1965 Volvo Amazon (121)
 

Yesterday my new purchase arrived, a 1965 Volvo Amazon, I had not viewed the car I bought it on gut instinct. It was last on the road in 1994 that’s as much as I knew.

The car was first registered on the 2nd of March 1965 in Sailsbury to a Mr Hayles who kept it until 1977 where his son (at a guess) became the registered owner.

In 1984 the car was up in Sale and was taken for a restoration, it had all the re-chrome done and a full re-spray. However after that there seems to be one more MOT in 85 and the history ends.

In 91 the history appears back with a MOT but with only another 100 miles on the clock since 1985 so it appears to have been off the road since then. Just after the MOT in 91 it was taken for a complete restoration again with everything being done, brakes, electrics, alternator conversion etc.

There is no mot after the 91 and the car was last taxed according to the DVLA in 94 and there has been another 10k on the clock.

After that the history goes quiet until 07 where it was bought by the previous owner and stored in a barn. Unfortunately they lost the barn and put it up for sale which is when I spotted it and bought it.

I’ve only recently started working on it but I already know why it was taken off the road in 94. The entire restoration was done with filler and the electrical work was done with household terminal blocks.

Let the restoration begin.

After the 91 "Restoration"
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p...o/IMG_8499.jpg

Original ingition key
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p...o/IMG_8500.jpg

As it is now... i accidentally pushed the light in it wasnt like that when it arrived
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p...o/IMG_8501.jpg

Engine bay, none runner atm.
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p...o/IMG_8502.jpg

Passenger side
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p...o/IMG_8503.jpg

Drivers
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p...o/IMG_8504.jpg

Interior, just needs a good clean
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p...o/IMG_8505.jpg

So cool!
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p...o/IMG_8511.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p...o/IMG_8512.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p...o/IMG_8513.jpg

Rear seats and spares
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p...o/IMG_8514.jpg

Wing "removed" was mainly held together by filler and household corking.
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p...o/IMG_8515.jpg


All the rust underneath, the bottom seems very sold though its just the top that has suffered.
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p...o/IMG_8516.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p...o/IMG_8517.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p...o/IMG_8518.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p...o/IMG_8519.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p...o/IMG_8520.jpg

The history.
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p...o/IMG_8522.jpg

Lets see how the project progresses. Its currently in the garage and i cant move it on my own so no side pictures as it was thrown in yesterday as it was dark.

That looks to be quite a project.... Good luck.

The original keys from Volvo had a rubber non-symetrical head on them. They really like to break off in the igition as the spring in the cylinder sleeve was a bit too strong for it's own good.

Hi Jackman. Looks like you have your hands full! Best of luck with the restoration and keep us informed. Would love to see how it turns out!
Hugh.

Just looking on e-bay tonight and there is an original new volvo wing for sale at a not unreasonable £150 on a buy it now http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Genuine-Volvo-...item43a3da271d, there seems to be quite a bit on e-bay at the moment. Good luck with the restoration :thumbs_up:

Gut instinct eh! Pass the Rennies". Seriously that looks like a lot of work so I hope your talents are up to it. Any other restos on your CV?
Good luck.

Thanks all. It is going to be a bit of work but it doesnt scare me really. I forgot to mention that the guy i bought it from had fiberglass front wings and front panel as well as quite a few spares that came with it.

It really was gut instinct, i saw it late at night for sale and rang up and when i knew it had all the history and spares i decided it was worth a shot so sent a deposit to them.

Ive done one and a half resto's. One is my current daily drive which is a classic mini and the half was a clubman estate which once id started and done the front end realised it was too bent from a previous accident to repair and was uneconomical to repair so it had to get scrapped.

Good luck to you. Quite a task but keep us updated and lots of pictures. My Amazon in coachbuilders just now and I have been promised it home by Christmas. It was in a sad state for the best part of 20 years but looking great now and just getting better.
Dibble

Post up plenty of photos - best of luck with the project

John

Jackman,

Could you post the type designation numbers?
It looks a lot like a 1964 yearmodel, not a '65..

Many little details as to why.. (Most significant is colour and the rubber-lip for the engine lid (over the cooler) and the clamps holding the rubber-list for the engine lid at the wind screen)

The key in the picture is genuine for the pre '65 models - It can either be ASSA or LM Ericsson

BTW - Todays reproduction of ign. key/lock barrel is a strange mix of the new barrel style and the old key style - I don't get why they did it like that..

Me thinks your 4door got a face lift in the 1991 operation.. :)

Would this be on the plate above the brake and clutch masters?

I wonder if its supposed to be pre-65 but was a late registered car. Hopefully it will say on the logbook when it arrives.

What are the differences between the 64 and 65 ones?


Ill put plenty of pictures up during the rebuild, one so i can look back at how things look and people can see how its going.