Mecum

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Donivanp

Donivanp

Major
9,603
8,298
Feb 23, 2014
Katy Texas
Seems my neighbor works for auto auctions. Just had this delivered to the house for Mecum auto auction coming up. Had to bring this 56 Volvo to the house for further review.
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In the early 60s, a friend (rich,doctor's son) had one but drove it like an old lady. He never let me drive it.
A coworker (field rep) had quite a number of them on his Mississippi property around 1999, and let me know just how good they were when I bad mouthed an experience with a Volvo. I think he said he had seven drivers, two of them 1800s, and the rest as parts. He told me that three of them he used regularly, and each had over 300,000 miles on them. My personal experience with two 544s and one 444 differed.
 
GrauGeist said:
My history teacher in Junior High had a P1800 coupe much like that, except it was white.

Really cool car.
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A guy a few doors up the street from me used to have one, then the whole family moved onto SAAB 96s. one for the father (concours condition) one for the mother and one each for the sons, a rally version and a standard one, what a sight that was.
 
A friend in 1959 bought a new Morris Minor and as American kids do we rode in it with all seats full. While it was only a couple of months old, he ran into a Dry Cleaning establishment which refused to yield and damaged right front fender. It hadn't been repaired yet when I left for the Air Force, but four years later when I was back, it was still going strong until the occasion when he stopped for a red light. Standing still, the right front wheel fell off. Apparently there are the four lug studs which are pressed into the actual spindle and the earlier accident sheared off the rim of three of the studs so that all that held the wheel on was the splines and the one good stud, which finally gave up. As parts were nearly impossible to find, he wanted to get rid of the car. He did not want to call a tow company because of the cost and called me. Several of us lifted the poor beast off the pavement and stuck it's nose into the open trunk (boot for those linguistically challenged) of my 1948 Plymouth with my bumper guards impaling the Morris' underside, off to the junk yard.

As an aside, the coldest I have ever been was in the back seat of another Morris Minor driving through Amarillo on Christmas leave 1960 headed to New Orleans with two other troops and the young lady whose car it was. I also just remembered that was the only time I ever ran from the law during that trip. It was my turn to drive, it was about two in the morning with everyone sleeping and my foot down approaching a small Texas town. Too late I saw the local city marshal in his car in a driveway. This little town had a monument and statue on a pedestal in the center of this highway but I could see a straight road beyond. Accelerator all the way down, I knew how well a fully loaded Morris would behave and with out slowing, whipped around the statue and kept moving on. When I finally saw the lawman's headlights they were so faint and close together I knew we were way ahead and then the lights turned around. The amazing thing was no one roused from their sleep.
 
special ed said:
In the early 60s, a friend (rich,doctor's son) had one but drove it like an old lady. He never let me drive it.
A coworker (field rep) had quite a number of them on his Mississippi property around 1999, and let me know just how good they were when I bad mouthed an experience with a Volvo. I think he said he had seven drivers, two of them 1800s, and the rest as parts. He told me that three of them he used regularly, and each had over 300,000 miles on them. My personal experience with two 544s and one 444 differed.
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I had two 164s (first carb, second FI) and loved both, Leather seats, went like a rocket and very reliable.
 
I'm afraid I'm a little unhappy with Volvos because of not finding parts. Most recent was a 2006 which a neighbor lady had. Someone left the oil filler cap off when serviced and it disappeared. At the time the car was only 5 years old but she could not find a replacement. She asked me about finding one because I had old cars. When I suggested salvage yards, she said she had tried them but there was one in Cal who said they had one that might fit for three figures. I thought I could find one, but struck out. I modified another oil cap to fit. Way back when a friend bought a used 544 because of my recommendation, the time came for a new fuel pump. The current Volvo model in the showroom was the 122 as I remember. Since his car was inop, and since I was the one who recommended it, I took him to the only Volvo dealer near. Although they said they ordered it, we were now on the fifth trip to the dealer. The owner and wife were the sales staff, so as we walked away disappointed again from the parts counter, we were stopped by an older couple we noticed on our way in who had been looking at cars. The old man asked Bob if he owned a Volvo. Bob answered, " yes." The old man asked if Bob thought they were a good car. Bob said, "Yes. Mine is an excellent car. May I ask if you are a machinist by trade?" The old man answered, "No. I'm a retired bookkeeper." Bob told him, "Then you better find one because the only way you will get parts is to make your own."
 
Years ago, when I owned a BMW 320i (which was a savage canyon-carving beastie), I found it easier and less expensive to order parts direct from Germany (Walloth und Nesch) than it was from any parts place here in the states.
 
Donivanp said:
Before he became Bond, James Bond, shaken not stired
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Bond or no Bond, neither a Gibson (slightly different mix than a Martini) nor a proper Gin Martini is ever shaken but always stirred with ice and then strained into a chilled martini glass, thence garnished with pickled onion (Gibson) or olives (Martini). Shaking it bruises the Gin.

If you're drinking a Vodka martini = peasant.

Fun fact, five years before Sean Connery uttered the phrase "Bond... James Bond" in Dr. No, Craig Stevens introduced himself to clients etc. as "Gunn... Peter Gunn" to the even cooler Peter Gunn theme.

Also - Cool car, I remember seeing those on the road back in the day, long and low and sleek.
 
special ed said:
I'm afraid I'm a little unhappy with Volvos because of not finding parts. Most recent was a 2006 which a neighbor lady had. Someone left the oil filler cap off when serviced and it disappeared. At the time the car was only 5 years old but she could not find a replacement. She asked me about finding one because I had old cars. When I suggested salvage yards, she said she had tried them but there was one in Cal who said they had one that might fit for three figures. I thought I could find one, but struck out. I modified another oil cap to fit. Way back when a friend bought a used 544 because of my recommendation, the time came for a new fuel pump. The current Volvo model in the showroom was the 122 as I remember. Since his car was inop, and since I was the one who recommended it, I took him to the only Volvo dealer near. Although they said they ordered it, we were now on the fifth trip to the dealer. The owner and wife were the sales staff, so as we walked away disappointed again from the parts counter, we were stopped by an older couple we noticed on our way in who had been looking at cars. The old man asked Bob if he owned a Volvo. Bob answered, " yes." The old man asked if Bob thought they were a good car. Bob said, "Yes. Mine is an excellent car. May I ask if you are a machinist by trade?" The old man answered, "No. I'm a retired bookkeeper." Bob told him, "Then you better find one because the only way you will get parts is to make your own."
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Dont think in Europe there will be a problem finding parts for volvo. Lively community for the old and not so old cars. So perhaps contacting a volvo car board will be handy.
 
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