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Peruvian 1800S

I live in Cajamarca, Peru, in South America. I have a Volvo 1800S, 1965, engine B18B. On the Internet I [like your magazine] the best. My address in Cajamarca is Jiron Miguel Iglesias 149.

Good bye,

Thanks for your letter -- we think the 1800S must be a very rare car in Peru. All our best wishes to you.

Euro turn signal covers for 262C

Thanks,
Hector Vazquez

Mutual encouragement

I just recently purchased a '67 122S from a man who owned it for 23 years and had less and less zing for its maintenance as time went on. I rescued it, for a price of course, and have been searching, endlessly for weeks, for resources for it. I'm working towards restoring it to its original luster -- inside and out. I refused, and still do, to be daunted by my friends' and coworkers' jabs of "piece of junk," impractical car. It's beauty to me, plain and simple.

Your magazine is going to enable me to do just that. It has brought a sense of empowerment in me that just needed a little prodding to come out from the shadowed corner. This month's Soapbox: Do it Yourself was not only inspiring, it was just plainly simple and logical. A great big thanks to you and your staff and writers for creating and maintaining such a resource. I'll do my meager best to contribute what I can when the time comes.

Thanks again,
Charles Clark II

I just knew there was a reason why we keep putting this "magazine" together! Thanks very much, Charles, for reminding us what that reason is. Good luck with your project, and please contact us anytime you think we might be able to help.

Windshield rip-off

[Name deleted] in Washington, D.C. replaced a windshield for me last year. I had bought a new seal and was researching where to buy the windshield when I was referred to him. Almost everything I've fixed on my 1966 121, I've done myself and derive great pleasure from doing so. With this particular project, I had read the manual and talked to some friends and was sure that I could do it.

[Name deleted], however, strongly discouraged my doing this, and said that even he didn't do the work because it was so tricky. When I finally gave in and came in to get the work done, he kept me waiting all morning with stories that his expert was dealing with an "emergency." When I went to get lunch, I returned in an hour to find them caulking the "finished" job. My main reason for replacing the window was that someone had let the wipers scrape on the passenger's side. What did I find? He had not installed anything better: the replaced windshield was scraped in the same fashion!!!!!! When I complained, he turned and walked away, saying "that's a good one." To add to the insult, he ignored my request to use my trim piece, and tried to charge me an extra $30 for a "new" one!

Certainly, I feel stupid for all my mistakes with this, but at least there's consolation in knowing that forums like this one will provide some "correction:" how to get a good window installed, and stay away from [Name deleted]!

Sincerely,
Erik Miller

Erik, there's no need to feel stupid -- read this issue's Soapbox; we've all had stuff like this happen.

Value of special-edition 142

It is beautiful... showroom-like condition inside and out -- all documented (since birth) receipts; oil changes, etc. It has the California edition seats; big soft orange color with stripes.

What do you think the value of the car is?
Greg Hanchin

At this point, no 140-series Volvo has any widely-acknowleged collector value. You have found a rare example of a special model. The question therefore becomes, "What is it worth to you?" Our advice would be to buy it because you like it -- if it appreciates in value someday, great! If not, you've got a car that appeals to you greatly.

Cross-reference book

Has anyone run across this, or at least recall something similar to the book or catalog? It wasn't used for ordering parts -- it was used as a reference source for locating hard-to-find original equipment parts.
Joe Bergman

We've had several inquiries about such a book, so it does appear to have existed. We believe Volvo Sports America once had something of the sort for 1800 parts (or perhaps not -- that's a very old memory), many of which would be common to the Amazon. Any better info out there, readers?