I'm new in here, and saying 'Hi'

[pphilpot]

Hi all – I'm a 740/V40/S40/S60 owner with the only latter two still on the driveway. My S40 needs next to no mechanical attention, but my S60 needs constant love and affection, and still it throws a fit. So after recently replacing the clutch and DMF on it, I thought that I may as well own a classic with the amount of work required by the S60. And then I thought about it more – while the S60 is comfortable and smooth, it's really soulless in comparison to a classic.

So now I fancy an Amazon – I want to drive a car that feels like a machine again (I've previously had 2 VW Beetles - which both had 'character', you know, where the inside of the windscreen freezes in winter, the wipers can't cope, and you can't really tell if the headlights are on at night).

This is only a recent interest, so I've a lot to learn, so I may pop in here to ask some pretty basic questions/advice while I look around for one. Hope you don't mind.

I'm not a mechanic by trade, and my driveway is my workshop - but I did the S60 clutch/DMF on there, so I guess I can cope with an Amazon - correct?

Thanks

Paul

[amazon69]

Welcome Paul, I'm sure you'll fit right in.

[Faust]

Hello and welcome!

If you're able to tackle clutch & DMF changes on a modern car then an Amazon should provide few challenges for you as they are relatively simple to work on and maintain. I've recently changed all the dampers, springs, front wishbones and polybushed the entire front of my car on the side of the road recently with no major problems (aside from the odd seized bolt or tricky bit of access).

You won't find your windscreen freezing on the inside if you buy an Amazon - the heaters are properly hot! (mine is better than the one on my missus's 1999 V70). My Amazon is my only car so upgrades such halogen headlights etc. tend to make a big difference.

Be warned: some parts are horrendously expensive compared to more popular classics. I've always been a Ford man so paying £350 for a pair or brake discs comes as a bit of a shock (Capri discs go for about 50 quid a pair!). That said, the older Volvos are superbly well engineered (certainly compared to 1970s/80's Fords) that you don't need to buy as many parts.

Watch out for rust around the headlights, on the inner wings, door bottoms and in the usual classic car places. The most important area to check is around the front and rear screens. Proper old fashioned mastic (as well as the rubber seal) has to be used when the screens are fitted or they WILL leak (and even after all that you always seem to get the odd drible after heavy rain). Major leaks here can cause all sorts of chaos with the floorpans, outriggers and screen surrounds (which are supposed to be a swine to repair) so make sure you check them well. Engines and transmissions tend to be pretty tough, so the bodywork - as with most classics - is the deal breaker. That said, Amazon's are made from good quality steel and were well undersealed from the factory so major problems seem to be pretty rare.

Good luck in your quest for Amazon ownership and you won't regret it: they handle pretty well, are surprisingly quick and I've never known a car that generates such positive attention for the general public.

Mike

[pphilpot]

Thanks Mike. I see (from here: http://www.classicvolvoparts.co.uk/parts.asp?carID=3&cID=49&scID=178) that the brake discs are part of the hub.

Other than those, are most other items semi-reasonable in cost, and relatively obtainable? I've read that genuine Volvo oil filters are a must to preserve engine life (due to an inbuilt valve I think) - is this the case, and do Volvo still actually supply them?

I've read that the gearbox is solid, so practically unbreakable, but roughly what mileage do engines tend to start to need looking at? 100,000? 150,000? or am I being overly optimistic?

Paul

[Underdrive]

Welcome to the forum (and hopefully Amazon ownership), engine life like any other car will depend on use, service intervals, oil quality and length of time left standing. But these engines have the potential to exceed 150,000 to maybe 250,000, and some members on here will probably quote even higher mileages. Two things people often forget to mention in buying advise are bumpers and dashtops. Bumpers were originally well made but no chrome lasts forever and corners in particular tend to rot the most. New bumpers (chromed steel and stainless) are available but expect to part with over £600 for them. Dashtops tend to suffer from cracking of the vinyl and new replacements have just become available again but at a high price (I forget how much) although you can still run a car with a scruffy dash! Even a pair of wings will set you back over £700, but other than these items the majority of parts are easily sourced and reasonably priced. Hope I haven't put you off but fore warned and all that....

[pphilpot]

Thanks Underdrive. I may get rid of my S60 and keep the S40 as our main car. I work from home, so a second car is really a hobby, and the S60 is an expensive hobby for not much fun. If I replace it with an Amazon, costs may increase slightly I guess, the amount of work won't (too much, anyway), and it won't depreciate in value like the S60.

[Faust]

Brookhouse supply the correct oil filter, and yes, a non-return valve is essential as it prevent oil starvation on start-up (Simon from Brookhouse has a very good reputation around these parts - excellent service and he's always willing to help).

As uUnderive says, with engine life I would have thought the 'how long is a piece of string' equation comes into play: if an engine has had regular oil changes and has been looked after, then circa 200k miles should easily be achievable… if it's been neglected and/or thrashed then the life will be substantially less. But I wouldn't worry too much about engine life. Engines are relatively cheap and easy to work on (compared to bodywork, anyway) and shouldn't give many problems if you look after 'em.

Brake drums cost a bit, and original trim can be pricey but most service parts are not too expensive. Set of plus will cost you a tenner, but that nice big rubber mat that covers the front foot wells and transmission tunnel is 300 odd quid.

Look at it this way: some parts are pricey, but the tax is free, insurance is cheap (I pay aprox £80 fully comp with all my many mods declared) and the cars are depreciation proof (and are actually going up in value) so the odd expensive part or repair is a small price to pay. As an example: I had my front wings replaced recently along with the inners. Paint, labour and parts came to just under £2000. BUT when I had my last Ford (a modified Sierra XR4x4) insurance was about 450 a year and tax was about 250. My wings etc. will have 'increased' the value of my car where the tax & insurance money on a newer car just disappears into a black hole.

[volvogv]

I've read that the gearbox is solid, so practically unbreakable, but roughly what mileage do engines tend to start to need looking at? 100,000? 150,000? or am I being overly optimistic?

Paul

I think you're being very conservative actually. My engine has never been overhauled and it's just now developing problems after 52 years on the road. Just to give you an idea how tough these engines are, I have one dead cylinder......I mean ZERO compression, but It still runs great on only 3 cylinders. It will still drive at freeway speeds and even pass other cars! Try that with a modern Volvo. I can't wait to see how it runs after the overhaul is complete!

You will have some work to do, but an Amazon with a good drivetrain and rebuilt suspension is a joy to drive.

Mike

[cam]

Hi Paul and welcome mate:thumbs_up:

[niveketak]

Hi Paul

Welcome and all I can say is just do it, buy one and enjoy the challenge, its character building

Kevin

[pphilpot]

, its character building

Thanks Kevin. I thought that's what my S60 was doing for me :)

[woodman]

When we bought our Amazon we needed an automatic, as my wife had broken her left knee, and it was between an Amo and an S60. I'm glad we chose the Amo now!....

I bumped in to someone the other day who used to work for Volvo at the end of the 60s when they were still building Amazons, and he banged on for 10 minutes about how they're the best cars Volvo ever made and how they were the best cars on the road at the time. After 6 years of having an Amazon as the family car, and 35,000 miles added to the clock, I'm tempted to agree with him.

The most useful modifications I've made have been halogen headlights, poly bushes and automatic seatbelts.

The only thing I would warn against is inferior parts. Simon at Brookhouse does an amazing job, but even he is limited by the quality of the parts that are out there. I've been through 4 alternators, two sets of rear suspension bushes, about 25 rubber exhaust hangers, and the worst thing was a cracked piston only 10,000 miles after engine rebuild. Simon has since changed his supplier of pistons, but that one cracked piston has cost me a lot of money one way or another. It would have been much better for me to have chosen what Simon called 'the really expensive pistons that no-one seems to ask for' first time.

Good luck!

[MikeKiernan]

Hi Paul,

A little like you, I have driven modern Volvos for a while, and also decided to embark upon the Amazon journey.

I'm sure you might already have noticed Tony and Robert Whitton not far from you........I bought my Amazon from them and I'm so pleased I did. Not being a bodywork sort of person, it is really comforting to know the shell has been properly repaired. I can enjoy the fiddly fixes....!

Best of luck,

Mike