I've been dabbling in the 200 section with the Royal Barge (a 1980 244) for several years, and have occasionally ventured into this section for maintenance advice on a P1800ES I look after (Delores). Now I have joined the Amazon set - this is my new project.
Yesterday morn the RB and I drove down to Bedford to see his Great Aunt Maud - she is a generation or so older than the RB, being a 1963 122 - B18D motor with a M41 gearbox and D type overdrive (an addition). GAM's owner was a thoroughly decent chap (David - a lapsed member of this forum).
It was love at first sight for the RB and his GAM, so I'm really pleased to say the motor car will be coming home to live with us today.
The motor car (ABD984A) appeared in the press a decade ago:
GAM is very elegant for its years, but has a few issues which make it unsuitable for David to persevere with, but entirely apposite for me (being retired with plenty of time and space for one more project before my dotage). The biggest problem is a hole big enough to get my index finger into in the OS front chassis rail. I'll get the car up on some ramps on Saturday and have a better look. I'm not all that concerned about this because that box section is made of pretty thick steel (I would guess about 2 mm) and doesn't show. I'll cut out the bad stuff and ugly weld some new stuff in the next couple of weeks.
The bottoms of the rear doors are rusted through - the right side worse than the left. The good news in that GAM came with two pristine rear doors (from dry state USA):
... I still have a choice - either fix the existing doors and patch paint (plus sell the pristine ones) or have the pristine pair painted, swap over the furniture and fit them. I see that Brookhouse Volvo sell repair panels for the bottoms of the rear doors for about £100/side, which would fix the problem, but then I'd still have to get some redecorating done, which would cost much the same as having the US doors sprayed. I'll take a view on that issue some time next in the next few weeks.
The windscreen seal leaks a bit on the passenger side where the rubber has perished. I'm thinking I'll probably try a silicone sealant fix from the outside rather than have the screen removed as the chance of breaking it would be high - and that would be a catastrophe.
The paint under the windscreen on the driver's side of the windscreen has blown out a bit - so there may be some rust underneath. I'll wait for better weather and have a better look in the spring - then take a view on what to do.
There is an oil leak - a pet hate of mine. It looks like it may be coming from the gearbox, but I'll have a better look at the weekend. It is all so simple under the motor car that I could probably have the gearbox off in an hour, so even that wouldn't be much of a drama.
There will of course be a myriad of bits and pieces that I discover over the next couple of months. David described the car well and pointed me to the major faults.
The front suspension looks like it could do with taking apart and new bushes, dampers and springs putting in (a set of nearly new springs came with the motor car) - I bought a bearing press recently so that will only be a day or so's work. I watched a very good Wheeler Dealers episode the other day where Ant did exactly that work on a 122 - it looks easy enough.
The rest looks good. The paint is generally good, the rest of the body looks fine, the motor pulls well with no smoking, the gearbox and clutch work fine, the brakes will lock the wheels (either good brakes or rubbish tyres), the electrics work(it has an alternator conversion and halogen headlamps).
Overall I'm feeling smug - GAM is exactly what I was looking for. This may be my last project, I have 18 months until my son finishes his A levels and this is the ideal thing: a runner and rider with a bit of work required to make it nice.
This bit is important: the project aim and scope. I am not (under any circumstances) going to do a full restoration - that would cost £15,000 and take 3 years - and I have no desire to own a show car. I have 18 months and about £1,500 to make a nice driver. It will never be as practical as the RB (which is staying of course) but I think it will be fun and satisfying to make get GAM up to scratch and perhaps make a few subtle improvements.
Any advice on the Aunt Maud project would be gratefully received.
:-)
Alan
PS. I have insured the GAM (One Call with whom I already insure the RB) for only £97 - including breakdown insurance plus a £40 loyalty discount off the RB's renewal premium in February!
PPS. No apologies for plagiarising much of the above from a preview I'd posted in the 200 section previously.