My 144 is in northern california and my 164 knows that I don't
have a backup volvo. It's been acting up thinking that I don't
have a choice....

As all of you may or may not know, I bought a not completely
thrashed 145 a while ago. A 145 is actually pretty much my dream
car.


Can anyone suggest anyone in the LA area who could take this
tired shell of a car and fix the obvious rust issues and larger
dents, paint it, replace the glass, bushings balljoints and such,
fix the brakes, rebuilt the transmission and so on?

I don't want some crazy show quality restoration but at the
same time I would like a car I won't have to worry about for a
while beyond the obvious tinkering issues.
chris

CDU...no disrespect intended...but WHY BOTHER?...you can buy a pretty decent 245 for $1000...Dee Jay

I dunno. A 77 245 with flat hood, single round headlamp in
yellow or orange might be fun. Especially if it had an M46,
somewhat built turbo B21 and so on.

I'd still have to smog it, I'd have to buy a set of metric
tools and knowing me I'd mix them up with my standard tools
and I'd constantly be grabbing 12s and wondering why I can't
get them to fit on my 164 stuff.

More to the point, I like the balanced look of the shorter
noses of the 140s; I like the B20 motor, especially after seeing
the abuse you can heap on them. I would actually love to have
a modern fuel injection system (k-jet is *superbly* effecient
and simple) and electronic ignition. It would still have the
tacky feeling interior and doors and stuff.

I like 245s, and I may still get one, but I like 145s more.
And I think I'd get more fun out of this than a 245 and a trip
to europe or a down payment on a house or certainly a honda.
chris

Chris - never let it be said that I would throw a 'wet blanket' on teh dreams of a fellow Volvo fan, BUT the differences between a 140 and 240 are negligible at best, and you can do more, performance-wise, with a B230 motor than a B20...parts are cheaper and easier to locate for the later cars PLUS they are invisible to Police! (A little-known fact). If you really want retro looks with a B20...how 'bout a 125 Wagon?..Still whatever 'Floats Yer Boat'...You know you'll always get approval and support on the BrickBoard for whatever form of Volvo Disease afflicts...Good Luck...-Dee Jay

Pretty sure I'll be in agreement with Chris on this one... Indeed, 240s are great cars that last forever and safe and reliable and all... but the 140 series is more fun. And still has the vintage appeal... Like Chris said...the 140 is a nice balance of a civilized car, and a classic.

240s...even the turbos...are just transportation in my opinion. Not to say they can't be fast and perform well and all....

-Matt

I'm sure you figured I'd chime in on this one, Chris...and...
I hate to break it to you, but...you're nuts. I am too. Best I can tell, there are perhaps 4 folks in the country that really like Volvo 145s. You make five. I count as one of these weird type folks as well...

Firstly, by now you should know better than to start a project with a (even minorly) rusty shell. They just ain't worth fixing. Keep in mind, bodywork is the most expensive thing to do on any car... You could spend a grand to have a good body shipped from anywhere in the USA, and you'd come out ahead. The California black plate is cool I'll admit, but when it comes to post 122 Volvos, it ain't worth a whole lot...

Mechanical stuff...that's all easy. Any shop should be able to do that....regardless of what they usually work on. There is nothing (NOTHING) easier to fix than a Volvo 140...'specially an early one with carbs. These cars are nothing but luxurious tractors. You can fix it yourself. Or pay someone $50/hour to do it for you. What is your time worth? Personally, I'd rather do these things myself even if it costs more, and I get teh education.and familiarization with the car. And the "bonding".

Personally, I got an "almost free" 145 which I thought would be a good builder. It was exactly the car I was after...that being, a rust/wreck free pre 1971 (rear quarterlight window) car. And it was red. Very faded. Still is. But it had absolutely nothing else I wanted. It had a worn out engine, and automatic. Had never seen much work at all.... everything needed (still needs) attention. So far, I've traded (it was a good trade...thanks again Justin!) the best Volvo I've ever had (also a 145, but...too good and one year too new for me), and about $1500. And perhaps a total of 150 hours (some fun, some not so fun).

The car now runs decent and has a 4 speed, overdrive, spiffy engine... and all that...but it still ain't running great. The heater fan only works when its warm out (and it barely cleared 10 degrees today...not warm enough), it needs some serious tuning still. And it's finicky about starting cold.... Jeez. The body still needs some attention and the interior ain't great. Here I've got all this time and money invested in a car thats currently worth no more than $600.

Now don't get me wrong...I ain't saying you shouldn't build a good 145. Like I said...I love 'em, and I ain't fixin' to sell or swap mine any time. But....do keep in mind that they aren't worth much. And they aren't going to be. But as with any classic car, you should keep in mind the value of the finished project. In my case, I figure with all the stuff I've done to the car, and the stuff I plan to do...it might be worth about $3k. And I'm not willing to have a whole lot more than that into it...though I know I will after the paint job....

What year is the wagon anyhow? How 'bout some more details and we can sympathize together :-)

Oh...and damn good choice on avoiding the honda dealership. That would have been a HUGE mistake.

Love your Volvo(s)!!!!

-Matt
project 145
'72 164
'65 1800
other silly stuff

I've got a spare heater box if you'd like.

I need to find a source of those little rubber shock
absorbers that the fans mount on inside the case. I
haven't tested it but I could.

Next time I open a heater box, I'm planning on mounting
a water cooled VW heater control valve. It mounts
inline with the heater hose, is short (can be supported
just by the hose itself), is cable operated and has
latches directly on it to hold the cable in place.

I've already worn out my replacement IPD heater
control valve and they are a *PAIN* to replace
correctly.

chris

I actually don't care how much the car is worth to
other people when it is done. I'm not going to
sell it. Not unless someone offers me impossible
amounts of money.

Recently I just haven't had the time to do some
of the stuff that I'd like. I suppose I actually
wouldn't mind doing ugly grunt work like taking the
interior out and taking all the trim off and sanding
and priming the shell.

It is a 68 145; very low body number rear vent
windows and such. It has a bit of surface rust and
a dent in the right rear corner. Nothing too scary.
Certainly no holes or anything like that.

I can't paint the car and I can't rebuild the
transmission. I wouldn't mind taking the suspension
apart if I can get someone else to put the bushings
and such in. I actually would rather do this myself
so I can sandblast and repaint everything.

Lately I haven't had as much time as I'd like and
my job has been paying pretty well. I've got the
money to do stupid things with and I'd rather do
this than buy a honda or go on vacation in europe
or buy a house. I'm not expecting to recoop my
expenses except for the fun of owning a nice car
that very few others own. Not to mention that the
140 is just a perfect compromise between the safety
and comfort of a modern car and the simplicity of
an older car and the 145 is the best example of that
family (that and a 142, of which I own a perfect
73 that just needs some TLC to put back on the road).


Eventually I'll probably get rid of my 164 once I've
got my 145 and 142 in tip-top shape. The shell of
the 164 is a bit of a mess and there isn't really
anything special about it except for the 4spd and
the IPD swaybars and such. I figure the 142 with a
supercharger is a better long term way to go than a
164. That's for later, though, after I've got the
145 back on the road.

Oh, and I need to get the 144 sold and the 122
out of the garage... Woe is me too many volvos and
not enough space.
chris

Looking for a home for the 122 Chris?

OK....fair enough. Sounds like you've got a good wagon to work on. Yea....leave the paint to someone else. That is one thing that is worth having done by a pro.

Bushings... Of course, if you don't have a press, pay someone to do it. You can always take the A-arms off, paint 'em up nice, acquire new bushings, then take all that to a shop to have 'em pressed in. $10/bushing give or take.

Interior...heck, I leave that to others too. I don't know what I'm doing there.

But at least do the basic dis-assembly and assembly yourself. Thats the easy fun stuff that costs more than its worth if others do it. And its gratifying to get it all back together looking and working right.

And...don't give up on the 164. Damn, you know as well as I that its one of the best cars Volvo ever made. Especially the early ones like yours!

Heck, as of last night, I've resorted to driving my 164 again. Its got a heater, and it starts cold every time. Even if the body is shot...and yours looks better than mine.

-Matt

I hate to say anything to dissuade you but if you plan to pay real $
for labor, ESPECIALLY on either coast, you could probably buy another
one a lot cheaper.
--
George Downs, The "original" Walrus3, Bartlesville, Oklahoma

I think I probably wouldn't be able to buy a decent one
that matches what I want. I see very few 145s around in
any kind of condition; those few I do see are about the
same as the one I've got. Also, the one I've got has
everything I want it just isn't in great shape.

I want one with the original license plates, something
that simply can't be replaced if they are lost (if you
have one it can be duplicated but if new plates are issued
the old ones can't be put back on even if you find them).
I also want one with the rear vent windows and so on.

I know that if I wait long enough, another better one
might fall into my lap. As homer simpson once said, though,
But I want it Now!

I'm willing to spend 5-8 grand on it (over the next 8
months) and maybe more if I can't get around to getting
everything spiffed up in the first pass.

I'm pissed off enough at my 164 that I seriously thought
of going to the store and buying a new honda. If I'm
going to waste my money, I'd like to at least like to waste
my money on a car I really want.

If I were perfectly rational, I wouldn't be doing this,
but I'm not so I won't worry about it.
chris

Can I be number 6 on "I love 140's list"? I'd be honored and wouldn't let you down!!

Sure...actually, when I said there were five, I was counting one or two unknowns... so you still get to be in the first group of 5 :-)

-Matt

I'd have to be in at least the top ten. I got two 145e's that I alternately drive, depending on my color mood.

Actually, having had 245's, I prefer the 145's for a couple of reasons.

I like the front suspension of the 140 series. A-arms feel better to me, maybe they're more stable or mounted with 2 ball joints instead of 1.

Second, I like the lower hood line, and I see the road a bit more. Makes the car seem faster.

Pre-1973 140s are excellent vehicles. Please add me to the list.

Just as another brickboarder wrote, they are a great mix of classic cool and modern safety. I got my '72 145 to handle like a dream, and it's dead reliable.

140's are sooo cheap to operate and not too expensive to restore/fix if you have a few parts cars kicking around. Killer parts interchange - even with other models.

I, too, really like the short-nosed look of the pre-'73 140 over the 240.

Anyway, I dig them.

Build it and love it.

Good luck.