1971 Volvo 1800E

4 speed+OD Coupe

4 - Cyl.

Manual

184353035430

Gasoline

1971 Volvo 1800E, 4 speed plus overdrive I have owned this 1971 Volvo 1800E since 1996. I bought it with 72,000 miles from a Volvo mechanic in Seattle who had gotten the original B20E engine, transmission and Bosch D-jetronic EFI to tip-top shape. My intention was to return the car to its original driving characteristics as a grand touring coupe and to use it as a daily driver. To this end I have replaced: 1, all the suspension bushings (9 bushings for front and 10 for rear) 2, engine and transmission mounts 3, front and rear shocks (KYB gas-a-just) 4, OEM size and profile radial tires with period-correct treads (Vredestein Sprint ST 185/70 SR15) mounted on original magnesium alloy wheels 5, complete "new old stock" Volvo exhaust system 6, rebuild steering box 7, all ball joints tie rod ends, idle arm ends 8, clutch, and throw out bearing Note: the brown color you see on the edge of the underside body panels is Eastwood POR15 Rust Inhibiting Paint-not rust. The following photos show the tires, wheels and wheel arches: the spot welds on the wheel arches can clearly be seen. As a result this car drives, handles and sounds just like it should in 1971. In order to be able to use the car as a daily driver I replaced: 1, the windshield AND windshield gasket AND the windshield surround chrome trim (very difficult to find and costing over $1000) 2, trunk seal 3, door and window seals 4, brake master cylinder and stainless brake lines 5, NOS Smith speedometer cable and right-angle drive 6, rebuilt fuel tank sending unit 7, additional thermal and sound insulation on floor pan, trunk, firewall and hood The only non-stock items on the car are: 1, K&N air filter 2, Euro-spec 7” H4 headlights 3, front and rear speakers and Blaupunkt radio 4, thick pile carpet for cockpit and trunk The car received a bare metal re-spray in 1997 when all paint was stripped off the body and rusty body panels (the usual: trailing edge of front wheel arches, lower rear valance, trailing edges of doors, headlight housing, etc) were replaced with new panels. Surface rust was neutralized with POR15 paint. (see rust brown color paint in interior photos of restoration) Photo documentation of bare-metal re-spray in 1997: Original color (medium metallic blue code 102) was applied in lacquer and hand-sanded between twelve color coats. Two final coats of clear lacquer were applied to protect the finish. At the time I also installed upper and lower dash caps and armrest caps. Body rubber gaskets such as headlight, taillight, bumper bracket grommet, wiper post grommet, and grill surround gasket were all replaced as well. The seats were rebuilt with new Pirelli webbing and recovered with leather in original pattern by Don Thibault in 2001. They are very comfortable and supportive for long trips. I have chosen not to replace the webbing under the rear seat cushions because I use the space beneath the cushion as a hidden storage. This car was featured on the cover of the IPD parts catalog in 2001-2002. Other notable part replacements are: new fuel pump (old one still works as stays in the trunk as a spare), new Volvo coolant pump, alternator and battery. Parts were ordered from Volvo dealers when possible. A complete list of replaced parts and installation dates is:available here.All records and receipts will come with the car. Everything on the car works as it should-all gauges, lights, heater control, fan, wiper, windshield washer, window and seatbelt, etc. The original clock was inoperative when I got the car and I tried having it rebuilt without success. I ended up putting in a modern quartz clock mechanism behind the original clock face and now even the clock works. Other detail photos of the interior: The stock B20E engine is legendary in its longevity and usability. The Bosch D-jetonic EFI is way ahead of its time in 1971. There are no running issues with this engine. It fires up right away even after a few weeks of sitting in the garage and not being driven. The car warms up and idles at 900 rpm as it should. The Pressure Sensor is original and has not been messed with. The 4-speed plus Laycock overdrive works perfectly and the shifter is smooth and positive. Steering is direct without any play after I rebuilt the steering box. The car can cruise at 75 mph all day. I have a video of this car driving through some of the windy country roads in East Tennessee. The car has been garaged since I bought it in 1996. The car is under a Covercraft custom car cover (included with the sale) when it is parked overnight away from home on trips. I used the car as a daily driver and on long trips from 1998 to 2002. I used it as a weekend car and for vacation trips since 2002. I have only put 2000 miles on the car in the last three years. The last long trip I took with this car was a 1,200 mile round trip to St. Louis in November 2009. The car averaged 27mpg cruising at 70-80 mph! The OEM felt rear seal started to leak last summer (perhaps because of the fact that I do not drive the car often enough). I ended up replacing the rear main seal with the updated IPD rear crank silicone seal. The car has had all its regular maintenance of oil and filter change (every 3000 miles), coolant flush (every 2 years) and brake fluid flush (every 2 years). I hand wash the car and use only Meguiar car wax. The photos on the car’s finish can illustrate this quality of the paint. There is no mechanical issue with the car and I will not hesitate to drive it across country today after checking the oil, tires, brake fluid and coolant. The only issue in the near future would be replacing the valve guide seals because of the effect of ethanol in gas today. The underside of the car is solid. The jacking cross members are all rust free. The 14-year-old paint job is not show quality but still looks good. There is some bubbling of paint on the passenger side trailing edge of the front wheel arch and there are some minor paint bubbling around the headlights. According to Bill Webb’s book, “Swedish Iron aka Volvo 1800” there were a total of 4,750 1971 1800E produced for the entire world. The rarity and the usability of this car make it unique in the world of collectible cars. NADA Price Guide list a high value of $12,815 to a low of $5,940. Given the recent Volvo 1800E sales on ebay my reserve price and Buy-it-now price are realistically set, right between the high and low values, given the cars condition. The car is in the Knoxville, Tennessee area and I will be happy to show the car. This car is being sold in a "As-is, where is” condition with no warranty, expressed written or implied. It is the responsibility of the buyer to look at this listing carefully and ask questions and/or arrange for an inspection before placing a bid. Please do not bid on this auction unless you are serious about owning this vehicle. All non-paying high bidders will be reported to eBay, and the non cooperative bidder will be required to pay the listing fees!! PLEASE ONLY BID WHAT YOU ARE WILLING TO PAY. I have the title in hand and this car is advertised locally so I reserve the right to end the auction in the event of a local buyer. A $500 non-refundable deposit required within 48 hours of the close of auction. Balance of payment required within 7 days of close of auction. Buyer is responsible for picking up the car or make arrangement for the transportation of the vehicle. Thanks for looking.