Maybe it's just a subjective feeling (or I've gone deaf over the years) but our old B14 343 was a hell of a lot louder than the (non-sunroof) 360 at motorway speeds. Cruising speed was around 120kph and at anything above 140kph you began thinking the pushrods would slam through the bonnet any minute. I think I got it up to 160kph once (downhill on the Nürburgring) but as a regular autobahn express my 360 definitely beats it.

OK, it only had a 4 speed box. That makes a difference noise-wise I'm sure.

Tom

its interesting that lots of you think they are noisey, mine doesent seem to make much wind noise and i normally cruise around 80mph.. ofcourse the zorst makes a fair bit of noise now but even before it was very "nice". i wonder how my new daily driver will fair



Cheers
will

trabitom99 wrote:Maybe it's just a subjective feeling (or I've gone deaf over the years) but our old B14 343 was a hell of a lot louder than the (non-sunroof) 360 at motorway speeds.

Yeah the engine noise does get obtrusive at motorway speeds - especially being 4 speed. But if it had a 5 speed gearbox it'd be far quieter. But I don't drive on the motorway everyday, so the 343 is quieter on the roads I drive on

A few other things that count against the 300 when compared to more modern cars is the lack of PAS on '40's and lack of fuel injection. I know you could always get a 360 GLEi or GLT to address these issues, but what if someone wants a car with a lower insurance group or something economical? A friend of mine and his wife want a second car to complement their 960, but she has insisted on PAS and injection (she can't stand faffing about with chokes), but they'd like something cheap to run. Given that no 340 fits the bill it looks like they have to go non Volvo as (sensibly) they don't want a 440.

I've tried to talk them into a 340 GLE 1.7 with a PAS rack from a 360 and the Fi engine from a 440 but they want to be able to get in and drive it, not have to build it first.........

That's a very good point Rupert, it makes people who just want a comfy daily driver not want to look at the 300's any more. Especially when you can have some mid 90's eurobox that will be less demanding for them to just get from A-B.

A B14 with fuel injection and PAS would make a very easy car to drive, but no good if they don't exist!

As it stands I think I'm out of running 300's as a daily car soon, I'm not enjoying the 360 and it seems to keep biting my in the wallet keeping things up to scratch.

I do love 'em (why else would I have six of the blighters???!!!) but as a daily driver they aren't brilliant. Yes they can do it, they're comfortable, reasonably well appointed and simple - but we're in a situation now where stuff like my daily driver - a 2000 Primera with PAS, Air Con, good electrics, chain driven engine, does better mpg than a 1.4 340 around town, completely reliable and simple to drive and no great tendency to rot - can be bought for little more than 3 figures means using a 300 as a daily driver makes as much sense as me having 6 of em