Reader Rick S just hit a bit of bad luck. As a gearhead, he always has a project or two in his garage. He’s been working on a pair of Volvo P1800s. Unfortunately, his garage caught fire and burned to the ground with the Volvos inside. He shared this heart-wrenching photo with us, and it doesn’t look good. Thankfully, he seems to be in good spirits, all things considered, and he is already on the hunt for another 1800 to restore!
While my initial thought was that there might be a chance to rescue a few parts from one or both cars, he sent over a photo of one of the headlights. I don’t think the lens is supposed to be this shape. Given the amount of heat required to melt a glass lens, even the metal’s integrity has likely been compromised. They might be able to donate some sheetmetal for patching rust, but that’s probably about it. It really is a shame, but Rick has been stockpiling Volvo parts, and those weren’t in the fire, so he isn’t going to give up on his dream of restoring a 1800. I want to wish him luck and hope he will keep up posted with his progress once all the dust has settled. Be sure to wish him luck!
That’s really sad to hear.Any idea what caused the fire?
Where’s that at?
Definitely easier to lose a car than a family member – but still a tragedy. Best of luck!
Rick S. I am really truly sorry for what you’ve just gone through. I hope no one was hurt in all of this. Its just sad to see this. This truly is a heart wrenching photo. Again, I am so sorry for you to have gone through this.
-Dave
Mine. Eaton Fire. Before and after. I feel your pain
Forgot the “before”
Rick S., Some of us understand your pain but rest assured that more than a few of us will be watching out to find new leads for you.
Kurt
Nevada i can help.
Josh,
Give Rick my contact info. He might want one that i have here.
I do hope to find another p1800 project. I have been bringing dreams back to life for 50 years. My first project was a 54 Corvette the year I was born. In the process of bringing her back to life, we as I my father and I discovered she came off the assembly line the day I was born. Your project will find a good home.
I’ve heard of “fire sales”, but this is ridiculous.
Happened to a friend of mine, a 70 Olds 442. Very sad.
Heartbreaking. I wish you the best of luck on the rebuilding process. Godspeed, sir.
Hearing that felt like a kick in the nuts. Sorry to hear it.
Ouch!
I’ve lost power stroke pick ups in divorces but didn’t Reggie Jackson lose a gargantuan amount of money, and camaros, chevelles, chevy II’s, etc. due to not one, but two house fires in Oakland ? I can’t imagine the pain.
Hi Rick,I am sorry for your loss,but know eaxctly how you feel…I have gone through that twice 7/18/2008,and 11/8 /2018 in wild fires here in northern Ca house,shop,everything…….I know how lost you feel,but don’t give up and if it helps,maybe consider some counseling…..But as overwhelming as it seems right now,it will get better…All the best of luck moving forward….
Checks calendar. Not April 1st.
Dang. I’ve got an ES here in North Carolina I could consider parting ways with since I’m absolutely not taking care of it, or Nick Tarlton might be a good person to talk to regarding a coupe.
Rick here, I would be interested in any help in finding another p1800. All my life I have found my projects in barns. I’m old school and hopping you get this message.
Rick,
I have some 1800 s.
Some are worth saving, some are parts.
I don’t know how we can communicate directly.
I’ve asked josh and Jesse multiple times to help me get in touch with other members here but they haven’t helped yet.
Every car person’s worst nightmare. So sorry to hear about this tragedy, Rick S. Not sure where you are, but I can keep an eye out in SoCal for you. I must say you have excellent taste in cars! Those are so cool. Best of luck in the recovery and rebuild.
I will rebuild done it before, at 71 it’s going to be interesting. The p1800 has always been eye catcher. The car in the foreground mechanical was restored, and I got to enjoy driving her through her paces. Great fun awaking a car like that after 18 years under a car cover. I have the pictures from dragging the car cover off to a few weeks to primer. Hell yes I well keep going. I started my adventures at 17 with a 1954 Corvette purchased for 800 dollars by my father. On the agreement that I put it together. Being 54 is my birth year game was on. In the process of making her road worthy we discovered she rolled off the line the day I was born. I drove her to my senior beach trip.
Sorry you are dealing with this, every hobby car owner’s nightmare. Best of luck finding another P1800 project car. On the bright side you didn’t lose the time and money tied up in your parts stash. One of my favourite cars since I was a kid.
Very sorry for the loss!! I will also keep my eyes open for one!!
So very sorry to hear. Having been through a wild fire and lost almost everything but the house. And it had to be repaired. Here are a few things that I have experienced/learned. My FJ40 was in the attached garage being restored. But the top was outside and totally destroyed. Since it wasn’t being used. It wasn’t insured. Neither were my son’s dirt bikes that ended up being pools of aluminum. It’s not that hard or expensive to add a,rider to your homeowners insurance. I lost a,barn full of SVO parts. Probably enough to build 2 cars plus. Fire does crazy things. It engulfed my propane tank to the point of melting the thunder ground plastic line. But didn’t blow the pressure valve or the tank. (2 homes in my neighborhood were not so lucky) The fire just went around my tractor and didn’t even lease a,scorch mark. My ’71 Ranchero was parked in front of the house (the wind and fire came from the back) was untouched. But a while later I lowered the tailgate to find large partially burned (what was( embers) I lost 3 barns full of motor cycles, car parts and yard equipment. 30 years of landscaping (including trees) And had damage to the house. (Fire fighters showed up just in time to save the house) And the only thing that the insurance company coveted was a small percentage of the landscaping,,damage to the house and yard maintenance equipment. (Garden tractor, brush/limb eater, and rakes, shovels, etc) IF IT ISN’T LISTED IN THE POLICY IT NOT COVERED! Also remember, that if you have a mortgage. The mortgage company IS the loss payee. So you end up dealing with the mortgage company for regular loss stuff. Not sure about “rider” items. Good luck rebuilding! Been there, done that, and did not want the coffee mug ot Tshirt!
To Rick S: A 1972 housefire (my home burned to the ground) cost me everything from my childhood and young adulthood, when I had so meticulously cared for everything. I still hurt over this loss more than 53 years later. I can still try to locate identical items in anywhere near the condition in which I had them; however, I can never replace the letters, photographs, home tape-recordings from the days of metal reels and paper-backed tape, along with the Brush Soundmirror mahogany machine on which those recordings were made, and other personal momentos which meant so very much to me. So, you have my empathy on your loss. I am grieving for you!
Have always had a fear of this occurrence, I disconnect all the batteries in my collector car collection and anything I can to prevent this from happening. My heart goes out to you,be strong
Rick S. My sympathies. Just keep in mind that this too will pass.
don’t know where you are but i am in R.I. and a friend of mine has two of these i am pretty sure he will sell they need to be gone over but he is middle 80s and can’t even drive any more
So sorry to hear of your losses Rick. My 1982 Alfa Romeo Alfetta burst a petrol pipe and the perol squirted straight onto the distributor and caught fire. Luckily the guy following behind me had a fire extinguisher and put the fire out without too much damage but I know how you must feel I hope you manage to find another Volvo 1800 as they are great cars and well worth restoring! All the best in your quest.
Hate to say this but Toast!
I know how you feel as I lost my year old SD TransAm along with my house to fire in 75
Is there any way BF can edit these sob stories, that have absolutely nothing to do with automobiles? We all have bad things happen to us during our long lives, and I feel sorry for the people that have had the bad things that have happened to them, but this isn’t the forum on which to air them.
A helpful hint: ignore them and move on.
Oh?
With all due respect, Solosolo UK: i could not disagree with you more. An automobile is just an unanimate object (although Uncle Wes did name his 1949 Jaguar XK-120 “Cholmondeley Featherstonelaugh”) (as a Brit, you’ll get that). We love our cars, but they are incapable of loving us. Yet we all are human here, and (hopefully) friends who have never met. And it is our HUMANITY, rather than simply our motor-cars which brings us together. Most of have known pain in life; and yet that is a subject we usually cannot talk about (we assume nobody wants to hear it anyway). But here, while we have “handles”, and we talk about all sorts of things; yet, there is an anonymity to this which gives us leave to unburden our hearts when touched by someone else’s story, and to support each other though deeply personal things which we ordinarily stuff inside and confide to no-one. That is a release most people do not find… unless they attend group therapy sessions or can come to a place such as this, where we feel the HUMANITY in each post, and can trust in a way that can prove nigh impossible in person with someone we know face-to-face. Even in a lighter vein: can we even BRAG about our cars in person in the way that we feel free to do here? If that makes you uneasy, I am sorry. But it is cathartic, and being able to tell SOMEone about a painful experience helps with healing. We are so much MORE than our shared hobby/obsession; don’t you think so? Are OTHERS WITH me on this?
I’m heartbroken for you Rick I pray it all comes back together for you in time
Rick,
I don’t like these long stories so I’ll try to keep this brief.
6 years ago, I backed the Amazon estate up to the door and loaded Robin into the back (Glioblastoma). Drove back to the orchard and buried her. I was going to meet a friend for dinner. I stopped at the end of the driveway and was shocked at the odometer. Trupmeter read 72 and the odometer 7272.
I was racing #72 when she was introduced to me at Raod America long ago. She was wife, Crew chief and a lot more.
72 is an 1800e
Life requires us all to rebuild in different ways. Ya I know that 70 1800e is correct.
One of thousands of cars destroyed in the California wildfires. So sad.
Yep, but the modern cars can be replaced but a lot of the classics that were destroyed can take a long, long time to find and restore.