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The picture is of me and my 1975 Volvo 164E 20 minutes after buying the car in Seattle with a 1,100 mile drive ahead of me to Los Angeles. I'm actually smiling.
Well I thought I'd post my experience in finding and buying my 1975 164E. Basically I started looking locally around Los Angeles but I was having no luck for the longest time on Craigslist and so I decided to widen my search to the rest of the country. I got the free version of Craigslist Reader which makes it easy to do that.
I had been searching for a few months and some 164s were popping up but most of them were too rough or automatics and I really wanted the 4 speed with the OD. Then a 1975 164E with the 4 speed popped up in Seattle. I emailed back and forth with the owner and he agreed to sell it to me. Now I just had to drive it from Seattle to Los Angeles.
We set a time to meet and I had planned on driving the car 4 hours to Eugene, Oregon the first night, and finishing with a 12 hour drive the next day. The car was pretty much as advertised although it is a dose of reality to see how many things really need attention such as the fuel filter, A/C and so on.
We completed the transaction and I left his house to get to a supermarket for some water. When I came out of the supermarket I tried to start the car but I couldn't get it to start right away. I had to fiddle with the choke a bit and I got it going again and then I was off to Los Angeles leaving Seattle around 5PM.
The car felt very good and I was amazed at how well it tracked and how the steering doesn't need constant input to keep the car straight, you hold the wheel and that's it. Also the OD is a godsend. I was doing about 63 MPH at 2,500 RPM, I know this because Oregon has multiple radar traps telling you your speed. My speedometer actually reads a little slower.
Also the engine is truly amazing. Going up and down the steep grades in Oregon with all that torque the engine never felt like it was working hard and without effort I was passing cars and trucks constantly. I was comfortable the whole trip even on the steepest of inclines. In fact I drove right past Eugene and wound up sleeping a few hours in the car at a rest area in California above Sacramento.
I should add here that I was laughing and smiling almost the entire trip. The car really is that amazing to drive. It's funny to think that a car 35 years old can be that good. It truly is a fun car and I appreciate it so very much.
And now for a dose of reality: all the reports about the small gas tank and the low MPG for the 164E are very, very true! Just short of three hours driving and you're looking for gas. The gas gauge can really freak you out as well. Going up hill it becomes optimistic, going downhill it becomes pessimistic. With all the steep grades in Oregon at times I had no idea how much guess I really had.
Also I had gotten warnings here and from the PO about not jerking around past 1/4 of a tank. The thing is I was pulling in after using about 9 to 10 gallons which was frustrating me because I wanted to go 12 or 13 gallons but my fear always got the better of me. Of course it's easier to be on the road driving than on the shoulder looking for petrol.
I pulled into Los Angeles around noon that day. Pretty tired from lack of sleep but driving such a comfortable car made it quite easy to be honest. Now I have to sort out some issues with the car such as the fuel filter and such before I get it registered. I don't think there's a lot of work for daily driving as the wheels, tires, lights, engine, transmission, and such work well so hopefully it won't cost much to have it on the road legally.
Thanks again for all the great suggestions helping me with my trip and I'm glad I had no problems along the way. I think I've bought the right car and I'm sure I'll be hanging around here asking for more help and support soon.
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