New 780 Bertone owner here
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New 780 Bertone owner here
Hi all,
I recently bought a new (well, new to me) 1989 Volvo 780 and thought I would share it.
Interior is perfect. Underbody has zero rust. 4cyl turbo red engine has 35k miles. Has rear bumper and body damage, which I plan to fix. Seller had all the parts (bumper/bumper cover etc). Runs like a dream. I plan on keeping and babying this one. I hope to have a good long relationship with it, and given the mileage, I think that is possible.
Any tips, advice, thoughts is appreciated.
Oh, it also came with every receipt for any work done, and even a folder with about 200 gas receipts (.99 - 1.19 per gallon on most!) Owner was old man who bought it brand new.
IMG_0573 by volbertone, on Flickr
IMG_0562 by volbertone
I recently bought a new (well, new to me) 1989 Volvo 780 and thought I would share it.
Interior is perfect. Underbody has zero rust. 4cyl turbo red engine has 35k miles. Has rear bumper and body damage, which I plan to fix. Seller had all the parts (bumper/bumper cover etc). Runs like a dream. I plan on keeping and babying this one. I hope to have a good long relationship with it, and given the mileage, I think that is possible.
Any tips, advice, thoughts is appreciated.
Oh, it also came with every receipt for any work done, and even a folder with about 200 gas receipts (.99 - 1.19 per gallon on most!) Owner was old man who bought it brand new.
IMG_0573 by volbertone, on FlickrIMG_0562 by volbertoneLast edited by joe780; Jun 10, 2014 at 11:12 PM.
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 60
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From: Santa Rosa, CA
Nice Find Joe!
Joe:
You have a great car and it will give you a lot of joy if you don't go cheap on the body repairs. They will likely cost more than the market value of the car, but you'll have a classic when it's done. Low mileage and looks like it has mostly been garaged--you should keep it garaged when not driving it. Your interior trim is like mine (1990 White 780 Bertone, 168,000 miles, owned since 2010), and will be susceptible to heat cracking of the vanity mirror housings, and splitting of the visor fabric seams. The clear coating on the wood trim pieces may also suffer heat-cracking. Also, like all Volvos of the era, the dreaded dash splits may come calling. The baby poop yellow trim that was also offered on these cars didn't stand up nearly as well as the grey/black you and I have.
Be extra careful when you park. The air dam with the integrated fog lamps is very vulnerable to curbs and other parking obstacles. The rear windows have a drain point where the bottom sealing rubber meets the chrome trim at the rear of each window. It's like a small triangle. Make sure that water drains freely. If it doesn't, clear the drain with one of those power dusters for computers (compressed air in a can). I would advise against industrial compressed air because if there is a blockage you might cause a leak inside the body work.
I'm happy to share my experiences from five years of ownership. The previous owner made some performance modifications, some of which are great, others not so much. I've dealt with several problems but the driveline and electricals are basically common with other B230FT models, and I have a Pick 'n Pull close by and several within fifty miles, so I've never had trouble getting mechanical parts. Trim parts are another story so when I find a 780 at a yard I pull everything I might possibly need.
Good luck and let me know (on this thread) if you need ideas or want to compare notes. Also, there is a website / registry for 780's if you haven't already found it: 780coupe.com
Rob M
You have a great car and it will give you a lot of joy if you don't go cheap on the body repairs. They will likely cost more than the market value of the car, but you'll have a classic when it's done. Low mileage and looks like it has mostly been garaged--you should keep it garaged when not driving it. Your interior trim is like mine (1990 White 780 Bertone, 168,000 miles, owned since 2010), and will be susceptible to heat cracking of the vanity mirror housings, and splitting of the visor fabric seams. The clear coating on the wood trim pieces may also suffer heat-cracking. Also, like all Volvos of the era, the dreaded dash splits may come calling. The baby poop yellow trim that was also offered on these cars didn't stand up nearly as well as the grey/black you and I have.
Be extra careful when you park. The air dam with the integrated fog lamps is very vulnerable to curbs and other parking obstacles. The rear windows have a drain point where the bottom sealing rubber meets the chrome trim at the rear of each window. It's like a small triangle. Make sure that water drains freely. If it doesn't, clear the drain with one of those power dusters for computers (compressed air in a can). I would advise against industrial compressed air because if there is a blockage you might cause a leak inside the body work.
I'm happy to share my experiences from five years of ownership. The previous owner made some performance modifications, some of which are great, others not so much. I've dealt with several problems but the driveline and electricals are basically common with other B230FT models, and I have a Pick 'n Pull close by and several within fifty miles, so I've never had trouble getting mechanical parts. Trim parts are another story so when I find a 780 at a yard I pull everything I might possibly need.
Good luck and let me know (on this thread) if you need ideas or want to compare notes. Also, there is a website / registry for 780's if you haven't already found it: 780coupe.com
Rob M
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