No, not fast, but a really nice, fun GT. You could always lose some of it's weight and it would be a bit faster?
Pics 21 & 22 (last set) show a really bad surface on the exhaust side head mating surface that I would be worried about, iiwy. They could be filled w/weld or braze and reground. Or perhaps a high temp epoxy would be possible too?
Such simple cars compared to today's fare.
And yes, get rid of that auto. Volvo should be ashamed for even offering it in the 1800 series.
Many like the ES, and I do too, but the coupe is really nicer imo. Better lines, not as bulky looking. To have the later suspension, FI, and the nicer gauges, but the early side molding w/o the side markers. 'Could do it on an early (pre-'67) car. All should pretty easily retrofit. But I wax poetic here.
Speaking of retrofitting, I once installed an early 1800 shifter and tunnel in my '68 144S. Then installed a '72 164 locking center box on the new tunnel. Using the 1800 carpeting on the tunnel you couldn't tell it wasn't supposed to look like that.