Volvo has never really been known for its coupes, but once they built one, it did impress. Today’s Nice Price or No Dice P1800ES is the wagon edition, which is much more sought-after. Let’s examine if its price tag is value a glance.
Subaru is an oddball company. Few carmakers advertise their wares by showing them crumpled within the aftermath of a collision, which makes Subaru’s approach of showing grateful owners in post-crash situations a daring strategy. That commitment to its customers is reflected in the corporate’s tagline: “Love. It’s what makes a Subaru, a Subaru.”
Will the following owner love the 2006 Subaru Impreza wagon we checked out yesterday? Time will tell. Hopefully, they will not test the corporate’s commitment to safety and crash survival, and as a substitute will simply benefit from the automobile for its AWD prowess and easy creature comforts. That next owner may take comfort within the Impreza being a solid deal at its $5,500 asking price, as that found approval in our votes, racking up an enormous 90% ‘Nice Price’ win.
Outlive us all
Subaru is not the primary automaker to tout safety as a key selling point. For a long time, Sweden’s Volvo adopted the same tactic, to the purpose that the brand’s products became the butt of jokes in popular culture and in otherwise unfunny movies.
The thing is, those older, safety-conscious Volvos had the last laugh, as most were so well-built they outlived their belittlers. One, a 1966 P1800, set the Guinness World Record for the very best mileage, traveling an astonishing 3.2 million miles. That number kept increasing because the Volvo was still going strong when its owner (Irv Gordon) passed away in 2018.
Today’s 1973 Volvo P1800ES has vastly fewer miles (35,870) on the clock and is the later wagon edition that features Bosch fuel injection on its 2.0-liter B20 inline-four. The automobile’s party piece, nevertheless, is its all-glass rear hatch. This was the primary automobile to feature such a singular design element, and while it appears alarmingly fragile, in typical Volvo fashion, it seems to have survived just nice over the past half-century.
Mostly original
The remaining of this P1800 appears to be in pretty fine condition, though the ad notes minor rust on several body panels, describing the condition as “nothing major.” The bodywork is all straight, which is a notable plus on these coupes as all the nose is welded together and leaded smooth, making repairs a hassle. Being a 1973—the last yr for the model—it features bumpers that jut out farther than on earlier editions, to satisfy U.S. standards. They do not look too heinous, though. The wheels are aftermarket, but appear period-correct Panasports or one in every of that brand’s many knockoffs.
The cabin is a little bit of a mixed bag, with dash, door cards, and the motive force’s seat all seeming to have escaped the ravages of Father Time. The small rear bench seat looks to be nice, even though it inexplicably has a boot print on the backrest. That raises more concerns about the way it got there than about its removal. In contrast to the rest of the inside, the passenger seat shows its age. In reality, it looks prefer it should include two tusks and a trunk. The headliner can be speculated to need attention, however the ad doesn’t go into the extent of what that may entail.
The list goes on
So far as the mechanicals go, this automobile seems to have the products. The B-series 4 has a fame for endurance, and as fitted here, with Bosch D-Jetronic fuel injection, it makes a modest 125 horsepower and 118 pound-feet of torque, so it isn’t overly stressed. Behind that could be a four-speed manual with Laycock de Normanville overdive for improved highway driving.
Based on the ad, the engine “starts easy and runs strong with plenty of torque, good oil pressure and no smoky exhaust.” Updates include recent brakes throughout, a replaced booster, a substitute fuel tank, a brand new water pump and ancillary parts, and a brand new battery and fresh tires. The whole lot is claimed to have been replaced with OEM parts, except the windscreen and seal, that are aftermarket units. One cool little bit of kit is the finned rocker cover from venerable Volvo tuner IPD. Finally, this P1800 comes with a clean title and current registration.
Longroof longing
The ad notes that this has long been a one-owner automobile until the current owner bought it from their brother’s estate in 2022. They are actually able to see it leave the family and go to a brand new household. For that to occur, there’s the small matter of the $22,000 asking price and whether it falls squarely within the “let’s talk” realm or has been set within the stratosphere based on the automobile’s desirability and presentation. It ought to be noted that the ad has been up for a full month, as we speak.
What’s your opinion on this fetching classic Volvo and that $22,000 price tag? Does that feel fair? Or is that this shooting brake’s seller shooting themselves within the foot?
You choose!
Nice Price or No Dice:
Portland, Oregon, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to Don R. for the hookup!
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This Article First Appeared At www.jalopnik.com
