Restoration of Simon Templar's Volvo

[Eichhörnchen]

https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/sho...postcount=6257



What an astonishingly beautiful car - and here's what happened to it:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-ago-road.html

[mapuc]

Wow Volvo P1800

An iconic sportscar.

Markus

[Jimbuna]

Tis certainly an all time classic.

[Commander Wallace]

What a fantastic car. Puts it on my Xmas wish list.

[Buddahaid]

I think I'd rather have this P1800 CYAN.

[Eichhörnchen]

I got so excited by this all over again that I sent off for a white one I saw on eBay (has to be white for me because of the TV show) - just a 1:43 scale 'Atlas' model I'm afraid



But a nice blue one from 'Minichamps' for Buddababy

Here's the one I'd really like from eBay: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/255703427...Bk9SR4rMnPXiYA

[Catfish]

"Sometimes" i do not understand people who buy a new Golf or SUV for 40,000+ when they could have that above.

[Eichhörnchen]

Check this out - even got some crazy bongos

[Eichhörnchen]

Following the exciting car chases with the Volvo, it was a real come-down in one of the last episodes ('The Desperate Diplomat') to see Simon Templar going after a VW Beetle in this... a 1966 Fiat 850 coupé. It looks like a shed in comparison

[mapuc]

(going a little off topic)

Another iconic Volvo car is the Amazon.

IXO-collection have a model of this car in scale 1/8.
(Which I would love to build)

Back to discuss Volvo P1800

(End of going a little...)

Markus

[Eichhörnchen]

/\ Yes there were a lot of those about here in the UK when I was a kid - particularly in light blue. You just don't see them now and I always thought they looked cool, especially in red

[Catfish]

The Fiat 850/1000 as Berline, coupé, or Bertone 'Spider' roadster variant has not to hide in shame, first its driving qualities were excellent, second this 850 ccm engine was unbelievable, it could be driven to 8500 rpm without problem and it never failed, even in the hardest conditions – there also was a 1000 ccm version with the "850" name. An Auto Motor & Sport team went to France and Italy and "tested" it against other cars of the time, with the Fiat coming out as a winner against much bigger ones. They revved it at 8500 rpm all the way over mountains and through the Alps, expecting the little engine to explode; it never did.
A VW "beetle" of course had no chance against this agile little sports car. The Fiat drives and handles like a go-cart. HP was from 40 to 150, and then there was an Abarth tuning version.
This is insane.



You can almost drive it by throttle control alone, just give a hint with the steering wheel and step on the pedal.
I have always wished to have a TR Spitfire with a Fiat engine like this. The Standard Triumph 1300 engine is lame against this, at least unless you threw a lot of money at it.
Of course there was no luxury to expect, and the Fiat costed not even ten percent of the Volvo.
I also think it is quite pretty –

This is the 70hp, starts at 28 seconds into the vid:



"It is a blast to drive"

When we drove one at a rallye i shouted "we are in the red area of the rev counter" while the owner calmly told me to "quickly get over the dangerous red area to 9000".
I take it "Simon Templar" knew what he did

[Eichhörnchen]

I take back everything I said

But it's still nowhere near as beautiful as this - this is my ATLAS 1:43 diecast model, which arrived about a week ago

[Buddahaid]

[Catfish]

^ Now this is another level.. they also have Jaguar E type reworks with modern suspension and electronic gizmoes. I would still prefer to drive the original. But i admit with this Volvo they did this right, also with the interior padding and all –

re the Fiat 850 and Volvo 1800

Originally Posted by Eichhörnchen

I take back everything I said

But it's still nowhere near as beautiful as this - this is my ATLAS 1:43 diecast model, which arrived about a week ago

I feel tempted to buy one myself.. the model