Produced from 1956 to 1970, the Volvo Amazon was introduced to the United States in 1959 as the 122S. This model also had two-point belts as standard, the first production car with standard seatbelts. Volvo later upgraded the Amazon with three-point belts that are still used today.
A rugged vehicle known for bulletproof engineering and easy maintenance, the Amazon is very popular with restomoders due to its relative simplicity. The 1969 two-door coupe in the featured video is one such creation because of a well-deserved LS engine in the guise of an upgraded LS1.
Popping the louvered hood, you’ll notice better heads. Digging a little deeper into the 5.7-liter V8, the small block further hides a hot camshaft and a forged bottom end. A ginormous intake and a beefy radiator also need to be mentioned, along with a T-10 manual transmission. Each of the Big Three in Detroit utilized the Borg-Warner box at some point from the ‘50s to the ‘80s, starting with GM in the 1957 model year Chevrolet Corvette.
The most popular T-10 variant of them all is the Power Brute Super used by A- and F-body cars right up to 1982. Still popular today, the four-speed manual transmission can still be purchased off the shelf for less than $2k.
Turning our attention back to the one-off build that weighs 2,500 pounds (1,134 kilograms) as per the owner, the rear-wheel-drive brute is also flexing Camaro SS front seats, 235/40 R18 rubber shoes, and a half cage. Still, are these modifications enough to keep a new Golf R at bay?
In the first race, the all-wheel-drive hatchback launches better and shifts quicker thanks to a DSG tranny. But nevertheless, the superior torque rating and lower weight of the LS1 help the Amazon gap the German challenger. Pretty much the same thing happens in the second race, but in the bonus round, a small hit for the Golf R puts the final score at 2 to 1.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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