1973 Volvo 1800ES

Refit – Putting the 1973 Volvo 1800ES Back Together and Fitting the New Foglights

The 1973 Volvo 1800ES has been moved from the Bridge Classic Cars in-house Paintshop into the restoration workshop.

After being painted, the team have got a few jobs to do on the classic Volvo. The first is the fitment of new aftermarket Fog Lights to the front of the 1800ES. Our technician Scott worked on getting these in the right place and securely fitted to the underside of the front bumpers and wired in.

Next, the team could begin to get the rest of the bumpers, chromework and trims installed back onto the car and secured into place.

Green Blue – 1973 Volvo 1800ES Painted

The 1973 Volvo 1800ES has been into the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint booth recently to be refinished in its signature ”Green Blue” finish.

The team have worked hard on getting the classic Volvo prepared and ready to go into the booth with several hours of sanding, minimal filler work and a few welds needed here and there to get each panel absolutely perfect ahead of its date with the paint booth.

Once the whole car had been flattened back, bare areas primed and the whole car cleaned off, our in-house painter Alan could begin the process of laying down the deep, glossy paintwork which gives the 1970s Volvos that incredible look.

Refinished – Repainting the Rocker Cover of the 1973 Volvo 1800ES

The 1973 Volvo 1800ES rocker cover has been refinished by the in-house paint and body shop here at Bridge Classic Cars.

The team carefully stripped back the part, meticulously cleaned and then shot in hardwearing silver.

Now with this part curing in the in-house paint oven.

The Finer Points – Rust and Wing Mirror Repairs on the 1973 Volvo 1800ES

The paint and bodywork team at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ have been working several jobs on the 1973 Volvo 1800ES.

The team found several small rust holes around the body which were carefully sanded back, plug welded and finished flat, along with that the team plug welded some wing mirror holes which were no longer needed.

The bodywork team then worked on finishing the panels to be perfectly smooth and then took the car into our in-house paint booth to primer the specific areas and be paint matched.

Moving Forward – Work on the 1973 Volvo 1800ES

The restoration team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on the inspection and repairs on the 1973 Volvo 1800ES.

Our technician Dave began this round of work by removing the rear bumper of the classic Volvo in preparation for it to be moved into our body and paint shop. After that had been removed, catalogued and stored the team could get on with the list of work.

Part of the work needed was for Dave to do some welding at the rear end of the car. Part of the rear spring hanger had cracked and needed to be rewelded to make sure everything was safe and secure in the car.

Next was a few issues with the wheels interfering with several components of the running gear. At the rear, Dave found that the set screws on the disc were not fitted all the way into the threaded insert and were contacting the back of the wheel not allowing it to be tightened down flush to the hub.

On the front, Dave found the front tyres had been contacting both the frame rail and anti-roll bar (as seen by the witness marks on both pieces).

Progress – Working on the 1973 Volvo 1800ES

The 1973 Volvo 1800ES has been in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop for our restoration team to begin working through the jobs requested by the classic Volvo’s owner.

Our technician Dave has worked on replacing the air filter as part of its service along with a full oil change. The team also inspected and adjusted the valves while the rocker cover was taken into our paint and body shop to be refinished.

The team also drained the car of both oil and coolant as part of the service and while the engine was empty replaced both the oil temperature sensor and the coolant temperature sensor for the customer. After these had been fitted, Dave could refill both the oil and coolant in the engine to spec.

Dave also worked on replacing a ball joint on the classic Volvo due to excessive play in the component which can affect both the handling and tyre wear but is deemed to be a safety component for the car.

Assessment – The Workshop Team Inspecting the 1973 Volvo 1800ES

The team at Bridge Classic Cars have been going through and inspecting the 1973 Volvo 1800ES ahead of work beginning on the classic Volvo.

The owner of this unique and rare Volvo has asked our team to look into a series of works to update and refurbish aspects of the car along with some diagnostics work into some issues which have presented themselves.

We’re excited to show you the progress on this amazing project very soon.

This Just In – 1973 Volvo 1800ES

This beautiful 1973 Volvo 1800ES has just arrived into the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshops at our Suffolk HQ.

The car has come in for a series of jobs to be carried out by the in-house restoration teams but the car will also be fully inspected and assessed by the teams to make sure everything is tip-top on this classic unique Volvo.