how long you had yours?

[mattsale]

anyone owned there amazon prior to july 1986?

[Amazonites]

we've only had ours 2 years, in 1986 i was only 14 and had a chopper.





Ian.

[Lucien]

I think December 86. Will check!

[mattsale]

I must say that I have not used mine for 5 years now I have a child . the 850 (,sorry)has been much more practical but what with the possibility of a head gasket going, I am dreaming of those noisy drives on motorway again in an Amazon estate.

[222s]

I've had my Amazon for 7 years now, and it had been in the family for 8 years prior to that.

I am dreaming of those noisy drives on motorway again in an Amazon estate.

They're much quieter with overdrive - 80mph is less than 4000 rpm, instead of being 5000 rpm.

[TomG]

i'm pretty sure i'm comin up to 5 years, or six, i get mixed up. In '86 i was 4 and runnin bare foot across the plains of Africa

[Alf ista]

I got mine about a year ago. Why July '86 exactly?

[mattsale]

only asked si bought mine in 86. wondered how long people were keeping them for. when people say there were four, i feel kinda old!

[Alf ista]

Thats really impressive. You must have a lot of memories with that car. Anyway, its all relative, I was 16 in '86. I bought my second car in 1991, it was an Alfasud. I still have it too, tucked away in the garage all covered in dust and boxes.... Has your Amazon been on the road all that time?

[asneddon]

Only had my 1800 for about a year ( 7 months on the road now), but I have a 244 back in NZ that my mother got in '79. I inherited it in about '89 and managed to put 558,000Kms on the clock before retiring it to my grandmothers driveway with a leaking gearbox.

Only things that ever broke on the 244 was:
1 diaphram for the stromberg
1 hand brake button
1 rear silencer
1 seal for the auto box, never fully diagnosed as I had moved on to other things by then.

[archieboy69]

Ive had mine 8 years 3 months now, in 86 i was 17 and learning to drive in a green Volvo 340, back then i would had never thought i would have Volvo love :-)

[biggles24]

I have a 1968 120 estate and have had it for 35 years,bought in 1974.
It is my daily driver and an old friend.
biggles24

[gillberry]

We've had our gracie since feb this year and she is so wonderful she is here to stay .

[222s]

I have a 1968 120 estate and have had it for 35 years,bought in 1974.
It is my daily driver and an old friend.
biggles24

I would have said that this would be the record in the club, had I not been chatting with someone at the BKV who bought his '66 estate when it was two years old!

[devsxc90]

I have had my 2004 xc90 AWD for only 3 days now and love it to death!

[mattsale]

I have a 1968 120 estate and have had it for 35 years,bought in 1974.
It is my daily driver and an old friend.
biggles24
hats off to biggles. i am seriously impressed with that ! 35 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

now that to me,. is cool. what mileage has it got?

[mattsale]

Thats really impressive. You must have a lot of memories with that car. Anyway, its all relative, I was 16 in '86. I bought my second car in 1991, it was an Alfasud. I still have it too, tucked away in the garage all covered in dust and boxes.... Has your Amazon been on the road all that time?
working on a central london p.o. counter and issuing a tax disc to a woman with an estate version is how i became aware of these cars.
also loved american graffitti film and decided the nearest i was ever gonna get to a 55 chevy (fastest car in the vally) is to buy one of these.
memories include going downhill with a tail wind over 90! hurrumph. never acheived that again!

[biggles24]

I am seriously disenchanted with you Paul(222s) with you finding a contender
when there could be a Mars Bar or a tube of Smarties riding on this!
I hope to move the goalposts a bit in my favour and hope Mattsale will be the judge.
I had a 120 saloon,prior to the estate.It was a 1963.Ibought it in 1967 and still had it when I bought the estate although it was not a runner.So,if we move to continuous 120 ownership,rather than just one car,I may yet claim the Mars Bar,with Mattsale's approval!
As to Mattsale's question re mileage.I havent a clue because I have overhauled engine and gearbox and swapped instruments etc for better items and my remaining two brain cells wouldnt know where to start!
Finally,Paul, I hope you fitted those Grose Jets and cured the prop shaft noise too.
Mattsale you will never know how happy you made an ancient by declaring him "COOL". Regards, John (biggles24)

[ClassicVolvoShop]

John,
That wont count - 'cause then I'll clame the years I dreamed of the Amazon!!

[222s]

I am seriously disenchanted with you Paul(222s) with you finding a contender
when there could be a Mars Bar or a tube of Smarties riding on this!
I hope to move the goalposts a bit in my favour and hope Mattsale will be the judge.
I had a 120 saloon,prior to the estate.It was a 1963.Ibought it in 1967 and still had it when I bought the estate although it was not a runner.So,if we move to continuous 120 ownership,rather than just one car,I may yet claim the Mars Bar,with Mattsale's approval!
As to Mattsale's question re mileage.I havent a clue because I have overhauled engine and gearbox and swapped instruments etc for better items and my remaining two brain cells wouldnt know where to start!
Finally,Paul, I hope you fitted those Grose Jets and cured the prop shaft noise too.
Mattsale you will never know how happy you made an ancient by declaring him "COOL". Regards, John (biggles24)

He's not on the forum, so you're still ahead on here ;) :D

I think that the leaking needle valve was caused by vibration, due to a very low idle and the D cam. The front U/J is definitely stuffed (probably not helped by a knackered engine mount either), so fingers crossed that it is the cause of the noise. Going to take the prop off next week and then get all the U/Js replaced and the whole thing fully balanced. If all goes to plan, the moment of truth will be next weekend....

[222s]

John,
That wont count - 'cause then I'll clame the years I dreamed of the Amazon!!

What about mine having been in my family's & my ownership for more than half my life? ;) It arrived when I was 13 - I'm now 29, so I can remember it being around for a lot longer than I can recall it not being there!

[agent_strangelove]

Well I have personally had my '65 122 since summer of '92. But it was custom ordered new by my Great-grandmother spring of '65. She traded in her '56 444 on it. When she passed away in spring of '71, my grandmother (original owners daughter) drove it till I was given it in '92. The car has now covered about 320,000 miles.

I know of two cars locally that are still owned by the original owners: One is a '66 wagon (220) that was custom ordered new. It has covered about 700,000 miles. It's been off the road for a couple of years since it's getting a frame off restoration. The gal that owns it is about 70 and is very picky about getting the exact nuts and bolts her car left the factory with. It will be a 100 pt. show car when she is done some time this summer/fall.

The other one owner car locally is a '63 1800. It belongs to a guy who is about 90 now. He no longer drives but he has his mechanic come over and start the car up and drive it every couple of months. At least once a year the mechanic loads the owner up in the car and brings the owner and car to a local Volvo club gathering.

[Alf ista]

Great stories those! Can you imagine how hard it would be to work on the car for that old lady? Even putting in a new bolt would cause heartache...

[1966 122s]

It'll be at least 30 years before I'll be in for a shout on the long ownership record. I'll check the post again in 2039.

I've had my 122s about 2 years with a previous 122s owned 1992 to 1994. I used the previous 122s as my daily driver for 15000 miles with only a snapped fan belt (Christmas eve on the motorway). I got rid of it for "something more relaible"...A Ford Orion which then broke down more times than I can remember.

I even moved house with the first 122s twice using it as the ony transport.... I didn' t have much stuff in those days !

I was stopped in a car park again recently to be told "those were the first cars to be fitted with 3 point seat belts" by a 60 year old observer. This is now the third time I've been told this by 60 to 70 year old strangers... Must have been well advertised in the 60s !

[Moosejaw]

I've just insured mine for the second time, having bought it in June last year.
Cost me £88, God I love old motors!! :thumbs_up:

[Mike Arnold]

I bought mine off my father for 10p in 1980. It was a family run-about that he bought in 1974 and he was going to give it to me but my stepmother said, "He's earning a wage, he ought to pay for it." That wage was £30pw! So my father said 10p. You have never seen money change hands so fast.

It has done about 200,000 miles now.

[archieboy69]

Ive had mine 8 years 3 months now, in 86 i was 17 and learning to drive in a green Volvo 340, back then i would had never thought i would have Volvo love :-)

And to add i bought mine of its 1st owner, he had it for 31 years, not the longest but not bad.

[mattsale]

I am seriously disenchanted with you Paul(222s) with you finding a contender
when there could be a Mars Bar or a tube of Smarties riding on this!
I hope to move the goalposts a bit in my favour and hope Mattsale will be the judge.
I had a 120 saloon,prior to the estate.It was a 1963.Ibought it in 1967 and still had it when I bought the estate although it was not a runner.So,if we move to continuous 120 ownership,rather than just one car,I may yet claim the Mars Bar,with Mattsale's approval!
As to Mattsale's question re mileage.I havent a clue because I have overhauled engine and gearbox and swapped instruments etc for better items and my remaining two brain cells wouldnt know where to start!
Finally,Paul, I hope you fitted those Grose Jets and cured the prop shaft noise too.
Mattsale you will never know how happy you made an ancient by declaring him "COOL". Regards, John (biggles24)
i think you deserve as many Mars as it is possible to eat!

[biggles24]

Hello mattsale
Since you started this I reckon you are entitled to award Mars Bars even if I am slightly biased in this matter.
Regards,
John (biggles 24)

[Triple-S]

Yesterday was clear-up day in the dining-room before redecorating, and I found my tatty old VOC membership card for 1986 behind a table leg. I joined after getting my Amazon estate, which I still have (currently stored as I am using my 164 right now).

However, last year I bought a project 1-owner 121 before it went for scrap: it came complete with original purchase invoice and servicing records. I now have the car running prior to its visit to the welders for sill work and new inner front wings. One owner 1965 - 2008 isn't bad but I bet there are lots that can beat that.

[jakobandhismakarov]

In 1986 I was three and still living in Huddersfield.

My car at that time lived in London, I think. Its days of travelling around Europe for Reuters had long since gone.

I've had my 121 since late 2006.

[ClassicVolvoShop]

...Huddersfield....


Ever in trouble with the Sheriff? :D

(The Sheriff of Huddersfield, Iron Maiden, just springs to my mind there..)

[pez]

an old thread i know!! just noticed it!!
my amazon estate was bought by my grandad in 1970,and been in the family ever since!