As we honor those who have given their lives in the service of our country, we can also consider a military service survivor from another nation—today’s Nice Price or Crack Pipe Volvo L3314N. Let’s decide what exactly one should pay for this veteran vehicle.
One of my favorite AC/DC songs is Whole Lotta Rosie, a bluesy rocker that extolls the virtues of a woman of ample proportions.
A similar feting of fulsomeness took place last Friday as we considered a 1996 Toyota Land Cruiser with nearly 300K on the clock. The general consensus was that miles matter less on Land Cruisers, and at $7,200, that particular one likely had a few more to go. A narrow but decisive 54 percent Nice Price win was the result.
So, despite the current pandemic, this year I’m acknowledging Memorial Day in my traditional fashion. That means putting the flag out on the front porch, firing up the barbecue, and finishing the day off in the backyard with some ribs, potato salad, and a beer. Y’all let me know what your plans are down below.
Should your weekend activities involve getting out of the house, you’re most likely still going to want to keep your distance from other folks. That means getting off the beaten path—literally—and one sure way to do that is to buy this 1967 Volvo L3314N and hit the back bush.
The L3314 was one of a series of 4X4 trucks Volvo began building in the 1950s for the Swedish military. They were designed to use as many off-the-shelf parts as possible and to be simple enough that your basic GI-Johannes could fix it in the field.
This one is said to be an L3314N, the N standing for Norwegian. That means it was built in Norway and used by that nation’s military. The N version carried a fold-down windscreen and, more interestingly, a NATO-compliant 24-volt electrical system.
The truck was imported in 2018 from Norway and is presently titled in the state of Maine, although it appears to be sporting Massachusetts antique vehicle plates.
Power comes from the stud-muffin B20 two-litre four. That iron block and head engine isn’t a powerhouse, but it does have the rep for a can-do attitude and is simple as a pimple to fix should something ever actually go wrong.
Behind that is a four-speed manual that feeds a ZF VG-50 central diff and locking diffs on the Salsbury axles. These are way too slow for Deep Purple to ever celebrate in song, but they can slog it out over even the roughest of terrain. The ad notes that the truck has, to date, done 38K of that low and slow work.
The ad says that everything is in working order and still carries is side-facing rear seats. It also has a jerry can mount behind the driver’s seat and some nasty-looking hooks hanging from the soft top bows. The camo-colored top above that is said to be in need of repair or replacement. It apparently is also a challenge to erect or takedown since the seller says to “Google” it if you want to see what one looks like topless.
This is a very specific sort of vehicle for a very specific sort of buyer. It’s kind of a uni-tasker and as such, it damn-well better be really good and doing that one thing—going off-road. It also needs to be priced in a manner that balances that single skill against its uniqueness and the breadth of competing options that equal its capabilities.
To that end, this L3314N is priced at $10,500. Is that a deal? Well, that’s just what we’re here to decide. What do you think, is this ex-Norwegian military truck worth that $10,500 asking? Or, is that just not memorable enough?
You decide!
eBay out of Rowley, Mass., or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to FauxShizzle for the hookup!
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