Survival guide: Volvo P1800
Although Volvo’s practical grand tourer combined its film star credentials with safety, this stylish coupé still requires the correction care and attention to maintain its good looks.
This inside story of this smart coupé.
Until quite recently, the Volvo P1800 was probably one of the classic car movement’s best-kept secrets and today useable examples of this largely forgotten grand tourer are generally still affordable. This is rather surprising considering the price of a brand new P1800 in the early 1960’s was only fractionally cheaper than the cost of an E-Type. Today these relatively easy to maintain Swedish glamour pusses are currently changing hands at a fraction of the cost of even a ‘barn find’ condition E-Type.
Although Volvo built up an enviable reputation for producing cars capable of shrugging off tough Scandinavian winters, a P1800 will still rust badly and serious corrosion combined with poor build quality on early examples has seen off a huge number of these attractive coupés, leaving only a handful of survivors currently on the road in this country.
Instantly recognisable to the baby boomer generation as the car driven by Simon Templar in monochrome episodes of the TV series The Saint, the Volvo P1800 went on to enjoy a very successful 12-year production cycle. Between its introduction in 1961 and the final much improved 1800ES estate rolling off the production line in 1973, nearly 47,500 examples of this attractive coupé had been produced in four versions; P1800, P1800S, P1800E and P1800ES estate. Here’s what you need to know if you’re thinking of running a P1800 as a weekend driver.
BODYWORK
Like all steel-bodied classics of the era, the P1800 will rust in all the usual places and a few areas, such as the front scuttle and wings around the headlights and indicators can be very difficult and expensive to repair. Replacement body and repair panels for these cars are difficult to locate and can be prohibitively expensive, which means that many repairs to a corroded bodyshell will have to be skilfully fabricated from sheet steel if a new panel isn’t available.
One area that requires checking regularly is the main crossmember underneath the radiator. As this part consists of four pieces it can be very difficult to repair to a high standard. While checking under the bonnet, take a look at the condition of the steering box mountings, as any serious rot in this area will be an instant MoT failure. The front and rear wheel arches on a P1800 can corrode badly (check the stone guards are still in place under the front wings) and the P1800’s threepart sill structure is also susceptible to rotting out along the inside edge as well at each end. The area above the sill and at the base of the rear quarter panel just in front of the rear wheel is another rust hot spot on these cars and corrosion will also attack the jacking points and floorpans, as well as the front and rear chassis outriggers.
Another area to keep an eye on for early signs of corrosion getting a grip is the area around the rear screen and side windows, as rust can start underneath the window rubbers and in worse cases this will allow water to enter the cabin. Door bottoms can rot out in severe cases of body rot and worn hinges will allow the P1800’s heavy doors to sag. Occasionally lift the boot lining to check for any signs of corrosion around the seams of the boot floor and in the spare wheel well.
Rust can also attack the mounting plates for the rear lights and the lower parts of the rear wing just behind the wheel are two more rust spots, as is the area around the fuel filler.
Another area where rust will seriously attack these cars is around the roof gutter and as the bonnet hinges are mounted on very thin metal, this area often deforms and splits. To protect the car’s heavy chrome bumpers, a thick coat of wax based preservative should be brushed onto the back of each blade and a good dose of this life saving fluid should be regularly applied to the car’s nether regions and behind all the chrome will keep the tin worm at bay.
ENGINE
Volvo’s B18/20 series of four-cylinder power plants are both rugged units and provide plenty of low down torque but they do suffer from a couple of issues related to the age of the design. One of these is the rear crankshaft rear oil seal as this is made of felt, but upgrading to a modern neoprene seal easily solves the problem. This is usually done on an exchange basis where the old felt unit is returned for reconditioning when a new seal assembly is purchased.
The other major issue is that these engines have a fibre timing gear that can break up and again a modern steel replacement is available from classic Volvo specialists to deal with the issue. However, don’t expect these engines to run too smoothly when idling as it's quite normal for a B18 to sometimes have a slight ‘dip’ in its revolutions. These engines can cover huge mileages and should still run well after 125,000 miles, providing the oil and filter have been changed regularly.
P1800s fitted with SU, Zenith or Stromberg carburettors are relatively easy to maintain and keep in tune, whereas the 1800E and 1800ES models fitted with Bosch D-Jetronic fuel injection should really be set up and maintained by an expert. Although replacement parts for these engines are very easy to obtain from classic Volvo specialists, some spares for the fuel injection system on the later models are getting hard to source and these can also be expensive.
TRANSMISSION
Despite the long throw on the P1800’s gearchange, the four-speed manual ‘box fitted to these cars is a very smooth and reliable unit. However, a rumbling noise on the move could indicate worn mainshaft bearings and any baulking or crunching while changing ratios will be due to worn or weak synchromesh. Don’t worry too much if the gearbox casing has a slight coating of oil as the seals can leak, but if oil can be seen dripping out of the tail of the ‘box, then the seal should be replaced.
Check the oil level carefully at each service and if the car’s fitted with optional overdrive, make sure the extra gear kicks in when the switch on the steering column is flicked when the car is going over 45mph. If the overdrive’s isn’t working correctly, it could be down to an electrical fault or a problem with the solenoid. Late P1800E’s were fitted with a B35 automatic gearbox and if all’s well with these three speed transmissions the fluid should be bright red – check by pulling the dipstick out. Dark or black, burnt smelling fluid will indicate a problem which will eventually make itself felt by the ‘box slipping in Drive or changing up or down early or too late.
From 1961- 68, manual P1800’s were fitted with a hydraulically operated clutch and after that date Volvo fitted a cable-operated clutch similar to the one used on the 140 series. On these later cars, check the condition of the inner part of cable visible under the bonnet for any signs of any fraying and replace the clutch cable if any problems are spotted.
BRAKES
The braking system on the P1800 range is generally very capable under all conditions and consists of front discs and rear drums. Until 1968 these cars had a single circuit braking system and from 1969 the P1800S gained all-round disc brakes. Removing the rear brake drums on earlier models requires the use of a special puller and adjusting the rear brakes on these cars can be another difficult job. Although replacement front discs and rear drums are available from classic Volvo specialists, these service items are expensive.
While checking underneath a P1800, take a good look at the condition of all the brake lines, including the rubber hoses. Check for leaks, especially around the master cylinder and calipers and replace any corroded runs of metal brake pipe or a leaking wheel cylinders as a matter of course. As Volvo fitted three types of brake servos to the P1800 during its production run, its vital to identify the type fitted to your car before ordering any spare parts.
SUSPENSION
Although the P1800’s suspension is very reliable and hard wearing set up, inspections should concentrate on the condition of all the steering and suspension joints, as well as any rubber bushes, gaiters and the mountings for the support arms. Uprated bushes and shock absorbers are available for these cars and any slack in the steering is usually down to a worn steering box. These units can leak after a lot of use and if the steering feels unusually heavy while on the move, it could be down to the ‘box having been over adjusted to compensate for wear.
TRIM
Most trim items for the P1800 series are available via Swedish supplier VP Autoparts (www. vp-autoparts.com). Although re-trimming one of these cars back to factory specification and colours is possible, it will be a very expensive exercise. Dash tops on the P1800 tend to split and decay due to aging and although new ones are readily available, they’re very expensive and fitting one isn’t a fiveminute job, as a lot of the interior will have to be removed.
Door cards can suffer from damp if the window rubbers and door membranes are missing or
damaged and if the side drop glass refuses to budge when the winder is turned, it may be due to the cable inside the door shell being seized or broken.
Although the vinyl seat coverings on these cars are hard wearing, the stitching along the seams can fail over time – an easy and cheap repair for a professional trimmer to sort out. Top of the range models came with leather seat facings and these may have been removed from a scrap car and fitted to a lesser model.
WHEELS & TYRES
It’s important to note that tyres will degrade over time and it’s usually a good idea to fit a new set at least every six years. Tyre choice for the P1800 is limited and new set of 165/15 sized boots can be expensive. The P1800ES should run on 185/15 tyres and specialist suppliers such as Longstone are able to supply Michelin ZX tyres, which are a good choice for these cars and will restore the car’s authentic handling characteristics. While checking the tyres for wear, especially on the hard to see inside edge, don’t forget to inspect the rims for any damage caused by kerbing or corrosion if alloy wheels are fitted.
ELECTRICS
Volvo electrics are usually bullet proof, although the wiring loom on the P1800 can suffer from corroded plugs and connectors. This will cause earthing problems and one common problem on these cars is an inoperative horn push in the centre of the steering wheel. The cable harness controlling the fuel injection on the 1800E and 1800ES can fail and although replacement looms are available, they are expensive. Later cars can also experience problems with the ECU or electronically controlled throttle body, although there are a number of specialists, such as ATP Electronics (www. atpelectronics.co.uk) which can supply replacement ECUs if gremlins in the way of corroded or fractured contacts are playing havoc with the car’s electronics.