White cars - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Jorn · #1 09-07-2008, 05:11 PM

I'm thinking of buying another Volvo 780 bertone, I love the one I already have (shinny metallic red), love the design and its comfort. But to make the car perfect I have to put some money in it, they took out the original radio witch is a huge part of the interior design of the car and living in southern California it would be nice if the AC would work. I find another one with similar mileage and almost everything works.

Only one thing the car is white; I had a white Suburban (witch fits), white cars come over to me as boring a little conservative. But I think I like this car in white, it shows the lines of the car pretty good. What do guys think about white cars and especially this one, am I going to look like an old fart in this one?

The red one is similar to mine, but I have the turbo wheels shown on the white 780 and a lighter interior.

Jim B. · #2 09-07-2008, 06:04 PM

To me the prettiest Volvo ever built is the 780.

Are you going to dump the red one, or add this one to the stable?

I am sure that there are good Volvo mechanics in the Southland who can fix up your car at a reasonable price, the air conditioning is not that bad.

There must be dozens of good Stereo places around that can put iin a VERY nice stereo aftermarket system, in your red one, for a very inexpensive price, in Southern California.

To me, the red one looks better than the white one. That is just me personally. But any 780 looks really nice, real nice and they were the top of the line coupe, for Volvo back then, with very nice wood and leather interiors.

However, on this one, if it were me, I would want a GOOD reason explained why this car has brand new "6F" series California alphanmeric plates: personal plates removed would be a much better answer than a lifetime car from the rust belt that came in, a flood or salvage builder now on the road, or a car that had been wrecked with the plates damaged and rebuilt, theft recovery, or no explanation at all

Jorn · #3 09-07-2008, 06:42 PM

I know it's got a salvage title, the person bought it from a junk yard at least that's his story is. The car is on eBay:

Volvo 780 Bertone

The 780 is in my opinion together with the P1800ES and the 262C the best looking and interesting Volvo, I don't care much about other models.

How can you see from the numbers it got new plates?

I want another 780 because mine needs some work: one side is keyed, headliner came down the day I moved inland, the speaker covers in the doors are gone, huge part of the design, AC not working, flimsy radio, a lot of rust under need the car, hand brake doesn't work, some idiot cut a large hole in the back panel to instal an after market speaker just to find out that it would never fit.

But the good thing about this car it's very powerful and fast for a 4 cylinder, it's got a after-market exhaust. I drove another 780 a couple of weeks ago and it didn't had that much power as mine...a good reason to keep it.

Jim B. · #4 09-07-2008, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jorn

How can you see from the numbers it got new plates?

Because, I keep tabs on it in my travels.

I saw 6FFNxxx a couple of days ago. Just something I do, keep track. Every now and then it is handy to know.

This guy in LA tracks them too. You can always look here for the latest. He updates every month or so.

http://www.calpl8s.com/cpfaq.html

The reason the Volvo headliners fail on these, is because of the environmentall friendly glue used on them in the first place. I agree, not pleasant to face. But unless the rust is terminal, often the other problems can be fixed one at a time cheaper than buying another unless you are sick of dealin with it.

Jim B. · #5 09-07-2008, 07:51 PM

I looked at the pictures and description and I like the car from the pictures.

It could be a nice car. Sometimes junkyards get good cars that run good. This could be one.

If so, the instant they get one, even if it needs nothing, the title process is that when the yard gets it, it INSTANTLY BECOMES A SALVAGE TITLE in California.

One thing that seems confidence inspiring is that the car is photographed in a nice middle class San Francisco neighborhood. I can't make out whether it is in Sherwood Forest, Miraloma Heights, but suspect the owner is from a decent middle class neighborhood.

I owned a 740 for many years, until the year I left SF, in 2004. Luckily there are good Volvo mechanics in abundance there.

The best of these, is called EXCLUSIVELY VOLVO on Duboce Street near Valencia. Ask the owner Chuck Akzam to check the car out or have the owner bring it to him, and have the car gone through before you drive it down, and serviced. I totally trust them, and did for years and years, they are really good with these cars the older ones. They might even remember me, with the 91 740 and the "We (heart) Peru" personalised plates on the car, that they took care of for years for Jim B

Here is the address, phone, and yelp review on it for you

http://www.yelp.com/biz/exclusively-volvo-san-francisco

I would help you through it, and maybe could but I am out of town. I was just in the city 2 days ago.

t walgamuth · #6 09-07-2008, 07:54 PM

I like white on a car. It is cooler and does not show dirt.

But then I AM an old fart!

Jim B. · #7 09-07-2008, 08:12 PM

Per the smog check history on it.

Looks like it lived a safe, coddled Nor Cal suburban life. Maybe one of these shops might remember it or have records on it if you called them.

For cheap, I would definately buy it based on this. I am tempted myself. It is not far away from me actually,

SMOG QUEEN /
SAN FRANCISCO VOLVO 780 1990 08/01/2008 10:05 a.m. P NC705176C

GORDON SMOG TEST & LUBE CENTER /
WALNUT CREEK VOLVO 780 1990 12/19/2005 10:57 a.m. P GA138965C

VIP SMOG CENTER INC /
PLEASANT HILL VOLVO 780 1990 07/29/2005 01:53 p.m. P FW735491C

CONCORD SMOG TUNE & BRAKES /
CONCORD VOLVO 780 1990 02/17/2004 03:00 p.m. P FH865890C

CONCORD SMOG TUNE & BRAKES /
CONCORD VOLVO 780 1990 02/17/2004 02:53 p.m. F

CONCORD SMOG TUNE & BRAKES /
CONCORD VOLVO 780 1990 02/17/2004 02:41 p.m. P

THE REPAIR SHOP INC /
CONCORD VOLVO 780 1990 02/04/2002 01:36 p.m. P EM466302C
THE REPAIR SHOP INC /

CONCORD VOLVO 780 1990 01/10/2000 03:28 p.m. P DR111535C
CENTRAL AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE /

WALNUT CREEK VOLVO 780 1990 09/11/1998 10:17 a.m. P DD846508C

WALNUT CREEK CHEVRON SRV CENTER /
WALNUT CREEK VOLVO 780 1990 01/26/1998 12:14 p

(The site records are only kept for 10 years; but this car lived in a nide East Bay SF bedroom community evidently, Concord, Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, all those towns are together one to another, and are nice middle class ones)

Jorn · #8 09-07-2008, 09:29 PM

Jim, thanks for the help and info! I will see where the auction go's if it stays reasonable I might go for it. Lot's of times the 780 auctions go's nuts.

Mistress · #9 09-08-2008, 01:05 PM

It's not the color that counts but what's under the hood....oh yeah. Of course this is coming from someone who has not only one white MB but two.

Dee8go · #10 09-08-2008, 01:16 PM

Personally, I like black. Once you've had black you never go back . . .

Jim B. · #11 09-08-2008, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dee8go

Personally, I like black. Once you've had black you never go back . . .

Are you talking about cars, or something else?

lol

Jorn · #12 09-09-2008, 12:18 AM

Hey Jim are you bidding on this car?

BodhiBenz1987 · #13 09-09-2008, 12:30 AM

I love the white on my MB ... really picks up both shadows and light well. Looks fantastic in evening light. That said, I love black on black, too. Oddly enough, my two favorite combinations on almost any car are white on tan (palomino in my car) and black on black. It would be cool to have a black-black car exactly like my 124 ... I'd have a little yin/yang bit going there.

Mark DiSilvestro · #14 09-09-2008, 01:37 AM

I think colors like dark green, burgundy, red or black look great on a car, but prefer the practicality of a light non-metallic color like ivory or white. Cooler in summer, and in the case of white, easy to match touch-up paint if you get a small nick or chip.

Happy Motoring, Mak

Jim B. · #15 09-09-2008, 03:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jorn

Hey Jim are you bidding on this car?

No I am not. I wouldn't do that to you. Have you thought about contacting the seller and seeing if he and you could come to an agreed reasonable price for it, and closing the auction before it ends so you can get it?

I think there are 2 or 3 days left to go on the auction. If you want to bid for sure, use auction sniper or a service that automatically puts your top bid in a couple of seconds before it ends, to guarantee you will get it, if you bid is high enought

Or are you really putting in a bid on it? Another thing is, you could call the smog places and see if any of them remember the car, they might, and even have records.

I you want me to come to the city and help in some way to have it looked at or something maybe I could help you?

From my signature you can see I am all fixed up for cars, I don't need more, but if I did, this one looks pretty good.

I do think it has enjoyed a good life from what I can see.

For a low price I think it would be worth a gamble even though it has the less desirable 6 cylinder motor (the little 112 hp 4 cyl is the best of them all but the 780 did not get those)