i own what should be the fastest all volvo in the us. my 1966 rhd silver p1800s!!! b23 block, b234 head, gt40 turbo and an eaton m62 super. not quite hilmerson, but ****ing close! here is my back end in 1999, pre-restoration. my car has been on tour for 4 years, i have not seen it in person in that long! there is a guy at the paul buff gallery on pch in laguna that has a cherry 64 Image Unavailable, Please Login
My father bought this from a museum and had it restored in England before shipping it over here. You guys should know what this is....... Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I absolutely love volvos, everytime I see one on the street, any model, etiher the boxy ones or the modern ones, I always feel all warm inside, even for a short moment
Appreciate the feedback guys. I am very fond of the old sport coupe. It'd be awhile before I make the move to buy one, as I am saving up for a new motorcycle and dealing with schooling costs.
The best of italy and france had quite a nice selection of p1800s last weekend. http://www.franceanditaly.com/ i hope they upload the photos soon. my car will be featured here after i fonish the bmw project
I know where there is a near perfect 1800 wagon for sale. Will see about some pics and details later this week. just put these on my V70R, they added at least 20hp Image Unavailable, Please Login
There is an 1800ES in Ann Arbor with my Pro-Rally engine from the 1970's. It started as a B-20 block, bored to 2.2 liter, Stage IV head with oversize valves, 12.5:1 compression, full race "T" cam with 336 degree duration, dual 45 mm side draft Solex carbs (like Weber DCOE's) Mahle forged pistons, nitrided steel cam gears, lightened and hardened lifters, aluminum flywheel, Stage IV clutch, balanced to 0.1 grams on reciprocating parts, reliably reved to 8,300-8,400 rpm with pushrods. It is a LOT quicker than the average 1800, but was totally reliable in rally use. Regards, Jim Walker 365 GT 2+2 #12451
that is common for people that want a powerful yet totally loathesome swap. Why go for a proven-reliable motor to a Ford? A bolt on supercharger kit from V-Performance/John Parker is much better overall. 200hp in this car is too much, I have 420. I am actually going back to a 1968 2.0l block and plug in the vintage supercharger setup for 200-250hp. http://vclassics.com/hiperf1.htm
Well the p1800 does look as good as a vintage ferrari, so what is lacking is power. American v8's in the 60's were agruably as good as ferrai v12's witness the GT40. So by putting a ford v8 into a p1800 you get an ultra stylish late 50's design with among the best power plants possible from that era. Some suspension upgrades and you have a ferrari 250 equivalent for small$. The volvo motor may be a purist apprach but seems like hard work and will never be as good. That is why a sunbeam tiger is preferred by most over an alpine. Would one of the later volvo 5cyl or 4 cyl turbo motors fit? I can see for vintage racing sticking with the volvo motor. It would also be the ultimate conversation stopper when people ask what you race and the answer is volvo, pricelss. How much would a good p1800 race car cost?
P1800 power from a b20 is easy. 300hp built and reliable for under 10k and about 300lbs less, especially upfront! Remember p1800s represent 5 of the top 12 cars for miles including the #1,2,3 spots!!! Google "Irv Gordon" our p1800 posterboy. I had a 1990 motor with a 1991 16v head with turbo AND supercharger and it still weighed less than a stripped down 289 Ford. :/ Oh yeah, fewer fuel stops too! To be honest, to build a good racer 15k, a race winner 30k, but I approach this car like the 3.0CS You have a beautiful classic GT-type car in the making with little effort. Yet I will sacrafice the CS for my GR5 racer dreams. The p1800 will draw crowds for a long time to come. You get a lot of heat through the firewall, so I would not jump to race it, but I certainly like the head-turning ability of a right hand drive. People immediately assume Aston-Martin when they see it. I hammer down and launch it and I am keeping up with the pack. If anything should ever happen to me, at this moment I will tell you I want to be buried with the p1800, I love it more than any Ferrari I have ever owned or drove, period.