Away you temptress...ADD moment.

Toyman01 GRM+ Memberand PowerDork
9/15/12 5:58 p.m.

So we went out to buy the wife a car to replace the Venture that got hit last week. That's a done deal, but walking out of the office I spy, back in the corner of the lot is this...

Different is good.

I freaking love it, and I'm not even sure what it is other than it's a Volvo. Every piece of trim, every light, every piece of glass is there. The engine and trans are still installed. The guy wants $500 for it. I bet I'll have dreams about this tonight.

I DON'T NEED ANOTHER PROJECT!!!

I think I better go write that 1000 times. Maybe it'll sink in.

petegossett GRM+ Memberand UltraDork
9/15/12 6:06 p.m.

Volvo P1800, but that's about all I know. I imagine you can find a nice one for far cheaper than it would cost to make this one good.

NOHOME Dork
9/15/12 6:07 p.m.

Just buy it.

BoxheadTim GRM+ Memberand PowerDork
9/15/12 6:10 p.m.

That looks like 5000 bucks worth of nightmares to me. No matter that it is complete, these things rust well and with the amount of visible rust and the missing rear window, that's a project for a masochist.

JoeyM UltimaDork
9/15/12 6:11 p.m.

That is the first project I have seen in quite some time that made me grunt and say "OOOHHHHH!" (Yes, I know, TMI.) You MUST buy this.

Buy it just to protect it. You can sell it to a fellow GRM-er later on.

Don't know much about volvos, but my limited google-fu leads me to I think it is a p1800 sport wagon.

Woody GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
9/15/12 6:12 p.m.

It's an 1800es. Only made for two years. Very cool but very hard and expensive to restore. Front fenders are welded on and rust is an issue. Leather interior gets expensive too. Run away and wait until you can buy a perfect one.

Toyman01 GRM+ Memberand PowerDork
9/15/12 6:16 p.m.

The rear window is in the pile inside. I'm not necessarily thinking restoration as much as restomod with a trip to the challenge.

The rust is what I would call moderate, but not horrible. Most of it is surface only. I haven't gotten a look at the floor pans though.

BoxheadTim GRM+ Memberand PowerDork
9/15/12 6:24 p.m.

My concern is what the floorpans look like with the window missing - I noticed you said that all the glass was there.

JoeyM UltimaDork
9/15/12 6:27 p.m.

Toyman01 wrote: I'm not necessarily thinking restoration as much as restomod with a trip to the challenge.

02Pilot HalfDork
9/15/12 6:37 p.m.

I did some restoration work on an 1800 some years ago. I still have nightmares. There was nothing I enjoyed about the way that car was put together. I like the way they look, but it was a horror to try to bring back to life. YMMV.

mazdeuce HalfDork
9/15/12 7:18 p.m.

If you don't buy that then you're a bad person. It's like playing with a sweet gentle puppy at the pound and then not taking it home. It's just wrong man.

fasted58 UltraDork
9/15/12 7:21 p.m.

You

must

save

that

....just becuz you are GRM

ptmeyer84 New Reader
9/15/12 7:23 p.m.

If the rear glass is missing then walk away. You can find much cleaner ones that would be less psychotic.

Toyman01 GRM+ Memberand PowerDork
9/15/12 7:45 p.m.

In reply to BoxheadTim:

Yeah, my guess is the floor pans are a basket case. The original PO was going to restore it and took it apart, the wife said get it out of the yard. The last PO was going to pro-street it like the above picture, he died. It's been sitting for a while.

The direction I would take it be, lets just say, different. Possibly a Miata IRS in the back, probably the front too. Some decent V6 or turbo 4 with a 5 speed. It might end up with the only Volvo parts left being the sheet metal. That would make the floor pans a minor problem. Unfortunately I know nothing about the thing, so I don't know what is worth keeping and what isn't.

I just hate driving the usual crap. Off the wall suits me. Someone walking up and asking what the hell it is just makes my day.

I might have to go look at it again tomorrow.

I don't need another project.

Anyone need a 1st gen RX-7?

BoxheadTim GRM+ Memberand PowerDork
9/15/12 7:48 p.m.

Well, I don't need an RX7...

Actually one of the Volvo turbo engines should fit, they're pretty sturdy and can make big power with a few mods.

Toyman01 GRM+ Memberand PowerDork
9/15/12 7:53 p.m.

That is just cool.

Toyman01 GRM+ Memberand PowerDork
9/15/12 7:59 p.m.

This one too.

LopRacer HalfDork
9/15/12 8:44 p.m.

There are two fairly clean ones running round my neck of the woods. I cannot imagine the headaches getting that running and half decent would be, but it's only $500.

MrJoshua PowerDork
9/15/12 8:47 p.m.

Find an older rwd turbo volvo and drop the 1800 body on the newer pan.

hobiercr GRM+ Memberand HalfDork
9/15/12 9:10 p.m.

Bring it to the challenge this year and I'll take it off your hands. I need some B20 parts and the rear end is a direct bolt in for my 122s.

SlickDizzy GRM+ Memberand UltraDork
9/15/12 10:20 p.m.

Dude, that thing is a $2k+ project just to get the shell solid. Unless you REALLY love P1800's, walk away.

EvanB GRM+ Memberand UberDork
9/15/12 10:54 p.m.

It's $500, why don't you own it yet?

JoeyM UltimaDork
9/16/12 6:54 a.m.

^^^What he said.

That thing is too cool looking. Just buy it. Nobody said you have to be the one to restore it. There are plenty of of GRMers who will take it off your hands.

Heck, there are plenty of lemons/chump car people who would run it just because it is so distinctive. (I hate mentioning that, though, because I don't want the to see it getting crumpled up.)