Not long ago I traded off all my classic stuff for a shiny new Mustang GT. It was hot outside and I was fed up with the lack of A/C and all the headaches that come with driving a 30+ year old car. I miss the gearbox of my Alfa Romeo, but I don’t miss that smell. I miss the convertible top of my Triumph, but I don’t miss the fear of dying on every excursion. My miss list goes on and on. It has been almost six months since I went modern and I am really getting an itch to buy something old and not so shiney. The fact that a few of you have suggested the idea of a BF project car hasn’t help matters either…
I found this 1968 Volvo 142s about two years ago. It was listed in the local classifieds so I gave the owner a call. I knew it was the younger unloved sibling of the sturdy Amazon so I thought it might be worth a look. It did run, but was rough. The $500 asking price was tempting, but I politely declined and went on my way. As time went on, I started to gain an appreciation for these boxy sports sedans and this one kept coming to mind. I started to kick myself for passing it up.
Today, I decided to stop by the house where I had first seen that car two years back. After driving down a long dirt road, I pulled up to find the owner’s wife outside working in the yard. She was very kind and remembered me. She said the car was still for sale and that I was welcome to take a look. The car was covered with boxes and plenty of dust, but actually looked better than I remembered. I started to remove the junk from the hood and trunk to get a better look at the engine and to check the spare wheel well for rust.
It is far from perfect, but appears to be very solid. Unfortunately, the owner already removed some trim and proceeded to sand and prime areas of the body. Why is that the first step to every amateur restoration? I admit it, I committed the same sin with my first project car, but that was at the age of 13. Now I know there are more important tasks at hand, like making it safe to drive again. I am confident this one can be made to run again without much effort because it has only been off the road for a few years. With some new gas and a battery this B20 should come right back to life.
If I were to purchase this old Volvo, I would use it demonstrate some restoration and preservation techniques here on Barn Find. I figure it could be a good way to learn together. We could all share our opinions about what should be done and how. Other sites and magazines have done similar things. The only difference is that we don’t have the financial support of corporate sponsors enjoyed by them. I am sure we can figure out some way to make the project pay for itself though. So, what do you think? Should we save this Volvo?
Read part two of our short-lived project car.
Yes i think that is a great idea and i would love to see your restoration and preservation techniques you should have a tab that gos straight to this project!
Hmmm where should I put the vacum..I know in the car…
JESSE !
If it has to be a Volvo at least pick one with some potential and appeal.
A wagon would be better than a sedan, a 1800 s or even es even better…..
You’re right HR. An 1800es or an Amazon would have been our first pick, but this one is close and cheap so sometimes you have to go with what is available.
Heck ya get it ! Those a great little cars and volvos are always fun to drive.
YES !!!!! That needs to be saved!!!
would be a good one to fix as you can get parts plus when done will be reliable not like a LBC. Or get a Datsun roadster 1600 have had mine for 8 years now and drive it all the time with no problems
Go for it. Looks like a great project – and will certainly not cost too much.
Yes. If you want to play around with it a bit, Repco developed a head around 1968 for the B18 engine that produced 160 bhp (wheelspin reported at 80 mph) which also fit the B20. Not being a revhead any longer, I would advocate a more sympathetic restoration. I was given a big bumper 145 by my dad when he shifted to an Alfa Sprint and it literally saved my life (and helped me break my cherry). Tried to find another one recently and they have literally evaporated from the roads here in Australia. The Volvos during this period here were CKD, and all appear to have suffered rust problems. Not sure if it affected the imported ones. Never seen a black one, the colour suits the car very well. Hope you turn this into a project, it’s a great find.
I love this car and will be happy to follow your work on it.
Get it, IPD Volvo of Portland Oregon is a longtime aftermarket Volvo specialist. The clutch trans and torquey engine are a pleasure to use parking on steep hills- or anywhere. A plus with electric overdrive. A classic a-arm supension, no pesky macpherson struts to deal with. Discs all around, it was safe as well as sporty at the time. The front seat cushions simply unsnap to replace. Too bad it’s not a Saab though…
A Saab 96 was on our short list too Frank. I almost picked an all original one up a year back, but the kid that had it for sale went and resprayed it the wrong color and installed a stereo. After their makeover, the asking price was not realistic.
LBC?
CKD?
Come on, guys! I’m not part of the club; what do all the initials mean!?
Okay, I get that you are experts but I am not and therefore can’t decipher the secret code!
:)
Thanks for asking. We are all here to learn new things, so don’t feel bad asking.
LBC = Little British Car.
CKD = Completely Knocked Down. That would be an car that is shipped in pieces to another location to be assembled. Perhaps Volvo had an assembly plant in Australia? We might want to have Don explain what they meant.
From 1971 to 1988 four cylinder Volvos were assembled in Australia for the savings in duties. Mercedes did it for a while in the 50s, but apart from quality control issues, the main drawback was that the ‘imported’ tag which fuelled the prestige image could not be fully supported, so they did it very quietly.
Go ahead. Do It.
Like he said, above… you see Amazons and 240s all over the place. 140s are rare.
Safe, comfortable, practical and fun.
And, Lo… a stickshift.
YES, that car needs saved. checks all the boxes on my list for a project car. back that thing out of there, do a safety check, fluids change, and then blow the dust off of it by driving. someone may have started to work on the car but it has become just someting to store stuff in/on. great picture of what not to do with garage space. and the car is close to you so you don’t have to spend a ton of money on shipping and you were able to do PI. don’t let this 142 get away.
should you restore it?? HELL NO!!!My shop teacher had one of these. He swore off Volvo for life.
Do it. I have been driving Bricks since 1985 when I bought my grandfather’s ’75 245. This 242 is a classic. I have seen some beautiful resto/mods of this car. Finding a solid 242 again will be difficult. Between die-hard volvo fans and the SCCA group (these engines are nearly indestructible), pickings are getting slim.
If you miss the modern stuff, you could drop a driveline from a 940 or 740 in it with modern conveniences like AC. Check out IPDUSA for performance parts.
or you could buy a 7/8/940 and do this:
http://comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com/david-letterman-i-like-kettlecorn
I was once a young buck driving an Alfa 105 coupe late one night. Guy in a 264 pulled up next to me and dragged me of the line. He was a mechanic and had stuffed an Aussie V8 under the bonnet. Took me for a spin. Wow. It was his wife’s car.
Yes I have seen Lettermans/ Newmans hot rod Volvo.
I saw that a couple of days ago.
Funny how he (Dave) mentions that the car broke down on him constantly. At least he mentions 3 or more instances….
End credits show some company owns it, so it USED to be his ??
I’m reading a bunch of “restore it”………but what I ain’t reading is why restore a car that has little or no value. Perhaps it’s me……………
Yes, dito.
Great advice from people uninvolved and unattached.
Like: Go ahead, Jesse, it’s your money you’re wasting. Let’s see how far you’ll take it…..
Some people say “Restore it” when they mean “Refresh it”. This car is definitely worth some attention and my enthusiasm for it is certainly genuine so I am sure others feel similarly.
You guys are right, it is easy to get excited when someone else is footing the bill. That is why I think we should have a fundraiser to finance part of it. Maybe I could sell Barn Find t-shirts with a Volvo silhouette in the logo? That way people can feel some ownership in the project.
A full restoration is definitely out of the question. This is Barn Finds for goodness sake. We will preserve everything we can while making it safe to drive.
I know these are not the most desired classics and it is unlikely I will ever be able to get back a fraction of my investment. They are gaining value in Europe, but are not very appreciated around these parts. Certain sites have unlimited funds provided by big sponsors, but that is not the case here. We are going to have to do this on a very tight budget. This might appeal to people though because that is the reality for most of us. I don’t expect everyone to fall in love with Volvos, but I do think it can provide a good base for features that everyone can participate in and maybe even learn a thing or two.
Find a company that makes barn garages, and do the resto as a co-funded project. Good publicity for both parties.
Is it a 142 or a 142S? Both have value but the S does have true sporting intentions. They were and are raced. Plus there is a coolness factor.
Dual carbs = S. I believe that is all we got here in the States.
rancho, they may have little value but what else can you buy for the $’s that is both durable & fun to drive, also the part prices won’t drain you for all your worth…… Change all the fluids, new plugs, a cap, rotor, wires, battery, go through the brakes then drive checking for play in the steering & clutch action. I say go for it.
I wouldn’t restore it to original condition–but for a modest investment you could make it into a reliable daily driver.
I once purchased a 1967 144 (very first year) for my wife. It didn’t have the charm of an Amazon, but served us reliably for five years or so in the late 70s. It cost $700, and I sold it for $1100. The 140 series is fundamentally a ‘blah’ vehicle–but has the virtue of being very reliable and safe.
My advice? Unless you’re looking for simple, reliable transportation, don’t waste your time. Look for something you might grow to love.
I have owned many (25?) old Volvos, and am about to acquire an Amazon wagon, which I plan on converting into a 223GT. Now that is a car I can get excited about–especially after I build a 200 hp B20 engine for it this winter.
is a 223GT your denomination for a 123GT clone with a 200hp motor? :)
A 223GT would be an Amazon Estate (a 122S wagon in US parlance) with the 123GT goodies–e.g., steering wheel, seat adjusters, tach, LSD, Hella fog and driving lights, The 123 (2-door sedan) was never officially imported into the US, but there are a few here in the states. The 123GT was made in several countries, including Sweden, Australia, Canada and the Netherlands. I believe that there were approximately 7500 made in the years 1967-70. A 223GT would, of course, be a bastard, made up of a late model (1967 or later) wagon, and the essential 123GT goodies. I know of one that was done. Go to the Facebook group for Volvo Amazon 123GT, and look back a couple of months to find a spectacular green one.
The term 223GT comes from the Swedish designation for the wagon (220 series, 221 with a single carb, 222 with twin carbs), and the imaginary ‘3’ from the 123 designation.
I would grab this in a HEARTBEAT if it was near me, great little cars, w/some minor mod’s/updates could be a fun project. Volvo’s are very dependable I ran my 740 turbo wagon to nearly 400,000 miles before the tin worm made it unsafe to drive. and it was an autocross bandit right till the very end. The drivetrain was FLAWLESS
There is a certain odd charm to these cars that is hard to describe. Make it a fun weekend driver, a good cleaning top to bottom, complete engine service, change the trans and diff oil, go through the brakes, inspect and fix/repair and worn suspension bits and a cheap paint job. A set of 740 Turbo wheels would be a nice touch too. Upgrade the seats to a pair of modern buckets from a newer Volvo (740 etc), add a decent stereo and you’ve got an inexpensive, fun, reliable ride. Best of all, its different. Good chance you’ll be the only one at the next car show, autocross or out for a drive on Sunday.
If it’s a project car you want, it’s a project car you’ve found– easy to work on, accessible inexpensive parts, learning curve friendly, do it!
Yes, that is a beautiful car and the old Volvo’s have quite a following. It’s really worth a proper restoration.
“Save the car, loose the Cannolis”. I had a 2 dr Volvo 240GLT Turbo with a 4-speed and overdrive in the 80’s, it was bulletproof. Drove it for well over 175,000 miles and it gave a few Mustangs a run for their money. I even had a 19′ boat with Volvo I/O. Once it warmed up it ran for hours and was very fuel efficient. Save the Brick!
Go for it! The 140 series were great cars and I see that there is an M40 or M41 transmission, plus SU carbs which makes this even better. There is plenty of help on line for cross over parts for the interior as has been mentioned, too. Good luck!!! and keep is in the loop…
YES to restoring it, I restored a 1962 Ford Falcon Wagon for my daily driver. It’s cheap to own, run, fix, and clean and the engine is ridiculously reliable,I’ve put about 200,000 miles on it. It really sips the gas too I get 30 MPG on hwy and 27 MPG in the city.
YES, The price is obviously right. You can use it as a demonstrator and then sell it and give the money (less your investment hard money) to your favorite charity. Or…….use it as a daily driver and preserve your new wheels!
Funny, I’m going through the same thing you just went through myself. I’ve been driving my ’67 Spitfire daily for more than 5 years now, and about two weeks ago I finally decided I had enough (no, it didn’t break, just hot, sticky, and tired) and now I’m looking at new Mustangs. Wow.
I do like the idea of a Barn Finds project, and this certainly looks like a good example to start with. Parts availability should be good when you need things as well.
Good Luck!
Jamie is right–there are lots of parts sources for old Volvos. You could easily hot it up to make a street racer with 180+ hp, better suspension, an overdrive and LSD, or simply make it into a reliable daily driver. I would be inclined to do the latter, since (in my opinion) the 140 series is butt-ugly.
I have a barn find VOLVO 1979 264GL 2.7 37202 miles for sale. I will never get around to restoring it.
tell us more about your car please.
I have had this in my warehouse for many years. The original owner had it in the warehouse. He is gone now and the kids sold it to me. I already have 4-5 projects that need time and money to complete. It is in good shape. I know nothing about the engine condition. A mechanic in town said that it might need some minor repair. I have not even put a battery in it since I bought it. It is in Iowa. I will get some pictures if you want. inmanelec@ncn.net
i think you should work with this site to get it up as a listing with the pictures included.
Yeah, just email them us Tom and we can feature it here on the site. It would get much more coverage than here in the comments.
I am surprised it took you 6 months to get the urge back to get into some old tin! There’s just something comfortable and fresh about these old cars. I say go for it!
Oh, I had the urge the day after buying the Mustang. I just resisted the urge for six months. Not bad, uh? Funny what you can do when a wife and child are needing your support. Now I understand how hard it was for my father to contain his car bug for all those years while us kids used up the money on food and clothes.
If I had cash and time, I’d do it in a second! I had several early 140 series cars and loved them. My ’67 144 was bone stock, save for 165SR15 radials and Konis. It was great fun to drive and very durable and comfortable. As for “little or no value,” NADA says a really, really good one of the two-doors is worth around $11k, so….
$500 ? if it is mostly complete and has no rust issues, it’s sounds like a deal.
just don’t dump any BIG money into paint or upholstery until you have the mechanicals in order and drive it for a year or 2…….
Headline: “Barn Finds Volvo Makes Way to New Home”
Go for it Jesse! You can rebuild the B20 yourself in the back yard. The engine is worth as much as they are asking for the whole car.
This is the car that true DIY car guys go for once they truly understand the ins and outs of various makes and models. The more I tinker on my old Volvo, the more the other cars fade into history for me. They are so much fun to own. Plus, you can mount a supercharger on that engine (if you can find one)
http://www.v-performance.com/products/supercharger.html
IF YOU DON’T TAKE IT SOMEBODY ELSE WILL AND EVERY TIME YOU SEE IT GOING UP AND DOWN THE STREET YOU WILL KICK YOURSELF IN THE BUTT FOR NOT BUYING IT WHEN YOU HAD THE CHANCE…..
I’d enjoy watching the progress on these pages, and I assume the investment can be written off as a cost of running your business! Hopefully that is the case.
At any rate, love the site, check it several times per day. Officially addicted!
Restoration work is boring, have some fun with it!
http://www.seriouswheels.com/stuv/Volvo-142-Custom-by-Zolland-Design-Duo-1024×768.htm
Save it. I had one of these for my first car. A local Volvo dealer took these in on trade and went through them from top to bottom then sold them to students and young first time car buyers. Mine was a 1970 142 and had 112,000 miles on it when I bought it. I took care of it and drove it another 100,000 miles before it got rear ended twice inside of one month. The first car that hit was totaled and had to be towed away. It was still completely road worthy when I finally gave it to my cousin. I regret ever getting rid of it and would gladly try to get one again someday. Easy to work on and it does have that special something about it.
A relatively unmolested, solid, rust free car for $500? Are you kidding? Buy it! It sounds like you’ve got an itch to scratch, anyway. You are going to have to scratch it with something! I agree about a “sympathetic restoration”. Getting running, get it safe and see where you’re at.
Good Luck!
Save it! This would be a cool and unique project car without breaking the bank.
Hmm, a lot of responses.
To be honest I’d junk it. Boring, dull, too many cluttered the roads.
But that’s just my opinion!
Andrew
And thanks for sharing that opinion Andrew! We asked for everyone’s opinion, not just the positive ones.
Jessie
They say that beauty is in the eye of the beer holder. Something made you revisit this missed opportunity and one doesn’t always get a second chance. That said, the rule of thumb is when you sell, you’ll get back about half of what you have in it if you go all out on it. I tend to keep my cars a loooong time so I’m not concerned about resale. How much does this particular car float your boat?
Wow, I am surprised by the enthusiastic response. I expected some resistance, but I never thought everyone would be so supportive of the idea. It is true that it is easier to get behind an idea that involves no risk for you, but I’m still surprised.
There are a few details I left out of the story above. It actually took more persistence on my part to get the car then I originally alluded to. I had regretted not purchasing the car about a year after first looking at it. The owner was a younger person who had traded it for some work. They just wanted the $500 cash, but as I mentioned I wasn’t familiar with these cars. I regretted that decision, so I returned a year later. The kid had since sold the car to his father for a much larger sum than he was asking. I assume the father had also acquired an emotional attachment to the car because he wouldn’t let it go for less than $2k. He had already removed the grill and started to “work” on the body. He also informed me that these are worth big bucks on the east coast. I knew that for two grand I could get a much better car so on my way I went. Third time was the charm though because when I returned just yesterday the owner’s wife was much more eager to sell. They hadn’t progressed.with the “restoration” and seemed more willing to accept the original price offered by their son.
After inspecting my car again I discovered that the body is very solid. The rear corners of the back fenders have some rust-through, but the floors and trunk are solid. There are dings and dents, but I think much of it could be repaired easily. The original paint under the hood and trunk looks great and I am hopeful that some of the exterior paint can be preserved. Black was the original color and I believe the interior to be a shade of red. The sun has since faded the seats to brown and the door panels purple. The car is complete though and I know it can be made to run again without much work. It was last registered in 2011 and there is a Dordt College parking sticker from 2001 so I know it has been in service recently. With only 83k miles on the clock though I’m sure it sat parked at some point. The biggest problems to correct are going to be the filthy interior and the blotched up body. I am planning to go pick up the car shortly so I will give another update when it is safely in my garage.
65 responses in half a day! I sure hope you like working on Volvos, because there’s no backing out now.
I would say don’t worry about not having experience with these. Having owned about a half-dozen of the vintage kind, plus my wife’s recent XCs, I think they are among the easiest vehicles to work on—the more vintage the better.
Best wishes for your project, Jesse.
Black with red interior. Perfect 60s combo. Just as an aside, heard a funny story about Volvos in England. Apparently there is a class of wealthy professionals who, rather than buy a new Beemer fully loaded, buy a boonger like an old Volvo for a couple of grand and drive in into the ground. Then they go and buy another one. Then another one. They treat these cars like disposable razors. Maybe it’s not such a funny story. Jesse, well done on your choice. A not-so-common old car is perfect for the convener of this most excellent site.
It’s been called “bangernomics” in this site. http://www.aronline.co.uk/blogs/
this is going to be a lot of fun.
Great news Jesse! I can certainly appreciate the underwhelmed response when it comes to Volvo’s dowdy body designs post Amazon, but the entire drivetrain on these is wonderfully engineered. Enjoy it.
When you get it home, take the valve cover off and adjust the valves, then see what kind of compression you have on that engine. If it reads 145lbs or so all the way across, I would go right for some head modifications (larger valves) and carburetor upgrades (Mikuni flat slides or a homebuilt MegaSquirt injection set-up) to gain more horsepower (if desired).
Nonsense! Jesse should simply make the car a daily driver. Webers, Mikunis and other horsepower add-ons would be wasted on such a brick. The only reason to do such an engine would be for eventual transplant to something more exciting–such as an Amazon or P1800.
There is a Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa. Did you find this in the Midwest?
Found it in Wyoming where Volvos are quite rare. Must have migrated.
Keep it, make it roadworthy, pretty easy on a Volvo, and enjoy it. Yes I am biased, driving a 144-s ( second owner) for the past 20 years as a daily driver.
A 4 door or station is probably more useful but you do not see 2 doors often, so go for it. I can contribute with some tips on resto.
Thanks Pieter, we definitely hope everyone will chime in with advice as this project progresses. That way we can all learn from each other instead of relying on my very limited knowledge.
Good for you! As others have mentioned, not the most exciting ride, visually or dynamically, but easy to work on and can be a lot of fun to drive ( reliably!) with minimal tweaking. For a solid 45 year old project car, you won’t do better for five bills! I look forward to your updates.
Not the most exciting of cars but volvos are built like tanks and have near bulletproof engines so go for it Jesse.
As for the choice of this forlorn but sturdy brick, rancho bella and Horse Radish have it just right. But so does Jesse.
Its a great idea and whether this is the right model to embark on as a BarnFind resto all depends on what Jesse seeks to accomplish.
In any event………I’m in for the T-shirt.provided theres no English lettering and the logo is offset!
Heheheh
Above should say………..” NOT offset”
Buy it and drop a 302 in it.Then, beat the snot out of it.
Jesse, great find. My mom had a Volvo, my dad was dying of lung cancer, and wanted to buy her a car, he had his eye on a Mercedes, but Mom thought that was putting on airs, so she got a 1982 Volvo diesel, I think we still have that car someplace around the ranch, I know we still have a three cylinder Saab on the line of cars, I think it might have a few bullet holes in it though. And my brother still has a German built Diesel VW Rabbit stored in Cheyenne that Dad bought. He believed in running tractor diesel, so he bought cars that used the same fuel. I’d get it running, and drive it, I wouldn’t spend a dime more than necessary.
This is a great find as the ’68 142S is in fact rather rare. I have always been fond of this car’s “Volvo-ness” and for the money this one has good bones, albeit in need of some repair. Seems like you’ve got a solid motor and minimal rust issues, but you’re right about that tatty interior it’s going to be a hassle to get right but ultimately worth the effort. No need to break the budget either, do as little as is necessary, don’t tart it up too much and just enjoy driving it. Keep us posted!
Anyone remember the Volvo Bertone 244C Coupe from the late ’70’s?.Kinda odd looking and (here in the UK,rare and expensive..).I like Volvo 164 saloons (with the extended nose/grille for the 6 pot motor.A childhood friend of mine’s father had a few of them (his family firm were undertakers)nice cars.
Yeah, I love the quirkiness of the 164 too. My grandfather bought one when my dad bought his 145. The prettiest is the version with the bumper that curves under the front grill. Volvo Australia made a 165 as a prototype that apparently still exists. Mmmmmmmmm rare wagons…….
The carbureted version of the 164 was OK, but the fuel-injected versions of the 140 series and 160 series were a disaster. I was a Volvo mechanic when I was in graduate school (early through mid-1970s), and worked on many. Repairs (which were frequent) were expensive, and customers were rarely satisfied–they were used to the robust and (relatively) cheap-to-repair SU-carbureted Volvos. Volvo nearly went under during the early days of fuel injection (Bosch K-Jetronic, as I recall), and for good reason. I would never buy a Volvo with the early Bosch fuel injection–unless I planned to convert it to SU carburetion.
I should also mention that I would never buy a 140 or 160 series with an automatic transmission. They were awful, and tended to fail prematurely–especially if one failed to top them up with the required Ford ATF. Anything else resulted in slippage and premature failure.
I hope that my memory is correct on the details here, but the overall message is correct–avoid early to mid-1970s 140 and 160 series with fuel injection and/or automatic transmissions!
DO IT…. I did the same thing twice this summer, a 1972 164E that sat outside for 17 years and a 1983 242 Canadian, 1 Zenith Carb, no cat. that sat indoors for 12. make sure you have the correct amount of reference fluid in the carbs. I put a litre of atf in the first 4 fillups, 1/4 in each, it is a great way to make old fuel & fuel tanks clean up quick.
Back in the late 70’s I had (seems like my memory is fading a bit here, bear with me) a 70 or 71 142, BRG with brown cloth interior, O/D 4spd and the all new Bosch fuel injection. Every now and then, the FI would check out with no explanation, I’d wait 20 minutes and it would be OK for a couple of months or so. One of the coolest cars I’ve owned (I’ve had one each of everything at one time or another, I ran a collectible auto dealership for a few years, and used to have money one time). I’ve had lots of Volvos, and they are usually great for most any kind of use.
If you aren’t going to get it, let me know and I’ll hook up my trailer and drive up there and get it. It would look good in the shop next to the 67MGB.
Have fun
Yes, DO IT! Cars like this are a gift!!!
Absolutely save it. Everyone goes for the 1800’s and Amazon’s to the point that it gets boring to see them at shows.
Err, can we stop on this please?
There are better cars to be excited about – can we move on…….
to a Trabant, maybe?
Andrew
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