If you have been following my COAL series, you might recall that I had traded my 1974 Volvo 142 for something. Well this week, you finally get to know what I traded. When the gentleman who had bought my 142 told me he had a 145, my ears immediately perked up. I love the 145, but they are increasingly hard to find as most of them were worn out from service. I asked for some more info on the 145, and asked if he might want to sell it. He told me that anything is for sale, but that he would need a considerable amount of money on top of the 142 as trade.
At that time, I just did not find that it was the smart thing to do to throw up all this money on this car. When I buy a car, for the most part (except for new cars) I try to think what I could sell it for. If I get tired of it, or it’s not what I thought it was going to be like, or if I get into an accident and insurance totals it, I don’t want to be on the wrong side of the car. At the time, I thought that the 145 had not come up in value enough for me to justify buying it, and get out of it without losing any money. So I agreed to just sell him my 142, and think on the 145.
Well, with the cash exchanged and the 142 off to its new home in Virginia, I was left a little empty. All I could think about was that 145. I scavenged the internet for a 145, and was coming up with nothing. Suddenly a light bulb went off, if I can’t find at least one more 145 for sale, then the demand must be more than the supply. I already knew that there was an increase in demand for the 145’s, as 122 wagons were growing harder to find, and people were moving onto the next best wagon. So I called up the gentleman in Virginia, and asked him if he would still sell me the 145. He agreed, and the following week the car was shipped to me in Arkansas.
I will never understand our fascination with vintage station wagons. I myself have this love for them, and I can’t even explain it. I find it hard to believe that in 30 years we will be lusting over Honda Odysseys or Toyota Siennas, but who knows. Anyway, when I got the car I was pretty excited to have it. I knew the car was all original for the most part. The paint was from 1971, and had a nice look to it. It was shiny, and cleaned up nice, but you could still need that it was not new, but original to the car. The interior had never been touched, and still had a strong smell of fake leather. The dash was also not cracked, which for a Volvo of this age is a miracle. The car had 68,000 original miles on it, and it was all mine.
This, like most vintage Volvos I have had, was a B20 4 cylinder, paired with an automatic transmission. What was interesting about this car, was that it had factory twin SU carbs on it. Why is that interesting? Well, Volvo in 1971 unveiled their fuel injection system to the world, and 1971’s cars started coming with it standard. I have heard rumors that if you bought or ordered a 1971 Volvo you had the choice of carbs or fuel injection. The car had some options on it, so it wasn’t a base model, but maybe the fuel injection price just pushed it over the original buyer’s comfort zone.
As I said above, the interior was all from 1971. The fake leather seats were flawless for the most part, minus a few blemishes, and the carpet and headliner was still new looking. The one thing that this car did not have was the third row seat option. I don’t exactly know how rare or common this option was in the 145. I know that you see them more in the 700 series or 200 series. My guess is that the first buyer did not have kids judging by the lack of the third row, and how clean it was in the back seat. I like to think it was an older lady that bought it new, but who knows. It did come with a few options like the automatic transmission, which was a touch more expensive, a rear wiper and washer, leather, and chrome roof rack. It did not have power steering or AC, which is kind of interesting. The seats at the time in the 140 series and 160 series were some of the plushest Volvo has built. They were big oversized cushions that you sunk into. Now, Volvo has trimmed up their seats, making them stiff in all the areas that you need them to be. I said it once, and I will say it again, no one makes seats as comfortable as a Volvo.
I owned this car for a year or two, which is pretty long for me. It sat in my parents’ driveway under 2 covers for the majority of the time. I drove it periodically, and it was one of the most reliable older Volvos I have owned to date. It would start up every time, even in the coldest of days. It would sometimes sit for weeks at a time, and at a pull of the choke, it fired right up. It was simple, mechanically speaking. Come to find out I drove it all the way to Tulsa for the 2017 Volvo national meet without the battery charging. The “amp” light was not working, and I did not know that the alternator/voltage regulator had gone out until I got to Tulsa. I was doing some work under the hood for the show that morning, and just happened to check the voltage on the battery, and saw it gradually declining. Luckily a fellow Volvo enthusiast had a spare alternator and regulator that he let me buy off him. After a 20 minute change I was on my way.
During my ownership, I kept the car the exact same way I had gotten it, and how it was for the last 45 years. I even kept the 1976 Mt. Rushmore park pass sticker in the windshield, as it gave it character. After a while and a move into my own house, I got sad looking at it in the driveway. I had started my first real job after college, and did not have much time to drive it. I decided to throw it up on Ebay, just to see what it would fetch, and if I could get my money back. After a few days of bidding, it closed at a little over $7,000. For that car it was not too bad, and I was pleased. The new owner had it shipped to Colorado, where he drove it daily for a while. I saw it for sale recently again, and it made me sad. It had not looked like it had been cared for nearly as nice as I kept it. I can’t remember what he was asking for it, but I recall it sold quickly. I am glad that I got to be a part of the car’s life, I just wished it had ended better for it.
Very good, Connor! I agree with your philosophy on merely being stewards of classic cars for the time we have them – preserving them for history.
Oh and in 30 years we’re not going to get excited over a Sienna or Odyssey but a Regal Tour-X, V60 or V90, yes!!!
Very good, Connor! I agree that we are stewards of especially clean and stock old cars and should do what we can to preserve them while we have them. Sounds like you treated this car with respect and love during your time with it.
I’m not sure about Siennas or Odyessys but seeing a Regal Tour-X, V60 or V90 today already gets me excited!
That’s a great car and a beautiful color combination. I’m jealous of your ability to buy and sell – I grow attached to my old cars and end up having to find places to store them. It works for me, but I’m envious of people like you!
“No one makes seats as comfortable as a Volvo”? That surprises me coming from a Peugeot fan; I remember riding in a 505 and while I found the rest of the car merely average-to-good, the seats were amazing – big, comfy, and supportive, perfectly padded with just the right shape. Nobody in my experience has a lock on great seats – they can show up in just about any brand, as can dud seats. Volvo had completely lost their knack for comfortable seats by the ’90s though. Can’t speak for recent Geely-era Volvos.
My parents bought a ’71 145 in that exact color, to replace a ’58 Chevy Brookwood wagon. The paint was pre-clearcoat; water spots from rain, etc., would cause the paint to burn if they were on the surface when the sun came out.
For tax/customs duties reasons, the AC unit wasn’t installed at the factory. Rather, it was shipped from the US to Sweden; the box(es) were put in the vehicle, then shipped back to the US to be installed by the dealership prior to delivery.
Re the SU carbs, the return springs were a weak point and tended to break if you looked at them crosswise. My dad, who had zero interest in cars to begin with and no particular mechanical skills, became adept at replacing them at the side of the road, in the rain, etc. The regional service manager would send him a box of springs one or twice a year for the 15 years my folks owned the car.
I’m sorry but I hate these stories. An nice original owner car is bought and then sometimes flipped right away or, in this case, sold a little later. The car then ends up in a constant merry-go-round of buy and sell. I’ve seen other cars like this pop up for sale every few years over the last 20 years constantly. The poor machines never end up with one long term owner but rather are tossed around and each sale finds the condition declining. Long term owners have the love for the car to take care of it while short term generally not so much. Flame away but that is how I feel for this beauty.
I’ll leave now to go down to the USS Hornet were all us second owners take loving care of this great 77 year old grand old lady. That will make me very happy to be on her decks.
I personally keep most of my old car purchases. I regret selling the few I’ve sold simply because they were somewhat special and I’d love to have them now. The money I got doesn’t compensate for the enjoyment and memories they provide.
I’d never judge anyone harshly for buying classics with an eye to sell them later. It’s simply another way to enjoy the hobby. But the economics of doing so are a disincentive for me, through time lost and shipping expenses. Around here (and many other jurisdictions Id guess) taxes, appraisals , repairs and mechanical fitness inspection costs apply. In my experience they add at least 20% to the costs, most of which is lost on resale. It’s tough to let that go.
No matter who might hate them, they’re his stories of his cars over his lifetime. I’m sure when I finally get around to my turn in the COAL mines, there’ll be plenty about my stories to incite scorn and derision, sermonising and detestation. Perhaps there’ll be comments from people wise and visionary enough to know it all about how I should’ve done it.
There are authors I don’t read on here, because for one or more reasons they or their articles grate my nerves. I don’t piss into the wind or onto their work by declaring my hatred, I just skip to the next article. There are probably people who feel that way about me and my articles, too, and that’s fine.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Wow, you read way more into it then what I said. I have an author who I like most all that he has written but not every thing. Now while you were free to express your opinion I will remind you that I am also free to express my opinion as to the story and not the author. If the shoes were reversed I would have said fine because stories affect everyone differently and so everyone will have a valid opinion. Or was I to keep my mouth shut?
I’m not the CC Police, and I also don’t appear to be the only one who found your comment—or at least its tone—unnecessarily derisive. Of course you’re free to have an opinion; that’s what the comment section’s for. Do you see how. “I hate these stories” can reasonably and easily be taken as a slam on the author, and “Flame away” as an indication you knew you were stirring up manure?
(Or in fewer words: when you invite people to “flame away”, you kind of don’t get to be offended when your invitation gets accepted.)
I think it’s amazing that you still have your ’68 Cougar and are enthusiastic about the car. But not all of us are wired the same way. I know when I was Connor’s age, I would get restless and burn out of a car in 1-3 years, and most of my friends at that time were the same way. There are many people, no matter what their age, who frequently change cars. As an old guy who loves his nearly 18 year old car (been in the same household since new), I appreciate long term ownership like you do, but most of us crave some variety.
As far as I remember, fuel injection was introduced to the US with the ’72 142E and the sedans and wagons waited until 1973.
But it’s been many years since I gave up my Certified Volvo Nut™ card.
How much does it cost to NOT get Fuel Injection?
Fuel injection was not standard equipment on Volvos until 1973. Bosch D-Jetronic injection became available as an option on the 1970 Volvo 1800(E). For ’71, injection was available as an option on at least some of the 140-series cars, in at least some markets; I don’t recall and it’s not clear to me from readily available references whether the US was included. For ’72, the injection became available—still as an option—on the 164(E).
(And in Canada, one could buy a carbureted new Volvo right up through 1984!)
Just as I’m drifting away from my road-burner Alfas and back to such Volvos as this very car, all of a sudden they’re getting scarce? Story of my life: just that little bit late to every party!
Almost every Volvo I’ve driven had been like your best road-trippin’ buddy – good-hearted, good-tempered, dead-on reliable and always on your side. With a very strong streak of Rascal. My 122 was the only truly insane one, but it wasn’t all that great to drive, either, with too much self-steering from the rear wheels over Tennessee’s wavy rural asphalt, something my old 544 NEVER did.
I see 200-series Volvos frequently on the auction sites, but mechanics I know have warned me off those. The only sure answer here is I save up my money and wait. I’m kinda old for TOO much of the latter, but that’s just me, all right.
Very nice write up on the Volvo. A 1970 145 was the first car that I bought new. it was purchased at the Volvo dealer in Jacksonville, FL. I was still in the Navy with a wife and two small children. We had a 1967 Ford Galaxie 2 door as a family car, but it was difficult to maneuver two child seats into the back of the two door. The 145 was about the perfect size for a family of four. Our 145 was dark blue with a light blue cloth interior. I liked the dark green one also, but did not care for the color in the interior on the green Volvo’s. As I remember, the cars all came essentially the same from Volvo. All the Green ones had the mustard interior. The blue had the light blue interior. I also seem to remember that all the options were dealer installed. We ended up adding an AC, roof rack, and center console. Of course, this was one of the first cars with 3 point seat belts.
Our Volvo was not trouble free, these cars had some of the first emission controls and the implementation of that was marginal at best. Our car had Stromberg carburetors and the car always had a lean surge around 40 in 4th. I had it to the dealer numerous times, (several dealers by the way) and they could never get rid of the surge. After a while, I tried different needles, which helped but still never solved the problem. I also had a heck of a time with it burning points, as best I could tell the resistor was there. I finally added a Delta Mark 10 Capacitive ignition, and that solved that problem.
Overall the car was a great family car, and we had it till 1984, (14 years) I would maybe still have it except the clutch went out a couple of days before we were to relocate from St Paul to Austin, TX. I couldn’t find someone to fix the clutch in a day and while to moving company would have shipped the car, they would not take a car that was not drive-able, so I ended up essentially giving the car away.
Very nice write up on the Volvo. A 1970 145 was the first car that I bought new. it was purchased at the Volvo dealer in Jacksonville, FL. I was still in the Navy with a wife and two small children. We had a 1967 Ford Galaxie 2 door as a family car, but it was difficult to maneuver two child seats into the back of the two door. The 145 was about the perfect size for a family of four. Our 145 was dark blue with a light blue cloth interior. I liked the dark green one also, but did not care for the color in the interior on the green Volvo’s. As I remember, the cars all came essentially the same from Volvo. All the Green ones had the mustard interior. The blue had the light blue interior. I also seem to remember that all the options were dealer installed. We ended up adding an AC, roof rack, and center console. Of course, this was one of the first cars with 3 point seat belts.
Our Volvo was not trouble free, these cars had some of the first emission controls and the implementation of that was marginal at best. Our car had Stromberg carburetors and the car always had a lean surge around 40 in 4th. I had it to the dealer numerous times, (several dealers by the way) and they could never get rid of the surge. After a while, I tried different needles, which helped but still never solved the problem. I also had a heck of a time with it burning points, as best I could tell the resistor was there. I finally added a Delta Mark 10 Capacitive ignition, and that solved that problem.
Overall the car was a great family car, and we had it till 1984, (14 years) I would maybe still have it except the clutch went out a couple of days before we were to relocate from St Paul to Austin, TX. I couldn’t find someone to fix the clutch in a day and while to moving company would have shipped the car, they would not take a car that was not drive-able, so I ended up essentially giving the car away.
If someone will please fish my comment outta Spam, I’ll appreciate it.