• Hello Guest, welcome to the initial stages of our new platform!
    You can find some additional information about where we are in the process of migrating the board and setting up our new software here

    Thank you for being a part of our community!

Just Can't Stay Away 1972 142S

Wow, never seen one like that. I'm jealous of your H4s

Ordered some clips from IPD but didn't want to wait until later this week to see my much improved lighting. Cobbled the old crumbly ones back together yesterday so I could take it around the block tonight.

Before I took it out, I decided to play around with the timing a little. After a few degrees of advancing the idle sounded better than ever.

A short test drive confirmed that the car ran the best it has since I bought it and the lights are "night and day"

Can't wait to drive it more this weekend but I decided to splurge a little on the rear suspension. More photos to follow soon but in the mean time can someone ID this rear sway bar[/img][/url]

Also ordered my High Mileage Badges from Volvo. What a good night!
 
Yeah if anyone can figure out what kind of swaybar that is I'm curious.

A little update from tonight.

Got the new headlight clips from IPD today... much better:



I noticed it was a little wet up by the valve cover so I thought that the seal I installed might have been failing. Then I looked closer and saw it was coolant:



Which is perfect timing because there was a Volvo upper radiator pipe NIB in the trunk when I bought it. When I ordered the headlight clips, I also ordered a new lower pipe in anticipation of doing this job:


IPD shows an 82C thermostat for this car but the gauge has always stayed on the cool side of the middle. I figure I will just replace it with the same temp as I take out since the temp gauges are flakey and it seems happy as is.



The truly bad news is that I noticed this also:



When I bought this exhaust manifold off ebay I noticed that it had been welded on the opposite side of this new crack. Now I have to decide if I am going to:

a. get aftermarket headers
b. get another stock manifold
c. do nothing
d. slice and separate my stock intake/exhaust manifold

I am leaning towards d right now.
 
Thanks for the warning to buy headlight clips!

Oh you need to brace the sway bar brackets vertically and horizontally

Remember cooler is not always better. Whatever thermostat I have my rally gauge sits at the minimum operating temperature almost all the time

I have a 4into1 header that needs work. But a header counteracts the weber setup

Your manifold is going to keep on cracking. Someone tried to repair it but didn't understand how the crack works.


Yeah if anyone can figure out what kind of swaybar that is I'm curious.
 
Last edited:
I had a 1974 145 with a cracked header. I replaced with a fresher manifold. Cast iron doesn't repair well from my information gathered here on Earth. Others may argue otherwise. Meh. Adding steel to iron isn't my thing. I try to keep my metals separate when possible. After years of expansion/contraction, different metals will go their separate ways.
 
I had a 1974 145 with a cracked header. I replaced with a fresher manifold. Cast iron doesn't repair well from my information gathered here on Earth. Others may argue otherwise. Meh. Adding steel to iron isn't my thing. I try to keep my metals separate when possible. After years of expansion/contraction, different metals will go their separate ways.

I was joking about not doing anything, the manifold that is on there is toast. I think I will start by cutting the intake manifold off the exhaust manifold that came with the car. Should be a good start while I try to plan out if I want to go another route.
 
This should help:


So I got both of the Carrera front shocks on the car yesterday and noticed that when the car was back on the ground it was resting on the bump stops. When I was still on the old blown KYBs, it cornered very flat but didn't seem to soak up the bumps. I think that given how blown the old shocks were it was pretty clearly riding on the bump stops. (Sorry about that ride to Goleta Keith!)

Tonight I removed the bump stops and took it out and wouldn't ya know, between the new shocks and this thing called "suspension travel" its like a whole new car.

For the rear I have Kaplhenke adjustable spring perches, 5x8 250lb springs and KYBs waiting to go in as soon as I get new 240 spring perches.

Now that the bump stops are out it is about 1/2 an inch lower, which will look great but is borderline useless at getting around town. You heard it hear first but the front end might need to come up a little now.
 
A few posts ago I alluded to some parts for the rear suspension arriving. Today the final bits did and I set to work on the driver's side.

The upper shock bolt had been giving me problems since I first tried to install the new KYBs a month ago. I soaked them in PB blaster for a week and with some pressure the bolt finally gave.

I ordered Kaplhenke adjustable perches and 5x8 250lb springs. I can't say enough about how awesome they are. The fit and finish is outstanding and they even shipped with all the hardware. Best of all Ben got them in the mail in less than a day!


Since I don't have the later 240 style spring perches I looked around for a while before I finally found them for sale. That would have been a great junkyard buy in retrospect but they weren't that expensive and they are brand new.

Here is what it all looks like outside the car:



With the perches adjusted about three quarters of the way up the sleeves the body was fully resting on the tire. I took a quick photo and then adjusted them up further.

Tomorrow I will do the other side and then the car will be due for some pretty extensive fender rolling. I can't wait to see it without all the rake and what it handles like with new shocks! Hopefully it will still make it out of my driveway at the lower height. If not I'll be in the market for taller springs...
 
KYB gas-a-justs for the rear? Did you make the adapter for the tops of the Carreras? I'm looking for shock for the 142 right now and am trying to decide on what to get.
 
I have the same rear spring and adjuster and they're almost as high as they can go. You might want a 10" spring instead. Not sure how low you are trying to get it.
 
You Want mono tube shocks.

Look up late model suburban 2wd for front. S10 front for rear

KYB gas-a-justs for the rear? Did you make the adapter for the tops of the Carreras? I'm looking for shock for the 142 right now and am trying to decide on what to get.
 
I have the same rear spring and adjuster and they're almost as high as they can go. You might want a 10" spring instead. Not sure how low you are trying to get it.

I think you're right about the 10" tall spring. I'm going to see how much I need to roll the fenders tonight and if therear wheels will fit with these springs. I would also really benefit from an adjustable panhard rod for centering.

KYB gas-a-justs for the rear? Did you make the adapter for the tops of the Carreras? I'm looking for shock for the 142 right now and am trying to decide on what to get.

The Carreras came with those adapters. If I were you I'd just order the Kyb gasadjusts for all four corners.
 
it was pretty clearly riding on the bump stops. (Sorry about that ride to Goleta Keith!)

Tonight I removed the bump stops and took it out and wouldn't ya know, between the new shocks and this thing called "suspension travel" its like a whole new car.

No worries, glad to hear its better now...


With the perches adjusted about three quarters of the way up the sleeves the body was fully resting on the tire. I took a quick photo and then adjusted them up further.

just drop it down like that and let it self clearance....



I can't wait to see it without all the rake and what it handles like with new shocks! Hopefully it will still make it out of my driveway at the lower height. If not I'll be in the market for taller springs...

glad to see you are making progress ... let me know when you are ready to cut those bumpers off, grinder is at the ready!
 
double postage!

using this space to ask you to PLEASE pull the bumpers and at least see what it looks like...
 
Back
Top