Just four years ago this 1968 Volvo Amazon was a pile of scrap metal sitting on a field, waiting for that sweet relief of death by rust. A spirited young Swede with idle hands saved this car, and created this perfectly modernized work of art that hits the sweet spot of looking old and new simultaneously.
Anders Franzen was only 21 years old when he had an inspiration to modify an old Amazon. Building old Volvos with modern engines and suspensions is very trendy at the moment, so when Anders saw this 1968 Amazon stationwagon, it felt like all the stars and planets had aligned. Before even purchasing this wagon, he had already acquired sedan front doors and rear fenders, among other parts. Converting this four-door to a two-door was no simple task, since for example the B-pillar had to be moved 20 centimeters towards the rear, so that the wider door would fit. At the same time the rear doors were (obviously) removed and the sedan model rear fenders were installed. This of course meant that the side windows needed some radical modification, also. The car might look pretty original at a glance, but it has been modified with a heavy hand.
The arches have been lowered, and the sides have been widened to make room for these awesome 20” Weds Kränze Vishunu wheels. The stock front and rear bumpers leave a lot to be wished for, so they have been extended downwards, the front as much as 10 centimeters. Now both the bumpers and the sideskirts are at the same level, which is not the case in stock form. The trunk lid has been given an inlay, where the license plate sits. From the beginning of the project it was clear that Anders would use some modern suspension setup, so a JEBS air suspension kit was modified to suit this old lady of a car.
The dashboard and the center console are also from a Volvo 70, or at least were. The dashboard has been so heavily modified that you could actually call it a fully custom part. The goal was to keep the dashboard as stock looking as possible, and I think that goal has been achieved. The steering wheel is, of course, also from a V70. Next to the steering wheel you can find a controller for the air suspension and modern light controllers.
The half-leather front and rear seats are from a Volvo C30, and they finish the interior pretty damn well. So well, that you could easily think this was again another factory option, which of course was the goal from the beginning. The driving experience is also enhanced with an armada of Rockford Fosgate and Alpine products, which have been installed insanely well (unsurprisingly).
As everything else in this project, Anders pieced these modern digital gauges together and coded them himself. Not an easy task, but the gauge cluster really is the famous cherry on top of the cake. This whole car is built with such attention to detail that it really makes you question the sanity of the builder. Insane or not, this Volvo is just unreal. This is further confirmed by the fact that the car has catched a trophy from every show it has made an appearance in. The car is also a nice business card for young Anders, who has his own car shop called ”FranzenDesign Custom and Paint”.
SPECS:
CAR:
Volvo Amazon 1968
ENGINE:
D5252T Volvo V70 2.5TDI
POWERTRAIN:
Volvo M90 manual gearbox
SUSPENSION:
Customized JEBS air suspension
BRAKES:
4-piston Brembo calipers with 330mm discs
WHEELS:
Weds Kränze Vishunu 9+10x20”
TIRES:
Roadstone 225/30/20”
EXTERIOR:
Two-door conversion, doors have been extended by 20cm, B-pillars from a sedan model, fenders have been dropped and widened, rear fenders are from a 2-door sedan, custom trunk lid, the front and rear have been extended downwards, an inlay for the license plate in the trunk lid
INTERIOR:
Modified dashboard and center console from a Volvo V70, seats from a Volvo C30, custom made gauge cluster, V70 steering wheel
