Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

I've just been to Deutschland for a couple of weeks. Punting along the autobahns with all the big local saloons and estates rocketing by you at 200+Kmh doesn't half give you the hots for one.

Our diesel Tiguan with massive roof box felt woefully inadequate.

But every now and then a 911 would scream past and you'd scoff at the fast saloons with their silly 250kmh limiters.

@diable I don't know. There appears to be one (1) E55 for sale in the UK, and it's not in great condition (headlights look yellowed, for example). But I have a list of cars that I have always had a hankering for, and the E55 is on the list (you may have spotted that the Volvo is a '96, the 911 is a '98 and the E55 is '98-2002).

My 850R is, and this sounds a bit silly but it's also true, the second best example of this particular car in the UK - the only one in better condition is kept in a heated garage and driven to shows, then washed and parked back in it's garage again. Mine will never be number one as it's an honest car that gets used, and whilst there's a couple of things I want to do (the window seals, really) it's a finished project.

So I could maintain it and watch as it appreciates, which it has already done fairly significantly and will only go in one direction as more of the extant cars get crushed, but I fancy something different.

I will also say that the Porsche has changed my mind about how I like a car to deliver it's power- possibly getting older has also had an effect! The Volvo is very much a tuned, 90's turbo-charged performance car, it's laggy but pulls hard from 3,000 RPM upward, it'll spin the tyres (despite the LSD) through the majority of third gear.

However, it's not got a great deal before 3,000 rpm - and driving the 911 with a high-compression 3.4 litre engine in a lightweight car has pointed out to me how a less frenetic but wider power band is a nice thing, particularly when driving in slippers and wearing a cardigan on the way to Waitrose.

I think a 5.4 litre V8 would match the power delivery I'm after in a large estate.

Ramble ramble ramble, I quite fancy a change. Who'd like to buy my Volvo?

Shiny Volvo:

I do you good price.

How much?

£7,000 I think, which means the £2,500 I spent on it this month was a third of the value, something about which I am unsure how to feel.

What did that go on, anyway? (besides keeping your spanner-man in hot dinners)

All new belts, fluids, air/oil/fuel filters, windscreen, roof strips, driver door locking motor, headlight wiper motor, bunch of small stuff, years MOT.

Upgraded the management from 4.3 to 4.4, re-map, new throttle cable.

All new fixings for front and rear bumpers, new wheel arch liners all round, new suspension mounting plate at the rear

New exhaust hangers

I'm interested. Love me a fast estate.

Hah, I bought it in Aberdeen.

Somebody buy it so it stops showing up every third post here... ;-)

I believe I had first dibs but I don't have £7k lying around 😭

There's not any for sale on ph. Auto trader prob best bet.

No idea where the oil is going. Being burned up and also recycled into the intake to gunge up my valves thanks to pcv and other enviro bits. Going to measure precisely for two months, then switch to 5w40 to see if it changes. If not, then sell it. Would really prefer a manual something anyway.

What financing options are you offering on the Volvo? Ideally I'd like a 7 year arrangement with £0 deposit, and 0% interest.

That is alot of oil. So it must be going somewhere.

Tried a compression check? Will see if the rings are a problem.

What financing options are you offering on the Volvo? Ideally I'd like a 7 year arrangement with £0 deposit, and 0% interest.

I'd prefer cash on collection, but can offer payment in kind for bike paint jobs in this instance, for say Gravity Shadow and the CSi.

Anyone got a gun that this would go in, and willing to lend it to me?

https://www.spraygunsdirect.co.uk/preparation/adhesives/3m-superfast-plastic-adhesive-50ml.html#sthash.04qxl68U.dpbs

Also, the plastic sheet you use to form it - what's that called so I can search for it?

McLaren P1. The guy who owns this car actually asked for the pic

Maybe he wants a surly now?
And that pillar is the colour I want to paint my new frame!

He can buy mine for 10k

Are you looking to repair a plastic tab? Or looking to make something?

Repair a plastic tab.

Look up plastex kits. The chap selling them on ebay is the importer and is cheaper if you contact him and collect. Think he lives in south London, tooting ish.

Maybe there are these https://www.pauls-hair-world.co.uk/beauty/nails/acrylics/kiss-acrylic-refill-kit to give you an idea.

Isn't that actually a 675LT?