Mother’s Day is the biggest day of the year for florists because Mom always gets flowers on her big day.
Very few moms get a 1965 Volvo 122S four-door sedan on Mother’s Day.
That’s the basic plot behind this MyStar owner’s story.
Jerry Sutherland
Rob Scott celebrated Mother’s Day a few years ago by purchasing a Volvo 122S for his wife Rebecca instead of the typical bouquet of flowers. Car guys across the globe won’t believe this story because most old iron purchases involve serious hardcore negotiations with a spouse.
This was an easy call for Rob because Rebecca spotted the Volvo on a website and, as he explained, “She immediately fell in love with it”. Rob didn’t have to bargain on the Volvo—he just had to buy it. Rob explained how Rebecca, “likes older stuff so she said grab it”.
Despite that, Rebecca didn’t see the Volvo-as-a-Mother’s-Day-gift idea coming, so she was blown away by her non-floral present.
Rob is an analytical guy, so he assessed the Volvo as an overall project–he was happy with what he saw. The previous owner had done most of the heavy lifting on the mechanical side so the Volvo was basically very sound.
The former owner lowered it a bit so Rob said the car “rode a little choppy”, but he did like the handling on the Volvo. He also updated the electrical system, so there’s a new fuse box setup and the Volvo now has a GM alternator in place of the factory generator.
He also rebuilt everything from the brake system to the suspension system plus he added an electric fuel pump. The former owner also replaced all the rubber and gaskets in the Volvo plus he installed a new windshield so the ‘stuff that’s already done’ list is much smaller.
This was an automatic transmission car, but the last owner turned the car into a sportier four-speed manual car. A Volvo 122S with an automatic turns these rally champs into faded versions of what they could be on the road–the 3-pedal manual conversion made sense.
Rob still has a list of upgrades and repairs he has to do—including the dual carb system on the B-18 four cylinder. It’s not quite set up, so the car needs a fine tune to really perform. He also wants to soundproof the car because there’s a lot of cabin noise in the cab at speed.
Another issue is the rear end. Rob admits his car “is screaming at 70 miles per hour” so he believes it needs a better highway gear to drop the revs down.
Despite that list Rob is grateful for the stage his car is at because he can drive it while he sorts it out. He also likes to expose the Volvo to more people, so he accepted an offer to show his car in a local event after one of the organizers chased him down in the street to encourage Rob to enter the Volvo.
Rob is always looking for advice on his Volvo because he’s learning as he goes but there’s one decision about the car he left to his wife. Rebecca wants it painted in a pinkish hue and that makes sense.
After all, it’s her Mother’s Day present.
Jerry Sutherland
By: Jerry Sutherland
Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post, Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.
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