1971 Volvo P1800E
(Featured on 9th December 2013)
Make: Volvo
Model: P1800
Year: 1971
Mileage: 45,000
Registration: GBH 125K
Sellers original description:
Volvo P1800E 1971 45k miles full nut and bolt restoration.
The best in the UK full records absolutely beautiful.
This is a beautiful 1971 P1800E that has undergone a complete comprehensive nut and bolt restoration with thousands of photos. I have full records for the car including the original purchase receipt and letters from previous owners; the miles are genuine and documented. The DVLA shows only 62 of these cars are registered in the UK. She is rare and beautiful. The 125 hp engine gives plenty of power and she can cruise at 80 mph all day long with the overdrive engaged. This is a comfortable, robust, and well designed classic which will never depreciate.
This car was my 2012-2013 project and approximately 2500 hours of work have gone into this car to return it to as close to a factory fresh car as possible. Thousands of parts were replaced, refinished, replated, and restored and the pictures below show only a fraction of the work. Everything was done to an incredibly high standard. Nuts have been properly torqued, all bolts were fitted with anti-seize and every fastener was replaced or replated like new. (see pictures below for an example but this was just one batch of 20 that was done). To give you an idea of the process, first a part/fitting was removed, it was then cleaned, bead blasted, zinc plated and then if appropriate primered and painted or zinc powder coated and then powder coated. The suspension parts for instance are zinced, and then have two layers of powder coat on them, even if the powder coat chips you will never have rust!
I restore one car per year as a hobby. I usually do Italian cars but this year wanted something different. My finished cars have sold to the UK, Europe, and even to Asia. I do this as a hobby, not as a business so I sell the finished car for what it cost me. If you paid a shop to do this work you would pay substantially more and the finished product would always be dependent on the shop and the hours you are willing to pay for.
Some of the major work undertaken was as follows:
Exterior: Full glass out paint job in original Volvo 100 Safari Yellow. New chrome trims, new chrome bumpers, window trims, rubber seals, all exterior rubber gaskets, ect. The window trims are the proper heavy brass items that I then had chromed. The front grill was rechromed, the bumper supports powder coated, new mirrors, door handles are chromed, all the door fittings are replaced with the lock mechanism replated, new check straps and door seals, new door switches, full rebuilt door locks and all exterior lamp units rechromed, rewired, ect. Boot trim all replaced including all the boards in the boot. Boot latches, bonnet hinges and every other conceivable piece re-plated or replaced. Wheels were completely refinished as new with new chrome centre caps an d stainless polished wheel nuts. Wheel arches and underbody painted body colour with all the nasty black undercoating removed. There is NO RUST and you can see all the body work under the car.
Interior: New carpets, all new interior panels provided by Specialist Upholstery who make the best quality interior OEM level fittings you can buy. The seat straps were replaced with new webbing, rear seat frame powder coated, new speakers and wiring installed in rear, seats had new foam and leather seats dyed, all interior gauges and switches and lighting work. New door sill plates, door “hockey sticks”, Retro Sound custom stereo with Ipod inputs, custom made retracting shoulder seat belts hidden under rear side trims by Safety Belt Systems using the original Volvo latches and buckles so it looks like a factory fit job (safety first when it comes to seatbelts!)
Mechanical: All new rubber hoses, belts, fittings. Everything except the head and the block was stripped and replaced. Complete heater rebuilt, all new brake callipers, master brake, new brake lines to the front, every part in engine bay refinished to a factory finish. The fuel injection system was stripped and refinished, all the fuel injectors have new seals and pintels and flow at the proper rate with a report to back this up. The entire D-Jetronic system is working perfectly. These are very robust systems and this one is set perfectly. Fuel pressure set to factory specs, new starter, alternator, fan clutch, fan powdercoated, radiator rebuilt, all relays stripped and fettled, from lighting units rebuilt and new wire harness built, new filters (oil and air), new plugs, new oil pressure and temp sensors, wiper unit serviced with new proper wipers and arms with new chrome bezels. Engine painted to the correct Volvo colour, intake manifold stripped, acid cleaned and bead blasted like new. To much to list here!
Suspension: Fully rebuilt suspension front (off the car) and rear, new bushings and shocks, alignment to factory specs, new brakes, backing plates, completely new parking brake system with all cables and levers and seals replaced, all parts replated and powder coated as shown in pictures.
The rear axle and transmission oil was changed and the overdrive (Yes she has overdrive) unit was serviced and Waxol was sprayed in every crack and crevice I could find. Tires are still like new. MOT for 12 months.
There is more of course but you get a flavour from the pictures. This car is ready for the next 42 years and is ready for a new owner who will love and cherish her. Show the car or drive the car, she is ready for anything.
Photos:
