1800: Cut one up to save another?

[ZTatZAU]

It was something @Fika posted in another thread (Anyone know this car? - p2) that has me wondering...

Originally Posted by Fika

If you want a project, there's a Volvo 1800 I spotted rotting away by an ungrateful owner... To the negligent whomever you are, I hope there is a special place in hell for people like you. I just had to rant a bit as I'm feeling a bit helpless!

... if there might be a special place in hell for someone who'd cut up one 1800 to save another one?

My first 1800 was a 1968 that was a daily driver back in the 1980s and 90s. It always ran good but was pretty rough having been in several prior accidents and a good bit of the usual bottom rust. I planned to eventually restore the car and bought another 1967 1800 for parts during that same time period. As it turned out, as I understand it often does, I decided to restore the 1967 instead. Both cars had about the same amount of rust but the '67 had never been hit and had no bondo at all on the car.

I parked the two cars, nose to nose alongside an outside garage wall, while my wife and I raised a family and got our four daughters all off on their own. I then built a larger shop behind the garage and the cars came back indoors. I'm now an old man with sore knees, but have finally started on a restoration that will likely need to be completed by one of my son-in-laws or perhaps my grandchildren. But hey! Who's complaining? Life is good!

My question is... would some consider it "negligent or ungrateful" to cut good sections out of one 1800 to repair bad sections of another rather than purchasing or fabricating the needed repair panels? I know I will never go through another project like this but should I be considering the "fate" of the other car or the possibility that someone else out there might like to restore the other car?

[Burdekin]

I have used one as a donor but I wouldn’t again. If you want one sell the other and if you haven’t got the skills get someone to make proper repair sections. They all pretty much rust in the same place and a skilled restoration guy will be able to make good repairs or buy the ones available.

Strip the car, brace the car internally and take off the wings, rear quarters and rear lower section. Get everything media blasted and epoxy primed. Fix the car shell and then all the other panels and put it back together is probably what is required to do one properly.

They rust, are relatively a difficult car to fix the rust on, parts are expensive and a lot have been bodged over the years. That is just the average P1800 taking on a bad one is even worse. If you buy an average car and are going to get someone to restore it properly you’re talking 10s of thousands of pounds to do. So the one Fika was talking about wouldn’t be economical to do and not everyone is sentimental about cars and willing to throw money away.

[Army]

Originally Posted by ZTatZAU

...

... if there might be a special place in hell for someone who'd cut up one 1800 to save another one?

...

Probably not though I'm sure some people on the interweb would like a special place in hell to be reserved for such "crimes".

The thing is - despite what the forum / internet police may say - so long as you don't do something that is illegal in your country of residence - there is (generally) nothing stopping you from doing what ever you want to your own propery.

I believe Elivs used to shoot his cars and his TV

Preservationists (such as myself) will probably screw up our eyes and think "what a shame" but if you want to cut up something then it really is up to you. As far as I know "we" can't slap a preservation order on other people's Volvos!


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I agree with Burdekin's point about "they all rot in similar places" which on the whole makes cutting from one car and transplanting to another pretty redundant.

As a preservationist I encourage others to build their own English Wheels - buy hammers and leather covered sand bags - to learn how to make fancy shapes in sheet metal.

I really enjoy metal working - to me it is so much more interesting than rebuilding gearboxes, differentials, engines etc