New (to me) 1963 Volvo 122
 

I've been dabbling in the 200 section with the Royal Barge (a 1980 244) for several years, and have occasionally ventured into this section for maintenance advice on a P1800ES I look after (Delores). Now I have joined the Amazon set - this is my new project.

Yesterday morn the RB and I drove down to Bedford to see his Great Aunt Maud - she is a generation or so older than the RB, being a 1963 122 - B18D motor with a M41 gearbox and D type overdrive (an addition). GAM's owner was a thoroughly decent chap (David - a lapsed member of this forum).

It was love at first sight for the RB and his GAM, so I'm really pleased to say the motor car will be coming home to live with us today.

https://i.imgur.com/OUZAstYh.jpg

The motor car (ABD984A) appeared in the press a decade ago:

https://i.imgur.com/j1oVAPqh.jpg

GAM is very elegant for its years, but has a few issues which make it unsuitable for David to persevere with, but entirely apposite for me (being retired with plenty of time and space for one more project before my dotage). The biggest problem is a hole big enough to get my index finger into in the OS front chassis rail. I'll get the car up on some ramps on Saturday and have a better look. I'm not all that concerned about this because that box section is made of pretty thick steel (I would guess about 2 mm) and doesn't show. I'll cut out the bad stuff and ugly weld some new stuff in the next couple of weeks.

The bottoms of the rear doors are rusted through - the right side worse than the left. The good news in that GAM came with two pristine rear doors (from dry state USA):

https://i.imgur.com/0m8uP2Ph.jpg

... I still have a choice - either fix the existing doors and patch paint (plus sell the pristine ones) or have the pristine pair painted, swap over the furniture and fit them. I see that Brookhouse Volvo sell repair panels for the bottoms of the rear doors for about £100/side, which would fix the problem, but then I'd still have to get some redecorating done, which would cost much the same as having the US doors sprayed. I'll take a view on that issue some time next in the next few weeks.

The windscreen seal leaks a bit on the passenger side where the rubber has perished. I'm thinking I'll probably try a silicone sealant fix from the outside rather than have the screen removed as the chance of breaking it would be high - and that would be a catastrophe.

The paint under the windscreen on the driver's side of the windscreen has blown out a bit - so there may be some rust underneath. I'll wait for better weather and have a better look in the spring - then take a view on what to do.

There is an oil leak - a pet hate of mine. It looks like it may be coming from the gearbox, but I'll have a better look at the weekend. It is all so simple under the motor car that I could probably have the gearbox off in an hour, so even that wouldn't be much of a drama.

There will of course be a myriad of bits and pieces that I discover over the next couple of months. David described the car well and pointed me to the major faults.

The front suspension looks like it could do with taking apart and new bushes, dampers and springs putting in (a set of nearly new springs came with the motor car) - I bought a bearing press recently so that will only be a day or so's work. I watched a very good Wheeler Dealers episode the other day where Ant did exactly that work on a 122 - it looks easy enough.

The rest looks good. The paint is generally good, the rest of the body looks fine, the motor pulls well with no smoking, the gearbox and clutch work fine, the brakes will lock the wheels (either good brakes or rubbish tyres), the electrics work(it has an alternator conversion and halogen headlamps).

Overall I'm feeling smug - GAM is exactly what I was looking for. This may be my last project, I have 18 months until my son finishes his A levels and this is the ideal thing: a runner and rider with a bit of work required to make it nice.

This bit is important: the project aim and scope. I am not (under any circumstances) going to do a full restoration - that would cost £15,000 and take 3 years - and I have no desire to own a show car. I have 18 months and about £1,500 to make a nice driver. It will never be as practical as the RB (which is staying of course) but I think it will be fun and satisfying to make get GAM up to scratch and perhaps make a few subtle improvements.

Any advice on the Aunt Maud project would be gratefully received.

:-)

Alan

PS. I have insured the GAM (One Call with whom I already insure the RB) for only £97 - including breakdown insurance plus a £40 loyalty discount off the RB's renewal premium in February!

PPS. No apologies for plagiarising much of the above from a preview I'd posted in the 200 section previously.

Screen out,fix the rusty lips in the corners......new paint ....job done ....simples😜

Super duper, exactly the advice I need. I'm guessing it is easy enough to remove the screen without breaking it?

I'm wondering whether it would be possible to fit a modern rubber seal like the RB has and so banish leaks forever?

Alan

Well done, Alan. I think a typo may have crept into the thread title - either that, or you have the latest Amazon in existence ! :regular_smile:

Regards, John.

Eeeek! No matter, we’ll have to live with that for the next 18 months at least.

:-)

PS. I worked out how to correct that and feel quite proud of myself in doing so without Dan’s help!

Well done again!

There is a book which you may find helpful as you get to know your new car, Alan. I have a copy of it on my shelves which you would be most welcome to borrow should you be unable to source your own.

It is entitled "Essential Volvo 120 series and P1800" (The cars and their story 1956 - 73) by Anders Ditlev Clausager, published 1996 by Bay View Books ISBN 1 870979 74 5.

It is quite a comprehensive little volume and features the history, description and analysis of each model, with specifications, performance data and production figures.

Best wishes for your new project!

Regards, John.

A "holistic" thought on the windscreen surround, doors etc Alan - no doubt you'll have the bumpers off at some point to clean, derust and apply grease/clear Waxoyl/similar to the "hidden" side of the bumpers and no doubt there will be other small places where you notice little bits of rust that will mar the paintwork when you repair them.

Based on the excellent suggestion about removing the screen and repairing the surround then refitting the screen, i would suggest waiting to decide on the doors (and whatever else may transpire) until you've found everything. It may be more cost-effective to have a few patches of primer adorning GAM until all remedial work is done then buy some paint and create a paint booth and give it a complete respray.

I believe new windscreen rubber seals are available (made from modern rubber) but obviously the regulars in this section can advise further on that.

It's nearly a 60 year old car so there will always be something to do but it looks like you have a very nice machine to start with there and it's a different animal to the RB which as you have pointed out elsewhere, wears its 41 year old patina very well.

Good luck with it all and looking forward to the updates on here! :thumbs_up:

Looks marvellous. A friend's Dad had a red Amazon in the late '70s and even then it looked like it was from a bygone age. Amazing things, always had a soft spot for them. The very definition of a practical classic - he was still running it as a daily in the early '90s, and it wouldn't surprise me if it's still about today.

It looks just the ticket. Nice, solid and presentable, but still a few bits to keep you occupied. I quite fancy an Amazon, 144 or 164 myself this year.

There isn’t but Gordon Hunter did a good article to how to replace and seal the screen; https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=63825

Best of luck with this Alan! There was a bit of a lump forming in my throat as I watched you drive away but I'm glad my (now former) car is in such good hands.

This forum has been invaluable over my years as an Amazon owner, so my most sincere thanks go to all whom have helped and contributed their wisdom to my various threads.

David

Apparently so Alan :

https://classicvolvorestoration.eu/p...-volvo-amazon/

It's a USA site so the price came up in US$ at first. Then a pop-up appeared - "It would appear you're in the UK, switch to UK site?"

Clicked Yes and the only thing that really changed was the currency - to Euros! :err:

They also list the rear screen rubber, door/side window glass rubbers etc.
Other Amazon owners might be interested in that too! :thumbs_up:

Handy spot, that mate!😋

Brookhouse sell the rubber seals; https://www.classicvolvoparts.co.uk/...ar_Windscreens

With the price and hassle of now getting parts from the EU you are best off contacting Brookhouse, Simon will be able to get the parts and will work out cheaper.

Thank you David,

The Amazon is a really nice car. We were talking when I got the motor car home and concluded that I'm ever forced to choose between the RB and Aunt Maud that will be a really difficult choice!

Very best wishes, do keep in touch.

Alan

Aunt Maud At Home
 

I collected Aunt Maud from David's house today. I really enjoyed the drive back home - it was about 30 miles along the A6 and A14, so mixed single and dual carriageways with few villages thrown in for good measure. It was very much the 1960s driving experience, but none the worse for that. Everything works more or less the way it should - the brakes could probably do with a bit of improvement (probably just the drums need taking apart and putting back together properly - and maybe the hydraulics bleeding), the front suspension and steering need a bit of a refresh and a set of new tyres might be a good idea. Apart from those things everything is pretty good.

The Amazon looks pretty cool next to the RB - I would be really hard pushed to choose between them (which is a strong statement - I really like the RB):

https://i.imgur.com/7Z4UfxSh.jpg

David kindly donated some really useful spares to the project. I need to get a new tyre for the spare (I think a 165/80R15 will be the nearest modern equivalent that will fit) - probably tomorrow. The spares pile also included a rear hub puller, so I'll be able to check out those drums.

https://i.imgur.com/Ipb4NJTh.jpg

Aunt Maud is a mighty fine looking motor car:

https://i.imgur.com/zT8HeMYh.jpg

... I'm still a bit concerned about the rust in the OS front chassis leg. I had a quick look around before it got dark and regret to report that hole is quite significant. I'll probably end up replacing about 6" of the horizontal surface but I think the vertical walls may be okay. In that case I think I'll get away with a welded patch plus a bit of reinforcing. I'll have a better look with it up on some ramps tomorrow.

There is a bit of rust appearing just behind the OS wheel arch:

https://i.imgur.com/DMMBnIDh.jpg

... I'll scrub that down and give it a good coat of Hamerite paint for the time being. As Dave said above, I'll wait until all the repairs are done then paint everything that needs doing at the same time.

I really like the interior of the motor car, almost everything is in really good order:

https://i.imgur.com/STTlwPIh.jpg

... the only exception is the dash pad which is split in a few places. Brookhouse Volvo sells a replacement for about £250, which is a bit steep for some foam and vinyl plus a tube of glue. I'm tending to think I may leave it as part of the vehicle's patina.

So far my list of jobs to do on GAM (more or less in order) is:

1. Fix the chassis rail.
2. Get a spare tyre fitted.
3. Fix the windscreen seal with some black silicone (see how effective it is).
4. Fit a Bluetooth receiver/amplifier module and some speakers hidden under the dash - the motor car has never had a radio fitted and still has the original delete plate. To fit a radio now would ruin it.
5. Check the fuel sender and float - the gauge jumps around a bit at the moment.
6. Fix the oil leak - although strangely I couldn't find much oil under the engine this eve. I've left a sheet of cardboard underneath to see if it has indeed fixed itself. I rather suspect the rubber seal on the oil filler cap may need changing (that solved the problem on Delores - the P1800ES).
7. Oil/filters/plugs/points/coolant service.
8. Check out the rear brakes.
9. Rebuild the front suspension.
10. Patch paint any rusty bodywork with Hamerite - until I decide what to do about redecoration.

I really like this Amazon - I think it will be a really interesting project.

Alan

new amazon
 

Your purchase looks like a good one!
The fuel gauge fluctuating is normal with these cars when your on the move.
Provided it is steady when parked it is nothing to worry about.
Move on to the next job!

Ah! Thank you so much for that, it will save me half a day trying to fix something that isn't broken.

I topped up the tank on the way home and the gauge works fine (when static).

Alan

Gam
 

—————-
You are fortunate to find such a lovely looking and interesting car, I’m sure David will miss her but she is in good hands.

Lovely looking motor, with a bit of history!

Lots of jobs to keep you busy.

“ Fix the windscreen seal with some black silicone”

In regard to that do ensure you’ve got a silicone that is not acetic acid based (vinegar smell). The acetic acid will rot the metal.

Here’s one discussion on topic, an internet search will provide more…..

http://blog.u-pro.co.uk/en/how-to-ch...icone-sealants

Looking forward to your updates.

Thank you so much, that is exactly the sort of advice I need.

Alan

Do you think that is just the standard rubber seal that the metal trim fits into like Brookhouse Volvo sells Dave, or is it the more modern type like I have on the RB?

Alan

Two Reminders To Myself
 

No apology for using this thread as a journal of my ownership of Aunt Maud. There are two items that the PO told me of that need sorting in the fullness of time.

1. The speedometer reads a bit slow because it has the wrong gearing from the OD unit. This needs changing one day.

2. The Type D OD works on all the gears at the moment (rather than just top as it should). This is because the inhibitor switch isn't fitted - the switch is in the spares box but the hole it goes into needs tapping with the correct thread (M16x1.5).

These are both jobs that need doing one day when I take the gearbox out.

I'll use this thread to catalogue my inventory of spares, survey known issues and start recording fixes from later on today. Any comments on posts with advice (particularly telling me I've got something wrong!) would be much appreciated.

Alan

Thank you John,

That book (Essential Volvo 120 series and P1800) has been out of print for 25 years and so is only available second-hand, so perhaps I may ask you if I may borrow you copy some time?

Best wishes,

Alan

Early History
 

I thought readers might enjoy this little piece of wonderfulness I found whilst sorting through Aunt Maud's documents box this morn (I always get up early - it is a habit from the Army I just can't break, but I do get a lot done when there is no one else around at 05:00):

https://i.imgur.com/7tng1IAh.jpg

The original driver's handbook and the original service and warranty book. The handbook is appended in manuscript on the last page with the first owner's name, nearest dealer and car information (such as the paint colour being Volvo 46). The service record is stamped up to 1969 - and both are in the Volvo plastic folder that would have come with the motor car.

Now that is priceless :-)

PS. I've just found this Volvo paint code list (a VOC document) that confirms GAM is still in her original colour (as I suspected):

https://www.volvoclub.org.uk/paint_colour_codes.shtml

46 Red
Amazon 1962-70
1800S 1963–1969
1800E 1970–1972
1800ES 1972–1973
140
PV544

... wonderful!

A PU sealant/ filler such as Sikaflex EBT is what the screen needs. As mentioned, silicone sealants excrete acetic acid and H2O, an unfortunate mix when trapped behind rubber and held against steel.

Im hoping to see lots of pictures and write ups as the work progresses on this one.

With pleasure, Alan. PM sent. :regular_smile:

Regards, John.

I wouldn’t worry too much about the fuel gauge, it’s as good as it gets. Soon after I bought the car I replaced the sender in the tank as the gauge was flying between empty and full whilst driving.

I tested the dash read out with a resistance decade box and it’s perfect. The new sender improved things to where they are now so I don’t think you’ll be able to do much more with it.

When I worked at the power station, I had one of our summer interns try and build me a resistance damping unit using an Arduino single board computer. Unsurprisingly they weren’t actually many plant sensors based on a float moving a potentiometer wiper(!) but I thought it was an interesting project nonetheless! We bought the bits but unfortunately he never finished it. It shouldn’t be too difficult a project for the right person.

Regarding the o/drive inhibitor switch not fitted and o/drive working in all gears.
Place this at the top of your fix list.
If you have the o/drive switched on with the solenoid energised, reversing the car will trash the o/drive.
An easy to do expensive mistake. This is one reason for having the inhibit switch. O/drive must be inhibited except in 4th gear.

Inventory of spare parts
 

This post is mainly for my own use to catalogue what spares I have (thank you David):

1. Left rear door:

https://i.imgur.com/NvBH5Dhh.jpg

2. Right rear door:

https://i.imgur.com/sgSVRy1h.jpg

3. Rear door glass (x2).

https://i.imgur.com/Xkmqkfhh.jpg

4. Front springs:

https://i.imgur.com/FMnGIgrh.jpg

5. heater and heat exchanger complete:

https://i.imgur.com/yqOdRXVh.jpg

6. Rear hub puller tool:

https://i.imgur.com/WhZ8IUgh.jpg

7. Hub caps:

https://i.imgur.com/aTnTQhth.jpg

8. PAS pump - I have no idea what this fits :-)

https://i.imgur.com/cMdFVqlh.jpg

9. Various chromed trim pieces:

https://i.imgur.com/VsXm3o9h.jpg

10. Quarterlight:

https://i.imgur.com/rQfPvvNh.jpg

11. Old clutch cylinders (new ones are fitted:

https://i.imgur.com/PFwlF1ah.jpg

12. Radiator blind (for -30C use only!):

https://i.imgur.com/szb8y9lh.jpg

13. Oil filters:

https://i.imgur.com/9P7AI65h.jpg

14. Window seal (windscreen?):

https://i.imgur.com/w6f1ZDNh.jpg

15. O/D inhibitor switch.

https://i.imgur.com/32g2PoCh.jpg

16. Distributer cap and points:

https://i.imgur.com/lmT8gyyh.jpg

17. Quarterlights:

https://i.imgur.com/ezu63vqh.jpg

18. Door locks:

https://i.imgur.com/dkEIep9h.jpg

19. Regulator:

https://i.imgur.com/tDaZuQsh.jpg

20. Rear mud flaps:

https://i.imgur.com/HomnXPZh.jpg

21. Rear shut panels:

https://i.imgur.com/gTymRUgh.jpg

22. Quarterlight seal:

https://i.imgur.com/3i2hX3sh.jpg

23. Door handles:

https://i.imgur.com/XRd0Bpah.jpg

24. Grommets and clips:

https://i.imgur.com/8LKTYZth.jpg

:-)

The PAS pump is for the RB, it was not intended for the Amazon! It was a spare I got when I owned my 240 that I came across yesterday. Thought it would be more use to you than me. It came from a very late model 240 and I believe works.

Oil filters may not fit, they were from my dads old boat engine. I believe the thread and outer diameter is the same though.

No idea to be honest Alan, you'd need to contact the sellers and ask about the type of rubber used in the seal for a definitive answer.



Are you sure the inhibitor switch thread is M16 x 1.5mm? Many threads on Volvos back in the 60s and 70s were Imperial and if memory serves, it's a Laycock-DeNormanville OD unit which was a British thing so the case for an Imperial thread is stronger - 5/8"UNF-16 would be likely, if not something very similar. Worth double-checking before you tap that thread! :thumbs_up:



Another good reason is many OD units can't handle the torque in first and second gears under hard acceleration, however many cars were able to use OD on 3rd and 4th, effectively giving 6 forward speeds - 1st, 2nd, 3rd, OD 3rd, 4th, OD 4th so this could be an option too.



A big capacitor would probably have been quicker and more effective but if it's a characteristic of the car, i'd leave it alone. Each to their own and if Alan wants to damp the movement of the guage there are ways and means without resulting to the hocus-pocus of an Arduino board to create a signal conditioner. The trouble is, the more you try and damp the guage, the more complicated the circuit needs to be, including the meter-drive circuit. A small mechanical damper (friction or pneumatic) attached to the sender unit would probably be easiest to implement but means removing the sender unit from the tank.

Definitely worth double checking, but I was the one that incorrectly tapped the hole to 5/8 UNC based on that very fact. 5/8 UNC outer diameter is something very close to 16mm IIRC, so I just went with it only to find I couldn't screw the switch in.

A helicoil is the professional way to do it, but I've also had some success with two part epoxy based titanium sticks where I've needed to bodge
(https://jenolite.com/product/titaniu...UaAvCYEALw_wcB)

You may find you don't need to drop the gearbox out to get the top plate off. Unscrew and remove the selector from inside the car, then from underneath there may be space to get a stubby screwdriver in and remove the six(?) hold down screws.

It's a bit shameful that I never did this really, as the destruction would be massive should the OD engage in reverse. I used to just pull the wire from the relay (behind the dash) when I sent the car off for an MOT to ensure nobody did the "I wonder what this switch does" trick. With the back axle ratio being standard (non-OD) then the risk of reversing with the OD engaged is actually very low - I only tended to use it on motorways and the like, and if you'd forgotten to disengage it you'd realise before you came to reverse. Excuses...

Initial Reconnaissaance
 

I've put GAM up on some ramps and had a look round this morn, here are are my first thoughts.

This is the hole I was concerned about in the OSF chassis rail:

https://i.imgur.com/FSzxYHVh.jpg

I'm not too worried about this, the rust seems to be quite localised so I think I'll get away with just cutting the the rot out square and welding in a patch to the horizontal plane - the vertical walls seem to be solid enough. I've ordered some steel, but there is no point starting to cut out rust until that arrives so I'll just clean it up and cover it over with some Harry Black to keep the weather out for the next few days.

The oil leak I suspected seems nowhere near as bad as I thought it might be - I'll just keep an eye on it for the time being:

https://i.imgur.com/mqvprFPh.jpg

The top of the engine looks dry, which is good:

https://i.imgur.com/jEEbsaZh.jpg

I can't see much wrong here:

https://i.imgur.com/Co3U2xSh.jpg

The front suspension needs a bit of a bit of a refresh:

https://i.imgur.com/S8uHdiEh.jpg

The heater unit has all been changed, so that should be okay:

https://i.imgur.com/YVdbP5Ah.jpg

The inside of the wings seem solid:

https://i.imgur.com/UERQkqqh.jpg

... and it has an alternator, which will save me having to fit one.

So, all in all there isn't too much that needs doing straight away.

Now I'm off to get a tyre for the spare wheel.

:-)

Seeing that heater unit reminded me of our 121 , “Electrolux” branded one on NNU635D.

Priceless!:teeth_smile:

Ah, thank you. I wondered whether that might have been the case. I'll transfer it over to the RB's spares box.

:-)

many thanks, I've ordered a tube of Sikaflex EBT and Mr Bazos will have it sent round tomorrow.

:-)

Understood, many thanks. I may isolate the relay until I get this sorted - I'm the only driver of the car but...

:-)

The relay isn't in the standard place for an Amazon (which is on the OS wing under the bonnet), it is pushed up behind the dash just above the OD switch. The relay is a lighting relay from a 240. I really wanted the proper OD sequencing relay and planned to connect it instead of the headlight flasher, but never managed to get hold of one.

I also have a vague memory that I chose not to wire it in the standard way (i.e. not in accordance with the Volvo wiring diagram) - IIRC the inhibit switch and the OD engage switch both act on the relay coil (rather than having the inhibit switch break the solenoid connection) as I felt this was better practice as the D type solenoid is quite power hungry. You may even find the inhibit wires are already in position just shorted out, I can't remember (it was over ten years ago).

Very good idea and how it should have been wired from new IMHO because as you rightly point out, the solenoid is power hungry and the inhibitor switch and/or OD engage switch aren't really up to passing that kind of current. :thumbs_up: