A lot of work has gone into both the venerable Volvo 140s in my possession over the last month or so. I have been trying to get the rest of the interior and suspension work on the 142 done so I can drive it regularly again, and the 145 has gotten a quite a lot of attention as well, mostly in an attempt to make it run better.
The wagon had been struggling with a mysterious and ever worsening problem that seemed to be related to the fuel injection, causing it to cut out and die when it was warmed up, backfire, idle too high, and all sorts of other annoying things. The list of adjustments made, parts replaced, and brains racked in the process of chasing down the issue is much too long to put down here, but I think I have gained a lot of knowledge about the workings of the D-Jetronic fuel injection system! And I think (I hope and pray) that it is finally all sorted out.
You can read more about the details of my epic trouble-shooting adventure here.
The 145 also received some header exhaust wrap to keep underhood and firewall temperatures down, and an IPD cowl vent scoop, something I have wanted for the car for a long time. The cowl scoop is actually made for an early 240 (they don't make one specifically for the 140), so the windshield wiper cutout is in the wrong place by just a little bit---but it still looks really good!
I am also very pleased to say that the door panels on the 142 are finally finished as of yesterday; they are very imperfect, but then again so is the entire car, and I am able to retain the pride of having made them completely from scratch myself. At this point the interior is finished to my satisfaction I think. After all, this is a driver, not a show car. I am now gearing up for a complete suspension overhaul: shocks, springs, bushings, differential seals, and e-brake shoes and cables. The sway bars will have to wait until I have more cash, and I already did the brakes.
I am dreaming of how it is going to look really slammed over those Virgos...I'll be posting before and after pictures when the job is done.
