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I was able to inspect the car as it was being sold here in Arizona. With the car were documents verifying its 2-owner history. There is a plastic Volvo Owner Indenfication Card for the first owner, dated 11-1-1967, and issued in Florida. He must have moved out to Arizona shortly thereafter, because there is an old Arizona title dated 11-3-1969. He drove it alot: it had 99,600 miles on it by March 1976. The car hit something in February 1977, damaging the right front wing, nose and hood (but not the frame). Repair estimates at the time note the mileage of 108,233. More records show he was still driving it in January 1978, when a clutch was installed at 116,600 miles. Then, mysteriously, the car isn't driven anymore.
The second owner, bought the car in December 2005. The car was re-registered with and actual mileage recorded on the title of 117,000. From this owner's maintenance records, it looks like he did a lot to get it running again during 2006 and 2007: brakes, tyres, fuel system, cooling system. For whatever reason, he lost interest, and the car was put up for sale a few weeks ago.
It is indeed a 1968 123GT. The ID tag reads Type 133351 P. Colour 94 (dark green). Upholstery 425-552 (tan). S-5314,5343. The Vin # is consistent with range of numbers for this model. It has the fully reclining seats, overdrive, driving light brackets (the correct lights are gone, probably ruined in the accident), all the factory wiring, switches and relays for the driving lights, screw holes in the trunk and engine compartment where the courtesy lights used to be, the correct 2 horns, the right steering wheel (the plastic center, cracked, was in the ashtray), and all the right badges (some in a little bag along with a driving light cover in a box in the trunk.
Unfortunately, the PO allowed the brake booster to be removed as part of his efforts to make the car roadworthy after its long hibernation. As previously noted the tach is gone and the dash recovered.
Offsetting this, the car is in orginal condition, with orginal paint, interior, and drivetrain. And because its been here in the desert all its life, it is absolutely rust free (with the single exception of the spot on the right wing, which I suspect was the result of the repair job in 1977).
Also with the car was the owners manual, including a 123GT "Supplement to Instruction Book", factory manuals, an SU tuning manual and SU tool kit, maintenance records, and various little notes and remarks written by the first owner in the books. It's obvious he loved the car and loved to drive it.
I guess you could label this the proverbial barn find...
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