Featured on AutoHunter, the net public sale platform pushed by ClassicCars.com, is that this 1964 Volvo 1800S.
The Volvo 1800S is a automotive I do know fairly a bit about. You see, I purchased and restored certainly one of these automobiles, a 1966 mannequin, about 10 years in the past. One of the primary causes I purchased it was as a result of it was featured within the Sixties TV present The Saint starring Roger Moore. I cherished this present as a child and knew sooner or later I’d personal a 1800S. We went by each single system of the automotive, correctly repaired the physique giving it a naked metallic respray, rebuilt each mechanical system, and likewise did a whole restoration on the inside. If you will have ever gone by a complete restoration of a automotive, the place you had been concerned within the course of, on the finish of the challenge you discover that you already know virtually each single element in regards to the automotive you restored.
I cherished that automotive; I drove it to Monterey for Car Week, took it to see Roger Moore at a media occasion, received awards with the automotive at exhibits, and took numerous pleasure drives. I offered the automotive in Monterey on the finish of automotive week and looking back I ought to have saved the automotive, because it was an ideal instance.
Moving on to the 1964 Volvo 1800S featured right here, I’ll begin off by mentioning what is wrong with this one. The two issues I observed after intently analyzing the automotive and going over the Volvo 1800S books in my library had been that the grille insert is of the later 1967 fashion, 1966 and later 1800S seats had headrests, there’s a Weber carburetor conversion, a contemporary radio mounted below the sprint, crimson painted entrance brake calipers and rear brake drums, and the steering wheel has been coated with a leather-based cowl. That’s it.
The vendor describes this automotive as having been owned by its earlier proprietor for 10 years. It is powered by its reportedly unique and rebuilt Volvo B18 1.8-liter inline 4 cylinder engine and is backed by a four-speed handbook transmission with overdrive. Features on the automotive embody interval appropriate accent fog lights, the aforementioned digital AM/FM stereo, the 1965 and later 1800S bucket seats, and energy entrance disc brakes. Finished within the Volvo paint shade #79 Pearl White, a shade this particular automotive was painted initially, over a black leather-based and vinyl inside. This signifies that the entrance seats are leather-based and the rear seats are vinyl, which is how these automobiles had been delivered to the U.S. market.
The physique of the automotive seems wonderful. Some necessary issues I observed proper off had been the right seams on the rocker panels, appropriate seams on each the entrance finish and the rear finish of the automotive the place the physique panels meet. I point out all of this as when Volvo 1800S automobiles are painted they usually have these seams crammed, which is wrong.
The chrome on this automotive additionally seems wonderful, particularly the rear tail mild housings, which are likely to grow to be pitted over time. These are both one of the best cared for unique ones on the automotive, or the proprietor took the time when restoring the automotive to rechrome the previous items or exchange them. This to me speaks to a properly cared for Volvo 1800S, as these elements are costly to purchase and much more costly to rechrome.
Mechanically the vendor states that in 2013 the automotive had its engine rebuilt with the addition of a brand new valve cowl, distributor, spark plugs/ wires, heater cable set, pinion seal, gasoline gauge sending unit, driver facet monitor set, shift bushing and back lights floor, brake system serviced, and a realigned exhaust system. In 2014 the automotive acquired a brand new gasoline pump/hoses, and a headlight and fog mild restore. In 2015 the automotive acquired a brand new gasoline pump meeting. In 2016 it acquired an oil change, fluid examine/high up, trunk latch restore, and new brakes. In 2017 the proprietor rebuilt water/oil temperature gauge. In 2019 the automotive acquired a brand new battery. In 2021 the automotive acquired new tires and Minilite fashion alloy wheels, mounted the horn, one other oil change, fluid examine/high up, a brand new ignition cap/rotor, a brand new transmission mount, and changed the driving force and passenger seats with the 1966 and later fashion Volvo 1800S seats in appropriate leather-based. Finally, in 2022 the proprietor had the headlight wiring repaired.
So after taking a look at this automotive in nice element, it is a Volvo 1800S that I’d bid on and purchase myself. It seems to be a superb instance. Restoring a Volvo 1800 to the extent it seems this automotive was restored prices tens of hundreds of {dollars}. I can inform you that my private automotive undoubtedly price that a lot to do and it was rust free.
For me one of the best a part of the Volvo 1800S is the styling and its hyperlink to Roger Moore and the TV present The Saint. This automotive is the spitting picture of the automotive used within the present, and every time I drove mine it made me really feel like I used to be going off on one other journey someplace on the planet.
These automobiles are the epitome of a world class small displacement GT automotive, and of all these automobiles, such because the MGB GT, Lancia Fulvia, Fiat 124 Coupe, it’s the very best. In truth it’s so way more automotive than these automobiles that it’s higher in comparison with a lot increased finish Italian and British GT automobiles of the period. The styling by Pietro Frua mixed with the leather-based seats and wonderful sprint structure make the Volvo 1800S one thing very particular. The Volvo 1800S options good dealing with, is enjoyable to drive, has a really snug inside, and can cruise all day at 90 mph with out lacking a beat. There is not any solution to get a greater traditional European GT for the cash than with instance of the Volvo 1800S. This 1964 Volvo 1800S might be one of the best instance ever to look on AutoHunter or ClassicCars.com.
The public sale for this gorgeous 1964 Volvo 1800S ends Tuesday, December 26, 2023 at 12:45 p.m. (MST)
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