Vintage advice for first time purchaser of a 122...

...at this point i have had a lot of pushrod cars, and a lot of volvos under my belt...
...i have yet to have a pushrod volvo. i put the important part in bold and underlined it, for those who dont want to read all my yammering.

i just sold the 245 race car (though it was sad to see it dragged off) and got a "good" winter beater wagon with the cash that i can use for my non A/T farm and utility and new england winter needs, and we should be getting a good chunk of cash from selling our subaru (which i hate working on and driving), so i thought maybe i could justify a semi decent 122 for my regular driver use so i could ditch the 740 turbo, granted at this point most of my driving is done in my ragged 64 cj5 around the farm for assorted utility and ag work. sorry, that was a serious runon sentence.


im about to go look at a seemingly decent, yet somewhat ragged in the appearance department 67 122... and i am wondering if anyone has some guidance of where to look for the problem rust spots, and other general problematic quirks of the amazons...

i really would rather a wagon than the sedan, but being newengland with the rust and all, and that i dont want to spend or have much to spend i doubt i can be that picky.

any advice is appreciated. anybody get around 25 mpg with the four speed and a b18?
thanks everyone... i heard some folks on various forums talking up what seem to me as absurd claims of up to 38 mpg with a fresh engine and od...

if it seems reasonably mechanically sound, runs decently while not puking oil or blowing oil, seems it will pass inspection in the rust department for the next 5 years if kept out of the salt (and otherwise with usual maintenance), and does not completely reek of mold, and mouse piss i will probably come home with it... ugly or not

anyone want to convince me otherwise...

thanks guys.

My '67 2-door (B18) has a rusty right butt cheek (standard I've heard) but my floor pans are good. My '67 wagon (B20) only has surface rust on the paint here and there.

The 2-door B18 has a single down-draft Weber that consumes more fuel than the B20 with twin SU's. Both cars have OD. Great mileage is possible.

I say go for it and have fun.

thankyou, i appreciate the feedback.
does the sdd webber really have anything to offer over the SU's aside from maybe a little smother idle?
i see a lot of amazons with the sdd webber and always wonder why? is it just because one can find it new in a box and no other reason?

Yep. I got a second set of SU's for it for $100 but they do need a rebuild. The Weber is insanely QUIET, I'll give it that, but SU's are the better performer. The SU's just sound (and look) cooler too IMHO.

Look at the bottom edges of doors (especially tailgate in wagon) for rust. If the drains aren't cleaned out, they rot from the inside. Mine had rust on the top of the fenders just above the headlights. (Swapped fenders, etc).

With an R-cam and over-bored B18, header, dual SUs...and a J-Type OD to a 4.10 rear, I got high 20s touching 30mpg on long trips. Mixed was 23-25. Electric fan helped that also. 4-speed will be "okay" mileage-wise, just keep it below 60mph/3000rpm. I seriously vote for the OD, though.

Awesome cars - have had (ahem) several. What got me into Volvos (and indirectly, engineering) in the first place.

Stock rear drum brakes often have "issues" (stuck pads/frozen adjusters/etc).

You will really enjoy it - just be very aware that as a daily driver it is not quite the same as a 2/7/9 safety-wise (like brakes/collapsible steering columns/door beams/gas tank behind rear axle/etc) I just pay more attention driving it -

Look at the bottom edges of doors (especially tailgate in wagon) for rust. If the drains aren't cleaned out, they rot from the inside. Mine had rust on the top of the fenders just above the headlights. (Swapped fenders, etc).

With an R-cam and over-bored B18, header, dual SUs...and a J-Type OD to a 4.10 rear, I got high 20s touching 30mpg on long trips. Mixed was 23-25. Electric fan helped that also. 4-speed will be "okay" mileage-wise, just keep it below 60mph/3000rpm. I seriously vote for the OD, though.

Awesome cars - have had (ahem) several. What got me into Volvos (and indirectly, engineering) in the first place.

Stock rear drum brakes often have "issues" (stuck pads/frozen adjusters/etc).

You will really enjoy it - just be very aware that as a daily driver it is not quite the same as a 2/7/9 safety-wise (like brakes/collapsible steering columns/door beams/gas tank behind rear axle/etc) I just pay more attention driving it -

i think i know the one your talking about is it in VT? i ran across it b mistake looking for something else.

122

122's are great cars. Main rust issues:

1. front fenders & front panel around headlights
2. floors
3. crossmember under front floors
4. inner panel where front fenders bolt to
5. front crossmember under rad

other issues:

1. sometimes top piston rings will break due to detonation from today's crappy low octane fuel-car will still run but will burn a bit of oil & be down on power
2. can be difficult to remove rear drums even with correct puller (use anti seize on them after you get them off)
3. fiber timing gear cracks(can replace with steel set from IPD-noisier

Super reliable cars
I prefer SU carbs-just make sure no play in throttle shaft bushings (cause intake leaks & rough running)-nothing beats a well set-up pair of SU's
Hope you find a good one

My advice would be to shop elsewhere for one. The money you'll pay to ship it from California will be easily offset in bodywork savings.

Or get lucky like I did and find one that someone else already shipped from California.

qbenplaya00 said:

i think i know the one your talking about is it in VT? i ran across it b mistake looking for something else.

Click to expand...

yup, in vt, but its like 2.5 hours from me so i am waffling because when i ask him anything specific he gets impatient and grumpy and says just to come out and look at it.
i sorta though questions like:
are there rot holes in the passenger compartment?
does it smoke any?
does it puke oil?
what is your history with it?

...were all reasonable.

they seem to do car sales mostly through facebook and CL
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ridin-Dirty-Unlimited/108515392880

here is the link for it, i hope nobody snags it before i can find 5 hours i can take out of a day... it has been on CL for a couple months... but its a mis matched sedan... so im not so surprised, however i kind of like it the way it is, i would just use it as a driver as is.
http://burlington.craigslist.org/cto/3828047894.html

there is this one too, but i would rather have a sedan for my needs, SUs, manual, and i like the wear on the grey one... http://maine.craigslist.org/cto/3836239267.html

LloydDobler said:

My advice would be to shop elsewhere for one. The money you'll pay to ship it from California will be easily offset in bodywork savings.

Or get lucky like I did and find one that someone else already shipped from California.

Click to expand...

i dont really care if its ugly, i just want to be able to drive it out of the salt for a couple years. i dont plan on restoring it. this was mostly to accomplish having a cheap driver that is easy to service, but i could find that in another 240 too, i just always liked the 122

when bodywork does need to be done, i can do it, i worked doing rust repair and metal fab, and have painted a fair share of things... still i dont have much time for that kind of stuff

though, i have thought about a cali car. i have a friend that wants to visit from cali, so i talked to him about him driving something out here.

ya same here im in jersey and its 5 hours from me i was willing to shoot up but he would read my messages but never respond... i asked him almost same questions and asked if it would make it back he said he thought so..

btw you bought it he just told me it wasnt for sale anymore... grumpy guy, dude. he wouldnt tell me his name nor where it was located... and they sell cars with this guy? weird guess us jersians are different. anyway congrads if it was you.

thankyou!
excelent.

beast said:

122's are great cars. Main rust issues:

1. front fenders & front panel around headlights
2. floors
3. crossmember under front floors
4. inner panel where front fenders bolt to
5. front crossmember under rad

other issues:

1. sometimes top piston rings will break due to detonation from today's crappy low octane fuel-car will still run but will burn a bit of oil & be down on power
2. can be difficult to remove rear drums even with correct puller (use anti seize on them after you get them off)
3. fiber timing gear cracks(can replace with steel set from IPD-noisier

Super reliable cars
I prefer SU carbs-just make sure no play in throttle shaft bushings (cause intake leaks & rough running)-nothing beats a well set-up pair of SU's
Hope you find a good one

Click to expand...

qbenplaya00 said:

ya same here im in jersey and its 5 hours from me i was willing to shoot up but he would read my messages but never respond... i asked him almost same questions and asked if it would make it back he said he thought so..

btw you bought it he just told me it wasnt for sale anymore... grumpy guy, dude. he wouldnt tell me his name nor where it was located... and they sell cars with this guy? weird guess us jersians are different. anyway congrads if it was you.

Click to expand...

yea, did not buy it, ill call him again monday and tell him i will make the drive if he can take a few minutes to answer some things...

It sounds like you're getting jerked around (at least over the phone). If you make the drive, take docs from Kelley Blue Book or similar and compare what he has to that. Go with fresh green-backs in hand, and if it's something you think you can work on, make an offer, and you both might be happy

Good luck...

Now that - is a true rat beater.

ibcmoore said:

It sounds like you're getting jerked around (at least over the phone). If you make the drive, take docs from Kelley Blue Book or similar and compare what he has to that. Go with fresh green-backs in hand, and if it's something you think you can work on, make an offer, and you both might be happy

Good luck...

Click to expand...

clipster said:

Now that - is a true rat beater.

Click to expand...

yea, why post a car for sale if you wont spend a few minutes with a potential buyer answering questions. i understand, as i have sold a lot of cars, people ask a lot of questions and dont show up, but thats the way it goes...

he does say, it needs very little to be nice... which makes the whole thing odd, as being what it is, and being that it already has glass fenders i am sure it has some rust issues.

anyway, im not going to waste much more time thinking about it, i will call him monday though and see when he would be around next week. or i will just wait for a good one, or buy another good 240.

Just one other thing, despite my good words about SUs, if they are not tuned correctly, fuel can dump onto hot exhaust header and catch fire...
So carry a fire extinguisher. I am glad I had one with me this afternoon! Now I need to buy some new air filters and fuel hoses... Could've been a lot worse...and my own fault for postponing the tune/adjustment after the weather changed.

VovOtaku said:

Just one other thing, despite my good words about SUs, if they are not tuned correctly, fuel can dump onto hot exhaust header and catch fire...
So carry a fire extinguisher. I am glad I had one with me this afternoon! Now I need to buy some new air filters and fuel hoses... Could've been a lot worse...and my own fault for postponing the tune/adjustment after the weather changed.

Click to expand...

thankyou...
i always kept a fire extinguisher in all my carbed cars. back when i was young and dumb(er) i had a 56 chevy with a really stretched timing chain backfire and catch afoam filter on fire.... i put it out with a mexican blanket... but after that most girls were afraid to ride in the thing... accept the one i ended up eventually marrying.
i guess she was ok with the whole thing ...i can still picture a couple years after that when she was helping me push the damn thing off the road while pretty pregnant in the middle of a texas summer.
the car is gone at this point, we sold it to a friend before moving up to the land of salt as it was a tx car, no rot, but the whole underside was surface rust and would have not lasted long up here.
speaking of the wife she said she was fine with getting a 122, but i have been forbidden to get one right now... until i get the farm projects squared off.
so... i am going to keep my eye out for a good one, sedan or wagon... might have my buddy in cali drive it out.

still anyone with input, keep it coming!
thanks all!

I had a 66 122 and it must've been sitting for some time because I had a universal joint that seized and broke at 60 mph. Also the cowl leaked water onto the passenger floorboard every hard rain. Definitely check for mildew smell and water damage when looking for one of these cars. Also check for unusual driveline vibrations. Hope the 740 is serving you well.