A 1965 Road and Track review of the 1800S praised the engine as "a most impressive unit," but stated "the acceleration of the 1800S is still on the leisurely side" with a 0-60 time of 13.9 seconds.
Several years later, the 1800ES received suspension upgrades which included disc brakes, wider wheels and 70-series tires, but criticism of the handling continued. Road and Track said in its March 1972 review, "The ES... has good suspension travel for large bumps and dips. In fact the car is a little on the soft side and there's a lot of body roll in hard cornering... handles well in ordinary driving... but gets tippy and squishy at the limit." They concluded that the high degree of roll limited the benefit from the wider tires.
The problem is that Volvos were apparently designed to be driven on the rough, paved and unpaved, frequently snow-covered roads which made up most of Sweden's road system at the time. Under these conditions the soft suspension, high ground clearance, narrow tire design was an advantage. But unless you drive your Volvo under similar conditions, there are better ways to go.
Some of the problems could have and should have been eliminated, as tests of modified Volvos proved. In 1977, Road and Track concluded, "our road test reports were critical of the [unmodified 1800] car's outdated feel: the suspension was too soft, the performance was not crisp, and so on... Modifications show that these problems can be overcome and the car converted into a strong performer... Alterations to the suspension have brought about dramatic changes in the handling."
Volvo actually manufactured most of the parts necessary for these improvements, but instead of offering them as factory performance options as other manufacturers did, they were tucked away in a document known as the "R-Sports Catalogue." Included in the catalogue was a wondrous selection of heads, cams, valves, lifters, valve springs, headers, dual Solex sidedraft carbs, intake manifolds for Webers and Solex carbs, suspension springs and shocks, for road race, rally and street performance use. Other parts were offered by aftermarket suppliers such as IPD.
Unfortunately, most of these parts are no longer available from the original sources as they concentrate on newer models. Those of us who raced old Volvos during the '80s and '90s had to develop replacement parts and create our own sources as the original parts disappeared. Fortunately, modern technology allowed for significant improvements. This opened up a whole new world of performance options not previously available.
Comparatively minor suspension modifications can change the entire character of a vintage Volvo, and give the car a feel and handling that compares with modern sports cars and sports sedans. Current shock and spring technology allows us to improve the handling without the drawbacks of a harsh ride. For the purist, modifications can be made without any visual changes to the car other than new springs and shocks. A slightly lowered ride height is advisable but not necessary. Wheels and tires can remain stock, but should be upgraded for the best handling. Advancements in engine technology over the past 30 years allow us to increase engine output significantly without reducing reliability or low end torque. Again, quoting Road and Track, "Driving the [modified] P1800 has almost nothing to do with what you would experience if you went out looking for one to buy, but it is great fun and damn exciting."
Using the parts and the technology available today, our aim is to do what Volvo could have done but did not, give you a "damn exciting" car to drive at a reasonable cost, while retaining its original character. Our supercharger kit in particular allows performance improvements to be taken to an entirely different level. We refer to our goal as providing the ultimate in vintage Volvo performance.
