Restoring my P1800E
 

I bought a 1970 P1800E a couple of weeks ago with the intent of totally renovating. The car didn't look too bad considering but I knew there was quite a bit of bodging done by one of the previous owners but I'm not too bothered (not yet anyway). I picked the car up from Englandshire and with my lovely wife for company we drove the 550miles up to Aberdeen in Scotland. Apart from needing some oil and loosing a wiper on the highway it was pretty smoothe sailing.

My plan of action is too totally strip the car so I can fix the bodywork (structural and panels), paint it red (was originally red) but as I'm colour blind the wife will be helping here so I don't end up with a green car ;-) , new exterior trim, fix up the interior which isn't too bad but will do with the front seats being re-upholstered and new carpets etc, lower the car with sport springs, bilstein shocks and all new polyeurathane bushings and also get the engine rebuilt and improved so as to produce about 180 to 200BHP. AND all the other things that need attention along the way.

I've been doing research on the internet trying to find parts suppliers in the UK and abroad. I've spoken to Brookhouse Volvo about any potential panels or repair panels that I may need for areas that I can't or are to difficult to fix and I've spoken and been e-mailing KG Trimning in Sweden regarding my engine and suspension upgrades. Both companies have been very helpful and I'm hoping to get my engine and suspensions parts ordered soon so my mechanic can start the engine re-build.

On the weekend I had to set-up my workshop and garage and then pull the motor. All went pretty well apart from discoving my mobile crane hoist that I borrowed from work didn't really have enough oil and started to fade when I had the engine and gearbox raised above the front support member and grill.

This weekend I'll be giving the engine a clean and start stripping the car. We have a wedding on Saturday so probably won't get too much done.

Some pics of the car and getting the engine out:

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Anyone with spare panels to sell please get in touch and any advice will also be great...

Mitch

07507646040

Hi. Looks fairly tidy in the photos and the rust around the indicator shows me that it should have been painted long ago enough to show any other areas of concern. It sounds like you are going to throw a huge amount of money at it. Hope you don't find too many nasties on the way. Best of look

Thanks. I've been saving for the project so hopefully I can get it done in one go and have it back on the road for mid summer. Apart from the engine and interior trim I will do all the work myself so I should save a few pennies.

Hi Mitch,

I'm doing the same sort of thing. Here is a link to some photos of the car so far.

http://community.webshots.com/user/65P1800

Let me know if you think that I can help.

Cheers,

Darren.

Thanks Darren, I'm sure I'll need some advice along the way and good work the car is coming along.

Cheers,

Mitch

Didn't touch the car yesterday which was frustrating, replaced 4 windows in my garage and workshop so it's all watertight now and with winter coming hopefully a bit warmer too.

Today I'm putting in two new fluorescent lights as the lighting in my garage is pitiful, sticking some insulation in the celing and then hopefully start stripping the engine bay in the arvo.

Sounds like a nice project. As you have done some reaserch into the upgrades I'm sure you will be aware that the off the shelf bilsteins are hopeless and you need to have them revalved. Gravel valving will give better control depending on the exact spring rating. For very stiff springs even gravel valving will not work.

I've seen V-performance do re-valved Bilsteins but I've also heard the standard Bilsteins make a big improvement. Have you any recommendations?

Got the new lights up in my garage and workshop. Bit of nasty corrosion on the drivers side front lights which had previously been bodged up and a couple of pics of my garage and workshop, space is tight but at least they're dry and well lit now...


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When you could get them the blacks were better than the sport yellows. The problem with the yellows is imo that they make the car handle worse. The car tends to skip around because they are valved with to strong a bump and two soft a rebound. The result is when you go over a series of bumps the damper is not able to control the spring.
For years i have been using spax adjustables with great results (not the std off self ones they the std spax are quite good). I now have someone else making adjsutable dampers for me that perform just as well but have a wider range of adjustment.