Hi, As you can see i am noew here, i have had my J 'reg' 340 GL, 1.7 5 Door, (with Catalyser- as it says in big letters on its back!) and i love her!and to stumble across this site, as i was searching for some info about the 300 series is great! I'm away at the moment but when i'm back i'll put some photo's up if you'd like? i'd like to show her off?

I was wondering, though, as i am new to the car, can you tell me things i may need to know about them. I have been reading a lot from the forum about them, but any thing specific about the 340 would be good? what do i need to look out for? How long did they make them etc... I would love to know more about the car and mechanics, so if anyone would like an apprentice, i would love to learn!!

Also are there any about in the Poole/ bournmouth area, i have only ever seen grannies driving them

Thanks
Chris

Hi and welcome, glad you've found us! Volvo 300's are becoming pretty popular once again for a few reasons, being cheap to buy, and more in the case of the smaller engined 1.4 340, cheaper to run and insure. Other reasons are that the drifting crowd like then due to being cheap and rear wheel drive.

Your car being on a J plate was one of the last made. The 360's with the 2 litre carb or injection engines stopped production in 1989, but the 340's continued a little longer.

Certainly get some pictures for us, there is a thread here http://www.volvo300mania.com/forum-uk/v ... &start=675 to post pictures of your car in!

The main enemy of a 300 is rust, and prevention is better than chasing rust and attempting to repair sections! Get some Dinitrol rust prevention penetrating oil into all the areas of the bodywork you can! Where there are plastic bungs and caps especially, as these are designed for rust prevention so you can get inside the cavities.

The leading edge of the bonnet, front valance, wheel arches, tops of the doors below the windows, below the door mirrors, bottom corners of the front doors near the pillar, and the chassis rails above the petrol tank near the join the the cross rail are the most common places that can become rusty. It sounds depressing, but if you catch it early enough to prevent it, you'll have a great car! Welding is always the other option to save a car with rust, which can get costly.

Mechanically 300's are pretty good if well maintained and there are a lot of cars that have stood the test of time and use!

Hope you find the forum useful and continue to enjoy your car.

Pete

Welcome to the forum.

Any specs about 300 series.....let's see....Design to last for over...hmmm...let's just say MANY years...to pass thousands of kilometers, be economical, serve the good owners and thake 'em wherever they want.....( ok did i miss something ? please help me )
The production and some info :

http://www.answers.com/topic/volvo-300-series-1

Since You live in UK, spare parts could be a bit expensive ( maybe I'm wrong , but in my country, Volvo parts are ....but You have e-bay, with a lot of spare parts, as i far as i know )

Well You'll see on the forum...questions, answers, jokes ( blah, blah, blah ) and more to come.

Welcome again.

I might well see you about somepoint then, both my car's spend a fair amount of time in Poole, usually parked up at Sandbanks whilst I do a bit of kiting, in Studland carpark between March and Oct, or a tad further out Swanage way if I'm bored

Either an H or F plate, with Hella grills on. Theres a fair few of us from Southampton, and a few from Portsmouth too!