Tags: restoration driving

About two weeks after I got the car back from restoration, and having taken now it on a couple of decent drives, seems a good time to give my first impressions on the Amazon post-resto. Having owned the car for pretty much 20 years, and used it as my daily driver for much of that, I reckon I've got a pretty good feel for it, and Volvo Amazons in general. Though it was a bit scruffy, it was pretty reliable and not bad to drive -- though never as sure-footed on the corners as I'd've liked. How is it now? ...read more

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Tags: restoration driving

In theory, the Amazon's a week away (possibly less) from being back in my hands and being my main driver. Went over to Romance of Rust yesterday to take it out with Lance for a shakedown, and to make sure we had the final list of snagging that needed doing, before going to the painters for a final touch up and machine polish. Thankfully there's nothing major at all (the seat rake adjustment's not working properly), and the car drove brilliantly, with the IPD suspension continuing to surprise. As well as handling the corners well, it is just so forgiving ...read more

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Tags: interior trimming restoration headliner

OK -- at long last the Amazon's interior is DONE. Mike and co at Auto Interiors out near Heathrow did a great job rescuing the job that the last muppet did, and though there are one or two things I'm just going to have to live with, overall, I'm pretty pleased with it.The main leather (seats, door panels etc) have been done in a burgundy leather, with piping and details (e.g. gearstick/handbrake gator, parcel-shelf) in a dark blue leather. I've also had parts of the boot (trunk) done in the dark blue, and this, together with the tightly woven grey ...read more

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Tags: interior restoration grille chroming

After a frustrating few weeks, things are hopefully back on track. The interior trimmer I was using turned out to be problematic, to say the least, and I've no got Mike from Auto Interiors to finish the job. Basically there's just the boot, some work on the carpet, the headliner and a few minor bits still to do, and we're looking at a week or so from now, with a final finish date for the whole car at the end of this month, which will allow for the bumpers to be chromed and the paint to be given a thorough ...read more

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Tags: interior dashboard dashtop custom

AS anyone with a Volvo Amazon knows, the padded dashtop (a radical innovation in its day) is somewhat problematic. Original or good second-hand ones are pretty much non-existent and a fortune, remanufactured ones are only available for left-hand-drive cars, or in the 123GT style (with integral parcel shelf -- IMHO not a nice design). Even when you do get one, they don't fit. Old ones crack and warp, and even new ones suffer from design flaws -- they're made from moulded foam, covered with fairly thin vinyl, which also serves to attach the thing to the metal dashboard at the ...read more

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Tags: chrome custom wheel-centres wheels

One of the last remaining outstanding issues was wheel centres for the Amazon -- because I've gone for painted steels, I've dispensed with the stock hubcaps. However, finding suitable wheel-centres turned out to be a nigh-on impossible task as I struck out with one supplier after another. I didn't want bullets, or something out of character with the rest of the car, but nor did I want to hubs showing through, particularly not the hulking great nut on the rear hubs. But no luck, at least not for wheels with a 2.75-inch centre hole. I even investigated getting them made ...read more

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