Star Cars

	Marsha & Phil Singher's 1966 Amazon
Marsha has owned this car since 1979. The car has just turned over the 400,000 mile mark (720,000 kM) and shows no signs of quitting anytime soon. While this daily driver is not a strong contender in a "Swedish Beauty Contest," it is interesting for its many mechanical mods. Friends have a tendency to tease us about the "experimental rocket Volvo," and we've had it referred to as "Old Bessie" ("Nobody calls it that and lives!" says Marsha). Current specifications follow:
Engine: B18 overbored to 2.0 liters displacement Midrange torque cam, double-wound valve springs, alloy pushrods Weber DGV carb conversion *ipd* exhaust header, 2" pipes and mini-turbo muffler High volume oil pump and silicon main seals Breakerless electronic ignition Cast aluminum valve cover Engine stabilizer bar Flywheel lightened and everything balanced to within half a gnat's posterior
Transmission: Borg & Beck heavy-duty clutch kit *ipd* remote short-throw shifter
Suspension: Lowered with 30% stiffer springs Bilstein gas-charged shock absorbers *ipd* anti-sway bars front and rear Polyurethane bushings on front bar and throughout rear Dunlop D60 A2 tires on 15 X 6 styled wheels
Planned future mods (meaning the parts are in our garage . . .) include installing a B20F fuel injection head modified for carbureted use, and an M41 transmission with J-type Overdrive. While we won't be racing any Corvettes off the line, the car handles terrifically on mountain roads and cruises effortlessly at any legal speed on the Interstate. It is fun to surprise BMW drivers who might think of the Amazon as the car their eccentric aunts used to own. To the occasional "How's 'Old Bessie' running these days?" we can answer honestly: "Just fine, thank you!" Return to the Top

Marsha & Phil Singher's 1966 Amazon

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