I have a late '82 245 LH Jetronic w/Chrysler distributor with 282K on it now. It is my main driver and has served me well over the 10 years and 200K miles I have owned it. Some parts have been a little hard to find, but I haven't gotten stuck yet. In the last few years I have replaced several items to keep it on the road. AMM (500 bucks-ouch!), control box, engine harness (still looking for an ignition harness), radiator, alternator, front and rear bushings and so forth. Since I drive 35-40K a year, I am faced with the question of rebuilding the engine sometime soon. Should I just rebuild the old B21 and hope that in the future I don't have a real problem finding critical parts for this rare bird, or go for a complete change to a B23 or B230, with all new fuel and electrical? Any input is appreciated.--Crikman

I had a '82 245 once; it was a super car. However, somewhere over 200,000, I decided it was time to trade. I still miss that car, but putting thousands of bucks into a car that age really makes no economic sense. Unless it is pristine down to the wheelwells, or you are seriously emotionally attached to it, it makes better sense to start looking around for a replacement. For the cost of engine replacement , you can get a better car(unless you can do it yourself and can find a good used motor). After all, a twenty year old machine will have lots of hoses, fittings, circuits, etc. that may start breaking down, even if you get a shiney new engine.

I've seen '88-'89 245s with 130K or so in nice shape going for around $4k here in the San Fran area. But they usually are original except for the usual routine stuff, belts, hoses, brake pads etc. They will probably be needing other things soon like suspension bushings, exhaust, alternator, shocks and struts, rotors, AMM, control box.... Anyway, my point is any used car you buy will always need something or other soon. Since 200K on my 245 I have been playing the old 'whatever it needs, just keep it on the road' game, and just fixed or replaced whatever it needed, so I've been through a lot of stuff. Being a Califonia car its whole life there isn't a hint of rust and the body and paint are in great shape. I hate to see paint oxidizing so it always has wax. There is a certain feeling you get when people see you cruising (not limping) down the road in a great looking, well maintained 20 year old car. It's not the most plush ride, it's not the fastest by a long shot, but thanks to IPD I can probably take you in the turns. Maybe I should just look around for a decent $2K sedan for an emergency vehicle and go for my 300K Mile Badge. Then do A V-8 coversion!

Believe it or not, JC Whitneys sells complete rebuild kits for the old 79-82
B21F motors. Gaskets, pistons, rings, the works for under $400.00. I don't know how good they are. I've never had problems with stuff I've bought from there.
As for the wiring harness, try IPD, they have them and harness patch kits too.
You can also get parts from California at EEC 1-800-259-1125. Both my 245's have over 200,000 on them and I have actually bought 2 parts cars over the
past decade and took what I needed off of them and sold the rest to repay for it. If you have a garage with some storage space for the spare parts, it won't cost you anything.

Depends on how "original" you want to keep her, and how much money you want to spend.

If she is basic transportation only and not a show piece, I would look into a V-8 conversion. Ford parts are cheaper than Volvo, and usually more readily available at NAPCARQUESPEPPYAUTOZONE.

Can't speak to the B23, but the B230 / AW 71 is a terrible combination of too little power mated to disasterous gear ratios. Some folks I know have had their B230 give up the ghost and opted for the V-8 Conversions. They are pleased with them. Others have gone back to the B230 because they are more purist in nature. For what it's worth, the mileage on the V-8 conversions is better than my B230/AW71. I average 17/22 and have since the car was new. The V-8's are averaging 19/25.

A new Jasper B230 is going to cost about $5K installed in Richmond, VA. Don't know if it can be mated to your current transmission.


Just my $0.02.
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Regards,

David
1991 744 NA 139+K Miles

Just a thought .... from what I have been given to understand .... and correct me if you are aware of anything different .... it does not matter if the drive train is original .... the high mileage awards are given to the chassis number otherwise a lot of us would not have our awards ..... so you really do not have to await the 300,000 mile mark if you come up with the loot before hand.
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Brett Sutherland & the 1.5 million mile 122 Canadian

By the way, I just checked out your 122. Really nice ride!

Thanks Crickman .... you should see it now .... fresh from the Body Shop ... managed a 3rd in Class People's Choice at the Canadian Volvo Club meet in Ontario last month ... and just found out that the wheels are SHELBY AMERICANs ... Thought they were CRAGAR ....
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Brett Sutherland & the 1.5 million mile 122 Canadian

I've just recently been aware that there was such a thing. I just thought that it was some kind of a promotion that was sponsored by Volvo. Can you enlighten me on the details?

Just go to your local Volvo Dealer and pick up an application form .. all the information is included in it.... You will probably find the forms on the parts counter ....
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Brett Sutherland & the 1.5 million mile 122 Canadian

Thanks for the info. It's the first good reason I've heard to actually go into the dealer. By the way, I just found this site, thought you might be interested.
http://www.cabinnaise.com/vpage/irv.htm

Hey David, What are V-8 conversions going for these days including suspension work. I've read a few things on the NET about them. It seems that most guys are very happy with the results. Does it pose any reliability problems? Looks like the Ford 5.0 is the most straight forward. At first it seemed like a wild a whacky thing only a wrench head would be into, but the more I read, the more sensible it seems. I would love to see the look on the face or some guy in a modified rice burner as I blow his doors off in my '82 VOLVO WAGON!!! I may have to go for my 300K Mile Badge first. That will give me some time to save up.

I typically carry spares when I travel, just so I don't get stuck with a huge repair bill, things likefuel pump relays, aam's, ignition and fuel control computers do not take up much space, and can save hundreds.