You'll be suprised, when I was looking I found a 340 1.4 cheaper to insure than a 1.1 Fiesta. I know what I'd rather have. I think the benefit of looking for a 1.4 specifically is that 1. Cheaper tax, and 2. it isn't as unreliable

SteveP wrote:. it isn't as unreliable

How Dare you sir , suggesting the 1.7 is unreliable , apart from when my carb came loose on the way to Gaydon and when I drove through a flood on the way home from Stondon , my car has always driven faultlessly .

In fact if its just occured to me that its only when I meet up with you lot that the car ever gives me any trouble lol.

mind you It ran fine to the err Milton Keynes meet though

Well no, they're not unreliable - just that their reputation for carb issues is well deserved.

in two years of having 1700s i only had 2 problems with the carbs, one was the jet issue, meaning I had either either full throttle or nothing, the second was a leak on the mechanism for the full throttle jet.
I put something through the engine (no idea what, must have gone in with the petrol) which managed to close a sparkplug and scratch the cylinder, and it ran like a beaut with a new plug.
I wont hear anything against the reliability of the 1.7, the engines are great!

I would still say that a 1.4 is more trouble free than the 1.7 though, for a start you wouldn't have to get a timing belt replaced, which is a ~£70 job if you dont do it yourself - or risk it... They're significantly less prone to carb issues.

SteveP wrote:I would still say that a 1.4 is more trouble free than the 1.7 though,

well why is there a sticky post in the engine/tech forum for known problems for all varients of cars except the 340 1.7?

d3k4y0 wrote:

SteveP wrote:I would still say that a 1.4 is more trouble free than the 1.7 though,

well why is there a sticky post in the engine/tech forum for known problems for all varients of cars except the 340 1.7?

because no-ones stupid enough to buy a high-tax-rate car thats *that* slow?

5lab wrote:because no-ones stupid enough to buy a high-tax-rate car thats *that* slow?

Oh yes they are

anyway they arent slow, I regularly saw 110 + out of mine when I went up to Coventry

Hey I've just seen this one on ebay, what does anyone think of it?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1991-VOLVO-340-GL ... dZViewItem


Also, I hope its not too cheeky, but does anyone on here live near enough to Sheffield to check it out for me?

If not don't worry about it.

Thanks

It's a late GL, so lots of electric goodies, only thing to worry about on that would be rust, and 1.4 dodgy idling (but thats easy to cure usually)

Places to check are the rear arches, and front valance, it has 5 months MOT, so I'd be tempted, not sure whos nearby to have a look though.

Looks like a corker!

Find V3M's close to Sheffield here:

http://www.frappr.com/v3m

(and then stalk them)

Get Foggy to do it, he'll usually do anything for a female..........

Cheeky sod!

I'd suggest getting a 1400. It's a cracking engine all things considered, and if you're not into zooming around, you'll not miss the extra grunt the 1700 has. Quite often they need a bit of work on the carb (usually because the PO hasn't been bothered), but a day and a few quid in parts with a knowledgable pair of hands, and you'll be good to go for years to come. Once straightened out, I've put 9000 trouble-free miles in just over 6 months on Nessy, my 1.4, and that has now covered 191,000 miles!

Things to watch for: RUST. That's about it really...

cheers

James