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This
car is a 1969 Volvo P1800S. I purchased the car on January 2, 2000 from Touring
Sport in Greenville, South Carolina from the dealership owner who bought her as a restoration project. According to my paperwork, the car
appears to have had 4 owners (the original owner, a family after him, the dealer who sold
her to me, and then me). The car came
complete and although had been sitting for a long time, eventually started up and I
actually drove the car to the UHAUL center about 5 miles
away.
I
towed the car up to Pennsylvania and immediately stored her in my garage. I planned on
doing a complete restoration so I first took the car to a
Volvo specialist who diagnosed the car as needing front wheel bearings,
shocks, new brakes, and the engine was leaking oil so could use either a rebuild or
repair.
Since
I wasn't motivated to drive the car immediately I stared dismantling her for a complete
restoration. Unfortunately as life sometimes goes, I don't have the time or resources to carry out the project and with great
sadness I have to sell this wonderful “art on wheels” (as my neighbor calls
her)... As I mentioned above, when I first
picked the car up, it drove a couple miles but it should in no way be considered
"driveable." Although the car is essentially complete (engine, transmission,
etc.) it definitely needs restoration work both
mechanically and aesthetically. Here are some more specific notes: The History: According
to the original warranty and service booklet, it was purchased at Tom Mitchell Rambler in
Atlanta, Georgia on July 29, 1969.
The
Interior body: The body, from what I can tell, is in really good shape for restoration. When I bought it, the carpets
were wet and in terrible condition so I removed them and the passenger seat and dried and
cleaned up the floor. The floor is in great shape
except for a small rust hole along the passenger-side door jam (see pictures). There was a
lot of mold and dry-rot and the wood was totally rotted out in the back so I took out the
back seat and stripped it down (see picture). The car does come with the original back
seat frame and cushion (see picture) but you would
have to rebuild the back part behind the back seat. I hoped to put in a great sound
system, but oh well...
The
car comes with the 2 original seats which
could use new upholstery but could get away with seat covers. The dashboard has a crack. A
previous owner poked a hole in the dashboard and put a stereo in that I removed (see
picture). There was also a huge hole in the right side panel for the speakers. The right
panel was completely ruined but the left panel is in place (see pictures). The car has
air-conditioning that is in the middle of being removed. The steering wheel has a crack in
it. So essentially, the inside is almost stripped down to it's knickers, but I have the
hardware to put back together. I had to trash the carpet, the headliner seems ok except
for a couple small holes; the sun visors
come with the car, the clock is broken (what else is new!) and the odometer may or may not
be working.
The
car exterior: The exterior body is complete. It
needs a good paint job as the paint has lost its luster. There is a minor dent in the back
right area and some tiny rust bubbles along the windows. The car needs weather stripping
and the trunk lock doesn't want to work. I removed the front grill to clean things out and
the front grill has a tiny dent in it. The right
headlight is removed everything is there to put it back together. The Mechanics: We
started dismantling the engine compartment but everything you need is there for rebuilding, cleaning, repairing, etc. I
don’t know the service history at all but from what I can tell, it could use some
cleaning, repairing, and general sprucing up to be
in ship shape.
The
trunk: The trunk is in good condition, a little surface rust but nothing chronic. The car
comes with the original tow bar and equipment. You will need to replace the weather
stripping and fix the lock. The car has all its chrome.
General
Information: The car also comes with the original service books (very helpful!) As
you can tell from the above information, the car needs a lot of love but it definitely has
great potential. I see many old cars with a lot of rust and/or missing
important parts but this car is a great candidate for a restoration.
//Heather
10/04/03 |
