Volvo started promoting automobiles in america with the 1956 PV444, a sturdy unibody machine that regarded fairly a bit just like the 1946 Ford from some angles. Dependable, smart — possibly stodgy is a greater phrase — PV544s, Amazons and 140s adopted the 444s throughout the Atlantic because the Nineteen Fifties turned the Nineteen Sixties. Beginning in 1961, although, a genuinely sporty Volvo arrived right here: the P1800. Members of the P1800 household had been bought right here by means of 1973, and I’ve discovered a type of final-model-year automobiles in a Northern California self-service wrecking yard.
The P1800 (later named the 1800S after which the 1800E) was based mostly on the chassis of the Amazon and was out there solely as a coupe from 1961 by means of 1971. The 1800ES taking pictures brake model with its all-glass hatch debuted as a 1972 mannequin, and just below 9,000 had been constructed earlier than manufacturing ended the next yr.
The U.S.-market 1800ES received a 2.0-liter pushrod straight-four engine with Bosch gas injection, rated at 112 horsepower. Its dirtier-running European counterparts received extra energy.
This engine was often called the B20F. First-year Volvo 240s received the B20F as effectively, earlier than transferring as much as the SOHC “Red Block” engine for 1976.
A 1966 P1800 holds the world file for many mileage on a road automobile: greater than 3.2 million miles. That automobile has a B18 engine that was rebuilt twice. The best-mile junkyard automobile I’ve discovered was a Volvo as effectively, although it solely had 626,476 miles. Does the credit score go to the automobiles or to their house owners? Sure!
This automobile seems to have sat exterior close to the Pacific for too many a long time; it has the top-down rust related to dwelling within the salt spray and fog close to seashores in NorCal. That is fairly unhealthy, however I’ve seen worse. This Volvo’s closing parking spot is nearly a mile from crashing ocean waves.
Value restoring? No manner, not when a lot nicer examples promote for a number of grand.
All of the chawed-up seat foam means that raccoons and different Golden State wildlife lived inside for fairly some time.
The excellent news is that lots of this crusty previous Swede’s elements will reside on in different Volvos. The truth is, one among my common readers scored a junkyard bonanza when he discovered this automobile (and several other different classic Volvos) not lengthy earlier than I arrived.
Northern California automobile graveyards nonetheless provide loads of previous Scandinavian metal.
You inform ’em, Christina! The actress on this business went on to a protracted and profitable profession in movie and tv in Sweden, which included work with Ingmar Bergman, and continues to work to at the present time. You may be taught loads of sudden, fascinating issues while you examine a discarded automobile.