I'd like you to meet Ingrid. Or is it Elsa or Ilsa?
Discussion
Regular visitors to Readers Cars may recall a couple of my previous offerings, both now sold however. The Gilbern Invader Mark 3, absolutely gorgeous looking car, belonged to a late friend who d owned it and modified it over a 48 year period. I wanted to return the engine to standard but just didn't have the heart to remove all my pal's development work, Jenveys, Emerald ECU etc. Then the more recent cooler than a polar bears nose Volvo 780. Bought on impulse, a real rarity in the UK but the reality was I hadn't space for it in the garage so I sold it to a collector, who I believe I was bidding against in the auction. A Boxster I d owned for 3 years sold a couple of days after the Volvo, if that had sold first, I'd probably still have the 780.
So enough of the preamble. I'd like you to meet Ingrid. (or it maybe be Ilsa or Elsa*).
I've loved the look of the Volvo 1800 and particularly the 1800ES for many years but never quite managed to own one. With a space in the garage and idly looking through the classifieds and auction sites I spotted a 1800ES which appeared to be sound but in need of tidying. Now I really preferred blue and didn't want an auto as I have never really got on with the occasional auto I've driven. This was an auto in white but you know how it is, especially in an auction and the price seems right. You get drawn in.
It's Saturday and having paid my money to the auction site, booked my train tickets, I'm stood on the platform of the local train station near Oban. I'm off to London. Local train to Glasgow is packed. Holiday makers going home and a group of 40ish year old girls heading for a birthday celebration. The drink was flowing, the voices getting louder as they shouted over the top of each other, dancing in the aisle and bunting from the luggage rack. Entertaining but 3 hours on a packed train equals headache. Glasgow, change station from Queens Street to Central. While the rest of the country is basking in sunshine, in Glasgow it s absolutely pouring down. Central Station is packed, look at the departures board for my train to Euston which leaves at 12.40. Delay . At 13.00, Cancelled . OK, there s another at 13.35. And yes it leaves just about on time with extra coaches and two train loads of passengers. Five hours in an upgraded coach and I arrive in Euston Station, transfer to the Underground and off to collect the car from South Central London. Lovely warm evening, the place is busy, everyone out in their finest, best suits, short dresses.
Meet up with Mark, nice guy, talks me around the car, makes sure I'm happy, we conclude the transfer, I fill up with fuel and head off into the London evening traffic. Now it s close on 50 years since I last drove in London (Hillman Imp to Bayswater) and it s a bit busier now. I was told it would be quiet at 8pm on a Saturday, nose to tail virtually all the way to the M1 in a strange car.
Ninety minutes later, I m now heading north, a 290 mile first leg to stay with family. The car runs well but there's various noises underneath. Could it be the exhaust, the drivetrain, rear suspension? Turn the radio onto drown out the noises, radio doesn't work. Still the wind noise is pretty loud, I'd likely not hear the radio anyway. Arrive Washington at 2.15am. Rest day.
Monday morning off again on the second leg of the journey, roads back to Oban mostly not busy but what traffic there is, is snail like. Short convoys of cars behind trucks moving at 40mph. Rain from Doune, northwards confirms the car doesn't leak in. Arrive home tired but get the car up onto the 4 post lift for a peek underneath but as it s dripping dirty water on me the garage doors are closed. Leave the inspection for another day.
So enough of the preamble. I'd like you to meet Ingrid. (or it maybe be Ilsa or Elsa*).
I've loved the look of the Volvo 1800 and particularly the 1800ES for many years but never quite managed to own one. With a space in the garage and idly looking through the classifieds and auction sites I spotted a 1800ES which appeared to be sound but in need of tidying. Now I really preferred blue and didn't want an auto as I have never really got on with the occasional auto I've driven. This was an auto in white but you know how it is, especially in an auction and the price seems right. You get drawn in.
It's Saturday and having paid my money to the auction site, booked my train tickets, I'm stood on the platform of the local train station near Oban. I'm off to London. Local train to Glasgow is packed. Holiday makers going home and a group of 40ish year old girls heading for a birthday celebration. The drink was flowing, the voices getting louder as they shouted over the top of each other, dancing in the aisle and bunting from the luggage rack. Entertaining but 3 hours on a packed train equals headache. Glasgow, change station from Queens Street to Central. While the rest of the country is basking in sunshine, in Glasgow it s absolutely pouring down. Central Station is packed, look at the departures board for my train to Euston which leaves at 12.40. Delay . At 13.00, Cancelled . OK, there s another at 13.35. And yes it leaves just about on time with extra coaches and two train loads of passengers. Five hours in an upgraded coach and I arrive in Euston Station, transfer to the Underground and off to collect the car from South Central London. Lovely warm evening, the place is busy, everyone out in their finest, best suits, short dresses.
Meet up with Mark, nice guy, talks me around the car, makes sure I'm happy, we conclude the transfer, I fill up with fuel and head off into the London evening traffic. Now it s close on 50 years since I last drove in London (Hillman Imp to Bayswater) and it s a bit busier now. I was told it would be quiet at 8pm on a Saturday, nose to tail virtually all the way to the M1 in a strange car.
Ninety minutes later, I m now heading north, a 290 mile first leg to stay with family. The car runs well but there's various noises underneath. Could it be the exhaust, the drivetrain, rear suspension? Turn the radio onto drown out the noises, radio doesn't work. Still the wind noise is pretty loud, I'd likely not hear the radio anyway. Arrive Washington at 2.15am. Rest day.
Monday morning off again on the second leg of the journey, roads back to Oban mostly not busy but what traffic there is, is snail like. Short convoys of cars behind trucks moving at 40mph. Rain from Doune, northwards confirms the car doesn't leak in. Arrive home tired but get the car up onto the 4 post lift for a peek underneath but as it s dripping dirty water on me the garage doors are closed. Leave the inspection for another day.
- I don't usually name my cars although a few of the TVRs have been called Trevor and my wife named one Volvo Victor . On the way down to London I'd sort of named the new one Ingrid after Ms Bergman however the box of paperwork with the car had the name Elsa. In the film Casablanca, Ms Bergman s character s name was Ilsa.
Edited by Skyedriver on Tuesday 17th June 15:31
Edited by Skyedriver on Tuesday 17th June 15:33
Edited by Skyedriver on Tuesday 17th June 15:34
That’s quite the first drive, London to Oban and a secret bit more, after a day on the train, having travelled all that way, I might have been inclined to sample the delights of London town, but each ……………. And all that!
I drove a friend’s maroon/purple1800 ES around the same time you were navigating London in an Imp, from recollection, it was a heavy old hector, however, this was on the narrow roads of the Yorkshire Dales, probably not its normal hunting ground.
Considering what’s made space, I would imagine this is a tad sedate. Looks superb, bonus a cloth sunny (Webasto?) an interesting choice, looking forward to your plans, enjoy,
I drove a friend’s maroon/purple1800 ES around the same time you were navigating London in an Imp, from recollection, it was a heavy old hector, however, this was on the narrow roads of the Yorkshire Dales, probably not its normal hunting ground.
Considering what’s made space, I would imagine this is a tad sedate. Looks superb, bonus a cloth sunny (Webasto?) an interesting choice, looking forward to your plans, enjoy,
outnumbered said:
Great first day, and this sounds like it will be interesting, but perhaps you could bear your readers' eyes in mind and use a few more paragraphs next time 
thanks, edit carried out.Today saw the start of "what's that noise" a fun game where you insert a tyre lever into various joints, nooks and crannies to see what's loose.
Rear suspension location seems OK, the diff has a leak, the three universal joints on the propshaft are a little rusty but no movement, the centre bearing has some movement but I have nothing to gauge it by and the gearbox mount looks a little odd and is bathed in oil. New mount is first on the list for replacement.
A friends experience of these cars suggests the exhaust is difficult to align. Working my way along it, it looks like stainless, there are a number of places where it could be hitting the floor but the big suspect is the first 'box and a clamp. The clue being the marks on the underseal. A photo to my friend confirms, "it's on upside down!" The inlet and outlet pipes aren't central, but offset. it's been fitted for max ground clearance, (fitter a rally guy maybe?) but that results in it hitting the floor and chassis rail. Today concludes with a heavy dowsing of release fluid, tomorrow we take the exhaust apart.
Decided to remove the silencer and rotate it but while I got it loose and sliding up and down the spigots were too long to free it however rotating about 20degrees and moving it rearward about 20mm gave me what looked like enough clearance all round. A trial run proved that so but there's still a knock, probably transmission and whilst the gear change linkages are worn, my money is on the gearbox mount, currently in an ATF bath. Will replace one the leak is sorted. Feel like I'm making progress.
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