1964 Volvo 1800S

1964 Volvo Other Description:

This car is crying out to be put back to its original glory. Are you the right person to take on the stewardship of this car?

One of the most striking color combinations and a great year. 1964 was a transitional year for the 1800 as the production moved from Jensen Motorworks in the UK to Gothenburg Sweden. It carried forward some of the nice styling cues from the Jensens while improving the build quality.

This is a very desirable 1964 Volvo 1800S. It originally was a California car, making its way to Missouri in 2011. There it was kept safely in a garage until earlier this year. I pulled it out, went through it thoroughly and got it operational. It’s originally a color code 80 (Graphite or Battleship Gray) with a Red Leather/Red Carpet interior (Uphostery Code 307-265). Actual mileage of the car is unknown.

Along the way, the car was painted black and the original interior was swapped out for a later model 1800S. The B18B was replaced with a B20B. The motor runs great and has compression between 150 and 160 on all cylinders. It’s fitted with a set of freshly rebuilt SU HS6 2-Bolt (correct for the model year) carburetors. The original exhaust manifold has been replaced with a 4 into 1 header. The remainder of the exhaust system, although not stock, has a nice resonance and appears to be leakfree.

The clutch and the drivetrain on the car seem good. Due to questionable tires and sketchy brakes, I’ve only driven thru 1st and 2nd gear, as well as reverse. I cannot attest to the condition of the overdrive as I’ve never engaged it (although it is the correct D-Type Laycock for the model year).

The main thing to look for on these cars is rust, and this car has some. There is rust in the rockers (mainly driver’s side) and behind the rear wheels. The most difficult area to address on these is the frame rails. Fortunately the frame rails on this car look to be as solid as the day it rolled off the assembly line. There is one area of the passenger floor that has rust through right along the outer edge. This is likely due to water getting into the car and sitting on the floor, rusting from the inside out. A telling feature is how a car responds when it’s on jackstands and the mass of weight is forward of the jack points. On this car, the doors shut as soundly as they do when the car is on four wheels.

The trunk floors are solid. One area has some surface rust, but there is no rust through. The front and rear valance are straight and good. The rear valance is showing some bubbling.

Another troublesome area for these cars is the front nose. These typically do not fare well in front end crashes. The nose on this car looks to be straight and never involved in any serious accidents. The bumper brackets still align perfectly with the hole in the front valance. This is a good indication of a straight car. It's also not uncommon for rust to appear around the headlights. This area of the body is solid and has no indication of rust.

Another common failure point on these cars is the hood hinges. These often rust solid, requiring the hood to be forced open. The ones on this car operate smoothly and there is no evidence the hood has ever been forced open.

There are a few dings on the car, the most significant being a scrape starting on the driver’s door and continuing to in front of the rear wheel.

This car retains the original cow horn bumpers. One of the front bumpers has a crease in it. A full set of straight bumpers is included in the sale.

The electricals on the car show many years of good intentions but poor execution. There are lots of hacks and splices in the electrical system and it needs to be completely gone through. The original ignition has been replaced with an early Allison electronic ignition(later to become the Crane Fireball). The ignition switch has been replaced with a generic and a push button starter has been added.

The tach, wipers, fan motor and a few other gauges work, as do the headlights, taillights, brake lights, and turn signals. The glass is clear and largely scratch free. The interior will need to be completely replaced. The seats, while from a later model, have the very desireable Recaro brackets. These were available as dealer installed options for a few years before they were included as standard equipment on the 70 and 71 1800E.

The car has new calipers in the front and new brake cylinders in the rear. A number of new suspension parts (e.g. ball joints, front shocks, some bushings) have been replaced.

The 1800s have been appreciating in value significantly over the past few years. The 61-64 seem to be demonstrating the steepest climb. Fully restored, Hagerty currently values the 1964 model over $43,000.

Here is a link to 100+ pictures of the car from every angle as well as the undercarriage. It’s evident the car has benefited from a life in California and inside storage once it arrived in Missouri. https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNAHIOH1nxalLTz96LrXmLe91lnw1BcXmFu_g2zdXMVdEpAx6Wjb4RbWwe4eOt4Xw?key=aHdqd1VqenNKTWxEcHdldHdKR1Q2eHZ0WGZQaGx3