My grandfather had a 1973 144 in the same colour. My father bought it from him when he bought a Saab 99. Still remember my skin burning on the black vinyl seats during the heatwave summer of '76. Great car, would have one in a heartbeat.
Temperature is split for face and floor - allowed fresh air to the face and warmth to the floor. Same as the 240 I owned for several years. Heaters were superb on these. This one has later 240 buttons on the centre console, the original hazard switch was a clear red plastic with the word HAZARD printed in white 😊
Between 140 and 240 which would you prefer i hear the 140 performed better in snow, ice and mud than the 240 also more reliable since had timing gears instead of timing belts of 240s
As a teenager in Adelaide South Australia back in the mid 70s I still remember seeing a sign for one of the models in a new car dealership with a lifetime guarantee . If I remember rightly they came with a lawn bowls hat on the back parcel shelf as standard. Their drivers were loved by motorcyclist all over the world.
We had one of these, except in orange. Though our car was also a DL (automatic), the right-hand emblem on the rear read "fuel injection," new technology at the time. The 1974 version was very similar, except for the larger bumpers that would find their way on the 240 series and the absence of the front window vents. These cars, as you mentioned, were the safest on the road. Those wide doors concealed thick beams; the entire passenger compartment was protected by a steel cage that would withstand a rollover. My dad (a great guy but a terrible driver) had two major accidents in our 144; in both cases he walked away and the car was repaired. Oh, and that stereo? Yep, it's an 8-track. Our car had one too, so we could blast tunes of Jefferson Airplane, Bob Dylan, and Carole King. A half century later, I hold very fond memories of our pumpkin orange Volvo! Thank you for all the memories! The inside of that car is as I remember it.
We were Volvo people as a family, and got out of our '82 264 GLE, which was a company car, and toured Britain in 1983 in a friend's immaculate '73 144 DL, just before getting a 1984 240 DL for ourselves. Yes, without power steering, low speed steering was heavy. All (144/240/264) very reliable cars, the 264 was used in Dubai in 50C weather, car never overheated, a/c was ok if you parked in the shade. 240 did over 50,000 miles in 6 years, no problems, and yes, very safe, very comfy. IMO these Volvos were more like a Swede Mercedes, very solid. The '70s BMW 5 series was lighter feeling, and smoother, sportier, like a heavier, safer, more solid Alfa. Car brands had unique characters back then. Our 240 had a 5 speed, a real departure from the Laycock De Normanville overdrive 4+1 manuals that Volvo were known for.
I don't think anyone has mentioned the overdrive version yet. (I may be wrong - I only scanned the comments quickly). We had several 1 series Volvos back in the day - automatic, 4 Speed manual and 4 Speed manual with overdrive. The overdrive really drops the revs and makes 70MPH Motorway cruising much less frenetic and more refined. We also had a mix of saloons and estates, the estate being a great load carrier beloved of antique dealers, although the cabin was a bit more 'boomy', especially if the king-size roof rack was fitted. Since the 1 series, we have run 2,3,7 and 9 series Volvos and to this day drive a V70 - Volvo ownership gets into your blood! Great review of a great car. With care and regular maintenance there is little reason for it not to be running in another 51 years. Regards, John.
My dad had a '72 back in the day (same colour) he loved it and it never let us down. the dash was cooler with the orange bit crawling across the dash as the speedo, thumbs up
😍😍 I learned to drive in a 4 speed yellow 1973 Volvo station wagon in Pennsylvania in 1983,when I was 16. It had the smaller,earlier front indicators,& strip speedo! It had 3 point inertia reel seatbelts front & rear,I think the first car to have them! It also had a rear facing third row seat! 😍😍
6:03 On the heating: The upper is main heating for floor and defroster, and the lower is air mix for the vents: you can choose air from main heating and unheated and anything between.
i had a 74 model volvo144. The thing about it was it was an 1800cc pushrod engine. (Changed to overhead cam on the 240), mine was a manual. It pulled like a diesel from standsill. I towed a trailer for work, amazing ammount of torque. It could actually pull away on tickover! Steering was awful, not meant for spped at all. Taxi drivers liked them. good turning circle. Im afraid I didnt treat it kind and finally the engine stripped its fibre timing gear teeth. I enjoyed the car a lot.
It had bars inside the doors, I know because I had an estate and got hit down the side and ir ran down my door the rear down and the osr wheel arch. I learnt to drive in it and the bumpers were fantastic you could nudge a wall when you were parking and know you couldn't go any further & didn't do any damage 😅 I also had a tow bar I also had the 8 track stereo I had abba arrival, buddy Holly and James Last all came with the car. I also had a rev counter and it would turn on a sixpence
memories, memories. My parents bought a 144 DL 3-speed auto in yellow in July 1973. Your example has non-standard wheels... fun fact: my parents car (SPC71L) has the reflective number plates fitted; a near-neighbour bought a white version from the same dealer a few months earlier, and that came with black and white number plates, so the UK law on plates must have changed in late 1972. This model year wasn't offered with the 1.8 litre engine in the UK, only the 2 litre red block. That rear fog light is non-standard, there was no requirement for a rear fog light at that time. A radio was extra - dad paid for a Radiomobile LW/MW single speaker unit to be fitted to "our" car. The original factory-fit screen wipers were cleverly designed to come apart easily so that you could replace just the rubbers. I never got to drive the car as I was too young (13) but it took us down to the south of France and Spain when it was just a few weeks old. The following year we got a dog and the 144 was replaced by an orange 145 DL auto which had the impact-absorbing bumpers. My parents kept that car for 30 years and I learned to drive in it (as well as the driving school car, Gen 1 Fiesta, which was manual). The Volvo was reasonably comfortable, spacious but that steering was so vague (by design) with little genuine feel/feedback. The boot was huge though - enough for 5 of us when we went on that holiday to France and Spain
Your restorations are simply phenomenal! Each video is a testament to your dedication and expertise. I'm always excited to see what you'll bring back to life next
Dad had a 1969 145 estate auto. The OHV pushrod engine is clattery after a few thousand miles. His had the gear shift on the column. Quiet greedy and relatively slow. Steering will have about three inches of play at the rim of the wheel, a worm and nut or peg steering box always has to to have some clearance.
My first car was a 1970 142. The steering should be quite accurate. If there is any play in it you want to check the p-ends and if there are any oil left in the steering box. If you upgrade to gas shocks and put in new bushings it should corner very good. Mind that there will be a lot of body roll, but it's really not a problem as people seem to think. Breaks should be direct with only a couple of cm before they bite...hard. Fun fact. The interior for the 240 fits into the 140.
The odd steering column layout was a safety device, by overlapping the upper and lower section that way they could tear apart in the event of an accident.
My dad had a 164 auto which had all the comfort but more grunt than the 144. I think the engine in this one is a little on the worn side and sounds harsh. I had one of the first 244DLs and a 245DL as well as a couple of later model examples from about 1979/80 one with fuel injection. The engines in the 244/5 were the newer OHC engine and that is a definite improvement on the one in this 144. The autos were all great I honestly think it was one of the best three speed auto boxes I ever encountered and none of the cars I had gave any trouble and all were set up just right. The heater (in Scotland we really needed the heater) and the heated seats were fab. It had adjustable flick wipe which at that time was unheard of in a british car nad was just so comfy to drive that you never felt tired no matter the length of the journey. Handling was a little on the barge side but in the days when we got a lot of ice and snow it held the road pretty well. The orginal OHC engine was prone to head gasket failure which usually meant a skim for the head and a rubber gasket in the carburreter was prone to failure which meant it either wouldn't start or fail to rise above idle. They also changed brake part suppliers regularly so brake replacement was a bit hit and miss with about three different suppliers on the same model year. Comfy and reliable though and I look back fondly on the Volvos I had especially the early ones.
A definite thumbs uo from me, I used to have a 1973 144DL Auto, XVM396L while it wouldn't be classed as a "fast" car, it was reliable & super comfortable, this was about 40 years ago, having had many Volvo's since then, I'm currently on my 12th Volvo a Mk1 XC90👍 O
Back in the '70s I owned this same Volvo but with the 4-speed manual and it was no better on the highway than this one. The engine turned about 3300rpm at 60mph. The only way to go with this model was to have the 4-speed manual with overdrive.
In my opinion the 140-Series Volvos are the best cars that Volvo ever built but I like the look of the earlier models more. My actual daily driver is a '96 Volvo 145 (Estate) after driving 140's since I got my licence in 1986.
the triple split braking system carried on to the 740's, i had a 1987 volvo 740 turbo estate (182hp b230ET) as my first car. it had twin piston front sliding calipers with separete hoses to each piston on the caliper. so each circuit on the brake system ran 1 front piston on each side and 1 of the rear calipers. the 140 and 240 had cast iron 4 piston calipers but the same idea was there, 1 brake line to the upper pair of pistons and 1 to the lower pair on each side. this also meant 2 bleeed nipples per calipers as well.
Old Volvos are built like nothing else of their era. This was apparent to me when I first got to see a Volvo 240…..as a teenager at the time I was used to fords, vauxhalls, a few Japanese cars, a few Renaults, and a few VW Golf’s….the mass of the 240 was greater than any of them…the sheer thickness of steel & built quality. The only other car that got even remotely close was the Golf. Weighing as much as a small planet does however impair performance, handling, and economy.
Imagine it with a staid old VW 6 cylinder diesel. (same as in the Steyr Pinzgauer) reworked by Volvo to get rid of any overheating problems...You never saw one.??? not in UK they would not sell them to us. Home market only.
My first car was a 1974 Volvo 144 DL, which was a face lift of the one in the video. Mine had big front and rear bumpers and the quarter lights in the driver and passenger windows had been deleted at that point. Mine was also in yellow but had a 4 speed manual box which is much better than the auto box.
I remember the shrunken '46 Ford look 544, the Amazon, and the 1800s as well as the bricks, and when I win the ;lottery, I-ll have the 1800ES as a daily driver.
The seats were something that Volvo were miles ahead of most cars. Support for your body esp. your back that were ergonomic and easy to endure 300-500 km distances in. Had a 71 for 8 years from 85-93 which I drove around with. Only thing that you would need to check out was that the older years incl. mine had rubber bands under the seats that were worn out and had to be replaced.
Thats why after giving up my Old 245 DL many years ago , 45 years Later I returned and bought a V70 ,Why ?? as i sat in the V70 looking at the mirror , I found i was back in my original 245 DL - Paid £16,500 . I was home .my V70 only had 42.000 , Once Lady owner . Beautiful Car
One of Volvo’s best IMO. Think proportions are vastly superior to the 244. I had a red ‘74, great car. Relatively decent consumption too. Brakes (disc all around) were very good for the time. Thanks for a great video.
HI nice video my brother in Law's brother had a 145 in the same color it was A big car good tower. You are probably hearing more noise because of the lack of carpet. 👍👍👌👌
Borg Warner automatic , left alone they will be in top by 20mph the downside is fuel consumption will be about 20mpg as well. But it's over 50 years old and a serious car, who wouldn't like it?
I'm guessing these had the same engine as the Amazon. Some years ago I bought a very cheap 940 estate as a stop-gap car when my main vehicle was out of action. I was surprised to see it had what looked like an overhead valve engine. I knew nothing about Volvos at the time so assumed that was normal. Every example I've seen since has had a more modern looking engine with an alloy rocker cover. I now think a previous owner must have ruined the original engine and fitted one from an earlier Volvo.
Haha, Volvo input from Sweden; my dad had an Amazon B18 says it was smooth as butter, then a 145 and 142 B20:ies that were pretty rough by any standard but indestructible, had these in Hagglunds and army off-roaders as well. The 245 which I used to drive a lot is very different with the B21 that sounds like an angry vacuum cleaner and needs a little bit of revs. 940 came with two B23s, tho old one is nigh on abscent, very quiet and slow, the later 23 S I think had a low pressure turbo and felt pretty lively though not fast. They were all great for driving sideways, can say that from personal experience 😆
Firstly and the most important thing it is 50 years old it probably be around in 50 years old and comfort is relative l am 69 years old and really enjoy driving my 27 year old Toyota Hilux manual no power steering carburatored four cylinder engine now one the speedometer only goes up to 160kph and it is not optimistic and surprisingly it only 100kg lighter than this Volvo and has a aluminium tray maybe the weight of the box frame chassis and engine would add extra weight and it will last for another 27 years at least tank with this 50 year old Volvo the engine bay is so simple remember simplicity equals reliability in most cases
I drove an estate car once, probably a bit later than this, and the power steering was over-light and had zero feel. A great seating position though and it moved along quietly. I don’t think modern cars are more comfortable and they certainly have worse visibility. Trust me, the automatic is better. Why on earth would you want to change gears manually, certainly if there is any sort of urban environment to negotiate?
My Dad bought one in 1973. a 144 GL in white with a blue interior. It was fab, and we thought we were pop stars cruising around in it.!!. It was as solid as a brick it's true. Unfortunately, in 81 it got hit by a juggernaut on the wing whilst parked, which twisted the chassis, so it was written off. At that very time we were moving to a bigger house so my parents couldn't justify another expensive Volvo, so he bought A Honda Accord Saloon. That was going to be a stop gap until we could afford another Volvo. That was the worst decision he ever made because in 1986 he was rear-ended doing 60 on the M4 by Heathrow by a drunk driver ( 4 times over the limit ) who was in a Range Rover going 120mph. Need I go on.............I always wonder if he still had that Volvo or had bought another one instead of a shitty Honda he would have survived the impact. The Honda just crumpled to 4 ft long. My Mum and I have never really recovered from the trauma. My Dad was 42 when he was murdered.
hi, I read with great sadness you story, one reckless act with such lasting consequence. its certainly a great risk these days driving classic cars when there are similar clowns on the road. take care.
Great motor, 13:10 it will be noisy due to no carpet for sound deadening. Auto is good for cruising 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 pity you had to drive on Fife 3rd world roads.
I had one of these back in the early eighties it could go all day at 70 /80 mph in comfort and had a reasonable performance perhaps yours is a little tired if 50 mph it's sweet spot and take that horrible tacky retroshite sticker off the back just looks dreadful.
Volvos was great cars in 60s, since 70s they go to crap. Even if they visually look like similar previous models from 60s, since 70s they become worse in quality.
Lost interest in this video when I realised that this is an automatic - I hate automatics. My dad had one of these, a 1970 model 144S which was manual with overdrive.
Doesn’t have two zone climate control. Think the second temperature control is to alter the temperature of the air through the face level vents and to your feet, so that you can have warm feet and cool air to the face at the same time. Another Volvo safety feature to keep you alert on long drives.
My grandfather had a 1973 144 in the same colour. My father bought it from him when he bought a Saab 99. Still remember my skin burning on the black vinyl seats during the heatwave summer of '76. Great car, would have one in a heartbeat.
An uncle of mine had owned exactly such one for over 40 years, same color, but built in 1972. He had it from 1976 until his death in 2019.
The 240 that followed had rack and pinion steering and MacPherson struts. That improved the steering and handling.
Temperature is split for face and floor - allowed fresh air to the face and warmth to the floor. Same as the 240 I owned for several years. Heaters were superb on these. This one has later 240 buttons on the centre console, the original hazard switch was a clear red plastic with the word HAZARD printed in white 😊
Between 140 and 240 which would you prefer i hear the 140 performed better in snow, ice and mud than the 240 also more reliable since had timing gears instead of timing belts of 240s
As a teenager in Adelaide South Australia back in the mid 70s I still remember seeing a sign for one of the models in a new car dealership with a lifetime guarantee . If I remember rightly they came with a lawn bowls hat on the back parcel shelf as standard. Their drivers were loved by motorcyclist all over the world.
We had one of these, except in orange. Though our car was also a DL (automatic), the right-hand emblem on the rear read "fuel injection," new technology at the time. The 1974 version was very similar, except for the larger bumpers that would find their way on the 240 series and the absence of the front window vents. These cars, as you mentioned, were the safest on the road. Those wide doors concealed thick beams; the entire passenger compartment was protected by a steel cage that would withstand a rollover. My dad (a great guy but a terrible driver) had two major accidents in our 144; in both cases he walked away and the car was repaired. Oh, and that stereo? Yep, it's an 8-track. Our car had one too, so we could blast tunes of Jefferson Airplane, Bob Dylan, and Carole King. A half century later, I hold very fond memories of our pumpkin orange Volvo!
Thank you for all the memories! The inside of that car is as I remember it.
A big thumbs up.. I had a 1970 Volvo 145s . I wonderful car. I'd love to have the same car today..
I would love one of these .
Two thumbs up! Wonderful car, great review. That yellow brick is history being made 💛💛
We were Volvo people as a family, and got out of our '82 264 GLE, which was a company car, and toured Britain in 1983 in a friend's immaculate '73 144 DL, just before getting a 1984 240 DL for ourselves. Yes, without power steering, low speed steering was heavy. All (144/240/264) very reliable cars, the 264 was used in Dubai in 50C weather, car never overheated, a/c was ok if you parked in the shade. 240 did over 50,000 miles in 6 years, no problems, and yes, very safe, very comfy. IMO these Volvos were more like a Swede Mercedes, very solid. The '70s BMW 5 series was lighter feeling, and smoother, sportier, like a heavier, safer, more solid Alfa. Car brands had unique characters back then. Our 240 had a 5 speed, a real departure from the Laycock De Normanville overdrive 4+1 manuals that Volvo were known for.
A doctor in our village in the 70s had one and ran it for years.
I don't think anyone has mentioned the overdrive version yet. (I may be wrong - I only scanned the comments quickly). We had several 1 series Volvos back in the day - automatic, 4 Speed manual and 4 Speed manual with overdrive. The overdrive really drops the revs and makes 70MPH Motorway cruising much less frenetic and more refined. We also had a mix of saloons and estates, the estate being a great load carrier beloved of antique dealers, although the cabin was a bit more 'boomy', especially if the king-size roof rack was fitted. Since the 1 series, we have run 2,3,7 and 9 series Volvos and to this day drive a V70 - Volvo ownership gets into your blood! Great review of a great car. With care and regular maintenance there is little reason for it not to be running in another 51 years. Regards, John.
Still enjoy my 1974 144 gl auto.Great drive and comfortable.
My dad had a '72 back in the day (same colour) he loved it and it never let us down. the dash was cooler with the orange bit crawling across the dash as the speedo, thumbs up
I think the stereo is maybe something called an eight track player they had in the seventies.
No maybe about it 👍
😍😍 I learned to drive in a 4 speed yellow 1973 Volvo station wagon in Pennsylvania in 1983,when I was 16. It had the smaller,earlier front indicators,& strip speedo! It had 3 point inertia reel seatbelts front & rear,I think the first car to have them! It also had a rear facing third row seat! 😍😍
A big thumbs up fella 👍🏻👍🏻
I was lucky enough to own one in the 1980s and I honestly wish I still had it ,
It never missed a beat,
thank you 👍🏻
6:03 On the heating: The upper is main heating for floor and defroster, and the lower is air mix for the vents: you can choose air from main heating and unheated and anything between.
I used to have a 142s best car I ever had. Unfortunately I sold it. If ever I had the chance of buying another I would. Best car I ever owned😀
i had a 74 model volvo144. The thing about it was it was an 1800cc pushrod engine. (Changed to overhead cam on the 240), mine was a manual. It pulled like a diesel from standsill. I towed a trailer for work, amazing ammount of torque. It could actually pull away on tickover! Steering was awful, not meant for spped at all. Taxi drivers liked them. good turning circle. Im afraid I didnt treat it kind and finally the engine stripped its fibre timing gear teeth. I enjoyed the car a lot.
In the late sixties my dad had one of these . In 1970 he changed it for a 164 and then got a 164e in 1973. In their time, they were nice cars
...and they're still today!
It had bars inside the doors, I know because I had an estate and got hit down the side and ir ran down my door the rear down and the osr wheel arch. I learnt to drive in it and the bumpers were fantastic you could nudge a wall when you were parking and know you couldn't go any further & didn't do any damage 😅 I also had a tow bar I also had the 8 track stereo I had abba arrival, buddy Holly and James Last all came with the car. I also had a rev counter and it would turn on a sixpence
Maybe the engine noise is louder than usual because the carpets are missing. Iaways enjoy the videos keep them coming😃
exactly the car I owned in the 80s. I used in for taxi-ing and it was great. So comfy and reliable.
memories, memories. My parents bought a 144 DL 3-speed auto in yellow in July 1973. Your example has non-standard wheels... fun fact: my parents car (SPC71L) has the reflective number plates fitted; a near-neighbour bought a white version from the same dealer a few months earlier, and that came with black and white number plates, so the UK law on plates must have changed in late 1972. This model year wasn't offered with the 1.8 litre engine in the UK, only the 2 litre red block. That rear fog light is non-standard, there was no requirement for a rear fog light at that time. A radio was extra - dad paid for a Radiomobile LW/MW single speaker unit to be fitted to "our" car. The original factory-fit screen wipers were cleverly designed to come apart easily so that you could replace just the rubbers. I never got to drive the car as I was too young (13) but it took us down to the south of France and Spain when it was just a few weeks old. The following year we got a dog and the 144 was replaced by an orange 145 DL auto which had the impact-absorbing bumpers. My parents kept that car for 30 years and I learned to drive in it (as well as the driving school car, Gen 1 Fiesta, which was manual). The Volvo was reasonably comfortable, spacious but that steering was so vague (by design) with little genuine feel/feedback. The boot was huge though - enough for 5 of us when we went on that holiday to France and Spain
Interesting story, thanks for sharing 👍
Your restorations are simply phenomenal! Each video is a testament to your dedication and expertise. I'm always excited to see what you'll bring back to life next
I use to own a 1971 Volvo 142 (lhd) in the exact same color 33 years ago.
That yellow (No.104) came in '72, the older ones were more mustard-coloured (No.100).
Single carb B20A is about 82hp, the twin carb engines have about 100hp and the fuel injected 124, in European versions.
Dad had a 1969 145 estate auto. The OHV pushrod engine is clattery after a few thousand miles. His had the gear shift on the column.
Quiet greedy and relatively slow.
Steering will have about three inches of play at the rim of the wheel, a worm and nut or peg steering box always has to to have some clearance.
My first car was a 1970 142. The steering should be quite accurate. If there is any play in it you want to check the p-ends and if there are any oil left in the steering box.
If you upgrade to gas shocks and put in new bushings it should corner very good. Mind that there will be a lot of body roll, but it's really not a problem as people seem to think. Breaks should be direct with only a couple of cm before they bite...hard.
Fun fact. The interior for the 240 fits into the 140.
...and also the doors and the bootlid.
Love it! Thanks for the great review.
The odd steering column layout was a safety device, by overlapping the upper and lower section that way they could tear apart in the event of an accident.
Best car ever made dude!!
My dad had a 164 auto which had all the comfort but more grunt than the 144. I think the engine in this one is a little on the worn side and sounds harsh. I had one of the first 244DLs and a 245DL as well as a couple of later model examples from about 1979/80 one with fuel injection. The engines in the 244/5 were the newer OHC engine and that is a definite improvement on the one in this 144. The autos were all great I honestly think it was one of the best three speed auto boxes I ever encountered and none of the cars I had gave any trouble and all were set up just right. The heater (in Scotland we really needed the heater) and the heated seats were fab. It had adjustable flick wipe which at that time was unheard of in a british car nad was just so comfy to drive that you never felt tired no matter the length of the journey. Handling was a little on the barge side but in the days when we got a lot of ice and snow it held the road pretty well. The orginal OHC engine was prone to head gasket failure which usually meant a skim for the head and a rubber gasket in the carburreter was prone to failure which meant it either wouldn't start or fail to rise above idle. They also changed brake part suppliers regularly so brake replacement was a bit hit and miss with about three different suppliers on the same model year. Comfy and reliable though and I look back fondly on the Volvos I had especially the early ones.
A definite thumbs uo from me, I used to have a 1973 144DL Auto, XVM396L while it wouldn't be classed as a "fast" car, it was reliable & super comfortable, this was about 40 years ago, having had many Volvo's since then, I'm currently on my 12th Volvo a Mk1 XC90👍
O
Back in the '70s I owned this same Volvo but with the 4-speed manual and it was no better on the highway than this one. The engine turned about 3300rpm at 60mph. The only way to go with this model was to have the 4-speed manual with overdrive.
In my opinion the 140-Series Volvos are the best cars that Volvo ever built but I like the look of the earlier models more. My actual daily driver is a '96 Volvo 145 (Estate) after driving 140's since I got my licence in 1986.
An excellent car even by today's standards!
Lovely old 'proper 'car strong super reliable very well designed being Swedish and very safe.
We scrapped are 144 in 1985 with a 5 ton fork truck.
Pretty sure I've still got some bits
the triple split braking system carried on to the 740's,
i had a 1987 volvo 740 turbo estate (182hp b230ET) as my first car. it had twin piston front sliding calipers with separete hoses to each piston on the caliper.
so each circuit on the brake system ran 1 front piston on each side and 1 of the rear calipers.
the 140 and 240 had cast iron 4 piston calipers but the same idea was there, 1 brake line to the upper pair of pistons and 1 to the lower pair on each side. this also meant 2 bleeed nipples per calipers as well.
Old Volvos are built like nothing else of their era.
This was apparent to me when I first got to see a Volvo 240…..as a teenager at the time I was used to fords, vauxhalls, a few Japanese cars, a few Renaults, and a few VW Golf’s….the mass of the 240 was greater than any of them…the sheer thickness of steel & built quality. The only other car that got even remotely close was the Golf.
Weighing as much as a small planet does however impair performance, handling, and economy.
Imagine it with a staid old VW 6 cylinder diesel. (same as in the Steyr Pinzgauer) reworked by Volvo to get rid of any overheating problems...You never saw one.??? not in UK they would not sell them to us. Home market only.
I've been trying to get hold of a set of those same Wolfrace wheels for ages but they're as rare as horse feathers!
These are great, but the 2 series is my favourite
My first car was a 1974 Volvo 144 DL, which was a face lift of the one in the video. Mine had big front and rear bumpers and the quarter lights in the driver and passenger windows had been deleted at that point. Mine was also in yellow but had a 4 speed manual box which is much better than the auto box.
I remember the shrunken '46 Ford look 544, the Amazon, and the 1800s as well as the bricks, and when I win the ;lottery, I-ll have the 1800ES as a daily driver.
The seats were something that Volvo were miles ahead of most cars. Support for your body esp. your back that were ergonomic and easy to endure 300-500 km distances in. Had a 71 for 8 years from 85-93 which I drove around with. Only thing that you would need to check out was that the older years incl. mine had rubber bands under the seats that were worn out and had to be replaced.
I remember Volvo advertising that their cars had a sneeze factor built into the steering as a safety feature (marketing nonsense I suspect).
Thats why after giving up my Old 245 DL many years ago , 45 years Later I returned and bought a V70 ,Why ?? as i sat in the V70 looking at the mirror , I found i was back in my original 245 DL - Paid £16,500 . I was home .my V70 only had 42.000 , Once Lady owner . Beautiful Car
Love a old volvo..run a 240 estate
One of Volvo’s best IMO. Think proportions are vastly superior to the 244. I had a red ‘74, great car. Relatively decent consumption too. Brakes (disc all around) were very good for the time. Thanks for a great video.
Slot mags pure retro 😮😮😮😮need a guid polish though
HI nice video my brother in Law's brother had a 145 in the same color it was A big car good tower. You are probably hearing more noise because of the lack of carpet. 👍👍👌👌
Borg Warner automatic , left alone they will be in top by 20mph the downside is fuel consumption will be about 20mpg as well. But it's over 50 years old and a serious car, who wouldn't like it?
I had one of these cars....Lava Orange.... ran Fantastic until it didn't!!!!
1972 was the best looking 144 imho. The auto box was rare, atleast in sweden
I'm guessing these had the same engine as the Amazon. Some years ago I bought a very cheap 940 estate as a stop-gap car when my main vehicle was out of action. I was surprised to see it had what looked like an overhead valve engine. I knew nothing about Volvos at the time so assumed that was normal. Every example I've seen since has had a more modern looking engine with an alloy rocker cover. I now think a previous owner must have ruined the original engine and fitted one from an earlier Volvo.
Haha, Volvo input from Sweden; my dad had an Amazon B18 says it was smooth as butter, then a 145 and 142 B20:ies that were pretty rough by any standard but indestructible, had these in Hagglunds and army off-roaders as well. The 245 which I used to drive a lot is very different with the B21 that sounds like an angry vacuum cleaner and needs a little bit of revs. 940 came with two B23s, tho old one is nigh on abscent, very quiet and slow, the later 23 S I think had a low pressure turbo and felt pretty lively though not fast. They were all great for driving sideways, can say that from personal experience 😆
Great cars in there day.
...and still today!
Firstly and the most important thing it is 50 years old it probably be around in 50 years old and comfort is relative l am 69 years old and really enjoy driving my 27 year old Toyota Hilux manual no power steering carburatored four cylinder engine now one the speedometer only goes up to 160kph and it is not optimistic and surprisingly it only 100kg lighter than this Volvo and has a aluminium tray maybe the weight of the box frame chassis and engine would add extra weight and it will last for another 27 years at least tank with this 50 year old Volvo the engine bay is so simple remember simplicity equals reliability in most cases
I had a 1972 142 I would say was the first brick. Radical compared to my 1962 Citroen 🤣.. but spot on review.
I drove an estate car once, probably a bit later than this, and the power steering was over-light and had zero feel. A great seating position though and it moved along quietly. I don’t think modern cars are more comfortable and they certainly have worse visibility. Trust me, the automatic is better. Why on earth would you want to change gears manually, certainly if there is any sort of urban environment to negotiate?
My Dad bought one in 1973. a 144 GL in white with a blue interior. It was fab, and we thought we were pop stars cruising around in it.!!. It was as solid as a brick it's true. Unfortunately, in 81 it got hit by a juggernaut on the wing whilst parked, which twisted the chassis, so it was written off. At that very time we were moving to a bigger house so my parents couldn't justify another expensive Volvo, so he bought A Honda Accord Saloon. That was going to be a stop gap until we could afford another Volvo. That was the worst decision he ever made because in 1986 he was rear-ended doing 60 on the M4 by Heathrow by a drunk driver ( 4 times over the limit ) who was in a Range Rover going 120mph. Need I go on.............I always wonder if he still had that Volvo or had bought another one instead of a shitty Honda he would have survived the impact. The Honda just crumpled to 4 ft long. My Mum and I have never really recovered from the trauma. My Dad was 42 when he was murdered.
hi, I read with great sadness you story, one reckless act with such lasting consequence. its certainly a great risk these days driving classic cars when there are similar clowns on the road. take care.
how comes the steering wheel's so boz eyed??
Really really comfy car? 🤔 hmmm
Great motor, 13:10 it will be noisy due to no carpet for sound deadening. Auto is good for cruising 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 pity you had to drive on Fife 3rd world roads.
Which E.V.’s will be around in 51 years?.
Nize .. drive a 92 240 every day ❤
Rather have a mk1 1972 ford granada. I doubt if this is that much safer than a mk1 granada.
Like the car…hate the wheels.
I had one of these back in the early eighties it could go all day at 70 /80 mph in comfort and had a reasonable performance perhaps yours is a little tired if 50 mph it's sweet spot and take that horrible tacky retroshite sticker off the back just looks dreadful.
compared to modern day suv has more interior space and much better product
Not the first year for the brick styling and could be purchased with either carbs or FI.
I've had 3 speed autos before and they drink fuel. Make it a manual and I'm in.
Safe motor year I was born
Have to put other rims on it looks awful with them. It must be the original with the Volvo logo on it. Looks retro but just the wrong retro.
Volvos was great cars in 60s, since 70s they go to crap. Even if they visually look like similar previous models from 60s, since 70s they become worse in quality.
It’s a 51 year old car
Thumbs Down for me.
I'll take a Saab 99 over one of these every time.
Definitely. It's next generation drivewise.
Lost interest in this video when I realised that this is an automatic - I hate automatics. My dad had one of these, a 1970 model 144S which was manual with overdrive.
Doesn’t have two zone climate control. Think the second temperature control is to alter the temperature of the air through the face level vents and to your feet, so that you can have warm feet and cool air to the face at the same time.
Another Volvo safety feature to keep you alert on long drives.
Were you thinking of buying this exact car?
It's crying out for the "Peter Bjorck" treatment 😊