I have always been enchanted by the 120, and especially the 2dr coupe. I don't know exactly what it is about them. Maybe it's the classic lines and curves, the simplistic yet very functional layout of the dash and instruments. The strip speedo. The long gearshift. The workhorse B18 under the hood of my neighbor's '67 that has over 300K miles on it.

I've thought about buying one and fixing it up as an occasional driver on the weekends and during the summer. What would a Volvo of this age need? The car looks like it is very easy to work on. Is this true?

How about performance? We do a lot of hiking, camping, fishing, etc. in the summer. How well would a 122 run on the highway? I have heard that they are geared very low and that, in combination with the 4spd, makes them unsuitable for sustained cruising above 60-65mph. Any idea what the RPM's would be at that speed? The overdrive on my 245 is non functional (dead solenoid) and at 70mph the b23f is turning 3200-3300rpms. It is noisy, but tolerable. I usually just turn up the radio. :-)

How much of a challenge would it be to retrofit an overdrive from a p1800 or early 140?

Any comments on braking, handling, fuel economy? I don't expect it to do as well as a modern car, just curious...