wanting a cheap workhorse. 300's a classic though? No idea, won't affect me too much, I'll still play with mine, and take them to shows/tracks whatever

Post by **sven360** » 12 Dec 2007 09:02 pm

Overall, the 300 series was considered heavy and unrewarding to drive but reliable and safe by the standards of its day. However, early 360GLT versions were well regarded by more enthusiastic drivers, with the unusual gearbox location ensuring good weight distribution and unusually good balance and traction.

Whilst Wilkpedia is hardly a motoring gospel it does reflect general concensus.Hardly a glowing review of the range bar early 360's.

Just because something is old does not equate to it being a classic.

Post by **hatch360** » 12 Dec 2007 10:34 pm

trabitom99 wrote:
sven360 wrote: And Volvo stubbornly continued building it right into the nineties!

Tom

lol so true but that was a time when Volvo was more popular so clearly it worked

Post by **Nikdev** » 12 Dec 2007 11:14 pm

No...

But a well looked after Pv, amazon, 142, 242 etc are getting expensive over here. But no way near the escort fetish you guy`s got;)

Post by **classicswede** » 13 Dec 2007 02:02 pm

I think the 300 has already prtty much got classic status IMO. Look at the good money some of these cars have been fetching. MJ treats his car like a loved classic.

In the US 240's are very much a classic and do fetch good cash. One of teh big issues we have over here is the silly pre 73 tax class being frozen. If that was put back to rolling then that would help the situation fo r lot of cars in teh UK.

Post by **trabitom99** » 13 Dec 2007 02:26 pm

classicswede wrote:One of teh big issues we have over here is the silly pre 73 tax class being frozen. If that was put back to rolling then that would help the situation fo r lot of cars in teh UK.

The system over here is that any car in a reasonable condition is recognised by the state as being a classic when it gets to 30 years old (thus including the first Mk1 343s). That means: cheap tax, cheap insurance, entry to restricted city centres etc. etc. We've had this system for a number of years now and it's made a big difference in the amount of 30+ year old cars on the road ...

Tom

Post by **retrocool73** » 13 Dec 2007 03:09 pm

As a classic car nut, and lover of many cars 50's-90's I think the 300 series is just about to become a classic...
Reasons:
1) Though they have a dull image to many, the cars are actually quite idiosyncratic and, years later, they stand out and look good. Drive-wise, hard to explain, but they are unlike anything else
2) They already have a 'cult following', why would I want 5 of them if they didn't have some appeal and charm?
3) They are disappearing from our roads fast, and also from scrapyards
4) People like me, who for many years thought they were the definition of dull now think they're actually rather cool.
Though Marina's and their like might not be thoroughbreds, they are classic cars now. 10/15 years ago the motor press were calling mk2 Escorts 'dull', 'grandad's cars'. 'motoring mediocrity', now look at them...

Post by **Frits** » 13 Dec 2007 04:28 pm

And don't forget such a thing like volvo300mania.com volvo300club.nl 300power.com etc...

If there are people who love the type of car, it is/will be a classic. IMO

Post by **setsunakaede** » 13 Dec 2007 04:50 pm

And one thing is not mentioned yet in this topic...:
300's actually won rally championships in their time! Not sporty? bullsh**!

Post by **Frits** » 13 Dec 2007 04:53 pm

If I'll say that to my friends, they wont believe me!

But its true, the 343 turbo was very exciting.. About a couple of months there might be another one :]

Post by **foggyjames** » 13 Dec 2007 10:45 pm

While it's never going to be an MGB, I think the 300s are quirky enough and were common enough in their day to achieve the same sort of status as something like a Morris Minor, eventually...an everyday classic, if you like.

Ultimately 'proper' classic cars will always be 60s drop-tops, in my eyes.

cheers

James