Recommissioning a barn find Volvo P1800ES
Discussion
NomduJour said:
They are soft by modern standards - springs, shocks and a thicker anti-roll bar will make a big difference.
Yes, but modern sporty cars are often too stiff and harsh. Good 1960s and 70s sporty cars often combined pretty good handling by the standards of the time with a decent ride - the paradigm of this being Lotuses. Tyres made in modern compounds but using 1960s and 70s shapes and tread patterns can do a lot for the handling and ride of classic cars.
Time for an update as we managed to make some good progress recently. This is a quite a long post as we’ve done quite a bit. Sorry the pics aren’t so good, I didn’t get as many as I hoped along the way.
First thing we did was pull out the old fuel tank, pump and filter and replace with all new items. We got hold of a genuine new Volvo fuel tank and treated the underside to a coat of stone chip for extra protection. We swapped over all the brass fittings and it dropped straight into the car.
We also fitted a new fuel sender unit, Bosch fuel pump and new fuel filter and replaced all the rubber hoses right up to the hard lines. We also cleared the hard lines out with a blast of air from the engine bay.
With everything at the back renewed we moved to the engine bay. First thing to do was pull the injectors and fuel rail. Upon testing we discovered they were locked solid. Replacements aren’t cheap so we decided to soak them for a week in a bath of carb cleaner, but that didn’t fix them.
We could have sent them away for a refirb, but instead we decided to treat it to new ones. Replacements are typically £500+ a set, but after doing a lot of research we found Summit Racing in America sell Beck Arnley injectors that are a direct replacement for £220 shipped including duty charges.
Another fault we found was the cold start injector in the inlet manifold. This was also dead and a replacement would have been £350, but after some research we discovered the Jaguar XJS V12 from the same era uses two identical injectors and we sourced a good used pair on ebay for £35.
We also renewed all the rubber fuel hoses up front and then powered up the fuel pump. We had no leaks and a steady and correct 32psi which meant the regulator was fine.
With the fuel system sorted we changed the oil, oil filter and air filter and popped off the valve cover to oil up the cam and valves. We then turned the engine by hand and It moved freely with now untoward sounds. It was now time to remove the fan belt, connect a new battery and give it a first crank to build oil pressure!
However, the starter motor was dead. A replacement was soon sourced and fitted and we able to crank it over. The oil pressure gauge shot up to 70psi and the oil light went out.
We also did a compression test and the results were not looking good. We had readings all over the place and well out of spec. Whilst this caused some concern, we decided to carry on and go for a start. Afterall, the car has been sitting for a long time and the valves were likely to be rusted, so I was hopeful that if we could get it started they would lap themselves back again.
We fitted a new coil, points, condenser, plugs, leads, rotor arm and distributor cap. The water pump and alternator span freely so we also fitted a new fan belt, flushed the coolant and fitted new radiator hoses.
After a bit of fault tracing because of no spark, we put the key in and cranked the engine. At first it coughed and spluttered but it eventually fired up!
At first it would barely idle, there was a bit of smoke and it was very lumpy. However, it very quickly smoothed out and began to idle well. We let it run with the radiator cap off to burp the system and the longer it ran the healthier it sounded.
After about 5 minutes it was running very well and idling at a steady 850rpm. It revved freely, sounded healthy and idled nicely. We also managed to run it up and down the drive a few times getting through the gears and you could feel everything coming to life. The clutch works, the brakes just about worked (although they’ll be getting a complete overhaul) and now there was no smoke out the exhaust.
We had it running for nearly an hour to get the temp up and after this amount of time it was running like a charm. By this point it was getting dark and we had to pack up, but we were delighted.
I’m now really keen to see what the compression is reading it’s been run in and I’m confident it’ll be improved. The compression must have evened out and increased as it was running so well.
Next things we need to sort are an oil line that feeds the gauge as this is weeping, the diff cover seal needs doing, we have a new water pump and thermostat to go in and of course a complete brake overhaul. I also want to fit new shock absorbers and flush the coolant a couple more times.
I also purchased a set of original wheels which have been reconditioned with nearly tyres fitted. Saves us messing about with the old ones and we’ll bolt those one when we do the brakes and shocks.
We now have a running a driving car!!
First thing we did was pull out the old fuel tank, pump and filter and replace with all new items. We got hold of a genuine new Volvo fuel tank and treated the underside to a coat of stone chip for extra protection. We swapped over all the brass fittings and it dropped straight into the car.
We also fitted a new fuel sender unit, Bosch fuel pump and new fuel filter and replaced all the rubber hoses right up to the hard lines. We also cleared the hard lines out with a blast of air from the engine bay.
With everything at the back renewed we moved to the engine bay. First thing to do was pull the injectors and fuel rail. Upon testing we discovered they were locked solid. Replacements aren’t cheap so we decided to soak them for a week in a bath of carb cleaner, but that didn’t fix them.
We could have sent them away for a refirb, but instead we decided to treat it to new ones. Replacements are typically £500+ a set, but after doing a lot of research we found Summit Racing in America sell Beck Arnley injectors that are a direct replacement for £220 shipped including duty charges.
Another fault we found was the cold start injector in the inlet manifold. This was also dead and a replacement would have been £350, but after some research we discovered the Jaguar XJS V12 from the same era uses two identical injectors and we sourced a good used pair on ebay for £35.
We also renewed all the rubber fuel hoses up front and then powered up the fuel pump. We had no leaks and a steady and correct 32psi which meant the regulator was fine.
With the fuel system sorted we changed the oil, oil filter and air filter and popped off the valve cover to oil up the cam and valves. We then turned the engine by hand and It moved freely with now untoward sounds. It was now time to remove the fan belt, connect a new battery and give it a first crank to build oil pressure!
However, the starter motor was dead. A replacement was soon sourced and fitted and we able to crank it over. The oil pressure gauge shot up to 70psi and the oil light went out.
We also did a compression test and the results were not looking good. We had readings all over the place and well out of spec. Whilst this caused some concern, we decided to carry on and go for a start. Afterall, the car has been sitting for a long time and the valves were likely to be rusted, so I was hopeful that if we could get it started they would lap themselves back again.
We fitted a new coil, points, condenser, plugs, leads, rotor arm and distributor cap. The water pump and alternator span freely so we also fitted a new fan belt, flushed the coolant and fitted new radiator hoses.
After a bit of fault tracing because of no spark, we put the key in and cranked the engine. At first it coughed and spluttered but it eventually fired up!
At first it would barely idle, there was a bit of smoke and it was very lumpy. However, it very quickly smoothed out and began to idle well. We let it run with the radiator cap off to burp the system and the longer it ran the healthier it sounded.
After about 5 minutes it was running very well and idling at a steady 850rpm. It revved freely, sounded healthy and idled nicely. We also managed to run it up and down the drive a few times getting through the gears and you could feel everything coming to life. The clutch works, the brakes just about worked (although they’ll be getting a complete overhaul) and now there was no smoke out the exhaust.
We had it running for nearly an hour to get the temp up and after this amount of time it was running like a charm. By this point it was getting dark and we had to pack up, but we were delighted.
I’m now really keen to see what the compression is reading it’s been run in and I’m confident it’ll be improved. The compression must have evened out and increased as it was running so well.
Next things we need to sort are an oil line that feeds the gauge as this is weeping, the diff cover seal needs doing, we have a new water pump and thermostat to go in and of course a complete brake overhaul. I also want to fit new shock absorbers and flush the coolant a couple more times.
I also purchased a set of original wheels which have been reconditioned with nearly tyres fitted. Saves us messing about with the old ones and we’ll bolt those one when we do the brakes and shocks.
We now have a running a driving car!!
Edited by croissant on Monday 30th November 13:32
Hopefully you won't have to renew the valves.....although if the car was designed to run on leaded fuel, it may be worth getting the head refurbished with hardened valve seats, if that is feasible ?
My Elan developed a HGF after a long European trip, so when the head was off it was decided to get that done, even had the uprated Sprint bigger valves fitted. The difference after it was done was amazing. Just wondering if it is worth doing it on your Volvo....
After that wash it looks amazing.
There is a really good video on Youtube somewhere, of a Restomod of a P1800 in a lovely blue colour, that was done by a Swedish racing outfit (IIRC) but they made subtle changes as it was mainly a road car. The fit & finish was incredible....
if only I could remember what it was called !
Good progress on your car....great write up and very interesting.
My Elan developed a HGF after a long European trip, so when the head was off it was decided to get that done, even had the uprated Sprint bigger valves fitted. The difference after it was done was amazing. Just wondering if it is worth doing it on your Volvo....
After that wash it looks amazing.
There is a really good video on Youtube somewhere, of a Restomod of a P1800 in a lovely blue colour, that was done by a Swedish racing outfit (IIRC) but they made subtle changes as it was mainly a road car. The fit & finish was incredible....
if only I could remember what it was called !
Good progress on your car....great write up and very interesting.
Paul S4 said:
Hopefully you won't have to renew the valves.....although if the car was designed to run on leaded fuel, it may be worth getting the head refurbished with hardened valve seats, if that is feasible ?
My Elan developed a HGF after a long European trip, so when the head was off it was decided to get that done, even had the uprated Sprint bigger valves fitted. The difference after it was done was amazing. Just wondering if it is worth doing it on your Volvo....
After that wash it looks amazing.
There is a really good video on Youtube somewhere, of a Restomod of a P1800 in a lovely blue colour, that was done by a Swedish racing outfit (IIRC) but they made subtle changes as it was mainly a road car. The fit & finish was incredible....
if only I could remember what it was called !
Good progress on your car....great write up and very interesting.
I'm reading mixed things online about whether this car has hardened valve seats, but you're right, it might be worth pulling the head and getting them done.My Elan developed a HGF after a long European trip, so when the head was off it was decided to get that done, even had the uprated Sprint bigger valves fitted. The difference after it was done was amazing. Just wondering if it is worth doing it on your Volvo....
After that wash it looks amazing.
There is a really good video on Youtube somewhere, of a Restomod of a P1800 in a lovely blue colour, that was done by a Swedish racing outfit (IIRC) but they made subtle changes as it was mainly a road car. The fit & finish was incredible....
if only I could remember what it was called !
Good progress on your car....great write up and very interesting.
I did actually get a quote from a reputable machine shop that's quite local and they want £600 for a complete head overhaul. Not bad all things considered and as this is a pushrod engine with the cam buried deep in the block I wouldn't have to mess about with timing if I were to pull the head off. I don't plan on doing big mileage in this car, so for the time being I'll leave it, but it's certainly something I'll likely get done.
croissant said:
In the meantime I had a quick go at cleaning the leather seat bases. Still some way to go and I need to find a product that can really get some moisture back into these.
Anyone got a good recommendation?
My big parts haul has arrived also! New fuel tank, pump, filter, injector rebuild kit, water pump, thermostat, entire ignition system, belts, full service kit and more. Enough to keep me busy for a while and hopefully all I need to get it fired up.
LTT Leather Care. Deep Clean and Leather Protect. Those two are all you'll need. Bin the Auto Trim stuff, it contains oils, which will be a magnet to muck. Speaking as a leather refinisher of 10 years.Anyone got a good recommendation?
My big parts haul has arrived also! New fuel tank, pump, filter, injector rebuild kit, water pump, thermostat, entire ignition system, belts, full service kit and more. Enough to keep me busy for a while and hopefully all I need to get it fired up.
Edited by croissant on Tuesday 27th October 16:02
Fermit and Sexy Sarah said:
LTT Leather Care. Deep Clean and Leather Protect. Those two are all you'll need. Bin the Auto Trim stuff, it contains oils, which will be a magnet to muck. Speaking as a leather refinisher of 10 years.
Thanks for the recommendation. I've been underwhelmed with all the products I've tried so far. The LLT stuff does look good, although not cheap, but if you think it's worthwhile I might give it a go.Just found a link ( if it works....!) to that beautiful Cyan P 1800 Restomod
https://monochrome-watches.com/the-petrolhead-corn...
Amazing car IMHO !
https://monochrome-watches.com/the-petrolhead-corn...
Amazing car IMHO !
croissant said:
Fermit and Sexy Sarah said:
LTT Leather Care. Deep Clean and Leather Protect. Those two are all you'll need. Bin the Auto Trim stuff, it contains oils, which will be a magnet to muck. Speaking as a leather refinisher of 10 years.
Thanks for the recommendation. I've been underwhelmed with all the products I've tried so far. The LLT stuff does look good, although not cheap, but if you think it's worthwhile I might give it a go.Paul S4 said:
Just found a link ( if it works....!) to that beautiful Cyan P 1800 Restomod
https://monochrome-watches.com/the-petrolhead-corn...
Amazing car IMHO !
Ahhh yes. I’ve seen that. Really nice... but it costs £500k !! 200 times more expensive than minehttps://monochrome-watches.com/the-petrolhead-corn...
Amazing car IMHO !
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Volvo-P1800ES-Manual-Ov...
I saw this and thought you’d finished it and were flipping it. Glad to see you’re still beavering away.
I saw this and thought you’d finished it and were flipping it. Glad to see you’re still beavering away.
Paul S4 said:
Yep That Cyan car looks amazing...presumably your 'wider banded steels' would not be quite as wide as those on the blue Cyan car !
They won't be as wide as the Cyan's. I now have a second set of wheels to band if I want to and reckon I can add another 2 inches to fill the arches out. If I do that I'll drop the car 30mm also. It will be some time until I get round to that, but it keeps the project alive for longer.FATCO said:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Volvo-P1800ES-Manual-Ov...
I saw this and thought you’d finished it and were flipping it. Glad to see you’re still beavering away.
No, not my car, although it's exactly the same spec and even same mileage. I think he's got it keenly priced as I saw one sell on auction for £13k, so it's not far off I guess.I saw this and thought you’d finished it and were flipping it. Glad to see you’re still beavering away.
croissant said:
FATCO said:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Volvo-P1800ES-Manual-Ov...
I saw this and thought you’d finished it and were flipping it. Glad to see you’re still beavering away.
No, not my car, although it's exactly the same spec and even same mileage. I think he's got it keenly priced as I saw one sell on auction for £13k, so it's not far off I guess.I saw this and thought you’d finished it and were flipping it. Glad to see you’re still beavering away.
Just a quick update with some positive news. The engine has restored itself to good health after running it a few times. i was preparing myself for an engine rebuild but that's no longer necessary.
First job I did over the xmas break was to replace the oil line that runs from the block to the pressure gauge in the dash as it was leaking quite badly. It was fidly but didn't take long. The engine is 100% leak free now and just needs a good degreasing and jetwash under the hood.
Once the oil leak was fixed I properly warmed it up and took it for a brief run up the road. It pulls really well indeed and sounds strong and healthy. Not bad for a car that's been sitting idle for so long.
After this I did another compression test and the results are much better with just over 160psi on all cylinders except one which showed about 180psi. I did crank it quite a bit longer on that cylinder, so i suspect that's why it read so high.
Either way, compression is restored to a very healthy level and oil pressure was very good reading 70+pis from cold and 50+ psi when up to temp. All of this indicates a strong and healthy engine now. It fires up on the button without touching the gas pedal, idles smooth and solid, pulls well through the revs and doesn't smoke out the exhaust.
Next task is to overhaul the brakes completely, fit new wheels and tyres and then I can get on to detailing it properly inside and out.
Here are the latest compression results:
First job I did over the xmas break was to replace the oil line that runs from the block to the pressure gauge in the dash as it was leaking quite badly. It was fidly but didn't take long. The engine is 100% leak free now and just needs a good degreasing and jetwash under the hood.
Once the oil leak was fixed I properly warmed it up and took it for a brief run up the road. It pulls really well indeed and sounds strong and healthy. Not bad for a car that's been sitting idle for so long.
After this I did another compression test and the results are much better with just over 160psi on all cylinders except one which showed about 180psi. I did crank it quite a bit longer on that cylinder, so i suspect that's why it read so high.
Either way, compression is restored to a very healthy level and oil pressure was very good reading 70+pis from cold and 50+ psi when up to temp. All of this indicates a strong and healthy engine now. It fires up on the button without touching the gas pedal, idles smooth and solid, pulls well through the revs and doesn't smoke out the exhaust.
Next task is to overhaul the brakes completely, fit new wheels and tyres and then I can get on to detailing it properly inside and out.
Here are the latest compression results:
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