1984 BX14E - £175 - Essex

[MULLEY]

Bang some 6j speedlines with 195's on it

[Tim Leech]

Bang some 6j speedlines with 195's on it

Which wont fit under the back arches

[RxBX]

Bang some 6j speedlines with 195's on it

Which wont fit under the back arches

Correct, even using 185's on the 5.5j rims won't get around that problem, IYCR THIS which you even made a post in Matt !

Unless owners adopted your method

But I'm sure James won't be going down that route on an Unmolested MK1, without even considering the extra effort which would be needed to steer/park at low speeds with it having no PAS !



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[MULLEY]

Its cheap, it can be messed with some nice neons underneath, fat exhaust & some chavvy stickers as well.....

[Defender110]

wow, I'm only just catching up with this thread, what a tremendous find well done although if this is a car you want to use as an everyday commuter then surely this isn't it, the same if you are serious about modification; After 30 years garaged this surely needs to remain a show car even to the point where you could sell this on at great profit to someone who wants a cherished show car and but yourself a more suited user?

Well done again but please keep it totally original (& valuable)

[Defender110]

That's gorgeous. I love the body coloured window frames and purity of the car... very little indeed in the ways of superfluous decoration. Has the charm of any 2CV!

*Oh, and 'drat!' - it was only a few miles down the A12 from me...

I feel your disappointment at missing this beauty Phil! (even if it is red)

[Tim Leech]

Quite agree, she needs to be cherished and left as is if possible, it being garaged since 1984 obviously has a huge bearing on the condition.

[jamescarruthers]

Calm it everyone, there will be no modifications or Speedlines on it!

Don't get carried away please, it is still an MOT failure, a shiny one yes. So lets wait until I get it home at the weekend for a proper look before we start talking about concours and show cars. It could drive like a bag of spanners. I haven't heard much good about that suitcase engine! I'm sure it will be very happy in my ownership just pottering around Cambridge with the occasional trip up to Newcastle to stretch its legs.

Tim: I used to have a council garage but I gave it up when I sold by immaculate 1989 Volvo 480 (I got that with 8,500 miles on a few years ago, so looking after cars properly is not alien to me!). I am considering getting a garage for this, but again I'm not vomiting to anything until its home, serviced and MOT'd!

I won't be doing much commuting in this, thankfully my life doesn't include that bullshit very often. So again, don't worry it won't be getting trashed.

Thank you everyone for your comments. I showed my girlfriend this page to try and prove I wasn't mad for buying it.

[Paul296]

1989 Volvo 480

A man with taste (for owning it that is - not selling it)

I showed my girlfriend this page to try and prove I wasn't mad for buying it.

Good luck with that one.

[jamescarruthers]

Thank you. I haven't been without a 480 for 10 years, they are just fantastic cars. I still drive an '88 480ES, but I needed the cash last year and heart-breaking my two best ones had to go.

If only I could put hydraulic suspension in my 480 then I'd be a very happy chappy!

[Tinkley]

TBH James there's not too much wrong with the old 150C engine but you may have an earlier variant. Mine did 175k with one major rebuild, by Andy (now in Woking). On proper 4* it runs well, on LRP which I have seen on sale even recently it OK just not optimum. Gear ratios are good. Change the oil every 5k and use slightly heavier grade, I used 15-50 as its a unit engine.
BTW I have a set of plugs free if you want that would fit.
The main warning on it is beware the gearbox as apparently 5th is prone to flying off! If you get any problem on selection, strip it down and sort it or you will lose it - that was my advice from Andy.
Other than that I found it used to eat HT leads. If you change the plugs, change the leads or it will misfire and run rough within 200 miles. Copper leads are actually better on this engine. Carry some spare leads. Otherwise I never had much trouble with it.

I think the 72hp and good ratios allow it to perform pretty well. Expect 35-50 mpg (yes 50 is possible cruising at 60-65mph) in the real world. Budget for 35-42mpg just running around depending on weather. Carb is a doddle and manual chike too. The air filter setting is a bit odd but I'm afraid I just kept mine on Summer or intermediate settings to get better economy. If you take it up the Alps it might be different! I genuinely drove 163k in that car and it was pretty good, although it was in Bordeaux White and a Mk2....

[jamescarruthers]

Today's the day!!!

[jamescarruthers]

It's home with me now in Cambridge.

It drove brilliantly really apart from:

1) There's a rattle in neutral with the clutch engaged; that's my only worry but they previous owner says its been there forever.

2) It's a bit flat here and there but I'm guessing new plugs, leads and some fresh high octane petrol will improve things.

It did 70mph smoothly and without complaint and sat in appalling traffic on the M11 until I cut my losses and ditched the m'way back to Cambridge.

I got the mother of all service histories to show its been well looked after.

I see what you mean about the agricultural feeling of the engine compared to the brilliant later 1.4. Still, it's charming as opposed to shit! It must be the cut of the gears as it is whiney in first. Someone mentioned it was like a mini, it does sound like one in first.

Pictures paint a thousand words so I'll stop waffling and take some pictures and pop them on here soon. It has base spec quirks I haven't seen before like one interior light, body-coloured door tops, an econostat (I think the bulb is gone). It's shiney and clean apart from that bit of rust on the sills and some I've spotted inside the doors near the drain holes.

[Tinkley]

Well done James. Don't forget to give the Solex card a good strip and clean. It's fairly easy with the manual choke. Check the air filter intake - its manual - low down near side. There are 3 settings. Try the summer (ete) one for the moment. The carb and leads (+ dissy cap/rotor arm) are the main things to watch for sweet running.

Good luck with her.

[RxBX]

Hi James,

I see from THIS thread that you've fitted some side window air-deflectors to the Red 14RE



Lets have some more close up photos of this fine MK1, now that you've mastered the art of uploading photo's !



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