NJGB Joining the 164 Family - Intro and Few Questions

[NJGreenBudd]

I've been kicking around in my 2002 S60 AWD for a few years now, enjoying the Volvo as a modded daily driver and learning a lot along the way. I have owned a few cool cars over the years like Mazda RX7s and BMW E30s but recently developed an attraction to old school Volvos. After some looking at Want Ads, Craigs List and online classifieds I happened to stumble across a 1975 Volvo 164e in the SwedeSpeed RWD for Sale forum. I just sent my deposit this morning and the car should be here by the middle of July.

1975 Volvo 164e, 93,000 miles, Automatic Transmission


Here are a few pics of the car:







So first thing that stands out to me it the triple carb setup - not stock huh? Okay so what's the deal with this type of conversion? I heard the D Jet fuel injection was tricky so people sometimes converted - doesn't seem any simpler to me and I hear it loses like 30HP.

I'd really appreciate any info on the carb conversion. I think they are Solex carbs on a Volvo Penta manifold, other than that I am clueless. They will probably need some tuning up in the near future. Debating whether to attempt a retrofit of the D Jet components or maybe source some other (better?) carbs.

Other things that need work include the drivers side front lower brake line, the turn signal stalk is missing, no radio and lastly the previous owner bypassed some "porcelain ignition resistor" or similar to get it to start. I'd like to repair as many of these with original parts as possible.

If anybody had specific or general input related to the carb setup or few problems I'd appreciate you sharing. I'll certainly be following up with lots of pics and info once the car arrives. I'm just reading everything I can right now, found some good info on some Swedish boards but wanted to reach out here to members and see what they have to offer.

Thanks for reading,
NJGB

[arcturus]

Should be a fun project but I hope that you can afford the fuel to run it.

[JIH]

Well the triple carbs look to be from the boat division of Volvo - Penta. The sidedraughts are more sought after. Not sure how carbs designed for sea-level compensate for hills. People do have issues with the D-Jet. There is so much info out there online about them and if you're somewhat diligent you can find every single piece to make it work. Of course there's pieces that aren't made any longer but it's all out there and a bit of reading up on it demystifies it completely.
The 3-speed auto is a bit of a power draw. Find a 4 speed(m400) or 4 speed plus o/d(m410) for far better gearing.
Your rubber brake flexlines are prone to swell up and cause brake drag.
So if your heart is in it everything is available and the sky is the limit. Check out kgtrimning for kicks.

[NJGreenBudd]

Thanks for the responses, this seems like one of the better forums I have found thus far. Do you have any other sources of info for the cars in general?

As for the carbs, I'd really prefer to either swap to different carbs or reinstall the D Jet system. I have seen people selling the D Jet pieces on some boards but what about better carbs? What type of sidedraught carbs are we looking for in specific and will they fit on this manifold? Should I be looking for twin or triple setups? Weber or similar?

I was wondering about a manual gearbox swap as I prefer stickshift in my project cars, daily driver S60 is automatic for my commute but I really enjoy manual gearboxes. Is it an easy conversion? Any need to swap ECUs or anything special other than swap flywheel, clutch, gear box and pedal assembly?

I really appreciate the help.

I have attached a few pictures of my other cars and a spare motor I might eventually swap into the 164 if it's possible.

My S60


Spare B5245T3


Previous 1987 BMW 325e


Current 1987 Mazda RX7 Turbo II

[arcturus]

Just noticed that you are from the US of A. Running costs shouldn't be a problem.

[NJGreenBudd]

Hi! Yeah I'm on the other side of the big pond, we are paying about $4.00 a gallon for 93 octane. Speaking of fuel, the previous owner was running regular with a lead additive, is this proper? I was reading that most just run regular cheap gasoline.

Here are some more pictures of the car, hoping you guys can point out anything that looks bad or out of place, feel free to educate me. I realize these are terrible pictures, I will take nice ones when it is delivered to my residence shortly.

The red paint isn't factory I was told, it was white to start it's life and got painted some years ago. Looks like it has it's share of rust starting along the windows and such.

[arcturus]

To do it properly you will need to strip it right out, glass etc, down to body shell. Hope that you have plenty of time on your hands and plenty of cash. Enjoy.

[Brock05]

Hi and welcome from another 164 owner. For the sidedraught carbs 164's generally run a pair of Strombergs, but SU's can also be fitted. The manifold you have is probably from a Penta AQ170, Early Penta AQ165's run a 3 SU setup that is very sought after.

From a rust point of veiw glass out is probably a good idea as the scabs could be hiding worse corrosion under the seals. There are a couple of restoration thread's on here that will give you a good idea of where to look for corrosion on a 140/164 bodyshell, John H's "164RS" theard is particularly useful.

Good luck, a 164 auto is a lovely lazy barge, although I can see why you might want to go the manual route.

[Lesky]

Just found your post and what a nice 164! Concerning D-jet, you're probably best to stick with carbs unless you have really deep pockets. D-jet map sensors are going for $300 plus unless you can find one from someone who just wants it gone. Also, other D-jet parts are hard to come by and not cheap. My last pair of trigger contacts ran me $200. But, if you're serious about D-jet there is a parts car for sale on Ebay. It's a '75, I believe. You could also look into after market injection systems like megasquirt. Go on ebay and try to get one of the green Volvo manuals for your car. Best piece of literature on the 164s.

No need to swap ECUs to convert to a manual transmission. The only electrical piece on the auto is the neutral safety switch. I run my 164 on regular and have had no issues with knock. The "porcelain resistor thing" is the ballast resistor and is easy to find and inexpensive. Auto Parts Warehouse has them.

A good place in the states to look for parts is P1800.com. It's up in Mass and can usually source parts for 164s. Also, CVI automotive is good, too. CVI is out of Sweden.

Like others have said, John H's 164RS project thread is excellent. Glad to see another 164 in the states!

[john h]

Hi

Welcome; it's nice to see another keen 164 owner on here!

I'd say keep the carbs temporarily, while you decide what to do with the car. If your plan is 'stock but improved', I recomend going onto a more modern injection system like megasquirt which, if set up right, should give better power, economy and reliability.

If you want more speed, there are many options - we should talk!

There is an M410 gearbox for sale in Europe advertised on here. Worth getting it shipped if you can't get one in the US. If you want to stay auto, a conversion to 4-speed OD lock-up box from a later Volvo would much improve gearing, performance and economy.

That bodywork will require quite a lot of work, but it is by no means a basket case! Look inside at the floors, and unbolt the front wings (fenders) to look at the bonnet (hood) hinges and the A-pillar.

Cheers

John

(PS, thanks people for the kind words about mine)