Here is a review of the 145e. Seems a great car and is pretty good on fuel for an old car like that (20mpg)
'Replaced rear calipers do to leaking.
Replaced brake light switch, went out.
Replaced water pump, do to leaking.
Replaced head gasket, this was my fault I did not realize that the bolt I removed to take the air conditioning pump bracket off was a head bolt, and did not re-torque it. Luckily the antifreeze did not leak into the oil.
General comments?
A car with advanced safety, fun to drive, easy to work on, new parts available, and unique car to own for under three grand.
Some of the advanced for 1970 safety features are.
Three point seat belts in the front, and lap belts for all three seating positions in the rear seat. Also an option for the 145 was a rear facing seat, which had lap belts for both occupants.
Front and rear crumple zones.
Built in roll bar.
Collapsible steering column.
Four wheel disc brakes.
Dual curcuit brake system.
Brake pressure reducer on rear wheels. Kind of a first try at anti lock brakes.
In 1972 they added side impact beams to the doors. The same thing other car companies were advertising a few years back in there new cars.
There is more I just can't think of anymore off the top of my head.
The 145 estate with the back seat folded down has 71 cubic feet of cargo space. which is.5 cubic feet smaller than the current V70 wagon.
The 145 estate is able to transport a total of 7 passengers with the optional rear facing third row.
Cornering is not a strong point for this car, but is not bad for a car that weighs 2,900 pounds. Roughly the same as a new Nissan 4x4 extended cab truck. The cornering can be improved by after market parts built for the 140 series. remember they use to raise these cars, and some still do race them. The roof rack on the 145 estate can carry 250 pounds which is 50 pounds more than most minivans, and sport utilities.
Fuel economy is not great, but I estimate around 18-20 mpg with dual SU carbs. I have heard the fuel injected model gets better fuel economy, and a standard trany would probably help also. The B-20 engines also run best on supreme. I can get by on plus, but there is a performance difference. Do not use regular I switched to supreme, and it solved a lot of little issues including the hard starting problem I had. The original manual that came with the car says they recommend an octane level of 99, supreme is usually around 90 it works fine.
Comfort is great, the seats are supportive, and in the front there is ample leg and shoulder room. I am 5'11" and I can get into the back seat pretty easily, and there is plenty of leg room as long as the person in front of you does not have the seat back all the way. The optional rear facing Third row is for small people like 5 year olds, they are also the ones who get a kick out of sitting in the back.
Performance is pretty good for the weight to power ratio.
Weight 2,900 pounds.
Rear drive.
Engines:
B-20A four cylinder single carb. 105 HP.
B-20B four cylinder dual carb. 115 HP This is what I have it can be a task to keep the carbs synchronized, but with the right tools and some tinkering they work well and, are easy to adjust.
B-20E four cylinder fuel injected. 120HP.
This engine is also an engine that has been known to live well over 300,000 miles if maintained. The B-18 engine is in the only car (Volvo p1800) that has gone 2,000,000 miles with out being replaced. The B-20 is a slightly modified B-18.
There are three tranys you can find in the 140 series.
Automatic, which is what I have it is made by Borg Warner, and I have had zero problems with it. No leaking, and shifts kind of like a sport trany. If you put your foot in it it really wines the motor up and shifts quick and hard, if this car had more power it would probably chirp the tires going into second. The high revving of the engine is OK because the engine is a high rev. engine. Peak horse power is attained
at above 5,000 rpm.
There is also a four speed and five speed overdrive standard transmission. From what I hear the five speed is the one to have.
Through my searching the Internet you can get new replacement parts for the 140 series. There are only a few odds and ends you have to find used. Though used is not bad Volvo parts are designed to last, and a lot of the used parts have plenty of life still in them. used parts are also cheaper. New parts are priced about what you would expect if you went to your dealer for the parts. My local dealer will not work on the car, they say they don't have anyone that is trained on the older cars. The parts department though will look up any part I ask for and order it if it is available to them. I have been lucky enough to find a garage that will works on classic Volvos. When I need that kind of work done I get the parts, and they install them. This has not happened yet, I have been able to fix everything on my 145 with the help of family and friends, and a little trial and error. (It is nearly impossible to fully bleed your brakes if you put the calipers on up side down.) I have been there.
There are also lots of after market and performance parts out there for these cars and their engines.
So to sum it up this car is a kick in the pants to drive, safe, reliable, and affordable. I paid $1,400 for mine it needs some upholstery work, but the body is pretty straight, minimal rust, the paint shined up real nice with some elbow grease and good paint cleaners, glazes, and waxes. The drive train and other mechanical things have not cost over $300.00 total sense I bought it three years ago. I am planing to fully restore this car, but being a daily driver this may take a few years. I am also planning on buying another classic Volvo in the next year or two. '
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