Our Services
Vehicle Restoration
By Howard Watts
If your car or project is in need of some TLC, we can offer a complete restoration service to return your car or motorbike to showroom condition. Every step of the restoration process will be documented in detail, reinforcing the quality of our work, your car and its future value. A recently completed project is this desirable 1967 Volvo P1800S
We have been working on a Saintly car (as in Roger Moore playing Simon Templar in the period drama, The Saint) - the Volvo P1800S Coupe. Manufactured and marketed by Volvo Cars between 1961–1971 and assembled in the UK by Jensen Cars in West Bromwich, styling was by Pelle Petterson under the tutelage of Pietro Frua when Frua’s studio was a subsidiary of the prestigious Italian carrozzeria Ghia, with mechanicals derived from Volvo’s dependable Amazon/122 series.As time progressed, Jensen had problems with quality control, so the contract was ended early after 6,000 cars had been built. In 1963 production was moved to Volvo’s Lundby Plant in Gothenburg and the car’s name was changed to 1800S (S standing for Sverige, or in English : Sweden). The engine was improved with an additional 8 hp (6 kW). In 1966 the four cylinder engine was updated to 115 bhp. Top speed was 109 mph.
The commissioned work has included the restoration of the bodywork and the rebuild of the engine from period rally to standard factory specification in order to make the car a pleasure to drive again on our beautiful Suffolk roads.
With a dedicated body work and spray shop on-site, we are able to rectify a wide variety of issues. No two bodywork issues are the same, so please contact us to discuss your requirements.Our experienced team have use of a dedicated engine rebuild shop and the resources to resolve any engine or gearbox problems, including full rebuilds.
The Volvo P1800 received prominence in the early 1960s when a white 1962 Volvo P1800 with number plate ST1 was driven by the character Simon Templar (Roger Moore) in the hit TV series The Saint (1962–69). When asked to name his favorite ‘movie car’ many years later, Moore said it was the Volvo P1800, commenting: ”I have a great affection for the Volvo P1800, as, of course, I owned one, as well as used one in the series. It’s a beautiful car and I still drive a Volvo to this day”.