Sat, 23 Aug 1997
Hi! My name is Alex, and I am interested in eventually joining the 1800 family by purchasing one for myself! However, at the present I am a complete neophyte to this car and have some questions.
I have heard that they were made to run on leaded gas and run lousy on unleaded gas. Is that true? What are some things to look for to avoid the possiblity of getting a monetary "black hole?"
Thanks for your time. Please respond at AlexWeb@juno.com
Peace,
Alex
Alex -
All cars before the mid-seventies were made to run on leaded gas. Most older cars, including the Volvo 1800, run fine on super unleaded. An exception is all-out racing cars, which might require lead for higher octane.
Wear old clothes and bring a flashlight whenever you go to look at an old car. Get down on your belly and shine the flashlight on the underbody under the seats. If there are many large holes rusted through, it will take big money to get them fixed.
Bodywork is the biggest expense and an engine overhaul is the second biggest. If you can see smoke in the exhaust on acceleration, you should get the engine's compression tested and compare the readings with specifications in a P1800 workshop manual. If the compression is significantly lower than specified or more than a few psi different from one cylinder to another, an overhaul is indicated.
Good luck in your quest.
-Glenn.