3-for-1: 1972 Volvo 1800ES

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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.

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Comments

  1. Sam61

    One of the best looking wagons, shooting brake, long-roof, clown shoe, etc…of all time.

    Restore the gold one…maybe something different on the orange like stick 289 or 304 v8 in with a manual and strip everything you can off the blue one.

    Tempting price for someone the mechanical and bodywork chops.

    Like 11
  2. Evan

    Strikes me as a pretty good deal, especially if you factor in selling all the parts you didn’t use from the parts cars to other 1800 owners.

    D-Jet parts are getting pretty hard to find these days, and I wouldn’t assume you get enough parts to make it work. The “easy button” would be a Weber DGV. But D-Jet was used in so many other cars that there’s pretty strong support for converting D-Jet cars to modern standalone EFI, like Megasquirt or Haltech.

    Like 3
    • RallyeMember

      I curse most for using the easy button to replace fuel injection or dual sidedraft carbs on Volvos, BMWs and others.

      Like 0
  3. Aussie Dave Aussie DaveMember

    My first car was a Volvo 145, so Volvo’s have a special place in my heart.
    And I’ve always loved the P1800 (yes I know they are ES’s)
    The orange one is probably the most common colour, but I’d love to restore the blue one, never seen any 1800 in blue before. And no, I wouldn’t destroy the other 2 to restore the blue one, I’d restore all 3. Keep the blue one, and sell the other 2.

    Like 5
    • Frog

      The blue one is showing some red underneath it if you look where the grille is missing.

      Like 1
  4. bobhess bobhessMember

    Always been a fan of the ES. Actually tried to buy one right after they came out but couldn’t get the color we wanted. Did get reunited with a ’72 in the late ’90s when a friend asked me to co drive his race car. First time out with the car we won both of our races. Turns out the engine was putting out 226 hp and spent several years winning most of the races it entered. Still think they are a great design and one of the best looking cars out there. Don’t ask me about the picture. Have no idea why it’s 90 degrees off. click on it for a full picture.

    Like 3
    • Jamie Palmer Jamie PalmerStaff

      Fixed the picture. Also agree with your comments and love the racer! Thanks, Bob!

      Like 3
    • RallyeMember

      Bob, are you coming to the runoffs?

      Like 2
      • bobhess bobhessMember

        Can’t make it this year. Thought about signing on for Paddock again but got too much going on.

        Like 1
  5. yeapea

    These beautiful “Snow White coffins” (in Germany the car is called “Schneewittchensarg”).
    Beauties.

    Like 1
  6. Dave

    I had several Volvos back in the 80’s from a 122S wagon to three 140 series, all with SU or Stromberg carbs, similar to the TR3 that I had before then. The B-20 engine was easy, but the later fuel injection had issues I heard from a friend.

    Like 1
  7. Bob

    The kink in the deal is getting three non runners home. If you live close by, it’s a good deal.

    Like 2
    • Frank Sumatra

      Bring a trailer!

      Like 2
  8. chrlsful

    looks like “my bosses” place w/late ’70s/early 80’s Toys.

    Right there are my fav wolwo.s Wish it were a few yrs ago. Lub
    ta take over the stash (I think). Chose 1st gen bronks (40 yrs ago) instead…

    ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

    Like 1
  9. tony

    Its not 12K for all I asked about separating them and this is response.

    She will sell them seperate but she wants $12k a peice for the gold and orange ones and $3k for the black one. Shes pretty set on this price so I honestly think she will end up just keeping them.

    Like 1
  10. Lonny

    Had her husband had any of these vehicles Running & Driving?

    Like 0

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