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Had some time tonight so I took care of the front brakes. Needed new rotors (old were too thin) and pads. Installed pads with new hardware kit. Checked out the calipers – they could probably be replaced eventually – working on locating a good used set or possibly rebuilding. Otherwise, they will be fine for now.
The AW70 in this car is toast. It was puking ATF, replaced the bushing and extension housing seal, no change. Also it was just laggy to drive and didn’t feel right even with fresh fluid. I pulled it out this weekend and picked up a low mileage, leak free AW71 locally from another enthusiast. However, while driving the ‘75 around I realized what I really wanted was an M46, as it is just so much more fun to drive with the 4 speed. So I’ve decided to pull the M46 from the ‘75 and put it in the ‘83. I’ll put the AW71 in the ‘75 to make it easier for my dad to drive. More updates when complete!
It’s been a busy two weeks. Got her up and running after taking a day to figure out a no-start. Ended up being a loose ground hidden underneath the intake manifold! Took it in for smog and passed but noticed some ATF on the ground after the test. Looked to be the output shaft seal. Replaced the bushing, seal, and housing gasket. Drove it to work today and it runs great! It looks so good too! Just a few more minor things to take care of – reattaching some trim, center dash lighting, and detailing – but overall complete. Drove all around the valley and West LA today for work and it kept right up on the freeway with no strange noises or issues! Very good feeling to have brought this car back to life.
Well I had a busy weekend and was able to get the following completed:
- Finish rebuild of the wiring harness (and slice my finger in the process)
- Reinstall head with new headgasket and new head bolts
- Install new GMB water pump w/ gaskets
- Install new spark plugs
- Replace Intake and Exhaust manifolds
- Install new rotor
- Install new air filter
- Install new O2 sensor
- Install all new drive and accessory belts
- Install known-good starter
There isn’t much left to do until we are ready to start her up!
- Tighten alternator drive belts
- Refill fluids (Oil, Anti-Freeze, ATF)
- Reinstall intake and vacuum hoses
I was sitting here thinking about how many cars I’ve had over the years, so I thought I would count them and grab as many pictures as I could find. For the record, I’ve been driving since I was 16. I’m 22 now. I’ve had 11 cars… WTF!?!?!
(the ‘88 Volo 745 and ‘83 Volvo 244 DL are not even pictured here!)
Here are some photos of the car, followed by more info about it. If you like what you see, you can use the contact form and the end of this post to get in touch with me.
I have done a huge amount of work on this car and know it very well, so I can answer any question you have about it. I have all receipts for the parts and work that I’ve put into this car.
My main goal with this car was to create a reliable commuter car that was also safe. I also cannot stand the newer FWD cars that you can’t work on yourself, so I jumped into this project. The details of the work done on this car are below. All parts/work have been completed within ~3,000mi. I planned on keeping this vehicle for a long time, so all the parts purchased were of high quality and installed properly. This car would make a great commuter or fun car for a Volvo enthusiast. It should be noted that this car is smog exempt in California and in most states. On an interesting historical note, I have all service records on this car going back to 1976! This car has 95% of the rare chrome trim and it looks amazing. This is a beautiful car, and it is painful see it go.
The car is located in Encino, CA (Los Angeles County).
Regarding cost – I was asking $2000 for this car because of all of the new parts, but I am open to trades as well for anything interesting – of particular interest would be any solid-axle Toyota 4WD, International Scout (or Scout II). Also interested in any Volvo wagons as well. Please use the contact form at the bottom of this post.
Engine:
- Removed B20F and K-Jet injection system
- Installed ’85 B230F w/ Bosch LH 2.2 Jetronic injection system (~200K mi on this motor – runs great though)
- Installed new rod bearings and oil pan gasket before installation
- Engine painted prior to installation
- NEW Bosch main fuel pump
- NEW Bosch in-tank pump (w/ new hose, clamps, sock, and o-ring)
- NEW Bosch fuel filter (including all new brass washers)
- All pre-85 wiring harness deterioration has been repaired with new OEM Volvo connectors
- Freshly rebuilt exhaust system (no rust, removed resonator for better flow)
- New oil separator box w/ o-ring
- IPD flame trap relocator kit for easier inspection/maintenance with new flame trap
- New engine mounts
- New intake and exhaust manifold gaskets
-All new heater hoses (front 2, rear 2 from engine to firewall)
-Brand new O2 sensor (Bosch)
-New spark plug wires
-New belly skid plate
Drivetrain (transmission, axle, etc.)
-Low mileage M46 5 speed (4 + elec. OD) transmission installed
-New bushings on the M46 – it shifts like it did from the factory
-Brand new Sachs clutch/pressure plate/throwout bearing installed
-Brand new pilot bearing
-Freshly turned flywheel – lots of life left on it
-3.73 rear axle in the car (quicker acceleration)
Electrical:
-IPD watertight EFI fuse holder
-New headlights
-Push-button start installed
-OEM Volvo/VDO tachometer installed in dash cluster
-OEM Volvo mini-clock installed in center gauge cluster (tachometer replaced the original clock)
-Alternator is a recent new replacement
Brakes:
-New rear pads
-New parking brake shoes
-Brake system was completely bled and fresh ATE Super-Blue fluid installed
-Girling calipers in the rear were replaced with ATE units (easier to find pads)
Suspension/Tires/Wheels:
-New tie-rod ends
-New steering boots
-Later model ZF rack installed – does not leak
-Car was recently aligned
-Freshly painted original rims complete with chrome rings and chrome center caps – they look great!
-Tires are nearly new and still have lots of tread on them
-Good spare tire
Interior:
-’85 dash installed (able to fit more gauges, cluster is bigger and easier to see)
-’85 DL steering wheel installed (I still have the original leather GL steering wheel from ’75 if you so desire, but I thought the later wheel felt better)
-Rear seat is from a ’93 – black cloth. The original seat was sun-damaged and falling apart
-Car currently has a head unit that I will not be selling with the car, but I can install whatever head unit you provide (single DIN).
Exterior:
-The exterior of the car has fairly recent paint and looks good
-All chrome GL trim is compete with the exception of the driver’s side door (I am searching for this trim and it will be installed before sale if possible)
-Much of the front trim has new plastic clips to hold it in place
-New windshield wipers
Included in Sale:
- 3 replacement doors/windows (DS front, PS front, PS rear). I gathered these to replace the scrape on the PS as well as the small dent on the DS front door (if I can’t repair),
Known Issues:
-The car is currently leaking a bit of oil. All crankcase pressure issues have been taken care of and all that is needed is a rear main seal. I am able to do this before sale if it is a huge issue for the purchaser. The car has NOT been run low on oil – since I am aware of the issue I watch it and add ~ 1/8 Qt a week.
-Heater does not work – the heater core was leaking so I rerouted the heater hoses so they did not go into the heater core. To replace this I would get a new heater core, and since you are taking out the heater blower, you might as well replace the blower motor while you are in there. IPD sells a nice motor replacement kit as well as the heater core. The blower does work, so you can still use it to blow fresh air into the cabin.
-The hood latch pull is broken – I just open the hood by popping the grille out and pulling from behind. This is not difficult to fix, I just have not had the time and haven’t gotten my hands on a hood pull yet.
-The speedometer does not work (broken speedo cable). Cheap part. Would require a gear from an AW71 or AW70 since it is using the rear end for those transmissions.
Watch List (Things that should be taken care of within a few months):
-Rear end bushings – the current ones are worn and the car would just handle a little better with either OEM rubber replacements or the IPD polyurethane set.
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Today I was able to accomplish the following:
- clean and paint the wheels
- replace the fuel filter
Really only a week or two now until we are back on the road!
I picked up a 1983 Volvo 244 DL from a gentleman who has owned it since 1985. From the looks of the car, you can tell it was well taken care of – the paint looks great, the interior is 100% complete and looks fantastic. There is no rust or body damage on this car. There was a car cover in the trunk. All replacement parts were Volvo OEM. It even has the great OEM Volvo plastic floormats.
Had to tow the car home as it would not stay running as soon as you hit the accelerator – likely a Mass Airflow Sensor or an O2 sensor. As I got into the car I found out that the wiring harness was the traditional deteriorated type – likely why the car is not running. I ordered the wiring repair kit from IPD as well as a couple hundred bucks worth of tune up parts including (but not limited to), Bosch fuel filter, timing belt and tensioner, O2 sensor, spark plugs, and air filter.
As of today, I’ve repaired the wiring harness (just waiting to seal it back up). I’ve pulled the cam cover – the cam is in great shape and the head is so clean on the inside you could eat off it – clearly this car was kept up with religiously regular oil changes. Upon pulling the head, I was very impressed with the fact that there is ZERO detonation damage on the pistons, no evidence of slap, and there is not even a trace of a ridge on any of the cylinder walls. The factory cross-hatching is still present on the cylinder walls too! This is so impressive for a car with nearly 300,000 miles on it! I shot an email to the previous owner just letting him know that I was able to tell that he kept immaculate care of the car – just seeing the condition of the inside of the engine confirmed what the exterior had told me – this guy was must have been a maintenance nut!
Over the next week I will be reinstalling the head with a new gasket and head bolts, installing the new timing chain, reattach the exhaust and intake manifolds (with new gaskets), installing a new GMB water pump, and everything else to get the car running.
