1968 Volvo 145 Wagon

Whatcha guys think about these little Volvos? I'm thinking about buying it!

http://medford.craigslist.org/cto/894701005.html

(I know, I probably annoy everyone here about my sub-1k car fantasies. But I'll buy the right one when I find it!)

If it's really rust free, it looks like a good deal. Bullet-proof engine. Great brakes (4 wheel disc, IIRC). The "5 speed" is actually a 4 spd with solenoid activated J-Type overdrive.

For that price, I'm tempted... my company has an office not far from Medford, NC...

Thanks for the fast response!

And thankfully, this is in Medford, OR, haha.

Any specific spots I should be worried about rust? I've only ever seen one of these before, so I'm a little unsure about parts availability and support?

Thanks again.

Duende, click through the files and see if you can find the Volvo 122 GRM project car. It's a bit older, but lots of good information about motor build up and aftermarket providers.

If you bring it home, hit up the offices for back issues on the build. It has since left the ranch to a subscriber who appears to be very happy.

Sorry I missed the sale....

Dan

Most of the parts are still available. You need to run a lead substitute to keep it from pinging or dieseling when shut off. Sold, safe, slow.

Damn... OR is a bit too far for me...

Rust: look everywhere. Floors. Rockers. fenders. etc. Any place you see bubbling paint will likely indicate much more behind. Mechanically, old Volvos are rocks... but the bodies tend to rust badly... like most other cars of that era.

Parts are generally not a problem. Being a '68, the car will have carbs rather that D-Jet, so you wouldn't have to deal with that (D-Jet parts are available, but getting scarce and expensive). Many parts are actually still available from Volvo (depends on the dealer parts counter's willingness to work) and there are a number of aftermarket sources:

VP Autoparts, IPD, Swedish Treasures, Skandix, to name a few.

I see a 5.3L GM truck engine and TH700R4 pushing that down the road.

I was thinking the same thing at work today, but wasn't sure whether or not that was sacrilege!

I'm scrounging around for the 122 project car... Is the 122 the same as a 145? My only issue with this car is I'm five hours away and don't want to drive down there and it be riddled with rust. My wife thinks it's awesome though which is a huge plus.

Got a bunch of pics of this wagon from the owner, and some info... Not sure what it all means.

Vehicle owner said: Yes... it would make the drive. We just drove it from Shasta to Medford, a few weeks ago. This Volvo has a B20 motor, my husband thinks it originally had a B18. It has 280,000 miles and the odometer is still working. Previous owner put in a Japanese 5 speed and it works very well, especially on the highway. No rust or thinning, it is bumping, but no crunches! The roof has dents on it... from part of a carport that came down on it (we were planning on putting racks on it ). My husband was going to use it for his commuter, until he found his dream car, (Volvo 242 flat hood 2 door). It would be a great little car as long as the cosmetic condition meets your needs.

What it means is these guys are Volvo nuts: his dream car is another (slightly newer) old Volvo. :-)

The "flathood" refers to a slightly different hood/front end that many fans of the marque feel looked cooler (I agree)...

Duende wrote: I was thinking the same thing at work today, but wasn't sure whether or not that was sacrilege!

Who you talking to?

"Flathood" is a reference to the later 242 Turbo. A 200 series is essentially the same car from the firewall back, with the mjor chassis difference being the use of MacMuffin struts up front. The 200 series cars also have the later OHC motor.

Duende, a 122 is not the same as a 145. The 122 series, aka as "Amazon" is a completely different chassis.

You want odd? Find a '71 142E in blue or white. Gold, which I had, is the more common color of the 1400 imported.

JmfnB wrote: I see a 5.3L GM truck engine and TH700R4 pushing that down the road.

The problem with that is the same as with the 1800. The engine bay looks a lot bigger than it actually is. A V8 can be made to fit, but generally requires major surgery. The killer is the front suspension design - which really intrudes into the space where the exhaust ports of a V8 go.

Here's a thread with some great pictures of the engine bay with & without the B20 engine: http://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=124406

Keeping in mind, just cutting metal away to make room is difficult because of how the unibody is contructed (yes, I know these cars pretty well).

However, a later OHC Volvo turbo motor will fit without too much difficulty and can massaged to make some V8-like HP numbers for not a lot of coins.

Search on turbobricks.com for more info...

The 5 spd conversion is interesting... I wish I could see that... Currently, there is a T-5 apapter from V-Performance and I know of another Volvo tuner working on a T-5 adapter as well, although personally, I'd rather have a T-9 adapter so as to keep the "Euro-style" reverse position.

While agree the 122 and the 140 series share little to no metal, in some ways a 140 is essentially a "squared off" 122. I think the front suspension and cross-member are the same as well, with the main difference being the early single circuit vs. later dual-circuit front calipers. The front brakes on 1800's followed this change and the cross members interchange between all years..

914driver, I was talking about the Chevy engine in the thing! I'm a huge fan of the LS family.

Well, I've got about 10 pictures of the car, and it does look tempting. And especially under $700. And that IPD place is just an hour away in Portland, which I guess would be a benefit if I go Volvo... Not really sure what those folks do entirely, but I know they're into Volvos. Maybe not that old...

Thanks for all the posts, gents. Good info here. I'm still a bit stuck on my Ford Fairmont, especially with the huge aftermarket available, but this car looks clean and cheap...

If it was closer I'd be all over it for $700 unseen even.

Yes, IPD does Volvos that old. They were even doing those Volvos back when they were new.

http://www.ipdusa.com/Volvo-140/c-1-78/

Duende wrote: I'm scrounging around for the 122 project car... Is the 122 the same as a 145?

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/project-cars/1967-volvo-122s/

Not quite the same, but mechanically similar. The Classic Motorsports 142 was a bit closer:

http://classicmotorsports.net/project-cars/1969-volvo-142/