thinking of buying a 70 142

As much as I hate shooting myself in the foot and losing you as a potential customer, I still have to play the devils advocate.

Don't get me wrong, I like old Volvos, I better, I work on them for a living, but if you have to take out a loan to just buy the car, what happens if it really needs some major work. It can easily cost over $1000.00 just to bring a car back from long term storage. A battery, new tires and a worst case scenario brake job with rebuilt calipers and a new brake master will cost at least $800.00 just in parts. And sometimes the rubber brake hoses need to be replaced and the brake proportioning valves need to be rebuilt too, not to mention a servicing and possible repair of the gas tank.

If you do want to press on with a purchase, please get a thorough inspection BEFORE you buy. If you can't get that done on a particular car, you should consider moving on to the next one.

ICYDK, Volvo made over 400,000 and possibly as many as 460,000 Volvo 142 2 door cars from 1968-1974. This does not include the 4 door 144 or the 4 door station wagon 145 Volvo models made at the same time.

Unless you're just hankering for a project, it's really worth it to find one with an excellent body or at least a as rust free car as you can find. As mentioned in previous posts, rust can be a problem. It's almost always a fixable problem, but unless you are doing the work yourself, it's an expensive job as it's a labor intensive and dirty job. In most cases, I get 8 hours at $80.00 per hour to replace a single floor pan on most rear wheel drive Volvos, plus supplies.

I would be glad to advise you if you can supply detailed pictures of any car you want to buy.

Try to get pictures of the entire car, inside and out, top to bottom, under the hood and in the trunk. If you can't get it to a repair shop with a lift, put the car SAFELY on jack stands and take pictures of the undercarriage that way.

Happy hunting!!

durk80 said:

I know absolutely nothing about this set up, but am considering taking out a loan to buy the car if it could be fixed. Does this mean that this carb setup is garbage? What should I have replaced upon buying presuming I don't run away after seeing it close up? I'd love to hear your thoughts as it sounds like you know a lot more about the idiosyncrasies than me.

Click to expand...

Don't be silly, there are still plenty of nice old pre-240 RWD Volvos out there, even 'round here...

Drug this home 3 months ago, '69 120K, recently rebuilt B30 and M410/OD, otherwise original in and out, all the rust is what you see...

I agree with planetman 100%. I also agree with others above that the 142 is a very cool car. I still want another one myself, even though I have owned a few in the past. They aren't cheap to own and have their limitations. They are not a performance car by any means. Do a decision matrix all on paper and see if this car is for you. When you actually pencil out all the benefits and detriments to a possible purchase, the little kid is pushed aside and the adult comes out. The kid wants it now, the adult tends to be more rational and discerning.

They are out there but using the word plenty is a bit of a stretch. These cars rust heavily in this area and most anything you find that hasn't been stored inside is going to be very rusty.

The 74 142 I had rusted on the side under the rear side window. It was taking out the side of the car from the side window on down to the rocker panel.

Plenty is a total stretch of the imagination. I'm in so called Volvo Mecca and I rarely see a 142, let alone one for sale. Of those for sale, 1 in 100 is worth buying.

Au contraire...

While the climate may be a challenge for the weak and the lazy, enthusiasts in the NE have been caring for, and tucking away their vintage Volvos in bad weather for decades...

Last Fall's Swedish Car Day at the Larz Anderson Museum outside Boston had ~130 Volvos, mostly RWD, and many dozen as nice as anything anywhere else.
Including 140's, including OR...

ME, NH, VT, MA, CT...Worthwhile 140's appear on CL, or sometimes just around the corner, ~once every other month. I know of at least 2 awaiting proper refurbishment, including a "GT".