Hard working 480's out there?

[Ade]

Hi all,

Just curious really........

I've had my 480 for about four years now and with about six months of exceptions, it has been my daily driver the whole time and I've covered about 65k in it in that time. I'm currently doing a massive commute from Birmingham to Northants five days a week (about 550 miles a week) in it. In this whole time it has actually failed to go only once (re my recent 'dead fuel pump?' post) although has had much TLC and preventive maintenance. I'm hoping that she'll see me over the 200k mark on original major mechanical equipment (120's at the minute). I'm hoping that my engine and box are repaying me with much trouble free service for all the time and effort and mig wire that I've invested in its body shell!

Does anyone else hammer their 480 this hard? And if so how long did it last/ how well is it doing? I sometimes feel like I shouldn't be doing this to it and it ought to be a 'weekend car' but its just such a lovely and (on the whole) very reliable car. (Reliable in the sense that although it has needed lots of work, it's never left me stranded bar once. Although even that turned out to be the relay and so the car still had the ability to get itself home had I known straight away and nicked the headlight one!)

I am curious just how long the engine will last with good maintenance.......

What's people's thoughts and experiences?

[glasgowjim]

Mine

3rd dec 2010 33K now 83K miles 1.7 ltr engine daily driver runs me and my daughter to and from work.

Drives well and touch wood really good for a 24year old car . According to the mot man its in better shape than many "new" cars.

[yorkshire480]

Well before I fried mine it's been my daily driver for the last five years or so.
As a gigging musician I clock up some miles and it's never really let down. Things have needed replacing (starter motor for instance) and I've replaced other things
that strictly speaking didn't need replacing (suspension) but it's never left me stranded.

Mine's relatively low mileage 35,500 (I take that with pinch of salt - add at least 5000 for all the times the speedo wasn't working!) so assuming I can get it working again I assuming the rust will get it before the engine goes!

[jamescarruthers]

Work 8-on/6-off: 35 miles each way. The 480 hammers up and down the M11 every time. It gets driven quite hard too.

[aidanmorris]

I bought my Celebration in 2012 when it had 46k on the clock. It had a comprehensive history which showed that for the first 17 years of it's life it had been driven sparingly but serviced regularly. That all changed and over the next 3 years it did 56k without ever letting me down. It's now on 108k and it's still going strong on the original engine, gearbox and, probably most amazingly, original clutch!

Yes it's had a few niggles - a leaking heater matrix, failed blower fan and disintegrating window regulator will be familiar to many out there - but I've managed to sort all of these on a DIY basis with cheap second hand parts and some excellent advice from those on this forum.

Long live the 480!

(A few years ago I recall seeing an ad for one for sale which had over 200k on the clock....but it didn't look like it was ever going to add to that tally)

[1st480]

I've had my current 1 for over 6 years and run it as a daily driver.
It's even transported doors and beds and all sorts in that time.

Poor thing has had a bit of a hard time with awful people who feel the need to damage other people's things. Everything from mirrors and aerial to windows, theft attempts stuffing up the locks/quarterlight/interior/snapped column where they couldn't get steering lock off!, more windows inc. rear hatch, the kindness of a van driver creasing through the rear quarter panel whilst it was parked leaving a very awkward crease in a panel that is one side of the car! The reflector was given a token ceremony to commemorate its passing, and a 2nd awkward crease in the front arch, and then there was the MOT man leaving the starter running for the MOT till it burned out along with a nice chunk of wiring inside the cab and the ignition switch itself! Fun times! The nice thing being a quick trip to the zones of restoration parts have resolved all the issues swiftly bar the body damage....(it's nice having spares but not so nice having to have spares!)
The interior has suffered for people not having respect snapping belt arms etc. yanking of lids to glove and storage boxes, feet on the seats, pulling of door cards by children trying to take the car apart from the inside out.

It copes with a poorly clutch that so desperately needs replacing, (I have one ready) from a leaking seal (got one of them too in a pack with many others ) and has poorly rusted rear arches,(don't ask but I have some of these too sort of ) and paint that has faded though is somewhat rescue-able.
It has only really needed a regulator pack for the alternator and a water pump neither of which left me stranded and a centre section to the exhaust loud but not a show stopper at the time, but still it's a daily driver, goes out in all and every weather, and for this it has been treated to services with fully synthetic oil and gently on the engine and gearbox until oil temp hits at least 70 deg, the turbo needle kept at or below the 0 as much as possible till then.

It's amusing or maybe annoying to think all the times it's soldiered out to rescue yet another stranded modern chunk of car, to consider that so many of those looking on would no doubt think whilst viewing 2 cars, bonnets aloft parked at the side of the road, wow...isn't that modern car driver so kind to have stopped and helped that stranded, old...what is that ...Volvo???? - making no note of the fact that old Volvo is pointing the wrong way having crossed the road blatantly to render assistance to that poor modern clunker and it's stranded driver!
Then there's that other gem...the question/comment/statement/attempted put-down, wrapped in a sandwich of first feigned interest and confused true interest and begrudging admiration whenever you lift the bonnet....maybe only I get it maybe others do too....the line 'What are you doing...' ... 'My Dad says your car is *insert derogatory term here*' ... 'you're always having to fix it with the bonnet up every week' ....'What's broken this time?!?' (it'd be nice if they spoke anywhere near the English version of this rather than the strange txt speak that comes across ) to which I always find my reply along the lines of ... 'Why nothing is broken...Does your Dad never lift his bonnet? ... However does he get screen wash into it or check the fluids?' At which point they generally concede this is a valid point oft with a hint of perplexed those are things?? and often seem to actually take real interest in what the car is or leave.

Well all this has made me feel and sound very much old and cranky beyond my years
But hey, the 480's great - comfy, fast enough, handles well, doesn't get blown around in the high winds, reasonably economical, well specced even to modern comparisons and in my experience takes duties of being a daily driver well within its stride. If you drive them with a little bit of mechanical sympathy and keep the servicing done they just don't die and reward you with all the above and more.
If I didn't like them I doubt I'd keep the spares I do and I'd probably drive the other cars more often, but even poorly I'd most often think of taking the 480 first.

Regards,
1st480

[Alan 480]

I
Well all this has made me feel and sound very much old and cranky beyond my years
But hey, the 480's great - comfy, fast enough, handles well, doesn't get blown around in the high winds, reasonably economical, well specced even to modern comparisons and in my experience takes duties of being a daily driver well within its stride. If you drive them with a little bit of mechanical sympathy and keep the servicing done they just don't die and reward you with all the above and more.
If I didn't like them I doubt I'd keep the spares I do and I'd probably drive the other cars more often, but even poorly I'd most often think of taking the 480 first.

Regards,
1st480

Yep my thoughts entirely,
It is SWAMBO's daily runner although not doing big miles now, but I used it when working in Fife every two weeks, living ABZ and doing 30+ miles every day

even if up on blocks for last wee while until I get rear tension bar mounts sorted out . . . . . .

grin on face when running the 480, the C30 is just a soul-less
But TBH bigger grin with the SS1, but only room for me & SWAMBO

[Ade]

I too find that people often try to deride the 480 as some unreliable piece of aged crap, although the fact that mine turns up every day after a 50 odd mile commute has meant that people at work have a little more respect for it. Hasn't always been the way though.

I remember one guy having a dig at it and saying that I should get a more reliable modern car. The following week his brand new BMW had to go in for about £2000 of warranty work. meanwhile the 480 just keeps on going.......

The word 'satisfaction' doesn't even come close, he hasn't slagged it off since!

[gltease]

I too find that people often try to deride the 480 as some unreliable piece of aged crap, although the fact that mine turns up every day after a 50 odd mile commute has meant that people at work have a little more respect for it. Hasn't always been the way though.

I remember one guy having a dig at it and saying that I should get a more reliable modern car. The following week his brand new BMW had to go in for about £2000 of warranty work. meanwhile the 480 just keeps on going.......

The word 'satisfaction' doesn't even come close, he hasn't slagged it off since!

One thing I'd never own, a modern BMW without a warranty...