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Vintage 140/160 as Project/Fun Daily?

BigSkyTR6

New member
Joined
Aug 14, 2015
After selling my 245 a couple years ago, I have been getting the itch to own another old Volvo. I?ve been a little out of touch with the Volvo community, but I am starting to catch up. There have been a couple 140s come up for sale in my area. After looking at a few, I have been thinking about pursuing a 140 or 160 as an unusual project to fun daily car. I have been catching up with the usual parts sources (IPD, VP Autoparts, Skandix) and parts are a little more scarce than the last time I looked years ago. Given that the 140s and 164 are pushing 50 years old, can a project car be put back on the road? Can one of these cars still be used as a daily driver or even a couple-times-per-week fun car? If I pursue a 140 or 160, should I gravitate towards carb?ed or fuel injected cars?

Thanks!
 
- Parts are available. Not cheap, but available.

- Can you daily drive one? That depends on how determined you are, how long the commute is, and how handy you are. If it's been mechanically restored and sorted (good engine, excellent fuel system, healthy trans/rear end, rebuilt brake system and booster, new bushings/balljoints), I wouldn't hesitate to drive one anywhere.

- No comment on FI vs carbed cars. I love/hate SU's and Strombergs and they pretty much need constant fiddling as weather changes.
 
I drive my 145 about once a week, sometimes more. It's carburetted. I'd rather have that than FI. My 1973 1800es was D-Jet EFI and just felt sketchy. The premise that D-jet is built upon is very crude IMO.

VP has a surprising selection of parts for the rare and unloved 140 series. eBay will fill the gaps for anything you can't get on VP

Get hagerty with the tow package, or AAA. A 50 year old car will have some significant reliability deficiencies
 
I drive my 145 about once a week, sometimes more. It's carburetted. I'd rather have that than FI. My 1973 1800es was D-Jet EFI and just felt sketchy. The premise that D-jet is built upon is very crude IMO.

VP has a surprising selection of parts for the rare and unloved 140 series. eBay will fill the gaps for anything you can't get on VP

Get hagerty with the tow package, or AAA. A 50 year old car will have some significant reliability deficiencies

CIS/Kjet, carbs, d-jet in that order IMO for daily driving.

Djet is a really interesting system as it's technically a speed-density system (manifold absolute pressure and inlet air temperature) however, it has no feedback loop to correct itself so when a sensor goes slightly wrong, you can ruin piston rings because it was running so rich.
 
Thanks for all the input on this. I will be looking at an injected 164 in the near future. Unfortunately, it is not running due to fuel delivery issues and has been sitting for about 10 years. Aside from rust, are there any immediate deal-breakers?
 
Thanks for all the input on this. I will be looking at an injected 164 in the near future. Unfortunately, it is not running due to fuel delivery issues and has been sitting for about 10 years. Aside from rust, are there any immediate deal-breakers?

If it's a 164, that would mean D-Jet EFI. Hope that the ECU or all the lines haven't gone bad.
Make sure the handbrake works. That was a thing on all the 140/160 series cars I've found in 'non-running' condition. Any pictures of the car in question?
 
I love the 164. Bought a very nice 1975 one for $75 (around 1998). It had a bad solder joint on the electronic ignition board. Just soldered it and had to knock the shifter bushing back in on the M410 (because it was leaking). Sold it for $750 to a family who needed a second car. I ran into about 5 years later, they drove the hell out of it, and they loved it.

It would be great to pull the B30 out, install a B230FT into one (some suspension changes would be needed for the lighter engine).


Go find a 164 and have fun modifying one.


Paul
 
No pictures of the car yet, but I was told it was parked with a bad fuel line. I?m not sure if it is the hard line from the tank or a soft line somewhere.

Looking at photos and YouTube videos, I like the idea of a 164. The straight six has a nice bellow in the rallying videos. In my research, a 164 sounds like a great highway cruiser, but a bit thirsty in town and on the highway.
 
If that 10 years of sitting was with fuel (now stale fuel) in the system you should probably assume that the injectors, cold start valve, fuel lines, FPR, fuel pump will require heavy duty cleaning or more likely a trip to the garbage can followed by new replacements. If the fuel tank is rusty that alone is a major piece of restoration (reproductions are not available). The controller's are electrically reliable and likely the least of your issues. Electrical connections and deterioration of the wiring due to heat damage to the insulation are major problems. The throttle switch will likely be a problem and hope the MAP sensor is OK because that is major $ if it isn't.

You can find copies of the Volvo D jet Trouble Shooting manual on the web. If you are prepared to get a copy and study the manual so that you know how the D jet system works, then you could consider taking on a car with the D jet system. If you don't want to take the trouble to figure out how the D jet system operates then stay away from any car equipped with a D jet system. It is exceedingly difficult to find mechanics who are versed in the trouble shooting and repair of the D jet system - because it doesn't have an OBDII port.

I have a 1971 142 E. The handbrake will likely be the least of the issues you have to deal with in restoring a non running car. If you want a reliable daily driver, get out your money making machine because you are going to be needing it. If you want a 140 or 160 that is going to be semi reliable for the lowest cost, stay away from cars that are not running. Buy the nicest running 140 or 160 that you can afford. At least you have some idea of what you are getting into.
 
Thanks for the thorough response. I had feared the work on an injected car would be cost-prohibitive. Is back-dating to carbs a bad idea on an ?E??
 
Thanks for the thorough response. I had feared the work on an injected car would be cost-prohibitive. Is back-dating to carbs a bad idea on an ?E??

If I'm remembering right, you'll have to change the fuel tank, fuel pump and distributor out. Maybe change some wiring too. Then you'd have to either find a dual or triple SU intake, and take the 20 hp hit. You could also swap to webers, but I'm not sure that's the best idea for a street car.

I'm in the same boat, looking at a '74 164E that also doesn't run.
 
Running D-jet is much easier to work on than non-running D-jet.

Running D-jet is still hard, just easier.

I spent a lot of time ohm testing, volt measuring, cleaning, etc, to get my 73 1800es running right.

I would recommend D-jet to vintage electronics nerds, the people who geek out over tube guitar amps & CRT TVs, ataris, vintage radios, etc

If you have no fascination or even appreciation for analog computing, it probably won't be fun to repair D-jet. That's not to say you won't gain appreciation or affinity for analog electronics through working on D-jet. I did, but not enough to keep my ES
 
I ran into about 5 years later, they drove the hell out of it, and they loved it.

It would be great to pull the B30 out, install a B230FT into one (some suspension changes would be needed for the lighter engine).


Go find a 164 and have fun modifying one.


Paul

There's a reason they drove the hell out of it. And no on b230ft swap. That ruins the whole reason to own a 164. With enough work/money, you can modernize it and make it a daily driver. I most definitely would daily a 164(just not practical for me but I would drive it as much as I could).
 
If I'm remembering right, you'll have to change the fuel tank, fuel pump and distributor out. Maybe change some wiring too. Then you'd have to either find a dual or triple SU intake, and take the 20 hp hit. You could also swap to webers, but I'm not sure that's the best idea for a street car.

I'm in the same boat, looking at a '74 164E that also doesn't run.

74 164 is easy, it takes 240 fuel tank like bolt on, so pressure pump into fuel tank. Then just buy any aftermarket ecu of your liking and budget.

Only part here what needs little more tinkering is triggering of ecu. I made 60-2 on flywheel with vr-sensor. My friend uses 12-1 wheel on front pulley and hall sensor. Both needs some manufacturing skills.
D-Jet distributor has solid points so they are suitable for ecu triggering, so this would be easy route.

Also, I would get new injectors, any EV1 bodied injector accommodates in D-Jet bracket. Of course, custom fuel rail is needed.

Ignition with vw6 coilpack.

But if wallet is TB-lean, then mega and old fuel system.
 
If I'm remembering right, you'll have to change the fuel tank, fuel pump and distributor out. Maybe change some wiring too. Then you'd have to either find a dual or triple SU intake, and take the 20 hp hit.

To switch a D jet engine to carbs you should not need to replace the tank (unless because of condition). You will need to block off the fuel return line to the tank. You will need to delete the original D jet fuel pump (if it still works) because it will generate way too much pressure and flow (with no return line provision for carbs). Replace with an electric fuel pump meant for carbs or install a mechanical fuel pump.

The vacuum advance / retard function on the high compression B 20E is incorrect for a carb equipped engine. I am guessing; but, not sure that the B30E is the same? The B20E engines will run fine with the straight mechanical advance with the vacuum servo disconnected. The trigger points for the D jet can just be unplugged.
 
I personally would be inclined to stay away from the triple carb solution which was for the marine engines. Marine engines generally have a much easier go of it since it is more common for them to run at constant speed. Definitely no running up and down through the gears and dealing with stop and go traffic. For carbs, all I ever remember seeing was twin carbs and I think they were Stromberg.

Triple SUs might look trick; but, might not be so nice if you want to drive the car without perpetually fiddling. I would be more inclined to go with the B30A Stromberg set up if you want to revert to carbs.
 
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