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

Reply to
~^ beancounter ~^
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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

Reply to
c.fiedler

Reply to
NoOne

The 544 Volvo or you might be talking about the 122. Amazon. Either one I got for sale. Reasonable. snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com

Reply to
Volvo Guy

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.

Reply to
c.fiedler

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....

Reply to
~^ beancounter ~^

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

Reply to
Gary Heston

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

thanx

Reply to
~^ beancounter ~^

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.....

Reply to
~^ beancounter ~^

This one?

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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.

Reply to
Richard Polhill

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

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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.

Reply to
Stephen Henning

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.

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

Reply to
Stephen Henning

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

richard colorado

Reply to
~^ beancounter ~^

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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...

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Reply to
~^ beancounter ~^

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:

And in a 1959 Mechanix Illustrated article at:

Reply to
Stephen Henning

nice links...Thanx Steve !!!

richard colorado

Reply to
~^ beancounter ~^

" 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? ......

Reply to
~^ beancounter ~^

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.

Reply to
c.fiedler
61 or later.....thanx.......

Reply to
~^ beancounter ~^

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

Reply to
James Sweet

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