VOLVO gtg (VCOA) today - Davis Calif - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Jim B. · #1 05-21-2006, 10:12 PM

Went because I have a fondness for this marque - had an old740 when I was married, and aC70 for about a year (A lemon )

NATE, sorry I missed you, we were supposed to meet there for the 1st time

Anyway there were all manner of them there, this was the big national meet:

All the old ones, you would remember, a HUGE assortment of the little P1800 sport cars, and the newer P1800ES glassbacks. A Volvo salesman from Walnut Creek had the oldest car, a split windshield '54 PV544, and several others of these were too. Lots of old 122 Amazons (one with a rare sunroof option), a 144 sedan, LOTS of 240 wagons/sedans, some 740 sedans and wagons, some kitted for racing, a couple of the lovely '91 Bertone 780 coupes, a few 850's and T5R wagons, and modified sS60R sedans. Trophy plaques, and a raffle, and a BIG booth for IPD performance parts.

Saw in the latest "ROLLING" magazine, that Irv Gordon, with his original (motor rebuilt at 386k), is still travelling the USA for Volvo with his red 1966 P1800, and is rapidly closing on the 4,000,000 mile mark for his car. That is possibly the highest mile car in the world. He wrote to Volvo when it hit 500,000 miles, but they ignored him. Now you get badges like MB for 100k and 250k I think. Volvo wised up and now partners with Mr. Gordon to promote the long miles aspect of the car. Irv said, in the article, he travels over the USA, doing about 100,000 miles per year, by himself but meets people everywhere with that car.

Really nice bunch of people at the show, but it's hard for one to understand exactly what makes people love diesels, just like it's hard to understand why Benz people get together.

And of course, a Volvo meeting couldn't be complete without at least one wagon, with a dog in the back!! And yes, I found one like that.

They are great cars too. My "dream garage" would include a Bertone coupe or a 740 wagon with a Ford V8 in it!! Fun stuff!

Jim

rg2098 · #2 05-22-2006, 06:56 AM

I'm hoping to find a local Volvo club here. We had a 90 740 base wagon we bought new and sold in 96 with 140,000 miles and got double blue book value for. I just picked up a beautiful Beverly Hills 90 765 Turbo, black on black, 98,000 miles. I have a hard time deciding which car to drive now.

Besides IPD, wheres the best place to get parts? The dealer parts department is a joke, they have to call someone up who then goes back down to print a picture and if the parts you need aren't on the photo your basically screwed. When they moved buildings the one they moved into never had a parts counter.

Jim B. · #3 05-22-2006, 01:46 PM

Hi,

Have you looked at www.brickboard.com to start? That's a great discussion board - but not as busy as the diesel place here.

What about Randy Steele at www.epsparts.com ? As in "European" parts specialists. Certainly he is wonderful for Mercedes, he knows his stuff, and always sends you the extra washers, screws, etc for a complete install.
He might do Volvo as well. Worth a try.

I have heard about www.swedespeed.com but have not visited there.

The 965 sedan and wagon are seriously handsome vehicles. Actually a 960 sedan was on the possible list when the five year old at the time SEC wooed me, I couldn't find a reason to say no to it.

If your toy was kept in BH then be sure it likely had the best care possible, not like in Berkeley where it would be used as a nursery or kennel.

A good independent mechanic, will help too, if you can find one. If you were in the SF bay area, I could help. I would think your car would be very popular with the Scandanavians, living in an area with such an extreme winter (Wisc., Minn, Mich.)

Good luck. Never figured what makes owners of Volvo different, but most of them seem to have a VERY high level of education, it seems. FWIW