1986 Volvo 360 GLT from Australia and New Zealand - Comments

From time to time is seems to lack fuel and splutters, losing power for a few seconds, even 10 or 20 seconds on two occasions. This only happens at low engine speeds, cruising. Driven hard it goes fine.

Minor rust on doors just below windows, also near one tail light.

Rear window de-mister wires were loose.

One speaker only sometimes works.

Hatch door rattles.

Dashboard cracked in places.

Interior drivers door handle trim falls off.

I paid $2000 for this in roadworthy condition, so can live with the odd mystery fuel problem. Solid feel, good brakes, comfortable seats, effective air-conditioning.

Spoiler is handy for siting picnic items on, I question the aerodynamic benefits.

Has always started first time.

I wrote the above review. I have not had a problem since I unplugged the airflow meter and plugged it back in, I guess/hope it was a bad connection.

Drivers door trim had been refitted incorrectly, I fixed it, so now the plastic thing around the handle does not fall off any more.

I wrote all the above. I have done 8000km in 18 months since I bought this car. Sometimes it doesn't start first time when it has been running, if it has just been turned off for a few minutes. The losing power for a few seconds problem has gone away completely for more than a year. Mostly it uses less than 10 litres / 100km in mixed driving, 8 on highway is possible. Engine does not leak or burn any oil. Very effective heater. Rattling hatch door gone away. The rear parcel shelf falls down, seems to be a common problem. The fog-lights stopped working, sometimes the instrument panel lights go out, but come back on again when I hit the dashboard.

I very much enjoy this car, because I have got one myself. At first you think this car is not that tough and can't go hard, but once you put the pedal to the metal it starts to fly. I have not had many problems with the car so far, the only problems would be checking the oil and refilling it with petrol. my fog light have stopped working as well as my speed-o-meter. but that doesn't really affect the driving experience.

I have had my 360GLT 2.0 ltr 5 speed man since August 2006 (just over a year).

Have done 40,000 klms so far. Had it serviced when I got it and 20,000 klm ago, due again.

The car is very reliable. Only let me down once, and that was when I was driving it really hard, it seemed to starve of fuel. Parked it for 10 minutes, was not hot though, fiddled with a few wires under the bonnet and hey presto, off she went again.

Only done normal servicing, plus fix normal stuff like a leaky exhaust muffler and the air-con was the most expensive item to fix, but here in sunny Qld you need it! Cost about $400 but seeing I got the thing for $1600 fully roadworthy and registered for 8 months, I didn't mind.

This car is staying in the family, giving it to my son for his first car, overall a 9/10 experience.

Recently bought a 86 volvo 360 GLT.. its my first car, and I love it. got it for $500 in a non-roadworthy condition, but now everything is fixed she is an awesome little car.

To get it roadworthy I had to get:

- new rear wheel bearing

- 2 rear tyres

- new door locking mechanism

- new instrument panel (lights on the old one didn't wrk)

- new muffler and found crack in engine pipes (I got a 2 3/4" sport system put on)

I have also got aircon which is definitely needed in qld!!

I haven't seen any other volvo 360's around, it's a shame I think they're a great little car.

Mine is starting to turn a few heads, the exhaust certainly makes a nice note, and now with a stereo its pimpin'.

The rear wheel drive also makes it a little more popular amongst the boys.. haha.

One thing I have learnt though.. parts are few and expensive.. would probably have been better off buying a cheap one to use for parts.. if only I could have found one..

I own the above car, had it four years now. Have done 24,000km in that time, a good bomb to have sitting around and not use too often, though I don't have a problem using it more or doing long trips.

The instrument panel lights have given up working, a loose connection I am sure, for a while they came good again with a hit. No other problems or expenses. I top up the brake fluid from time to time, maybe once a year.

Fuel economy can be a bit dismal if doing a lot of short trips, but if you don't drive much you don't use much fuel anyway.

I bought a 1986 Volvo 360GLT (MK3) back in September last year for the sum of A$1300.

It's been totally reliable since then, with only one exception when I hopelessly flooded it one morning (later found out that wrong spark plugs were fitted...)

Good Points:

Reliable.

Interior is a fairly nice place to be, bulletproof B200E engines - mine is up to 225,000k.

RWD, can be fun in the wet and "GR8 4 Drifting" could be a plus or minus, I'll leave that to you! But rear-mounted gearbox gives positive handling.

Can be fairly quick. 1st and second are where it's at, but a yawning chasm between 2nd and 3rd sadly, though if revs are kept high enough this is surmountable - maybe due to the 240-sourced gearbox

Bad points:

Only minor things caused by age of car really, interior trim tends to fall off/break/disintegrate.

Intermittent crunch on selecting reverse - probably down to me!

Steering is fairly heavy, maybe power-steering needed to have been fitted from the start...

Total lack of credibility amongst the hoon/boy-racer fraternity - probably not a bad thing since it's capable of quite some level of surprise in the right situation.

Availability of parts, major parts - panels, light lenses, window glass, still available at breakers yards and Volvo specialists, other items such as brackets, mounts etc have to be imported or fettled up. Maybe a serious Owner/Enthusiast would have a spares car in the garage..

Overall, a good car for those in the know... A worthy attempt by Volvo for a serious rally-capable car.