This 1971 Volvo 1800E was acquired by the seller 15 years ago, reportedly from its original owner who took delivery in Europe. Subsequent work included refinishing the body in metallic blue and reupholstering the front seats in black leather. Power is from a twin-carbureted B20 inline-four which has been rebuilt to 2.1 liters and is said to feature a European-market compression ratio. The car is equipped with a mid-range cam, a custom exhaust system, a four-speed manual transmission with Laycock overdrive, lowered suspension, Minilite wheels, and more. This 1800E is offered with partial service records and a clean California title in the seller’s name.
Originally gold, the car has since been refinished in its current metallic blue using a two-stage process. Rust repair prior to the paintwork reportedly included welding in of new crossmember rails. The finish is shown up close in the gallery below, including occasional chips on the front end. US-market reflectors are retained on the front and rear fenders.
Four-wheel disc brakes sit behind silver Minilite 14″ wheels shod in BFGoodrich Traction T/A tires that show 2011 date codes. Higher-rate springs are said to lower the car by approximately an inch, and additional suspension modifications consist of an Addco sway bar, Bilstein shocks, and polyurethane bushings. The ball joints are said to have been replaced under current ownership.
The black interior features leather-upholstered front bucket seats with adjustable headrests, while vinyl trim covers the rear seats and black carpets are protected by rubber mats. Woodgrain-style trim adorns the dash, and an Alpine stereo has been fitted in the center stack.
The wood-rimmed Lecarra steering wheel features a Volvo center cap and rests in front of Smiths instrumentation including a tachometer and speedometer said to have been rebuilt by Palo Alto Speedometer. The six-digit odometer reads approximately 110k miles, with 22k added during the seller’s 15-year ownership. The fuel tank sending has been replaced.
The B20 inline-four features a European-market compression ratio and has been rebuilt to 2.1 liters of displacement according to the seller. Additional modifications include a finned valve cover, hardened valve seats, a mid-range camshaft, and twin SU sidedraft carburetors in place of the stock fuel injection system. The engine was reportedly tuned and dyno-tested by Dave Rebello of Rebello Racing after the modifications, while an oil change and carburetor adjustment were performed earlier this summer.
A custom exhaust system with a glasspack intermediate muffler and a Monza dual-pipe resonator has been installed. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a four-speed manual transmission with a Laycock de Normanville overdrive unit. The clutch pressure plate was machined by Morgan’s Speed and Marine of Walnut Creek, California, who also installed matching shouldered bolts to help quell high-rpm vibrations.
An acceleration video can be seen below: