1972 Volvo 145 S review from North America
"1972 Volvo 145 is a car worth keeping."
What things have gone wrong with the car?
She threw a rod in 1991 at about 150K miles, we rebuilt another B20B engine, now she's almost to 400K. We spin-balanced the new engine, the water pump has never failed.
Ignition condenser has failed twice in the last 10 years or so. Symptoms much like water in the gas.
The old carburetor needles ran too lean at speed and burned the exhaust valves so we redid the head about 300K. We added an air-fuel meter, it helped us choose the best needles for the SU-HIF6 carburetors.
General comments?
4 speed + OD and manual steering makes me feel in control and in touch with the road.
Very comfortable front seats and driving position. Rear bench seat OK, not great, rear seat could be improved by adding headrests.
Nicely balanced rear wheel drive design, good winter handling.
We have IPD sway bars for flatter handling and like them.
Excellent tight turning radius.
Excellent visibility all round.
Good cargo capacity.
Easy to work on, except for under-dash jobs.
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| Super guppy |
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| I hthink this car is great and if I could find another in better shape, I would buy it |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Model year | 1972 |
| Year of manufacture | 1972 |
| First year of ownership | 1989 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2008 |
| Engine and transmission | B20B Manual |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 8 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 0 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 105000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 398000 miles |
| Previous car | Volvo 140 |
| Date of Entry | 28th January, 2008 |