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I bought a 68 142, and I cant find a VIN plate other than the plate one on the firewall, but I dont see anything that uniquely identifies the car on it?
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There should be a number punched in the body metal somewhere. It's been a while since I had a 140, but I think it is located at the front edge of the passenger door opening, near the hinges.
There should be two number plates uner the hood. One is aluminum, usually located on the firewall. It has the type number, paint and upholstery color codes, optional equipment codes etc. The other is smaller, painted body color, and usually found on the left inner fender. This is the body number, which is NOT the same as the serial number of the car. It is the sequential production number for the body shell, some of which were used for crash tests or other purposes, and therefore never received a VIN, so they don't match up.
68 142s are relatively rare, with a total production of only 5,140. The serial number should be in the range of 1423441001502 to 1423441006642.
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Blue Horse- Thank you!
I looked in the passenger door jamb and there it was. It had some crud over it being as it is right where the door seal hits it, but it jumped out at me as you told me where to find it. It is near the range you said it would be, but it starts as 1423451, and the second number is 049005, which is out of the range you specified. What do you make of it? I didnt realize there were so few of these made. It also has overdrive, which I assume makes it a bit more rare as well. It isnt the cleanest one out there, but with a couple of new fenders and new rocker panels, I think I can get it looking very presentable. Now the problem is how do I ever get this car registered in the moronic state of New York with only a bill of sale?
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Seems like this thread has taken off in two directions--I'll try to address your paperwork problem--but first, are you the same Bob in the Albany area that has been corresponding with me for fenders? Nice looking car, folks. Paperwork--you could try a different DMV office (I'm a NY'er also and have found quite different attitudes office to office). Another approach would be to put a lien on the car for storage--you'd have to fudge as far as length of time--and the process would entail hiring a licensed auctioneer to advertise the sale and conduct it. This is a common approach and will cost a few hundred dollars. New York didn't become a title state till 1973 so the registration for the plates was also the proof of ownership (and still will be)--any chance the old plates are on the car? There are private agencies in Albany that expedite DMV paperwork--might be worth a call. Another approach--and I can't explain exactly how this works but the fact that the car came from Maine might be an advantage--I had an aquaintance a few years ago who often bought old, interesting imported cars from yards and barns--they rarely came with paperwork. Maine plates can be obtained easily - apparently - and then transfered to a NY ownership. Hope this helps -- oh, and by the way-- I used lowered stock springs, 25mm bar in front --lowered station wagon springs with adapted 240 rear bar and Koni's all around on my Time Trial 1969 144S--worked super for the street and acceptable (some lean) on the track.
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I am the guy who has been corresponding with you via email.
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I'm reviving this thread to find out how you made out registering the car. I'm also in NY and may be about to embark on a similar adventure. I'm curious ...
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I don't know where Bryan got the '68 142 production number he quotes, but I'm going to respectfully disagree. The numbers do not match what I see on VLVworld.com - by a factor of 10! :)
The beginning production number for the 1968 142 is shown as 001500, and the beginning number for 1969 as 053900. That would be a total '68 production of 51400 142's, not 5140. It would also make your chassis number (049500) much less mysterious. ;)
Also using the breakouts on VLVworld, your type 1423451 breaks out to:
- 142
- B18b
- US Spec
- M41 trans
- LH drive
So is the M41 still in there? And the "Overdrive" trim plate on the trunk? And BTW, was it originally dark green? If so, with the M41, it would be identical to a '68 a good friend of mine bought new back in the day.
--
Gary L - 1971 142E ITB racer, 73 1800ES, 02 S60 T5
BlueBrick Racing
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I don't know about VLVworld, but I get my production figures from a book called Volvo 1927-1985, a factory publication that I picked up in England, circa 1986. Published by Volvo Car Corporation, Public Relations and Public Affairs, S-405 08 Goteborg Sweden> I don't think it gets any more official than that.
The book is a year by year history of Volvo. In the "Information Section" at the back, are (among many others) the following production totals:
MODEL YEAR QUANTITY CCs HP WHEELBASE
142M 1967 1,500 1778 115 2.60
142P 1967/68 5,140 1778 85/115 2.60
142S 1968/69 59,500 1986 90/118 2.60
142T 1969/70 66,560 1986 90/118 2.60
142U 1970/71 71,910 1986 90/105/130 2.62
If you know your 140s, it is readily apparent that a US 68 model is a P type, as the S was the first year for the B20, therefore US 69 model, and the U is clearly a US 71, with the newly available 130hp (B20E) engine, and the 2cm longer wheelbase, due to the revised rear control arms.
It looks to me as if either VLVworld's figures are off by a year, or are production totals by calendar year, as opposed to model type, and that Woodstock's car may actually be a 69, and therefore should have had a B20B, instead of a B18B as original equipment. However, the dark greeen with tan seats sounds like a 68 to me---my first Volvo was a 68 144 in exactly that color scheme.
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My 69 164 was also originally dark green with tan seats.
--
George Downs, Bartlesville, Heart of the USA!
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Hmmm... that book may be "official", but I would suggest it has a typo. The numbers on the the VLV webpage are in complete agreement with the factory service manual for the early 140 series vehicles - Part 0(03) Specifications, published 3/69, which should be at least as official as Volvo 1927-1985. :)
Here are the numbers from the service manual:
Type /Model /From /Chassis No
142 / M / May 1967 / 1-1499
142 / P / Aug 1967 / 1500-52899
142 / S / Aug 1968 / 52900-
The beginning chassis numbers for the '68 (P) and '69 (S) models would indicate exactly 51400 cars (P) cars produced.
51400... 5140... that can't be coincidence. IMO someone simply dropped a zero when they typed the entry for your history book.
--
Gary L - 1971 142E ITB racer, 73 1800ES, 02 S60 T5
BlueBrick Racing
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Could be.....
The dropped zero hypothesis would fit with both my book and what you describe. The book does not give cumulative totals, or starting and ending numbers for each type, only the number of cars made for each model year (letter type) which, as you describe, starts in August and runs through to June or July of the following year. I believe there was time off for assembly line workers during the summer, while the plant was reconfigured for the next model year.
There were also "and-a-half" model years, for example, the difference between a 72 140 and a 72 1/2 was that the latter had white lettering printed on the fake wood dash next to each control knob, describing its function (pull to turn on wipers, twist to squirt, and so on) and, if the car in question was a 145, the 72 1/2 model had rear shoulder harnesses and the 72 did not. (I've owned both) On 71 142Es, there was a difference in the location of the fuel pressure regulator, depending if it was a 71 or 71 1/2. I'm sure there are plenty of other "half-year" differences that I am not aware of.
The 68 upholstery material is distinctive---very different from the pebble grain used in the later cars, both in color and texture. It is a medium brown, rather than plain tan, and smooth on the outer parts of the seating surfaces, with a fine grained woven texture on the pleated center areas.
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Gary, it does still have its M41 and the overdrive plate is still on it as well. It was, and is for now, still its original dark green. It has the tan colored vinyl interior. Where did your friend buy or sell his car? It would be neat if this was the one!
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I haven't talked to the guy in many years, but I do know he was living in Huntington, WV while he owned that car. That would be quite a ways from you (Albany, NY, yes?), but ya never know...
I say that because in the early 80's, while living in Kansas, I sold a dark green '72 1800E to a lady that lived not very far from where you are now... Oneida, NY to be exact. I advertised the car in the classified ads of Road & Track, she flew out to Kansas and drove it back home.
--
Gary L - 1971 142E ITB racer, 73 1800ES, 02 S60 T5
BlueBrick Racing
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It just came to Albany, I traced it back to Maine about 15 years ago. But like you said, who knows? I briefly looked at your site, I will read it all when I get a chance. I am hoping to do some road racing with my 142. It has the full front suspension, cross member and all, from a 74 wagon, and all of the tie rods and ball joints replaced, and it also got the rear springs from the wagon, and it has IPD front and rear sway bars, so I am hoping it will perform decent. I am anxious to get it registered so I can take it out and see how it performs, but with NY's archaic laws I am facing an uphill battle to get this car registered.
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All of the 140s I have had had a tag you can see through the windshield on the
inside of the pillar on the driver's side. You can't see it from inside the car.
(My 164's windshield is so milky white around the edges I can barely see it from
the OUTSIDE!)
Registration:
Most states do NOT issue titles on cars over 25 years old. NY is going to have
to deal with that!
--
George Downs, Bartlesville, Heart of the USA!
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I found the vin on the passenger side door jamb. I guess it was there on these early ones. As far as NY and titles, you wouldn't believe how insane the process is here. They want me to have the car weighed on a certified scale, get all kinds of notarized documents from the seller, fill out about a dozen forms, take tracings from the car, then after all of that they make a decision, and at best they will give a private registration which isn't transferable until a lengthy researched investigation is done on the car. I think my best bet is to have someone register it in another state that isn't so unnecessarily stringent, and then transfer the "new" title or registration back to me.
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Sounds like the «problemita chiquita» that you encounter in a lot of countries
where what they really want is $20.00 attached to the application.
--
George Downs, Bartlesville, Heart of the USA!
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