Hey,

Well I have been stopping in to read from the board for the past year and finally feel like I should post. I am a young Volvo owner going to be 20 in August, but am very excited about my green 1972 142S. We (shared ownership with my older brother, who luckily lets me drive it the majority of the time...especially now that he is looking into getting an 850 for when he graduates and enters in as a "young professional" and all that garbage) have had the car for about a year and a half and love it. Honestly I have not put much into it except for new engine mounts and a muffler with exhaust pipe.
However recently when I came back from school this spring, I have been having some overheating issues, that seem to randomly come and go. Though sometimes it seems like it just is warm weather and sitting still, this definitly was not happening last summer, thinking possible thermostat or valve problems, or the radiator. This all reached a head this past Sunday when driving home the car got up into the H on the thermostat, leaving me a nice walk home while the car cooled off, and when I came back later that night to see how much damaged had occurred, it began gushing water out of the side of the engine block. So things looked really grim and when I went off to work I was pretty sure that my Dad was going to have it towed to the junkyard (because it was parked in a farmer's field) However he saved it because he looked in the daylight and concluded that the water was pouring from the plug where the cord for the block heater enters into the engine. I have never used the heater and neither had the previous owner, but it may come in handy if I ever regulary drive this car in the winter, since Vermont gets chilly.
So after searching the internet, with my little knowledge of vintage car part sites, I was wondering if any of you had suggestions for where to find a block heater plug, which will hopefully solve the water lealage problem (of course things could be much worst). Also if any of you have ideas on what may have led to my overheating issues, I would appreciate it. I planning on draining and the radiator and making sure there are no clogs sometime this weekend. The radiator has overtime lossed about 20-30% of its metals fins for distributing heat...so it may be time to replace that, any suggestions on where to look for new or used parts? Also if anyone knows of good salvage yards in the Northeast, that would be great. Also if anyone has an idea for where i could get a new seat belt receptors for the front two seats, that would be great (the cable for the driverside broke and after that I do not trust the other either, but it works for now). Hopefully I did not crack the block or do any damage, and will be able to get many more years out of it. I feel bad making my first post a request for assitance, (a friend in need is a friend in deed) but any advice, suggestions or would be appreciated.


Thanks

Pete