After a voyage of over half way around the world, the Swedish Volvo jeep has
arrived!
We just drove 522 miles with a truck and trailer to pick it up at Port
Hueneme, CA. after it made a voyage from Oslo, Norway. When we arrived we
noted that a few blocks away sat a Scud missile carrier was still in impound
after over 2 years of hassle with customs. An unsuccessful import by another
collector. So I was much relieved to see my Volvo sitting there waiting for
us... almost free to go save for one last inspection.
The Volvo made quite an impression on the dockside people so used to seeing
Japanese cars rolling in and older American classics roll out. This Volvo
was so unusual that I got a ride and a special escort right to it. The guys
asked me to fire it up even though it was not released, they just wanted to
hear it run and maybe get a ride. We putted around the dock while we waited
for the inspector to arrive.
The inspection: Here is yet another case of your tax dollars at work... the
Ag Inspector arrived rather quickly and that was great. He said the mud
under the wheel wells must be removed before he could release it.. ok no big.
I said, "Can I drive it to the car wash?" He said, "You're driving, I'm
not." Meaning it's fine cause it's my ticket if I get caught. Okey dokey
close enough for me! Away we went to the car wash in my jeep with no plates
and only Norwegian military markings.
Took three washes before the ag guy was satisfied, but then I had to rinse
down the whole wash bay before we could drive out. Why? It all about Mad
cow... not going to let any of that infected dirt from Norway get on US soil!
You didn't know there was mad cow disease in Norway? Well, there isn't
really, never has been, but never mind the small details, this is government
logic at work. So while I wash the tiny grains of silt out of my knobby
tires for the sake of a defunct disease that never made it to the country I
was importing from... I am thinking that a few miles south of us, at least a
couple of hundred Mexican trucks loaded with God knows what is getting waved
right through the boarder by yet another gov. official. But, take heart
fellow Americans, we are safe from the Norwegian variant of mad cow disease
in Port Hueneme and that is what really counts! lol
So after our release from the last inspection, we took advantage of our
location, one block away from the entrance to a Navy base. A brief tour
seemed in order! lol Nobody at the main gate noticed that this strange
vehicle with the odd camo colors was not an American military vehicle. We go
waved right through.. during some kind of threat level Alpha too. You might
think I am taking silly chances, but actually I did have a day trip permit
for the road, insurance and the right ID, even for the base.... just never
had to show it and explain why there were no plates. See, I was legal, just
would not look like it if anybody happened to notice us!
Anyway, I had to see Port Hueneme... cause I was stationed there once upon a
time. Running around in this Norwegian MV did get us some looks too. We
stopped to eat and let a retired CPO and a police Lt. take a look... their
request.
Once back on the trailer the trip back home was 10 times longer, or so it
seemed! lol Couldn't wait to get it unloaded and drive it again. What a
sweet running machine.
It came fully loaded with all the tools. The tool box was the size of 20 MM
ammo box too. Chains, hooks, small wrenches, bolt cutters, you name it...
even a huge camo net was packed in there! The troop seats were all padded,
fold up types, really nice and seating for 7. Windshield opened up from the
bottom a few inches or folded down to lay across the front on rubber mounts.
Two large heaters, front and rear, defrosters, two independent motorized
wipers, tires looked near new, odometer showed 33,000 in kilometers, not
miles. I was rather impressed that it had shoulder belts bolted to a built in
roll bar as well as lap belts. Pretty advanced for a 1960's vehicle, eh?
Engine is the Volvo B-18, 4 cyl. petrol. 4 speed trans. Infrared lighting.
All the street legal stuff, horn, mirrors, etc. worked fine.
Like all canvas topped jeeps, the 4 doors came right off. We stored those in
the garage right off and drove around the neighborhood like that... sort of
looking like a vehicle off the set of John Wayne's movie Hatari, if your
memory goes back that far! It was all very cool and we gave a lot of rides
too. Just ran perfect the whole time, very peppy by jeep standards and it
was very interesting looking. There was not much in the way of dents or
rust, pretty clean. All in all, I was very satisfied. Not bad considering
this amounted to buying a pig in a poke. Never saw it in person till I was
at Port Hueneme.
Cost $2700, shipping $900, Duty and broker fee $500. Dock fee $100. Land
transport $175. Fun after getting it home... priceless!
Keep em rollin... and hoping ol Jock L. gets his Scud back someday!
Jack Lee
(Sunny California)
- Ferret Mk 2/3
- SUMB troop carrier
+ Valp-Volvo Jeep
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Mon Oct 08 2001 - 10:58:56 PDT