Feature Cars
Feature Car: P1800 Blue
By by: George Achorn
Jan 29, 2001, 20:16

For many, the sexiest Volvo ever built was the P1800 coupe. The car's voluptuous lines are quite contrary to the typical box or brick inspired shapes of the car's many siblings that have rolled out of Gothenburg. So, for a Volvophile with a high degree of skill and a need to show off his or her talents in car modification, the P1800 is a great base for a showcase. At least this was the thought of Frank Derks, owner of EuroSport Tuning, and we tend to agree.

The P1800 you see here is a 1971 1800E that rolled off the assembly line painted in a red hue. Frank first encountered the car at rest in the middle of the woods where it had been sitting for what must have been nearly ten years. In order to retrieve the car, it was necessary for Frank to cut down trees and growth to free the aging coupe from its resting place. In such a sorry state, Frank was able to procure the car for $500 Canadian dollars ($325 for those of us south of the border).

Once he got the P1800 home, Frank completely stripped it down to the shell. He began a complete restoration with the goal of creating something completely different. The car's new owner wanted an automobile that would perform well at the racetrack, autocross or even concours events.

The entire process to restore and upgrade this car took Frank over two years and the results show his painstaking attention to detail.

At the heart of this restoration is one of Volvo's B23E motors. At the time, Frank had heard much talk of newer motors being retrofitted in an 1800, though he hadn't seen much hard evidence of this actually being done. He wanted to be one of the first.



Frank sourced a B23E from a Canadian spec 240 that he completely rebuilt. A custom intake system and modified fuel injection system both help increase the performance of this newer setup. To help keep everything cool, Frank installed an electric fan in front of the radiator. Exiting gases vent to the outside via a custom exhaust system and finally escaping through a Monza tip.

In order to make it all fit, he had a custom-made header installed. In addition, he cut out and reinforced the center section of the cross member to make space for the oil pan.

Power from the newer motor gets to the ground via the original M45 transmission. However, it was necessary to upgrade to a reinforced drive shaft after breaking the previous shaft in half after drag racing the car at some local Toronto import drag nights.

Handling was improved through newer more heavy-duty components. KYB gas shocks firm things up a bit, while cornering is much improved through a custom large diameter swaybar setup.

Stopping performance is just as important as acceleration, if not more, so Frank opted to significantly upgrade these components. Cross drilled and silver coated front and rear brake rotors offer quicker cooling of the system, and are used in conjunction with Carbon Fiber brake pads and ATE Super Blue brake fluid.

Wheels were upgraded to TSW 16-inch Concept II rims shod with Yokohoma AVS tires in 205 55 16 size. Not only does this larger setup bestow the car with improved handling and traction, they also add substantially to the exterior design.

As for exterior design, Frank went with a very tasteful approach that is quite different from most P1800s we've seen. The car was prepped for a total respray and changes were made. The Bumpers were removed for a more aggressive look, while any remaining chrome was sand blasted and painted black. The body, in the mean time, was re-shot in its new blue coloring.

With all the changes on the outside, it was appropriate for Frank to give the interior a total rethink as well. A handsome custom leather dash lies at the center, while custom blue leather accents have been added to each door panel.



Updating the sound system, Frank added a 6-speaker stereo with two 8-inch Kenwood subwoofers and a compact disc changer.

Frank completed the car in 1993 and continues to use it as a rolling example of what he and his new company are capable of. Wherever he goes, those who don't know always seem to ask him what kind of car it is. It's handsome looks; combined with lack of identifying emblems, make it quite the enigma for the general public.

About EuroSport Tuning

EuroSport Tuning is a small company that Frank recently began out of his own love for cars, though especially Volvos. He chose to launch this new endeavor after ten years of building, modifying and racing Volvos and set up shop in Burlington, Ontario. EuroSport Tuning carries a large selection of performance parts, OEM parts and accessories for all Volvos from 1980 and up. Frank says that EuroSport will be developing many new parts and are open to suggestions and ideas from the field that owners have found a need for. They emphasize that they are willing to find parts to meet customer interests and encourage Volvo owners to contact them with their needs (info@eurosporttuning.com). They pledge to get it for you or direct you to a source where you can find it. Frank claims that they will be running many promotions throughout the near future and has shared that EuroSport now offers discounts to owners of Volvo-related websites in trade for banner space for the new company. This is a highly effective way he's found to garner his new company some exposure. For more details people can email us at promo@eurosporttuning.com

For more discussion on this story, click on the link to our discussion forums to the left.	For more photos of the car in this story, click on the link to our gallery at the right.

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