3-for-1: 1972 Volvo 1800ES

Many enthusiasts welcome the opportunity to purchase a restoration project with a donor car as part of the deal. However, this 1972 Volvo 1800ES package lifts that to a higher level, because it includes two spare vehicles. Assessing the three suggests that two could be viable projects, while the third is almost certainly beyond salvation. They are worth a close look, and I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder Kiwie49 for spotting this promising package.

Volvo introduced the ES variant to its 1800 range in 1972 but only sold 8,078 examples during its two-year production run. Of the three vehicles included in this deal, the Gold Metallic Wagon in the above photo is the best prospect for a return to the road. The seller admits it is in the best physical state, and examining the supplied images reveals no evidence of rust. It is always wise to climb under these classics to check the floors, but it is encouraging that the front section of the rockers appears sound. This area is the most troublesome on any 1800, and since it is triple-skinned, repairs can be difficult and expensive. I can see a few minor panel bumps and bruises, although addressing them in a home workshop shouldn’t pose a challenge. The car sits on later 240-series wheels, and some trim pieces require TLC. However, the tinted glass looks excellent.

The second vehicle in this package is this Orange ES. It requires more work than the Gold car, but it may not be a lost cause. The seller admits there is floor rust, but as with the first Volvo, the lower exterior extremities appear pretty clean. It would require an in-person inspection to determine its viability, but I wouldn’t write it off as a lost cause until I had it up on a lift and had a good poke around. Even if it is beyond help, the seller confirms that its 1,986cc B20F four-cylinder engine turns freely, and considering the robust nature of these powerplants, revival may be possible with only a spot of tinkering and a splash of fresh fuel. It is worth noting that these aren’t complicated motors, so a competent person could potentially perform a rebuild in a home workshop with a set of rudimentary tools. The other welcome piece of news for those considering returning any of these vehicles to the road for cross-country adventures is that all three appear to feature the four-speed manual transmission with overdrive, giving these Wagons long legs on the open road.

I hate to coin the term “lost cause,” but that is the suggestion made by the seller about the Imperial Blue 1800. They confirm it is purely a parts source, although it appears to be essentially complete. That means that all of those little clips and brackets that typically disappear during a project build will be readily available. The buyer could use what they need during the restoration of the other vehicles, and then sell this one or dismantle it to squirrel away some of the rarer items such as glass and trim as long-term insurance. The only other crucial slice of information missing from the seller’s listing is the state of the interior trim across all three vehicles. I would never assume that the new owner could assemble a spotless interior by combining pieces from each car, but the possibility is there that this could be the case.

This 1972 Volvo 1800ES package appears tempting, and it may be viable to return two of them to active service. That raises the possibility of keeping one and selling the other to recoup some of the build costs. The seller has listed the trio here on Facebook Marketplace in Hancock, Michigan. The price of $12,000 looks interesting, especially considering examples that present well consistently and comfortably sell for over $20,000. Pristine cars can fetch considerably more, which makes this package worth a closer look.