Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Volvo 300 Series shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Volvo 300 Series offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Volvo 300 Series at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Volvo 300 Series? Wrong! If the Volvo 300 Series is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Volvo 300 Series then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Volvo 300 Series? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Volvo 300 Series and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Volvo 300 Series wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Volvo 300 Series then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Volvo 300 Series site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Volvo 300 Series, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Volvo 300 Series, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

{{Infobox Automobile|image=|name=Volvo 300 series|manufacturer=Volvo Cars|predecessor=[Volvo 66|class=[Compact car|body_style=4-door sedan, 5-door hatchback, 3-door hatchback [automobile sold as both a hatchback and (later) a conventional sedan from 1976-1991. It was developed in The Netherlands shortly after Volvo Cars bought a major stake in the passenger car division of DAF Trucks in 1973. The series consisted of the Volvo 340 (initially badged as the 343/345) and the Volvo 360.

The 300 series was unusual in having the gearbox mounted over the rear axle (which was of the De Dion tube type), with the 360 having the propeller shaft enclosed in a "torque tube". The rear-mounted gearbox helped with weight distribution but resulted in an unusually large transmission tunnel, especially by comparison with then-contemporary front wheel drive competitors such as the Mk. III Ford Escort (European) and the Volkswagen Golf.

Overall, the 300 series was considered heavy and unrewarding to drive but reliable and safe by the standards of its day.

Origins After building a series of compact cars, DAF sought a partner to bring its new larger model, codenamed P900 and intended to become the DAF 77, to market in 1970. Several manufacturers were approached, including Audi, BMW, and Volvo. Volvo was not originally interested due to the cost, but they were later persuaded by DAF's access to Renault engines. This helped Volvo expand its model line-up without the large expenditures associated with developing a new model. Building cars in the Netherlands also helped the Sweden Volvo to access the markets of the European Community, of which Sweden was then not yet a member.

Volvo purchased a one-third share in DAF in 1973, increasing to a three-quarters stake in 1975; the DAF company's name was changed to Volvo Car BV that year. Free of its passenger car division, DAF's commercial vehicle division, DAF Trucks, still operates today.

Model chronology The Volvo 343 was introduced in 1976. DAF had already begun development of this car as a replacement for the Volvo 66. It was fitted with a 1.4 litre Renault engine in the front and DAF's radical Variomatic continuously variable transmission unusually mounted in the rear, helping weight distribution. A conventional manual transmission from the Volvo 200 series was made available in 1979. A five-door model, the 345, was added in 1980. In around 1980 also larger wrap around bumpers were introduced. 1981 saw the addition of an additional engine option, the 2.0 litre B19A unit, again from the Volvo 240. A revised bonnet, grille and front lamp arrangement and slightly different fenders signalled a facelift in 1981, which also gave the car a new dashboard and revised interior.



The third digit designating the number of doors was dropped from model designations in 1983. The 360 arrived that year with two 2.0 litre engine choices, the B19A and the B19E, also from Volvo. This 2-litre 360 model was available in five-door and three-door hatchback form, with four-door saloon models added in 1984.

In around 1985 a further facelift was introduced. Amongst other small changes, wrap-around body coloured bumpers with the indicator repeaters attached to them were fitted. Instrumentation changed from Smiths units to VDO. The older Volvo red block engines in the 360 were upgraded to the low friction B200 unit. Capacities and outputs remained much the same. The carbed version was designated B200K and the Bosch LE-Jet fuel injected version is known as the B200E.

From 1987 on, incremental improvements in features and emissions control were made. Production of the 300 series ended in 1991, despite the fact it was supposedly replaced by the Volvo 440 in 1987.

A famous advertisement for the 300 series in the late 1980s saw a crash test dummy "come alive", and drive a 340 out of a second floor factory window, nose-diving into the concrete ground.

Engines The 300 Series had a choice of three petrol engines; a 1.4, 1.7, and a 2.0-litre. The 1.4 litre B14 was a Renault C-series OHV pushrod unit, and for the 360 there was the Volvo B21 engine 2.0-litre engine taken from the Volvo 240.A new Renault F-series 1.7 litre petrol engine (designated the B172) was introduced in the 340 during the late 1984 range facelift, along with a 340 version of the saloon, which was only available with the new engine.A diesel engine for the 360 was available in certain markets and was added to the 340 models in 1986. This diesel was a RenaultF series like the petrol 1.7, and was available with a 1.6-litre non-turbo engine only.These diesel models were never offered in right-hand drive form, and hence were never officially exported to right-hand drive markets such as the United Kingdom.

Reputation and popularity Like other Volvos, the 340 embodied many ground-breaking safety features which have since become standard on most cars.

While the car was fundamentally robust, the detail build quality was never up to the same standard of Volvo's larger, Swedish-built models, coupled to the fact that the early Variomatic cars proved to be particularly troublesome. The Volvo badge however ensured that the car had a strong middle-class following (often as a second car) particularly in the UK in the 1980s, regularly making that country's top annual 20 sales tables for that decade, and they are still fairly common in the UK 15 years after production ceased. They are robust and mechanically simple (and therefore easy to maintain). Even the unpopular Variomatic transmissions are reliable given proper care. The rust protection was poorer than other Volvos, but the engines (especially the 1.4 and 2.0's) were quite durable.

An unusual feature of the car's design is the geometry of the rear axle. Two degrees of negative camber on the rear de Dion axle produces a similar stabilising effect as the expensive and complex Weissach axle launched by Porsche a year after the launch of the Volvo 343. The inherent stability of this design made the car popular with caravan owners, being voted Tow Car of the Year in 1985.

The Renault-sourced 1.7 litre engine suffers from a well-known problem where the carburettor mounting flange warps due to engine heat, causing a small air leak and subsequent running problems. This is easy, if expensive, to fix.

The Volvo 300 has experienced something of a renaissance in recent years with a number of very active websites across Europe. A strong, young following has developed attracted by a rear wheel drive car which is very cheap to buy, insure and relatively easy to work on. In the UK, despite being unsuitable for professional drifting (motorsport), becauase of its low price, many 300s has found its popularity amongst the amateur drifting community known as "trampdrifting" which old bangers are modified to drift at a minimal cost and is discarded once it reaches its end of life. It was not sold in North America.

Top Gear Top Gear (current format) co-host Jeremy Clarkson has a long hatred for the 340. In one episode, he had one destroyed in a car compactor . In another episode, he intentionally crashed one against a tree as he pointed out Volvo's reputation for safety .

References

• Matras, John. Illustrated Volvo Buyer's Guide. Osceola, WI: Motorbooks International, 1993. ISBN 0-87938-713-0.

External links

• Volvo 300 at the BBC "Hitch-hiker's guide to the Galaxy" website]
• Volvo 300 Club website (Dutch)
• Volvo 300 mania website

{{Infobox Automobile|image=|name=Volvo 300 series|manufacturer=Volvo Cars|predecessor=[Volvo 66|class=[Compact car|body_style=4-door sedan, 5-door hatchback, 3-door hatchback [automobile sold as both a hatchback and (later) a conventional sedan from 1976-1991. It was developed in The Netherlands shortly after Volvo Cars bought a major stake in the passenger car division of DAF Trucks in 1973. The series consisted of the Volvo 340 (initially badged as the 343/345) and the Volvo 360.

The 300 series was unusual in having the gearbox mounted over the rear axle (which was of the De Dion tube type), with the 360 having the propeller shaft enclosed in a "torque tube". The rear-mounted gearbox helped with weight distribution but resulted in an unusually large transmission tunnel, especially by comparison with then-contemporary front wheel drive competitors such as the Mk. III Ford Escort (European) and the Volkswagen Golf.

Overall, the 300 series was considered heavy and unrewarding to drive but reliable and safe by the standards of its day.

Origins After building a series of compact cars, DAF sought a partner to bring its new larger model, codenamed P900 and intended to become the DAF 77, to market in 1970. Several manufacturers were approached, including Audi, BMW, and Volvo. Volvo was not originally interested due to the cost, but they were later persuaded by DAF's access to Renault engines. This helped Volvo expand its model line-up without the large expenditures associated with developing a new model. Building cars in the Netherlands also helped the Sweden Volvo to access the markets of the European Community, of which Sweden was then not yet a member.

Volvo purchased a one-third share in DAF in 1973, increasing to a three-quarters stake in 1975; the DAF company's name was changed to Volvo Car BV that year. Free of its passenger car division, DAF's commercial vehicle division, DAF Trucks, still operates today.

Model chronology The Volvo 343 was introduced in 1976. DAF had already begun development of this car as a replacement for the Volvo 66. It was fitted with a 1.4 litre Renault engine in the front and DAF's radical Variomatic continuously variable transmission unusually mounted in the rear, helping weight distribution. A conventional manual transmission from the Volvo 200 series was made available in 1979. A five-door model, the 345, was added in 1980. In around 1980 also larger wrap around bumpers were introduced. 1981 saw the addition of an additional engine option, the 2.0 litre B19A unit, again from the Volvo 240. A revised bonnet, grille and front lamp arrangement and slightly different fenders signalled a facelift in 1981, which also gave the car a new dashboard and revised interior.



The third digit designating the number of doors was dropped from model designations in 1983. The 360 arrived that year with two 2.0 litre engine choices, the B19A and the B19E, also from Volvo. This 2-litre 360 model was available in five-door and three-door hatchback form, with four-door saloon models added in 1984.

In around 1985 a further facelift was introduced. Amongst other small changes, wrap-around body coloured bumpers with the indicator repeaters attached to them were fitted. Instrumentation changed from Smiths units to VDO. The older Volvo red block engines in the 360 were upgraded to the low friction B200 unit. Capacities and outputs remained much the same. The carbed version was designated B200K and the Bosch LE-Jet fuel injected version is known as the B200E.

From 1987 on, incremental improvements in features and emissions control were made. Production of the 300 series ended in 1991, despite the fact it was supposedly replaced by the Volvo 440 in 1987.

A famous advertisement for the 300 series in the late 1980s saw a crash test dummy "come alive", and drive a 340 out of a second floor factory window, nose-diving into the concrete ground.

Engines The 300 Series had a choice of three petrol engines; a 1.4, 1.7, and a 2.0-litre. The 1.4 litre B14 was a Renault C-series OHV pushrod unit, and for the 360 there was the Volvo B21 engine 2.0-litre engine taken from the Volvo 240.A new Renault F-series 1.7 litre petrol engine (designated the B172) was introduced in the 340 during the late 1984 range facelift, along with a 340 version of the saloon, which was only available with the new engine.A diesel engine for the 360 was available in certain markets and was added to the 340 models in 1986. This diesel was a RenaultF series like the petrol 1.7, and was available with a 1.6-litre non-turbo engine only.These diesel models were never offered in right-hand drive form, and hence were never officially exported to right-hand drive markets such as the United Kingdom.

Reputation and popularity Like other Volvos, the 340 embodied many ground-breaking safety features which have since become standard on most cars.

While the car was fundamentally robust, the detail build quality was never up to the same standard of Volvo's larger, Swedish-built models, coupled to the fact that the early Variomatic cars proved to be particularly troublesome. The Volvo badge however ensured that the car had a strong middle-class following (often as a second car) particularly in the UK in the 1980s, regularly making that country's top annual 20 sales tables for that decade, and they are still fairly common in the UK 15 years after production ceased. They are robust and mechanically simple (and therefore easy to maintain). Even the unpopular Variomatic transmissions are reliable given proper care. The rust protection was poorer than other Volvos, but the engines (especially the 1.4 and 2.0's) were quite durable.

An unusual feature of the car's design is the geometry of the rear axle. Two degrees of negative camber on the rear de Dion axle produces a similar stabilising effect as the expensive and complex Weissach axle launched by Porsche a year after the launch of the Volvo 343. The inherent stability of this design made the car popular with caravan owners, being voted Tow Car of the Year in 1985.

The Renault-sourced 1.7 litre engine suffers from a well-known problem where the carburettor mounting flange warps due to engine heat, causing a small air leak and subsequent running problems. This is easy, if expensive, to fix.

The Volvo 300 has experienced something of a renaissance in recent years with a number of very active websites across Europe. A strong, young following has developed attracted by a rear wheel drive car which is very cheap to buy, insure and relatively easy to work on. In the UK, despite being unsuitable for professional drifting (motorsport), becauase of its low price, many 300s has found its popularity amongst the amateur drifting community known as "trampdrifting" which old bangers are modified to drift at a minimal cost and is discarded once it reaches its end of life. It was not sold in North America.

Top Gear Top Gear (current format) co-host Jeremy Clarkson has a long hatred for the 340. In one episode, he had one destroyed in a car compactor . In another episode, he intentionally crashed one against a tree as he pointed out Volvo's reputation for safety .

References

• Matras, John. Illustrated Volvo Buyer's Guide. Osceola, WI: Motorbooks International, 1993. ISBN 0-87938-713-0.

External links

• Volvo 300 at the BBC "Hitch-hiker's guide to the Galaxy" website]
• Volvo 300 Club website (Dutch)
• Volvo 300 mania website