When I spotted this fine old Volvo Amazon on the street on our walk today, I had to get a few shots, despite having shot several others. That prompted its owner to appear, to talk about it and let me know it’s for sale. He needs airfare to Asia. So who’s going to bite?
First things first: Daniel’s been asking $5,000, but he’s quite ready to take $4,000. And yes, it appears he’s been living out of it.
It’s got some authentic patina, but the body looks very solid. It’s a handsome car, the 122.
It’s a 122S, with the twin-SU carb B-18 engine that made these lively in their day.
And that engine is very fresh, having recently been rebuilt professionally. Daniel says he’s got way too much into that engine, and that it runs sweetly.
In lots of ways, this car is similar to the VW Beetle that tempted me a few weeks back. Or is it months now? Both of them are solid, original cars with patina, and with rebuilt engines. And tempting, as a consequence.
If you’re seriously tempted, say so here, as Daniel doesn’t have a phone, but will be monitoring this post. We’ll put you in touch somehow.
Tempting.
Looks like a good prospect.
An Amazon is at the top of my long term want list.
Sadly, the three demons of time, space and $ stand squarely against it.
Good luck Daniel anyway!
Really does appear to be in good original condition. But I already have a truck and 2 Jetta’s plus a parts car and motorcycle. I think 5 vehicles for one person is more than enough. I wonder if Nate wound up buying the Beetle Paul was interested in and driving it back to SoCal?
That is one lopsided looking house it’s parked in front of.
Nice old Amazon .
I wasn’t aware they were this valuable .
I talked with Joe about the ’63 Beetle, it is a nice beginning but has serious rusting and mildew issues *everywhere* and will be scrap if not taken 100 % apart and corrected soon, I wasn’t down for that , my Son said he’d not give me any help with it so that was that .
He seems to be a nice guy and was up front about what he’d done to it .
Too bad as 1963 was a special year and I looked and do have all the little stuff to make one into a really good driver .
Still looking .
-Nate
Thanks for the update. The drive back could have be a great COAL story if the car was more in the condition you were looking for.
I tried to point out that it had rust pretty much everywhere underneath. not the kind that comes from salt, but the kind that comes from spending over half a century in the wet winters of Oregon. It adds up.
If you want a really dry VW, you’d be better looking in your back yard. That’s where other go to look for dry cars.
Thank you Paul ;
You did indeed , why I asked Joe for better photos , he obliged .
Apparently the car was left to sit for a long time with the passenger side window open, the floor has serious rust issues and there’s surface rust every where, even in the trunk where it should never be .
Sadly , there don’t appear to be any unmolested Beetles left in So. Cal. ~ the stupid kids deliberately destroy them then ask impossible prices .
I prolly shouldn’t have sold my last ’63 , I gave it away for $1,500.00, original black paint and only the seats were recovered as a dog had chewed them to ruin .(I used boat materiel that still looked new as well as 100 % correct twenty year later)
I put a 36 hp engine in it and drove it daily for over a decade, a valve spring wore out and I was too lazy to replace it and got tired of looking at it sitting there, needed the space , offered it to a nice young Fellow who’s still exuberant about getting this ” !! PATINA !! ” car for basically nothing .
I guess I shoulda kept it , working Bendix Sapphire 1 6 volt radio , spare tire chain and lock etc…..
One key to operate door and ignition, factory original keys (!4 of them !) , German hubcaps, on and on…
Oops .
I THANK YOU for hooking me up with Joe, hopefully a restorer will buy it else it’ll be scrap in less than 10 years .
It has a lightly overhauled 1970 ‘B’ case 1600 C.C. engine in it now, this is a very good engine indeed and can easily be made a real stormer with the carby it has .
-Nate
I never realized, until now, how much the profile of the Volvo 122S looks like that of the Chrysler 300C.
And the split grille. The Amazon body is a pretty obvious crib of the 1955 DeSoto, Chrysler, and Imperial, but the split grille is exclusive to the 300C and Imperial.
Ha, that’s pretty good. I stretched the vertical proportion on the Chrysler for direct comparison:
I guess I never noticed it before because usually I’m seeing a 4-door or wagon 122S. And you’re right there’s a lot of Alfa in that rear quarter window. it’s like Volvo copied GM in the 40s with the PV544, Chrysler in the 50s with the Amazon (but they came out at the same time) and the Ford Fairmont in the 80s with the 740.
And I’ve always thought the Amazon looked like the football-playing brother of the more delicate Alfa Giulietta Sprint:
I was watching an Amazon on eBay yesterday, from Washington actually. It didn’t meet reserve at a thousand dollar bid, but it had some rust and was missing a bunch of trim. Good luck to Daniel; I’ve been looking at Amazons lately, but have also been feeling overwhelmed by the current fleet, so old car #7 probably isn’t in the cards right now.
Any old car is only worth what someone will pay for it. If it were mine and I got an offer that would cover the airfare to Asia, I would take it in hopes of a brighter future. Buyers for 50 year old imports aren’t a dime a dozen, so even if an offer is declined, it should be done politely and ask the potential buyer for his phone number in case you change your mind.
Nice car, Sadly my lifestyle is far too conventional to take a few weeks to fly out west to go hiking with PN and drive back in an old Volvo.
GLWTS!
I considered a lot of curbside classics when i was looking for a project. Found a ’68 122s, so glad I did, so well built and easy to work on! makes me smile every time I put another part back in place.
Very nice. I like it.
The money is needed for airfare to Asia ?
I hope he is not going there to teach English.
He might regret selling his car.
There is some demand for that there. My daughter has a college age friend and he has been teaching in Korea and Singapore for most of the past two years. It is part of a study abroad program, so his education is continuing and he is having the adventure of a lifetime!
It is amazing how technology has changed travel like that – my daughter was doing Facetime with him when I happened to walk in. I’ve known the kid since Kindergarten, and here I’m talking and seeing him in Singapore real time, chatting about something mundane like my fresh haircut.
Neat old Volvo. I always liked these especially the wagon versions. I guess the values for these are a bit higher stateside as I saw a mostly restored one with nice paint and a wood steering wheel for about the same money on Vancouver island recently.
I wouldn’t knock someone living in their vehicle as I had to do it for a couple of months in my twenties after my ex kicked me out of the house. After getting sick of trying to find a washroom in the morning I moved back in with my folks for a few months until I got back on my feet. Luckily I had a van with a futon in the back so getting good nights sleep wasn’t a problem.
Best of luck with the sale and future adventures!
According to the Hagerty Classic Car Valuation tool, his asking price of $5,000 for a 64 122S 2-door is a reasonable ask, noting the rebuilt engine.
The #4 (Fair Condition) price is $4,700
https://www.hagerty.com/apps/valuationtools/1964-Volvo-122S
“#4 vehicles are daily drivers, with flaws visible to the naked eye. The chrome might have pitting or scratches, the windshield might be chipped. Paintwork is imperfect, and perhaps the body has a minor dent. Split seams or a cracked dash, where applicable, might be present. No major parts are missing, but the wheels could differ from the originals, or other non- stock additions might be present. A #4 vehicle can also be a deteriorated restoration. “Fair” is the one word that describes a #4 vehicle.
I hope he can find a buyer who will give that Amazon the love and attention she deserves. They are tough little warriors.
Hagerty, just like NADA, over prices all their estimates especially the lower level ones. A grade 4 car would be around 2300 to a bit higher due to the engine being rebuilt. The $5000 price is more representative of a grade 3 car in good condition in the real world and not the asking world.
old cars are like old people(of which I am rapidly becoming). they have funny habits and funny smells and you love ’em for who or what they are or don’t.
if you don’t then keep your thoughts to yourself and leave them be!
I’m sure it is hard to part with your car Daniel but you are doing your best to move forward. be proud of yourself for that and best of luck!
I wish Daniel luck with selling this lovely Volvo. My dream car will always be the 1800P.
My story is of the only one time I ever attempted to sleep in my car in America. Crossing the great divide to the west coast from NY, myself and my travelling buddy stopped on a quiet country road to get some shut eye. It was not to be; a wrap on the window, a shot gun waved in our general direction and best advice that “people round here worry about strangers; so git movin’.
The location was more eastish than westie
Paul; you’re comment about the “authentic patina” gave me a few giggles!
Berkeley Has a lot old volvos and VWs left over from all those “Old Hippies”.
Old cars are like second wives. And perhaps second husbands though I don’t think I will venture far afield.
Anyhoo – find one that makes you happy, makes you feel good, makes you smile when you thought you couldn’t smile again, and enjoy spending what it takes to enjoy a few curves. Every day is sunnier than the one before.
These old Volvos look great and are excellent value for money. This one is no exception, the asking price looks quite OK to me given that the engine was rebuilt. I’ve owned my 1966 Amazon for almost 25 years. Just like Daniel I did spend some nights in it, but as opposed to him it was mostly for fun (summer nights, long road-trips across Europe, I was too tired, or too lazy, to pitch my tent in the dark). I wish Daniel all the best and I’m sure his Amazon will soon find a caring owner (Paul, come on :-))!.
Killer looks (the Amazon has great lines and I love the patina, cliche or no), and the rebuilt engine is a plus. Seems like it’d be cramped quarters but it keeps the rain off your head and your stuff, and it does give you the advantage of being able to go wherever your interest takes you.
Best of luck with the sale!
Great find – if the engine is in good shape, just spend a few bucks to re-do the suspension, leave the patina as it is and head for a logging road…..
Best of luck to Daniel – I’m sure he’ll enjoy Asia.
One of my favorite commercials…
Wow ;
This thread had wandered really far afield .
I like this car and further I applaud Daniel for taking the plunge to go out and cast his net in the world .
One of my Son’s High School buddies went to China as an exchange student and was asked if he’d like to make some side $ teaching English to the locals ~ he didn’t know any Chinese but said why not and a year later he had his own Language School
and began making some serious Dollars , met new people , had fun and many adventures , now a decade later he has a nice Wife he met in China and so on….
As Paul said : don’t be too quick to judge others , you may not understand their entire story and appearances can be -very- deceiving .
Daniel, don’t sweat the small things and don’t forget us ~ send us some pix of the cars in China .
EDIT : LOVE THE ADVERT !! .
-Nate
I want this car, Where is it now?!