could someone give me a scouting report on the 1974 164E? In terms of buying shopping reliability and the such

I owned a basket case 1975. It needed a lot of work: brakes, interior, shocks, bushings, wiring. But the B30 was great! It did break a valve spring, which caused 3 months of anguish before finding it and 30 minutes to fix.
The more I drove the car, the better it got. Those 6 cylinder engines have lots of torque, but they are 6s and not 4s, so everything is 50% more expensive!

My BW35 leaked a little fluid when I got it, but the more I drove it the less it leaked. Same with the rest of the drivetrain, the more it ran the better it ran.
I really liked that copper car.

Klaus
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Please answer, we need to know if the advice is good or bad. The 164 has a new home, all I am left with are 2 turbos :)

My main complaint when I had a 164 was the MPG.

Good Luck,
Chris

Engine, great. Very hard to wear a B30 out.

Body, '74-'75 is my least favourite model. In my '74 164 I had big problems around the chassis rails where the rear torque rods attach & I cracked the A pillars with just a 22mm sway bar. The next 164 I make, I want to try & put the swaybar behind the crossmember & put the lower wishbones on back to front to take some of the twist out of the front end.

If you are refering to the White 164 on ebay, it looks pretty good, sounds like they have put some time in it. I am suspect of the tranny, always have been wary of the Volvo automatics. I would consider it I lived closer if for nothing else but a parts car.
Joel
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Antique Swedish Steel (Never Rusty) Silver 71 142E

not the one on ebay another one for sale locally. Besides Ive had my fill of white cars. I have a 71 142E auto so I kinda know what to expect out of the automatic. I suppose I'm asking about the B30 reputation. I like the car and I'm hoping to get a similar reliability out of a fuel injected 164 as I would a FI 140. Any comments/remarks are appreciated

I have a 70 and a 73 164(and a 71-1800 with B20E). The b30 itself is pretty much the same as a b20 with only slightly less reliability as it's essentially the same motor but stretched with a few more parts. Having said that a slightly worn out b30 will probably still run okay for years. One of mine has never been opened. The cams can go on them, a few more valves to burn, etc. The fuel injection is essentially the same as the 142e so you know what to expect there. The mechanicals aren't really any more complex either. A touch more difficult to find parts for but not much. I have an auto in a 164 BW35 and really can't imagine how a b20 could get out of it's own way with the autobox...although I did have a 145 about 15 years ago with one. The B30E I have with approx 175hp isn't as quick or as fun as the B30A manual I have with what? 140hp? If you can live with that...If it's been kept up in good shape that will go a long way. If parts are hanging on with duct tape maybe give it a pass. Chances are good that whatever money you put into it you'll never see again. The B30 is a great motor in terms of reliability but you could partly say that Volvo built it's name/rep on the B20/18 in terms of reliabilty so it'd be a tall order to hold anything up to it imho. Service history? Condition now? Probably more important. A babied B30 could have ten good years left in it...etc.

The B30E I have with approx 175hp isn't as quick or as fun as the B30A manual I have with what? 140hp?

Your B30E car has an auto?

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Yeah my B30E is an auto. Almost criminal eh?

The difference demonstrates how much power the auto sucks out.

I use to love my B30E manual, you could let it down to idle speed in top gear, mash the gas pedal to the floor & it would accelerate with nil fuss or vibration. (3.54 diff) It was a '74 model. I recently bought a '70 model 164S with optional power steering & sun roof that I'm going to transfer all my goodies in to (one day...)