Thanks, Russ! I got it running, it hadn't been sitting too long. Brakes work. Has a liquid in the radiator, and something black and gooey in the oil pan. So it might be ok? Lots of work to do yet...
Looks like it’s pretty solid. I had a “P1800ES”, that I probably shoulda kept. Traded it for a ‘70 El Camino (that I probably shoulda kept…).
It's rusty by Arizona standards, but still pretty solid. It's fun looking everything over trying to decide if I should take it on a long trip in a couple days. It would be a really stupid thing to do. So I might.
The biggest hurdle will be trying to determine the reliability of the components and developing plans for potential failures. Fuel pump, alternator, water pump and master cylinder are the biggies that come to my mind. Replacements might be hard to find or cobble. But we have confidence that you can make it happen if anyone can.
right after high school I bought a 3 yr old 1964 Impala Super Sport Convertible, 327-300 hp 4 speed, white, red interior,I was styling to say the least , I took a year off deciding deciding what the hell I was going to do with my life. I was working in a paint store,paying off the chevy my father lent me to buy the chevy. So it was decided I should go to college, due to a misspent 4 years in High School, the only school I could get into was a junior college in Fla. I of course wanted to drive that Chevy to Fla and use it in school, that wasn't going to happen as I still owed my parents money on the car and they had to pay for my college and I couldn't afford to keep the car, we weren't rich family, something had to go, yep the rag top Chevy, gone. So I get to Fla. and my uncle and my father go out to get me "transportation" to get back and forth to school, you could imagine my total disappointment when they rolled up with a off white PV544!! What the HELL was that? Well to make a long story short I fell in love with that car, it was indestructible, believe me I did try to destroy it LOL! Being the Hot Rodder at heart I was always thinking After school was ended, I would drive it back to Jersey and me and my buddies would drop a small block in it etc. But Uncle Sam had other ideas for me. So I had to sell it and go in the Navy. Always thought I'd get another one, but as of yet, nope. The prices on them are getting out of my reach, but cool car!
you have it pretty well figured out. It has a 15ish year old fuel pump, a generator that is working now, a non leaking water pump, and an iffy old master cylinder. The engine swap made it harder to get to the master cylinder, and I can't get the cap off it (broke a 3/8 drive universal socket trying). There are no leaks in the brake system, but it hasn't been used much over the past decade or two. The tires are dated 2007 and still have the mold line in the middle of the tread. I did pull off all the wheels and packed all the wheel bearings, including the rears, which required removing the backing plates (!). There is oil in the transmission and rear end. The u joints seem OK, they're so small that there are no grease fittings on them. And the driveshaft is a pain to work on in these cars, the tunnel is very small and mostly closed in, and it's a two piece shaft with flanges everywhere. The cooling system has a bunch of black **** in it, I flushed it a couple times, it's still there, I think it is sitting in the block. Russ loaned my his pressure tester, it doesn't leak down in a few minutes, which is surprising. I fixed the 4 psi radiator cap, it's an old style deep one. I changed oil, new filter, thanks to Russ with a new Mann filter. No leaks yet, but I've only driven it a few miles. I greased the suspensions, and looked things over, it's slightly scary...but might survive. the generator is working, and Russ gave me a spare original voltage regulator. The BW replacement on the car seems to be working ok. One of the two starter bolts was missing, it looks like the starter was replaced relatively recently, it's pretty clean compared to everything around it. I put in another bolt. Russ gave me a non broken tail light lens, there are lights at all 4 corners. headlights high and low beam, tail lights, and brake lights. No turn signal action yet, nor parking light bulbs up front.
Never owned a Volvo of any kind but I do like these old ones so I'll subscribe. Just as an anecdote I live in the small city where all Volvo gearboxes were made back in the day, including the one in your car.
I got a lead on a Henry J once. Good directions and they said the Henry was next to a 57 Chevy convertable sinking in the dirt. I found the place and saw the 57, but next to it was one of those Volvos. I guess they're kinda,sorta similar. Gary
Bosch, mostly. Highly hacked by previous owners. PNW. Stars and ends in Tacoma at the LaMay museum. Go down to Bend OR, up to Astoria OR, then back.
They look like HS6. Largish carb, 1 3/4”. If the floats are working put some oil in the dashpot damper, check the piston rises and falls freely and that’s about it.
A buddy of mine in auto/diesel college had one he picked up for $300 in 1974. It was in extremely good shape. He later got killed crossing the street in 1976 by a hit and run driver.
so far they're working pretty well. Might be a bit rich, as it starts right up cold without enrichment (although "cold" means 90f ambient) I did pull one damper up, it is full of oil. I'm still debating whether to take the car on a trip. I'm going to DMV to get ***le/reg in a little while, and then take it for a bit longer drive out on the highway and see how it feels. Steering is a little bit "wandery", the idler is loose, although I think that only affects it much when it's sitting on stands, there's probably something else loose too, although I haven't found it yet. Needs some tires, three of them are 2007, one is new. And the brakes are iffy...they work ok. but the MC seems sticky, I can't get the lid off it. They are the same MC as postwar Jeeps, there's an old jeep place in Tucson that opens at 10am, that I'll call and see if they stock the mc or kit for it. If so, that might be the deciding factor. Pretty strange way to make a decision. I also have to make sure it is cooling ok. A long grade from the river back home usually gives some clues about that, although it won't be really hot today, only in the 90s. I expect well over 100 on the way to Vegas tomorrow, going through Phoenix.
Had a nice one of those in the ‘80s. We also had a Datsun 510 at the same time and they were about as fast. Also worked on one in the ‘60s doing a small block Chevy swap - not much Volvo was left or room for your feet.
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