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BUYER’S TIPS
The 400’s are a lot more forgiving than most cars, and a car with 100,000 miles on it is not ‘high mileage’ at all. Really your main worry is HOW those miles have been done ... and if the timing belt has been replaced at the 60,000 mile interval(s). I would be very reluctant to take someone’s word for this: if it snaps, your engine is almost certainly ruined, and you end up with the World’s most expensive paper - weight.
A common practise here in Ireland is to ‘paint’ the mileage at which the belt was replaced on the cambelt cover - in Tipp Ex judging by what I have seen on my cars. Of course Tipp Ex is widely available, so bear that in mind. Look for documentary evidence ( Garage receipts ) and in the absence of same, ask yourself if it’s worth potentially ending up at the rough end of ‘stuck’ if you can not confirm that this work has been carried out. Personally, I’d take no chances.
It is hard to recommend one 400 over another. The 480 is a ‘collectible’ now, but it’s perfectly practical as an ‘everyday’ car too. If you need a surprising amount of space, go for the 440. The 460 is the least compelling, unless you just prefer the saloon shape.
Mechanically the 400’s are strong - the 400 series came with both Renault and Volvo engines. Rust is not a particular problem, except in areas where the cars leak - which come to think of it are many, but it is testament to Volvo that really bad rust does not set in unless water is ‘trapped’ and unable to evaporate ( like under a soggy mat ) - long term.
480:
All 480’s come with a leaking boot as standard. Your problem will either be the rear - light cluster seals, boot seal or rear side windows. Personally I would replace the bootseal first: not expensive, relatively easy to do, and no harm anyway.
Try to avoid taking the rear light clusters out of your 480 if you can: they break VERY easily. Keeping with the 480, check / treat rust in the spare wheel well in the boot. This collects all that water. The electrics are particularly temperamental in the 480, due in no small part to years of water ingress.
480’s also tend to rust on the inside of the rear wings - it is a very common complaint. The only other things I can think of are the doors and pop - up lights. The doors are very long / heavy for the hinges. Check that they align properly, both in terms of being ‘straight’ to look at, and from the point of view of not being ‘splayed’ out at the bottom. If the latter is in evidence, some fool obviously leaned on the door whilst it was open ( it happened to mine ) and bent it.
The pop - up lights should, needless to say, go up and down - both of them, that is! Oh, and if it has a sunroof, take the surround ( plastic ) off inside the car - the trim which goes onto the headlining all ‘round. This serves as a nice water trap if the flimsey ‘Vermuellen’ sunroof is leaking, and you won’t know until someday you get half a cup of water down on top of your head when the car is at a particular angle.
Notes: It is reputed that earlier 480’s are less reliable in terms of the electrics. Whether this means they leaked more causing more electrical malfunction, or whether the components themselves were weaker, I do not know.
A couple of points I would press on anyone considering a 480 would be as follows. Firstly, this is the type of car which at some point in previous ownership would have been prone to attracting ‘modders’. I have nothing against these people, but those who haven’t a clue - which is the norm - can really mess up a car. Be very wary.
The second point is not entirely unrelated to the first: be extremely wary of examples which have had electrical ‘add - on’s’ fitted. Between Nokia ‘hands free’ kits badly fitted and dodgy sound system enthusiasts you could be buying a lot of trouble and heartache. If all of these things were professionally fitted, fine - but they rarely are. The 480 electrics are sensitive enough without a monkey tampering with them.
Of course if you are competent to put all of these things right, ignore the above.
Nice standard features ( all 480 models ): Heated seats, electric windows ( which also close when door key is held in ‘lock’ position ), ‘Toll booth’ feature on electric windows ( two short flicks of the switch makes the window go down fully ), Automatic reversing wiper: if front wipers are on, rear wiper sweeps while reverse gear is engaged, courtesy headlights: when parked flick the headlamp flasher and the spotlights will illuminate for 30 seconds before switching off.
440 / 460:
440 / 460’s are in many ways like the 480 - which is probably not surprising, given the close relationship. The earlier 400’s (1987 - 1993) seem heavier. They also characteristically run ‘hot’. Don’t be surprised to see the temperature gauge going 3/4 the way up before the fan kicks in!
While early models of all 400’s are cheap to buy - if you go back to say, a 1987 model you may get one for £50 - £100 - the real spending begins when you’ve got it! Volvo parts, however, are not that dear overall.
Nice standard features ( all 440 / 60 models ): Heated seats, cupholders integrated into glovebox lid design, Headlamp wash / wipers ( not standard on MkI 400 ), Very good level of storage ‘bins’ in dashboard / console / doors.
Notes: 440’s and 460’s were often used as towing cars. Obviously, a tow - bar would be a good indication of this, as would saggy rear suspension. If the back of the car bounces wildly over bumps, congratulations! - you’ve probably got one!
THINGS TO WATCH !
ALL: Thermostats are one thing you need to keep a ‘spare’ of. They malfunction frequently.
440: Alternators: The Valeo units simply don’t last in 400’s.
440: Distributer caps: They don’t last long either.
440: Don’t worry if the passenger side wing seems further in at the lower seam than the passenger door. I don’t know why, but all series II 440’s seem to be like this.
440 / SOME 460: Headlight wipers: check that they are not bent out of shape by carwash / kids. Kids love messing with them.
440 / 60: Some 400 models have quite an appetite for tyres. I find the cheap ones really don’t last.
ALL: Bulbs: stock up, because they blow quite frequently!
ALL: Dashboard lights: Don’t be surprised if half of them don’t work. This is your assurance that it is a ‘genuine’ Volvo!
ALL / 480 MAINLY: Check for the wet boot! It comes as standard. Don’t let it put you off - it is easy to fix with a bit of patience and determination.
ALL ( LATER MODELS ): Later model 400’s have very fragile side - view mirrors, or rather mirror casings. These are pretty expensive from Volvo - especially electric ones - so a breaker’s is your best bet.
ALL: Instruments tend to ‘stick’, especially if the car has not been used much. This applies particularly to the Temp / Fuel gauges. Garages are quick to point to things like “The fuel sender unit” but the cause is rarely that expensive / complicated. You can get by just fine on the orange ‘pump’ fuel light ( assuming it works - normally does ). Just reset the mileometer when you fill up, and you will soon get to know how far you’ve got to go as well.
ALL: The throttle and in fact all of the mechanical controls can become very ‘stiff’ with lack of use. A 400 only has to be unused for a few weeks for the throttle to become ‘sticky’. A shot of spray oil / grease on the ‘hinge’ of the pedals ( where they pivot ) helps. Put a plastic bag over the pedal rubbers whilst spraying, for safety, and of course an old newspaper on the carpet.
If I were to summarize my feelings on the 440/60/80 after the best part of a decade of experience, it would go something like this. They are tough, and good quality. They are not, in my opinion, as good as the 700 / 800 / 900 series. The feeling is that the 400 series were made ‘on the cheap’, but in the Volvo context this is not as bad as it sounds.
Bearing in mind my horrible experience with my first car in 2000 - A VW Vento ( Jetta ) - one thing really sticks out in my mind. My 440 only once let me down, and that was when the glovebox light was staying on 24/7 and draining the battery. It has NEVER driven perfectly and then just decided randomly not to start, like that heap of a VW. Regardless of whether they run good or bad, Volvo’s tend to do just that - run.
Ironically, Volvo’s have proven to be everything that I thought the Volkswagen was until I had the misfortune to own one: a reliable, quality car. The Volvo is cheaper to buy, cheaper to run, and looks miles better too.
SEE ALSO: Buyer’s Guide ... the standard buying tips, and a few of my own.
Disclaimer: This information is given on a non - expert basis and is an opinion peice based on personal ownership of the models referred to. It is always wise to bring a professional to inspect a car pre - purchase, to view in daylight, and to follow the basics of car - buying inspections ( which are not covered in the above ). The points / opinions expressed are not inclusive, nor are they intended to be. The Author can not take any liability for Damage / loss / injury arising from the use or interperetation of any of the above information.
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