Did you know that the word for the 4th day of the week as defined by ISO 8601 actually comes from the middle English word Thuresday, literally Thor's day? Regardless, the best way to start off Thorsday (or the 5th day of the week for Sunday-first adherents) is with a bang...ing Volvo Amazon. Find this 1963 Volvo 122S Amazon Sedan offered for $3,000 in Noe Valley, CA via craigslist. Tip from Kaibeezy.
First up, let's get something straight; this is a Volvo 4-door sedan. It will never be worth any money. Ever. And it shouldn't be -- because a Volvo sedan by definition is a workhorse. You could have the nicest prettiest foal from a Clydesdale and it will never be worth anything...because...it ain't a thoroughbred. So stop thinking that just because a car is in great shape or has low miles that it'll be some kind of way to pay for your kid's college education. Sometimes, a heifer is destined to be glue not gold.
This heifer is powered by the B18, a 1.8 liter inline-4 that is good for 85 to 115 horsepower when equipped with dual carburetors. The B18 is a legend of durability that was designed for the sportier Volvo 1800 lineup, and should outlive the cockroach species as a whole. In fact, with the dual SU setup seen here, this is either the B18B from an 1800, or the B18D with lower compression. Either way it's an upgrade from the single carb setup that would have been on this car originally. Another bonus on this car is an alternator in place of the original DC generator. Want more in the way of tuning? Check out this guide from Volvo's old Competition Service Department.
A quick peek inside shows a driver quality interior and most importantly a 4 on the floor. The Amazon had its e-brake lever designed to the left of the driver's seat in anticipation of a model with a column shifter and front bench seats, but something stopped Volvo from producing that model - safety perhaps?
This 122S is wearing era-correct California black plates (ABU indicates early 1963) which probably means it has been a California car its entire life but they could also be YOM plates - check the registration for a misc YOM fee of around $10 a year, if it isn't there, the plates are legit. See a better classic sedan ready for a small family? tips@dailyturismo.com
Thanks for the breakdown on the plates.
ReplyDeleteThis doesn't have the Sport designation on it, but it could be an original motor with a B18D.
Some non original interior stuff but a great driver for the 3K if it runs good!
That competition service guide makes for some interesting reading. From the factory, no less! In the modern era of risk aversion strategies and the paramount marketing mantra of Safety! Safety! Safety! this reads like a primer on counter cultural-ism, written by a company that defines the safety culture. "We make safe, reliable automobiles. But if you want to be a complete hoon while behind the wheel, here's a step by step for that, too ." Just awesome.
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