It is only fitting that I introduce myself first. I'm Marco and live in the Seattle area. I've been building, fixing and tracking cars for the better part of 20 years. I've owned from VW beetles to 911s, 928s, MR2, Z cars, MGs, etc. My uncle had a 122 for a long time and I remember rather fondly the times he took me for rides around the neighborhood. I've always had a thing for Volvo 122 (this is how I knew them). I like the lines as it reminds me of the Alfa Giulietta Sprint of the 50s.

Well, 2 weeks ago I took the plunge and bought a 1964 Volvo 122s (coupe). I saw it advertised on the local craigslist. Talked to the owner looked at the car and it seem in decent enough condition to be worth having as a running project. There is very little rust with only a couple of areas that need attention soon (rear side of rocker and a couple under the car). The car wasn't running because the owner broke one of the SUs trying to reinstall a new jet (he basically cross threaded where the flexible line bolts to the fuel bowl and therefore fuel leaked all over the place). I went on vacations for 10 days, which delayed me picking the car up. As soon as I got back, I purchased a used set of SUs, cleaned them and eye ball tuned them. Today, I went to the see the car and change the carburetors. I installed them, the car started, did a light tune (by ear). Then decided to drive 50 miles back home with my new car. I was a bit apprehensive to drive for a long distance with a car I didn't know and feel like barely running. Also, the brakes where a bit of a joke and required pumping and a lots of muscle. I couldn't resist, excitement prevailed over reason.

I am happy to report that the car made it without a glitch and did quite well. I actually enjoy the ride a lot - very much so. Aside from the fact that it required a lot of planning to ensure braking and turns where accounted for in advance. The car felt very floaty and moved a lot (not very precise to say the least). All that will change in time. My plan is to keep the car running and concentrate on the suspension and brakes for now. Do a bit of bodywork to stop any rust and prime it. While running, I want to build a B20 in parallel - something in the 150HP range. Once I have the car where I want in terms of performance, I will likely do a paint job on it. This will not be a show car, but rather a strong runner. I am very tempted to do a roller paint job. I've seen quite a few good examples done with this method - we'll see...

Quick question - based on what I've read, the single circuit brake system (no servo), cannot be upgraded to larger master cylinder correct? Brakes are very important to me and my first prioroty in terms of performance.

Thank you and I look forward to this project.

Cheers,
Marco

Where are you in Seattle? Want a ride in a hopped up 122 for inspiration?

I'm in the Issaquah area (east side)... would love to catch a ride and get inspired...

Cheers and thank you,
Marco

I'm on the eastside too north of the lake in Woodinville.

Oh, great! I visit Woodinville often, mostly on bike rides to the Red Hook brewery (you know, get thirsty along the way)... would be happy to meet up and have a look at your car. I hear there a lot of Volvo owners and shops in Ballard for some reason.

Oh, forgot to mention, you can email me offline or send me your info to get in touch with you... my email is marcoyaya at homtmail dot com.

Thanks - really looking forward to seeing your car.
Marco

Welcome to the BrickBoard!

I like the German cars in you collection! A rather like the rear suspension you find in the Type 3 VW, it is remarkably similar in geometry to the 911 rear suspension.

You want 150HP, but you didn't say how much torque you wanted. With 2x 45mm DCOE's + a good head you can get 50% more torque than a stock B20B as well as 170HP@6000rpm.

--
Three 164's, Two 144's, One 142 & a partridge in a pear tree.

This is the duel master cylinder I used to replace the single circuit on my 63 122s. The M/C is Wilwood part # 260-7563 1" Tandem M/C with remote reservoirs. It cost just over a hundred dollars, and was a super easy bolt on install with parts from napa. I also installed a proportioning valve for the rear as disc brakes are in the future.

Marco,

What is a "roller paint job"? Do you have any web-pages on this you could point me to?

How is it done? Do you have any pictures of one done this way?

The main advantage to this method is that it can be anywhere and don't need compressed air and the mess that comes with spray painting. This method has bee used for ages on wood, chariots, boats and even handbuilt vintage cars. Here are a couple of sites that may help paint (no pun intended) the picture for you:

http://uob-community.ballarat.edu.au/~dmwilson/index.html
http://carpainting.wetpaint.com/page/Rollering+Interlux+Brightside+Polyurethane+Paint

There is a forums with more than 100 pages on the topic with examples, but I can't find it in my favorites.

Cheers,
Marco

Marco,

Thanks for the links. Wow! That Commodore VW really looks remarkably good!? I didn't think such a decent job could be done with just rollers.

If you can manage to find that other site with the 100-pages of forum discussion, I would be really thankful.

I really may try that on one of my projects...

I think it is a very good and economical way of painting a car. It is a lot of elbow grease, but I don't think I want to do a $3K paint job on my $1K car. And imagine how proud it'll make you feel when you're done. It is by no means a lesser paint job that those sprayed on, just a different method.

Anyway, here is the link to the thread:

First 43 pages:
http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=2331682&page=0&fpart=1&vc=1

The rest of it:
http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=2655425&an=0&page=0#Post2655425

Also, this guy that painted his Corvair with this method and it looks great 3 years later:
http://www.rickwrench.com/50dollarpaint.html

Cheers,
Marco

Wow!, Thanks so much Marco for the extra links!!

I had never heard of this and it seems awesome. I have always balked at the idea of having to spend $3K on a decent spray-job (when I usually buy my project cars for that or less) so this is really great news. I think I'm going to pick up some junkyard panel peices and start experimenting.

Thank you very much to you all for the welcome and great advise. I did some digging under the car to see how things are:

The front rotors are rusty and pitted a bit as well. I think a full service (including pads, turned rotor and shoes are in order).
There is a fair amount of fluid leaking from the diff - seems to be coming from the bearing side and not the cover gasket, which is going to necessitate more comprehensive work to replace as I believe the driveshaft has to come down.

There is a clank when engaging drive (moving the car) and the shifter moves a lot. I'm thinking a new transmission mount may be needed here.

Engine is a bit flat, not very willing to rev and making some unhappy noises. I'm going to start by adjusting the valves to make sure that's good and then complete the carb tuning and timing. The rest will wait until the new engine is built.

The car came with Honda Civic front seats - I also sourced the stockers locally and they're going back in very soon. I will need to replace the headliner and more interior panels at some point, but will wait till later.

For suspension, I'm thinking the IPD springs and bilsteins shocks are what I want - sway bars and bushings as well.

Another focus area will be doors, trunk, hood alignment (to ensure they close properly).

Weather-strip is shot, so, I'll need to source all those as well. Windows go up and down, but the trim is gone and the windows go all the way down if not careful when using the cranks, another area to look into.

Things do pile up quickly, don't they? I guess being patient and focusing on area at a time is good.

Thanks again,
Marco

I just bought my wagon new window guides for all 4 windows, as well as new piping above the doors - front to back. I spent 1 day doing each door. The new window guides are all about 1/2 inch too long, so a little cutting and grinding was needed. The windows no longer rattle!

The door and hood lids are easy to alighn, just loosen the bolts a little and push. I did my hood in 5 minutes. Door latches are just as easy, just a phillips screwdriver.

The drive shaft (prop shaft) is iasy to take off. But, before you do, MARK THE JOINING PIECES so it goes back exactly as it was taken off. Mine became out of balance because it wasn't marked correctly.

Your differential leak is probably the pinion seal, facing the prop shaft. That needs to be replaced on my car also, but I think I am going to farm that job out. 220 lbs of torque?

If you have SU carbs, go here and start reading:

http://www.sw-em.com/service%20notes.htm#Wiring%20Diagrams

Klaus
--
Why are Volvos so endearing? Its just a car.

Hi Klaus,

Thank you for the advice. I've seen a few window channels on vlv and ipd and I think I can get what I need. What concerns me more now is that I've found a bit more rust than what I expected. Passenger's rear floor has a hole and the front side has bee badly fixed. Both rockers have some rust, but mostly the rear sides of the rockers (behind the doors). I'll be looking into this in more detail over the weekend. I will assess if I'm willing to spend the money to have repaired, attempt to fix it myself or even sell the car. I can do just about anything when it comes to working on cars, rust and major bodywork that required welding is not one of those.

We'll see - I don't think it is that bad.

Cheers,
Marco

Welcome.

My first advice would be to read everything you can on Ron Kwas's site, particularly regarding brake light switches and the electrical system.

Welcome to the BB. I got my first 122 last October, a 1967 wagon with a B18 and a Weber carb. I was also leary about the brakes and steering, both hard.

The lack of power assist is something you get used to. The steering was a $40 fix from IPD, I installed a leather wrap on the steering wheel. This made a huge difference, better grip and more comfortable. The front steering bushings are plastic instead of OEM rubber and the car tracks well.

Volvo first came out with power steering in 1967, mine was removed. Yes, there is increased pedal pressure required, but after a few trips I got used to it. It does stop fast when you want it to, with much better 'feel' than todays over boosted brakes that are numb to the touch.

Your car has probably sat for a long time. Exercise it, it will be better for the engine and suspension and give you a feel for the 1960's engineering. The current 95 BHP is enough for putzing around town - remember, the VW Beetle only had 40 BHP and a top speed of 70-75mph.

Klaus
--
Why are Volvos so endearing? Its just a car.

You wrote, "Volvo first came out with power steering in 1967, mine was removed."
I trust you meant power brakes...
My 69 164 had power steering that lasted until 2007, when it blew a seal in the steering gear.
Fortunately Kent had a spare gear and that fixed it.
--
George Downs, Bartlesville, Heart of the USA!

My brain is on other things and fingers do what they want. Correct, power brakes came in 1967. The little 4 cyl cars didn't need power steering, unless a driver wore a skirt, weighed 100lbs, and tried to parallel park.


Klaus
--
Why are Volvos so endearing? Its just a car.

(Sorry - I forgot the other part.)
A LOT of your squirrelyness is probably because of bad bushings in both front and rear suspensions.
Once you get these replaced you'll find that the handling is pretty tight.
Be sure you get the right ones - look your car over from the underside so you know what they look like.
While you're at it get the grommets that hold the driveshaft center bearing plate also.
Don't know where you are but if you are in the west, Rusty at RPR is great.
His catalog is a most valuable reference and well worth the charge he makes for it.
You can call him at 510 524-7200. He is in Albany, CA.
--
George Downs, Bartlesville, Heart of the USA!

Hey Marco!
A larger master cylinder will the braking pressure higher, so you don't want to go that way.
Like Ron says, with the OEM brakes working right, they are usually pretty good.
I wouldn't worry about a dual MC or booster at this point.
You will need a VERY sturdy puller to get the brake drums off. The puller needs to work
on the lug bolts because the required force is enough to really damage the brake drum
if you grab it by the rim.
Here are some pix of a very simple puller I made:





I made this one out of a front hub that had been rendered unserviceable by a spectacular bearing failure.
It pushes the axle through the drum's hub by tightening the lugbolts.
If more stroke is needed a spacer is put between the inside and the end of the axle.
Has never failed to easily pull a brake drum.
I may be able to cough up a float bowl for you. e-mail me at gdowns [at] cableone [dot] net. Send me your mailing address.
--
George Downs, Bartlesville, Heart of the USA!

George,
I love your wheel puller!!
Diabolically simple, cheap, and effective.
Even though I've got two conventional pullers, I'm going to make one like yours.
Fred

I'm reluctant to go with "diabolically" but otherwise, many thanks.
Sometimes there are advantages to being a scrounge/Scot.
--
George Downs, Bartlesville, Heart of the USA!

Marco;

Welcome to the Forum!

Needing to pump brakes, but firm pedal after that suggests no air in system, so bleeding wont cure, but rear shoes needing adjustment...if adjustors are frozen as they typically are if the haven't been refurbed (alu housing/steel adjustment screw is very susceptible to galvanic corrosion), the only solution is removal of drum (ONLY using acceptable puller) then removal/replacement or refurbing of adjustor.

I suggest you get you brakes in order and performing the best the can with OE equipment...reason for needing high pedal force is that the Girling vacuum assist unit originally in place from the factory was likely removed (the ALL leaked) so you have no advantage from it...but many of us here have gotten used to this and it works acceptably. Installing a "larger master cylinder" wont do much...

See also: http://www.sw-em.com/service%20notes.htm#Braking%20System

A 150 HP B20 is doable, and would sure be fun, but why don't you get your brakes working right, then give it a proper tune and get used to it for a while before changing things...you might find that you can put this off for a while...

Cheers from Connecticut!

I think the 1964 had the star wheel adjusters which were cad plated steel and were less prone to freezing up. I actually prefer them to the later aluminum/ 1/4" open end wrench adjusters.

You can use a 1/4" open end wrench to adjust the Girling brakes, or you can buy a 4 sided 1/4" socket that fits, and works, much better. I always keep a little bit of anti-seize on the adjuster threads.

Snap-On makes the special socket, PP408 is the part number.

Bill

Or you can use a 1/4" drive hex socket, say 3/8", backwards, with a 3/8" Allen key.

Cheers,
--
Barry '67 122S "Betty", '69 122S "Veronica"

Craftsman sells a set of 3/8" drive, 8-point sockets. I bought my set new off ebay for like $8. They work PERFECT on this application, and are really handy to have around for the various plugs that use a male square to drive.

Welcome to the BB.

Your braking system can be upgrade to dual circuit system (usually a pain because the 122s used the master cylinder that mounts vertically). The '68 122s came with a dual MC with the correct bolt pattern (fairly expensive new, hard to find). There are adapters available to change the mounting pattern from vertical to horizontal (I made the one for my car):









Wilwood makes brake parts MC/proportioning valves/calipers (check this thread out):

http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/volvo/1430836/120-130/using_140_calipers_68_122s_coupe.html

You might want to check out turbobricks.com. There are some vintage guys over there that can help too.

Other groups are out there too.

Some good sites:

http://www.sw-em.com/techarticles.htm
http://vclassics.com/archive/index.html
http://www.volvoamazonpictures.se/
(on the left side, look under "documents", the factory greenbooks[repair books] along with the parts catalogues can be found)

Parts:
http://www.swedishtreasures.com/122toc.html
http://www.cvi-automotive.se/
http://www.vintageimportparts.com/

Just a few, we can point you in the right direction for other parts/forums/cross references

Paul

Malloy,

Brake light switch looks great. I picked one up from Ron, too. Big improvement.

In reference to the same photo, I can't quite see it, but it looks like you have a piece of foam over the hole in your firewall where the steering penetrates. Did you rig this up or is this standard? I presently have an old sock serving the same purpose but would like a more elegant solution.

If you follow the enclosed post to the end you will see that Volvo indeed had a more elegant solution...
http://forums.swedespeed.com/showthread.php?138723-Steering-Shaft
I'll try to re-post the photobucket picture.
FF

A foam seal is standard and should be held on by a wire clip, if it's still there. It's held on by a single screw through the floor. A piece of semi rigid close cell foam about 3" square and 3/4-1" thick works fine. Punch out a hole in the centre a bit smaller than the shaft and then cut to the edge with a sharp knife. Fit and enjoy less fumes and a little less noise.

Paul; Nice install on the Brake light Switch! ...and thanks for the reference! R