1971 Volvo Other

E

B20

184363033224

Clear

Offered for your consideration at no reserve is a 1971 1800E coupe Volvo. I am confident that this fine car will have interest and I will let bidders determine the value. If you are in the market for for a restored original 1800 this may not be the car for you. This 1800 has been distilled down to the pure essence of it's form and function. Definitely not a rat rod and not a restored original show car but it has elements of both. For me it's been a super fun driver with loads of style and charm. This car gets major thumbs up every time I drive it, many don't know what kind of car it is. I have the original Volvo letters for the back but it looks so clean without them I did not have them mounted. People ask if it is a Sunbeam, a vintage Italian car, old british car, or something from the 60's or even 50's. That's how timeless the 1800 body is. Often referred to in Volvo ads as the poor mans Ferrari. Indeed the front of the 1800 with the sloping fenders, inset hood, oval grill, and turn signals below the single headlights look very 1962 Ferrari GT 250ish. From what I have read Pelle Peterson the son of Helmer Peterson a design consultant for Volvo designed this car who was working at Frua the Italian design house at the time in 1957. The fin design looks very american but the front is all Italian. Some have taken to modifying these and shaving off the fins which gives it a very late 50's Maserati look to it and others have conceptualized it in a modern interpretation that look futuristic. At any rate it's a great timeless design that is still quite affordable given the market for classic sport coupes. Prices seem to be rising quite a bit on the 1800 sports coupes and wagons as of late. This classy swede had a complete facelift/makeover/rebuild in the early 1990's. It's an original California blue plate car color code 46 Red. The motor was removed as well as the entire interior, all glass trim etc and the paint was stripped and rust repaired in all the usual places for 1800's in the floors, and the trunk and the rockers. The car had an expensive full strip down and high quality paint job. The frame appears solid and it appears the lower seams are intact or nearly so, the front nose has no rust or repair and I believe this Volvo was never in an accident. There is a bit of body filler in the lower regions but the panels are nice overall and all original. Bubbling in some spots is evident, however the spots seem benign. The body has all 4 jack points in tact. Sound deadening panels were used on the floors and the trunk and then the body was painted this unique turquoise but with a bit of grey. Somewhere between a vintage vw seafoam green and turquoise. Super unique color! See the photo below of the 1957 p958-x1 1800 prototype. The color is close to this. The body was mildly "Californiazed with all the body moulding chrome (save for the fin chrome) removed as well as the side markers which were on the 1968 and later 1800's but not on the early 1800's. Black rubber windshield rubber without the chrome was used front and rear. The ugly black plastic grill used on the 71 E's was replaced with the older nicer eggcrate metal grill also from the earlier 1800's. The mirror was changed to the much cooler dashboard mount of the Saint era coupe.. Finally the car was lowered very slightly (3/4 inch or so) and it is stanced beautifully. The ride is nice and it looks the way a sports coupe should. Much like a classic Italian coupe and not a standard Volvo 1800 that rides a bit high with more body roll. Bilstein gas shocks were installed all around and progressive lowering springs. The motor was rebuilt during the full restoration. I was told a performance cam was installed as well as other upgrades but I have no receipts to support that. A new clutch was installed and a new exhaust system. I would estimate the motor to have roughly 65k miles give or take. During the restoration the interior had a facelift as well and the seats were reupholstered blue in the front. as well as the door panels. The seats now have inexpensive seat covers, underneath the blue upholstery has dry cracked in places from the California heat. The interior is now blue and black and looks good with the paint. I had planned to do the entire interior in black leather but did not get the chance. I also should mention the car had a bit of later rust repair done before I bought it. Not quite as well done as the earlier expensive paint job and full restoration but it looks good. Work was done to the lower windshield area and rockers and 2 of the lower wheel arches as well as a bit in the back under the bumper. The floors were solid from before. 2 sets of keys are included all working including the gas key lock, the original Volvo letters for the rear, a repair manual and the original jack. No spare tire is included. Title is clear and it's registered through June 2014. New things done recently:4 brand new 195 60 series V rated tires with less than 100 miles New alternatorNew water pump and thermostatNew chrome bullet style side mirror.New rubber trunk seal.Carpeting in the trunk. Things to know about the appearance:The paint is not perfect and there are a number of small imperfections inside and out. Bear in mind it It is a 42 year old car with a 20 year old restoration and not a show car. There are a few dings on the drivers side as shown in the pics., overall the panels and doors look very nice. As mentioned some small bubbling to paint in places but not much. The paint is not mirror glossy. It has a bit of a low luster sheen, not matte but not super high gloss. I think it looks fantastic like this but many may want to buff it out and get it to a higher gloss finish. The chrome has light pitting, the shiny bits are not bad for a 42 year old car. The trim on one of the fins is bit rough. As mentioned, the new owner might want to address the interior. Things that cold be done:Rubber seals for the rear windows and door window rubber trim, rubber around tail lights and front turn signals as well as hood rubber seal. These are older and need replacement. A general tuneup. The engine runs nice and strong, shifts good. The idle is a little rough. It may have a small vacuum leak in one of the rubber manifold hoses, or need the timing adjusted. Overall the engine seems healthy however. I have not checked the compression but it does not smoke nor does it consume oil or even drip any oil from the bottom. I imagine all new rubber hoses would be beneficial as well as new spark plug wires. The speedometer has recently stopped working. Not sure what happened, it may be a aware or mechanical I am not sure now the speedo works. The sensors for the water temp are erratic and often read all the way high when the car is running at normal temp. The electrics I imagine could use a going through, perhaps some of the ground connections or plug in connectors have become oxidized over the years. This could explain the erratic gauge readings and speedo issue. The wiring harness is original. The british Smiths tach, the oil pressure, fuel gauge and other warning lights work as they should. The Smiths clock is not working but could be fixed. This is quite a rare piece in it's own right and used in Jaguars and Austin Healeys as well. The heater is not turning on. Also it may be a connection, perhaps a fuse. It was working awhile back also. The brake rotors will need to be turned soon. Front bushings could probably benefit from being looked at. The radio works but is an old cassette unit. i can include some period 70's cassettes with the car if the buyer wants to rock out in vintage analog fashion. The lights are all working, headlights, running lights, license plate light, the gauge lights are a bit dim but working. Little inexpensive things need to addressed as I did not have enough time to get them all sorted.From what I have read, 1970 Volvo 1800's are the most desirable in terms of performance. This one was manufactured in 1970. They had the highest compression and horsepower (130hp) of all the 1800's as well as the 4 speed with overdrive. The later 72 73 and 74 es had a lower compression and less performance oriented engine. As mentioned I am offering this fine Volvo at no reserve. I will be loosing my garage space soon. Suffice it to say you will not see another vintage 1800 in this color variation and style ever again. A $750 non refundable deposit is due within 24 hours. The full amount within 5 days preferably by bank to bank transfer. If you bid PLEASE be serious. I sold a car a few years ago on ebay and had non paying bidders and it turned out to be a giant headache and lots of waisted time for everyone. Please bid to win, to pay for, and to take delivery of and have fun in this classic! I can help with shipping and there are some good transport companies out there. Any questions will be answered promptly.