old, rounded volvos.....

what are the old, round backed volvos...looks like
mid 50's volvos? atr they expensive to get and
maintain?.....do they shift on the floor, or the
steering column?....thanx !! richard / colorado

 

I *think* you are referring to the 540, a truly wonderful if primitive
car that can sometimes be found in good condition but they ain't cheap
anymore. The two I had were true gems and I still wish I had one. They
shift on the floor. They were truly the sports car for someone who had
a family. Modern cars may be safer, faster, etc, etc but there's a
nostalgia about those that I still cherish. Make sure whatever you're
looking at is a '61 or later since they're 12 volt. Some earlier units
were converted to 12 volt but the quality of the conversion can vary
markedly.

You might want to check the VCOA website or magazine and find
something you like.

Chuck Fiedler
Nothing but Volvo since 1974

 

First, see if you can get partscheaply. I doubt it. Might be close
to impossible to have it serviced on the cheap.

 

The 544 Volvo or you might be talking about the 122. Amazon.
Either one I got for sale. Reasonable.

 

[/QUOTE]

Standard maintenance parts are still readily available especially for
the later (post '60) models. Replacement parts are generally through
VCOA members as well as several commercial sources.

 

thanx everyone for the info....i will digest and do some thinkin'...
they are way cool lookin', and look to be a fair sized car...all
things considered....

 

Like the one driven by Nicholas Cage in _The Rock_? (Right at the end
of the movie, as he's fleeing from the church with the microfilm.)

Those would be P444/P544 Volvos.

Like the one driven by Roger Moore in _The Saint_ (TV series, not the
recent movie)? That's a P1800S.

There were also the 120 series, but I don't know of any examples of
that--other than the IPD Vintage Volvo catalog cover.


Gary

 

" P444/P544 Volvos " yea, those are the ones....

thanx

 

I have a nice 1993 940t w/many xtras and add ons (ipd eq)
I may be interested in trading...est retail value is $3,500
on it.....

 

This one?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:OudeVolvo.jpg

PV444/PV544. Probably not worse for parts and work than any other '50s
car, should be well-built and reliable.

3 or 4 speed manual transmission, long, spindly floor shift.

Much loved in their day they survived 20 years of production.

 

1944 PV444A 2-door sedan introduced.
1950 PV444B 2-door sedan introduced.
1951 PV444C 2-door sedan introduced.
1952 PV444D 2-door sedan introduced.
1953 PV444E 2-door sedan introduced.
1953 PV445DH pickup introduced
1954 PV444H 2-door sedan introduced.
1955 PV444K 2-door sedan introduced.
1955 Volvo entered the American market with the PV444K.
1956 Volvo Amazon/120 introduced.
1956 PV445GL picup introduced
1957 PV444L 2-door sedan introduced.
1957 PV445LL and PV445-06 pickups introduced
1958 PV544 introduced.
1958 PV445-06M picup introduced.
1959 3-point safety belts introduced as standard equipment
1961 Production of the Volvo P1800 started.
1963 Volvo opened the first assembly plant abroad, in Halifax Canada.
1966 The Volvo 140 replaces PV series and 120 series..

Photo at http://rhodyman.net/volvo.html#anchor1581669

As with any other antique car, its history is extremely important. They
were very basic few safety features by today's standards. Any owner
that scimped on maintenance could jeopardize it's serviceability and
parts are very scarce.

 

PS:

The PV544 was very popular as a race car. They were champions in their
class at the Duryea Hill Climb and many other races for many decades.
If you google (Volvo PV544 race car) you will find many references to
this.

http://www.automedia.com/Modern_Classic_Volvo_PV544/res20020301vp/1

has a particularly good review on their status as a modern classic. It
lists the price of the good ones at $5-6,000.

 

Cool...thanx Stephen......doy you know if any ever ran at the
Pikes Peak Hill Climb race in Colorado?

richard
colorado

 

I have a nice 1993 940t w/many xtras and add ons (ipd eq)

--------------------------------

1993 940 t 2.3 l l4 turbo
YV1JS8703P1111613 / b230ft
93' 940t >> b230 2.3 liter "red block" || 250 hp (chipped)
|| IPD bars || 2.5" cat-back exhaust ||
IPD upper & lower chassis braces
IPD perf chip / 6 speaker cd/cass stereo
elect sunroof / windows / winter options
direct cold air intake / ignition sys upgrade (msc
system) ... drives nice, quick, straight & true...
drilled & slotted brake drums...5 spoke hydra
rims & mich performance radials...

-------------------------------

 

They sure did. They finished 8th in the Sports Car Division. You can
see for yourself if you look at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
website at:


<http://www.ppihc.com/detail.aspx?detailid=ppih0300&keywords=volvo&mediat
ype=1&photomode=5&returnurl=%2fgallery.aspx%3fkeywords%3dvolvo%26photomod
e%3d5>

<http://www.ppihc.com/detail.aspx?detailid=ppih0285&keywords=volvo&mediat
ype=1&photomode=5&returnurl=%2fgallery.aspx%3fkeywords%3dvolvo%26photomod
e%3d5>

<http://www.ppihc.com/detail.aspx?detailid=ppih0284&keywords=volvo&mediat
ype=1&photomode=5&returnurl=%2fgallery.aspx%3fkeywords%3dvolvo%26photomod
e%3d5>

And in a 1959 Mechanix Illustrated article at:

<http://cgi.ebay.com/1959-Volvo-PV544-vs-Volkswagen-Beetle-Saab-Simca-DKW
_W0QQitemZ320140665053QQcmdZViewItemQQssPageNameZRSS:B:SRCH:US:101>

 

nice links...Thanx Steve !!!

richard
colorado

 

" 1959 3-point safety belts introduced as standard equipment "

I saw some photos of the 1959 P544...that one l@@ks pretty
nice....what woulkd one want to look for in a ' 59? ......

 

I had two '60 544s years ago. Like the earlier models, they were
six-volt. If *I* were looking for one today I would much rather have a
'61 or later since they're twelve-volt.

 

61 or later.....thanx.......

 

How hard is it to convert? Starter motor, bulbs, maybe a regulator for the
instruments, what other electrical stuff do these cars have?