Paul & Stephanie Rowlands 64 P1800 (Project Saint Marie)

[Iamtheonlyreal1]

Here is an introduction to one of our first Customer pay build P1800's. It was
delivered to Swedish Skunk Werks by Paul Rowlands from the State of Georgia, and
I must say this is a very solid car. This build will have all of the Swedish
Skunk Werks components including, Suspension, Drivetrain, modern conveniences
and upgrades, but will appear to factory in appearance. We are going with a 375
horsepower LS1 conversion, with a 5-speed standard transmission.

Everything one of the Swedish Skunk Werks components is a direct replacement or
bolt on, and everything in this build will be offered in our upcoming Swedish
Skunk Werks online catalog. The list of components going into this car is..

Complete New Design front crossmember/Suspension kit with upgraded brakes, rack
and pinion, adjustable ride heigth and quality.

Complete New Designed Rear End Assembly, featuring a Mod-light 9in rear end,
with disc brakes and Adjustable Aluminum 4 link trailing arms and panhard bar.

New Crate Performance 375 Horsepower General Motors LS1 featuring, Fuel
Injection, Performance Headers, higher fuel efficency, greater service support
and performance.

New Keisler 5-speed Standard Transmission, which features a wide variety of gear
ratios, depending on driving specifications and needs of the driver.

New and Modern Style Air Conditioning, which is will be offered exclusively as a
full kit by Swedish Skunk Werks, but will be Manufactured by Vintage Air.

Exclusive Direct Replacement Electronic Guages that will be exclusively offered
by Swedish Skunk Werks, and will be offered in a full kit.

Performance all Aluminum Cross Flow Radiator with a direct mount Electric
Cooling Fan Option.. This is being manufactured by BeCool Radiator exclusively
for the Swedish Skunk Werks Catalog, and is a direct replacemnt radiator for the
Original Powertrain, or our LS Conversions.

We are still discussing the possibility of Project Saint Marie using Classic
Auto Glass Innovations Flush Mount Glass Kit, so it may also be a feature to
this build. There are many more features that will appear on this build, but
Paul and Stephanie opted for an original style appearance, so it will not be
showcasing all the Swedish Skunk Werks products.

The interior will be original in style and appearance, which is very stylish in
its original form.

Here is a bit of History and Expectations of the car from Mr Paul Rowlands.

I purchased Saint Marie in 1998 I think. She was an original Macon Ga sold
car, sold in early 1965 and hence the title shows a 65 even though the serial of
11673 was made in 64. When I brought her home to meet my other two Volvos which
we had of course named as well, we considered names and came up with Saint
Marie. Saint for obvious reasons, Marie for unknown reason! Just sounded right
at the time.

When I bought her she was running and of course finicky with her choke and I
threw tires on her from Sears (165 series that you see on her now) and I drove
her around town and to my office once in awhile. She had a noise here and there
and the dealer installed factory AC never did work so she was not to be driven
in the heat of summer. She was always a head turner and we could never go
anywhere without hearing either; "what kind of car is that?" or "My xxxxx had
one of those waa-aaay back when!" People were usually enamored with the classic
sporty look.

It was late 2005 that she didn't want to start and I found compression very
very low in one or two cylinders. There was no appreciable wear in the cylinders
and I probably could've just thrown her back together and run her since it
turned out to be stuck rings from sitting too much. I could not find a rebuild
kit for the B18 and would've had to punch it out to a B20 to rebuild it
properly. I figured it would be best to go ahead and completely restore her and
I started my parts buying spree and amassed a wealth of parts to try and make
her OEM whole again. I figured I would address the engine issue when the time
came.

In 2006, my wife, Stephanie Reese, and I also began our project of building a
cabin in the mountains of Sevierville, Tn near Pigeon Forge. I designed a
"little" 3500+ sq ft cabin and we spent the next 1 ½ years acting as a General
Contractor to our custom home builder. This took priority over our project Saint
Marie. We finished the cabin in late 2007 and began enjoying the fruits of our
labor as many weekends a month as possible. In the meantime, I tried to spend as
much time on Saint Marie as I could but I also had some medical problems that
prevented me from doing a lot of the mechanical work I have always done to my
personal vehicles. Ruptured lumbar discs and hard work do not go together!

I pulled Marie up on my car hauler trailer and dreamed of the day I would be
able to deliver her to someone who I could trust to restore her to the standards
I expected of myself. Fast forward to this year and my discovery of Swedish
Skunkwerks, Robert Jackson. After watching Robert's project and approach to his
own 1966 P1800 and speaking to him at length about the possibilities, I came to
the decision my wife had been waiting on for the last 6 years. I had found my
restoration partner and it was a done deal in my mind.

Off to Oklahoma with the little Saint and I am looking forward to the finished
product. Alas, I shall not have to worry about punching the B18 out to a B20 and
a finicky choke is no longer a concern either. Saint Marie will be packing 375hp
from an LS1 V8 and a 5spd manual transmission instead of 4 spd with electric
overdrive.

In the end, Stephanie will be the daily driver of the Saint Marie and she is
excited about that. Her only requirements are that Marie remains a P1800 from a
visual standpoint inside and out. As long as no one can tell, without a trained
observation, that she is a classic Volvo P1800, Stpehanie is happy. However,
when Stephanie wants to push the old gal, she will be ready to run. I am also
installing a good Escort Redline radar detector and ZR4 laser jammer since the
little red Volvo will be a perfect target for the law!

Here are some pictures of Saint Marie, which shows the great condition of the
car.. I am not sure what year the first pictures were taken, when it appears in
a running state..

[Derek UK]

Should be an interesting build. Even more interesting will be the final invoice price!!!!!
Customer confidentialy taken into account, this figure would put this sort of rebuild into perspective. I expect it to be high, as all chequebook rebuilds tend to be, and rather more than most wallets can bear.

Dare I say $50k plus without the flush glass.?

[Burdekin]

I'd also like to see how the suspension compares to a properly set-up P1800. That's a lot of cash to spend considering you're pretty much only changing like for like with no proof that what is being put in is actually correct or better and eyeballing the steering rack I'm still not convinced that it is correct and won't cause bump steer.

I'm all for someone selling mods and upgrades but so far there's been no testing stated, no specs released and no prices, and these things are what disappoints me with regard to Swedish Skunk Werks, and until then I wouldn't be interested in the parts.

[Iamtheonlyreal1]

Originally Posted by mitch1971

I'd also like to see how the suspension compares to a properly set-up P1800. That's a lot of cash to spend considering you're pretty much only changing like for like with no proof that what is being put in is actually correct or better and eyeballing the steering rack I'm still not convinced that it is correct and won't cause bump steer.

I'm all for someone selling mods and upgrades but so far there's been no testing stated, no specs released and no prices, and these things are what disappoints me with regard to Swedish Skunk Werks, and until then I wouldn't be interested in the parts.

Mitch.. We are not changing Like for Like, and I dont know where or how you can say that at all... As far as testing goes, we have been running the components in a running factory car, and it is majorily different.. Unless you are here to test drive one, there is no way to prove the difference to you.. As far as bump steer goes, we have had it on proper equipment to test for it, and everything is good..

I have released information and pricing to whoever wanted it, and plenty of them are sold... The Swedish Skunk Werks Website is being constructed right now, so all that will be available in a normal parts promotion package.. If anyone wants pricing, I can surely send them the package price sheet, along with the options price sheet that all the other purchasing customers have used. These kits have had drawn people from all over the country, just to visit and check them out, and everyone one of them has been impressed enough to purchase or be put on a waiting list for a build P1800/Amazon. We are only doing this build and one other at this time, so we can get the logistics of an efficient build..

So, if you have the credentials to look at a few pictures and make that kind of statement, I would really like to see them. I am open to opinion, but please dont indicate I am hiding anything.. I have been documenting every part of these projects, so much so, others have contacted me asking me not to over post...

[Iamtheonlyreal1]

Originally Posted by Derek UK

Should be an interesting build. Even more interesting will be the final invoice price!!!!!
Customer confidentialy taken into account, this figure would put this sort of rebuild into perspective. I expect it to be high, as all chequebook rebuilds tend to be, and rather more than most wallets can bear.

Dare I say $50k plus without the flush glass.?

Not getting into the particulars of Project Saint Marie, but our base upgraded restoration, which includes a routisserie paint and total strip down, the 375 horsepower conversion, wiring, wheels, brakes, interior, chroming, weatherstriping, glass, etc, etc, basically a rebuild of the original shell, starts out at 60,000 dollars depending on rust issues...

Our next package with the 545 horsepower conversion, All Aluminum Front Crossmember/Suspension (Will not be offered for sale, and only comes on the top build package), and some other unique high end build features, starts at a base of 90,000 dollars depending on rust issues..

These are customer supplied vehicles that are dropped off for restoration, we do not supply the cars to start with..

[Burdekin]

Originally Posted by Iamtheonlyreal1

Mitch.. We are not changing Like for Like, and I dont know where or how you can say that at all... As far as testing goes, we have been running the components in a running factory car, and it is majorily different.. Unless you are here to test drive one, there is no way to prove the difference to you.. As far as bump steer goes, we have had it on proper equipment to test for it, and everything is good..

I have released information and pricing to whoever wanted it, and plenty of them are sold... The Swedish Skunk Werks Website is being constructed right now, so all that will be available in a normal parts promotion package.. If anyone wants pricing, I can surely send them the package price sheet, along with the options price sheet that all the other purchasing customers have used. These kits have had drawn people from all over the country, just to visit and check them out, and everyone one of them has been impressed enough to purchase or be put on a waiting list for a build P1800/Amazon. We are only doing this build and one other at this time, so we can get the logistics of an efficient build..

So, if you have the credentials to look at a few pictures and make that kind of statement, I would really like to see them. I am open to opinion, but please dont indicate I am hiding anything.. I have been documenting every part of these projects, so much so, others have contacted me asking me not to over post...

Robert, you’re replacing a double wishbone front suspension with a double wishbone front suspension and correct me if I’m wrong but the rear will remain a live axle configuration? An independent rear suspension matching the front original front set-up would be a nice upgrade for those looking at improved cornering but of course putting torque through the rear wheels won’t be as good as what you can achieve with some of the live axle set-ups, but the US is the king when it comes to these. The front suspension in the Volvos can be set-up really well so I don’t understand how you’ve improved this as you haven’t said or explained how or why it is improved? What are the design deficiencies in the original front suspension set-up that your design has improved on? Adjustable height coil overs is nice but a bit gimmicky for my liking but that’s a personal thing and I understand plenty of folk will like this. Nothing wrong with the original brakes in good working condition unless you’re putting in a lot more Hp which you’re doing. Have you done any testing with 375hp going through your suspension set-ups with the original not very stiff chassis?

Regarding the steering rack the proper design has to be designed on the geometry of the front suspension and this doesn’t change. There’s no off the shelf solution, the steering rack has to be designed to match the suspension. I’d be interested in seeing a GA drawing showing the steering rack alignment with the front suspension as when I looked at the photos previously from the pics it looked to me that the rack wasn’t correct for the front geometry. I am a mech engineer but I am in no way an expert but I do know how a rack is supposed to be set-up in relation to the front suspension and this can be easily checked with a proper drawing.

Of course you should do testing and show the results if punting your goods on a forum, that should be a given, especially if you’re going to be putting a 375Hp engine in a car with your suspension and bits and selling this set-up to someone. Ask yourself would you buy your parts from a punter on the internet without any actual information to support what he was touting? What information would you want or need to make you hand over your hard earned cash?

[agent_strangelove]

I think it's good there is more interest being put into making new components for the older Volvos. John Parker sort of started down this road and I think that many folks got/still have a rather bad taste in their mouths from that adventure....

Any clue what the hole on each front fender (12" back of the headlight bucket) was for? Running light?


Good luck with the build.


Chris

[Iamtheonlyreal1]

Originally Posted by agent_strangelove

I think it's good there is more interest being put into making new components for the older Volvos. John Parker sort of started down this road and I think that many folks got/still have a rather bad taste in their mouths from that adventure....

Any clue what the hole on each front fender (12" back of the headlight bucket) was for? Running light?


Good luck with the build.


Chris

I understand about the bad taste in peoples mouth with internet and custom experiences.. I have other products out that have nothing to do with Volvo and are sold in reputable catalogs. Products that have been showcased at SEMA and other events on very high end cars.. This is how I have the support and partnership of the company's produce our exclusive products.. I sponsor some of their build cars with my products, so we have a history of exchange of quality items..

Yes, they were some small round button style marker lights, which are disappearing..

[Iamtheonlyreal1]

Mitch I understand your skeptism, without a doubt, and yes the configuration may be about the same, but that doesnt make set up or performance the same at all.. There are alot of factors that come to play with this sort of stuff, and that is why vehicles with same basic suspension idea drive differently.. You say the original suspension can be set up better than factory, and I agree with that, but the support isnt there with alot of features, and this is where my stuff comes into play.

As far as the rack and pinion set up goes... You are not seeing everything involved for the correct Geometry.. We actually are capable of adjusting the bumpster settings, and this will allow the customers fine tuning during insatall and alignment. This is an item, that I am not showing in alot of detail right now, because I am working on a bit of protection for it.. I have alot of time and research in this, we have reputable company's that are contributing to the Swedish Skunk Werks products also, so you decide on your own..

All I was point out is, that really wasnt a fair statement, especially on a customers build thread.. I found it a bit caddy, since you and I have had a decent correspondence and share information before. I understand skeptisms for sure, and that is what makes people gravitate from one product to another.. Just didnt think it was fair to put the fact you wouldnt buy, and I was not releasing information on a customers Project Thread. Obviously I satisfied the customer in person, and he was extremely happy with what he saw, that is why the project is moving forward...

[Burdekin]

Robert, I didn't say I wouldn't buy your stuff I just need more info before I would is what I was saying. I wanted it to be positive criticism but I probably got a bit derailed so sorry about that. You've certainly have come a long way in a short time with regard to setting all this up and I think it is fantastic that there is someone who's going to support the early Volvos. For me the more technical information, testing comparisons against original and technical specifications of the parts on offer the better. I occasionally read some US forums and there's some very technical guys on them and any new suppliers really can get a hard time with the questions asked, which can be a full time job answering them in itself. I'm certainly not having a go at you and I like what you're doing, I'd would like to see a lot more actual technical information. There's a performance section of this forum so that would most likely be a good place to really go to town with that side of things when you get it. There's a big reason why people still go to John Parker even with his reputation, he sells good stuff that's he developed (and borrowed from others ;-)), has good technical knowledge and he's been doing it and supporting the racing side of things for years in the US so people know when they finally get their parts it's normally pretty good.

Regarding me hijacking the thread, one thing I understand is that this car will be a show car for what you can do so it's 100% in your best interest to get it right so I'm comfortable in my thinking that my comments won't prevent you giving Paul and Stephanie the best car you can for the money they spend.

All the best with your endeavours and I hope 100% that this is a success.