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VOLVO P1800

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Comments

  • lancerfixerlancerfixer Member Posts: 1,284
    "And you can't find an 80s Volvo leather interior that isn't demolished."

    Remind me to take some pics of my 740's interior some time. While I have seen some demolished interiors in Volvos, mine looks brand new. The key, I think, is actually taking care of the leather. I disagree over the quality of the paint, too. I dunno, maybe by the late 80s they had fixed some problems, or possibly the 740s were simply built with better materials than the 240s. I would agree with your assesment that the 850s were screwed together better, and with higher quality materials, too.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I think you just take better care of your car that 99% of other people. I do, too, and my car looks better than any other one of the same year and make I've ever seen. I bet you treat your leather and wax and garage your car.

    But really, Volvo leather did suck back then IMO. It's a well-know thing and while there are always exceptions to every rule, I suspect that a casual sampling would confirm this. It's also no coincidence that Saab leathers were equally fragile. Hides are graded and generally the inferior grades are used in the lower priced cars. Volvo was not as upscale then as it is now.

    Again, many other cars first attempts at leather were equally bad. Early Lexus cars come to mind as well.

    I'll tell you one great thing about Volvos, though. I never personally saw a Volvo engine throw a rod, even under tremendous abuse.
  • amazonamazon Member Posts: 293
    That donut system you refer to was the same on the 60's Volvos as well. When one side broke, you could still drive the car with the system hanging in the loop on the other side of the pipe. At least I did for quite some time.

    Speaking of the Volvo B21: I disagree with your statement there. For $2K, you can have a very beefy B21. Look at www.kgtrimning.com. This is a Swedish Volvo tuning specialist. Remember theat the curreny exchange rate is 10.50kr per $1.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Yeah, but $2,000 in an old Volvo sedan? That's more than the car is worth today. Think of what $2,000 would buy you in modding a Chevy V8.

    I'd rather put that kind of money into a P1800 engine myself. You could cam it, get some improved SUs on there, B20E head, exhaust headers, better timing gears (another weakness of the B20), etc., and you'd have an 1800 that could actually get out of its own way.
  • lancerfixerlancerfixer Member Posts: 1,284
    Well, I don't have a garage, unfortunately, so I probably tend to overcompensate by treating the leather more than normal and waxing it at every opportunity.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I know you'll think this funny or weird but I don't wax my cars because any application or rubbing is an abrasive IMO. I just keep them very clean all the time and covered whenever I can. I've had good luck both waxing and not waxing cars. I really haven't noticed a difference over time.
  • lancerfixerlancerfixer Member Posts: 1,284
    You don't deal much with road salt, do you? Keeping the car waxed in the winter makes it much easier to remove, in my experience.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Nope, that's true, no road salt--although I live right near the Bay, which is salt air. Not quite the same catastrophe, though.
  • lancerfixerlancerfixer Member Posts: 1,284
    I used to live on the New Hampshire seacoast and had to deal with both. Not much sea salt in Iowa, though.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Used to be, but that was a long time ago.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Well, I know they have their fans but I don't really care much for them. They just seem to ALWAYS have some nagging problem. Check engine light on, electrical glitches, head gaskets and brakes that usually require new rotors along with new pads.

    And very expensive to repair.

    My PV 544's on the other hand were rock tough and simple.

    But that was a long time ago...
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I know what you mean...they are like Saabs....some very commendable traits, but they just nickel and dime you to death.
  • jrosasmcjrosasmc Member Posts: 1,711
    I've had my '93 Volvo 850 for over four years now and not a thing has ever gone wrong on it. I do routine maintenance religiously and that's it. Same thing goes for my golf pro's two '96 850s. He owns identical Volvos that are both blue, and also, nothing major's ever gone wrong with either of them; I know, since I run into them quite often. The GLT sedan he bought new now has 123k on it; the base wagon was bought used in '00 with 61k and it now has 126k on it. That wagon is used by his wife, who has a 150-mile commute to work round-trip.
  • jrosasmcjrosasmc Member Posts: 1,711
    If she put 65k miles on that Volvo in less than two years, the car has got to have a lot of wear and tear now, right? My hunch is that many of the parts are ready for replacement now.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Well, you know, it's all statistical. I have friends who have had miserable times with their 850s, stories that could make you weep.

    I'm sure your diligence contributes to your success with this car.

    Another factor is that the newer the 850, the better it is. The car has benefitted from improvement and development. If you check consumer guides for the earlier ones, you will see reports of auto trans failure, and many, many complaints of electrical problems and body hardware. Right around 1997 or so, things get much better on the charts.

    What I guess I meant by "nickel and dime" is that the 850 is not a car I would personally expect to be totally trouble-free once out of warranty. I would expect it to, well, nickel and dime me, that is, no major component failure, but always something to attend to.

    It would be interesting to examine that 126K wagon and see how many things I could find wrong with it that do not affect the day to day running of the car.

    Some people's idea of "no problems" are different than mine maybe?

    But anyway, glad to hear you are having good luck with yours.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    We are scared to death of them! We have taken in several *nice* trade in Volvos. They look and run well.

    When we inspect them we find they are not as they appear. Since we really don't work on Volvos, we farm them out to the local dealer.

    The last "creampuff" needed a head gasket (not uncommon) and a bunch of electrical glitches fixed. We lost a ton of money on that one.

    Now, we usually just wholesale them before something breaks.

    Saabs are worse...much worse.

    Not picking on Volvos, I just don't think much of them.
  • jrosasmcjrosasmc Member Posts: 1,711
    And just exactly what year was that last "creampuff" Volvo you received, exactly? Mine's a '93 and nothing ever goes wrong with this one at all. In fact, it's being stored in my father's garage for the winter; car's been there since Dec. 1. What kind of electrical glitches did you have with that particular Volvo, though? I'm really interested to hear what you have to say.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    My friend who owns a Misubishi dealership feels the same way about the 850 (he's a Norwegian who worked for Saab, so he's not a volvo hater by any means). He is very wary of them, especially 1995 and older. I agree, Saabs are much worse.
  • jrosasmcjrosasmc Member Posts: 1,711
    I agree 100%: Saabs are definitely worse than Volvos, quality- and reliability-wise. To this day, I will not go near one because I considered all of them risky buys long ago. I'm a native of Vermont, still living here, and I know hundreds of people in the state who own Saabs; we're basically Saab country up here. And believe me, just about every one of them has told me the same story: problem after problem after problem, with the same sky-high repair costs. Many of my close friends in my high school class had Saabs, mostly older 900s from the 80s, and they all had costly problems with them, ranging from constant brake repairs to faulty starters. They were always spending money on their cars at least every other week. On the other hand, I never spend a nickel on my '87 Chevy Nova (Toyota), except to have the oil changed twice.

    I vividly remember one of my father's coworkers owning a '74 Sonett III coupe when I was a toddler. And yes, that Sonett was unreliable, hard to get parts for, and a money trap in terms of repairs. Their boss's '86 9000 Turbo: the same way as that Sonett. Money trap, chronic breakdowns, tons of electrical glitches, even when it was brand-new. Needless to say, these cars were dumped by around 1989. My dad still had his old '78 Toyota Celica around that time (and he bought it brand-new!).
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Well, I'm glad that you have a troublefree Volvo. I'm sure a lot of owners share your luck.

    The Volvo I was thinking about was around a 93-95, hard to tell (for me)since they all look alike :)

    I remember the check engine light was on (as usual with a Volvo)and the air bag light too.

    Something with the sunroof too, and the brakes.

    If it was just this isolated Volvo, that would be one thing but it just seems (to me anyway)that this is pretty typical.

    But don't mind me, I don't like anything Volkswagen either for the same reasons.
  • lancerfixerlancerfixer Member Posts: 1,284
    Be sure your service guys are not confusing the "check engine" light with the "Service" light...most people I've talked to do this. The "Service" light is like the little green indicator on Hondas...it comes on at 5,000 mile intervals to remind when it's time for an oil change. To reset it, pull out the little rubber plug on the instrument panel next to the odometer and push the little button behind it with a pen. You may want to let your non-Volvo-savvy techs know this. I discovered it when I was on my year-long search last year for my current 740...many (non Volvo) dealers didn't even know what the "Service" light was for (most of the cars I looked at had the light illuminated...figuring there can't be THAT MANY Volvos with a "check engine" light set, I did a little research.)
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Good point, but, no...this was a Check Engine light. Some component had failed.

    I dunno...maybe we just get the edgy ones.
  • jrosasmcjrosasmc Member Posts: 1,711
    Mr. Irv Gordon has 1,972,000 miles on his '66 P1800 as of last week.
  • jrosasmcjrosasmc Member Posts: 1,711
    From some guys on Brickboard.com.
  • speedshiftspeedshift Member Posts: 1,598
    I wonder if his doors fly open when he crosses railroad tracks.
  • lancerfixerlancerfixer Member Posts: 1,284
    Their "Classic C/D" this week was focused on the P1800, and whose particular car should they feature but Mr. Irv Gordon's. It's clear he's done a LOT of work to the car (the engine compartment looked nicer than any factory job, and the body looked brand new) but still, you've got to be impressed with someone so dedicated to their vehicle.
  • speedshiftspeedshift Member Posts: 1,598
    Impressed with or afraid of?

    I have to wonder how a car drives that's exceeded its estimated useful life by about nineteen times. I know the mechanicals have been replaced but unless he's got a full roll cage and frame bracing, that body has got to be clapped out. What about things like spindles, A-arms and axles? It would be interesting to magnaflux the entire car.
  • carnut4carnut4 Member Posts: 574
    on the P1800. Makes me think of a friend of mine who has his own business, working on mostly German cars-{Mercedes, BMW, Porsche]. Most of his customers spend piles of money on their cars, which is why he's done so well [incredibly well!] compared to others I know who run repair shops. Anyway, one of his customers has a P1800-I believe the sport wagon-and once I was in there and commented on how immaculate the car was, and how even the undercarriage looked new. Well, I was told that virtually EVERYTHING had been replaced at least once, and a new rearend/axle had just been installed, and that's why it looked so new. My friend pulled out the file on that car and showed it to me-it was about 2 inches thick with receipts! I guess some people have unlimited money to spend on their cars, and they want them immaculate, no matter what. Doesn't matter what the cars worth, etc. Anyway, seeing that P1800 today on Car & Driver made me think of this other P1800 I know. If you're a mechanic with your own business, that's what you want-a repeat customer with lots of money to spend on bolt in parts to keep the car perfect.
  • jrosasmcjrosasmc Member Posts: 1,711
    The P1800 can be fun to drive, its performance is not very inspiring and sometimes can be yawn-inducing. I know, because my 850 can blow the doors off any year of P1800.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    "Fun" is stretching it, but if you can get it to go fast enough, you can scare yourself and that is sortta fun. There is truth to the old saying that it is more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow.
  • speedshiftspeedshift Member Posts: 1,598
    I don't know if that's always true. I'm thinking of a '61 Falcon I had...
  • carnut4carnut4 Member Posts: 574
    of the 57 Volvo 444 I had briefly, with the loose steering gear. Yeah, the engine sounded willing enough, but oh, those brakes!
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Well, you know, old drum brakes, and not very big ones at that. But a 544 is more fun to drive than a P1800 in my opinion, because the P1800 driving position is so bad and the nose is so heavy.
  • carnut4carnut4 Member Posts: 574
    I saw at my friend's business. You sat right on the floor, and felt like you weren't high enough to see that well. Very awkward feeling. I really wondered why the guy would spend so much money on that car.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Ah, you could ask that of so many people with so many cars.
  • jrosasmcjrosasmc Member Posts: 1,711
    According to one reputable web site, Mr. Irv Gordon was up to 1,998,200 miles on his '66 P1800 as of Feb. 10. Now isn't that something? A soon-to-be 2 million mile car.
  • speedshiftspeedshift Member Posts: 1,598
    Does it still move under its own power or is Irv pushing it?
  • jrosasmcjrosasmc Member Posts: 1,711
    I don't know.
  • jrosasmcjrosasmc Member Posts: 1,711
    And I honestly don't know if Irv's car can go another 100k miles or so. It ought to have been retired!
  • amazonamazon Member Posts: 293
    I know this is expensive, but this supercharger kit would be awesome in a 544, wouldn't it?

    http://www.v-performance.com
This discussion has been closed.