New Guy with a 122S in Mexico... and with a few doubts
 

Hi guys:

First post. I live in Queretaro, Mexico and collect old cars. I enjoy working in them and doing ocassional restorations. After many years of wanting a 122S two door, I was finally able to get one, in pretty decent condition. Amazons were sold in Mexico in the late fifties or early sixties but only the four door models. Mine was a fairly recent import from the US.

My car, a 1964 model, is painted in Slate blue with light gray interior, and is in mostly good original condition and drives very nicely. It can be used as is and in fact can be left as is only correcting minor details. US version, with speedometer in miles.

I have a few doubts I want to find out about and hopefully you can help me with:

1. Brakes - Somewhere, I read that disc brakes were available from 1965. My car is 1964 but it has them. Were they available since 1964 or were they probably retrofitted?

2. Wheels - The car has the slotted wheels that I have seen in pictures from 1965 models. Were they available since 1964 also or were they retrofitted?
What puzzles me most is that the spare wheel does have the older type of wheels.

3. Ignition switch. It has a universal switch and regular coil. For a 1964 model, should I look for the switch and the metallic long tube going to the back of the coil?

4. Exterior mirror. My car had a door mirror, marked Volvo, but the arm that holds the mirror itself comes from the rear side of the base of the mirror, which by the way has holes for a couple of screws to attach it to the door. The replicas I have seen for sale have the arm holding the mirror on the front part of the base, and this base has no holes but a couple of studs to attach it. Did they change with the years? Which is the correct mirror?

5. I read the cars used a light gray rubber mat throughout the car. Mine already has carpets, but I would love to find a reproduction mat. I read that they are not being produced now and they are difficult to source. Any ideas of where I could get a set, front and rear?


Thanks!
Victor

Hi Victor first of all welcome to the forum and Amazon ownership

1. Disk brakes were standard from 65 but 122s models had them for a few years before that. That means your car is as expected

2. A 64 model should have the solid wheels

3. It would have had the armoured cable to the coil originally. The modern coil is a common conversion

4, I dont fully follow you. Mirrors were only ever a option for fitting at the dealership and a few styles were available.

5. A 64 most likely would have the black rubber floor mats. Reproductions are available. As yet I do not think anyone makes the older grey version

Thanks, classicswede!

I am glad I have the correct disc brakes and will have to find a set of older solid wheels for the car and proper hubcaps to be correct.

Mirror: I bought a new repro, almost identical to the one the car has, so I am happy with it... it just puzzled me that the mounting base is attached differently and the arm to hold the mirror itself also on opposite sides of the base, but no trouble.

I thought rubber mats were gray, but if 1964 used black and that is available, I woudl be very happy to find a set!

Thanks again,
victor

I had a '65 Amazon and the rubber mats were black. Try CVI in Sweden or Motoroldies.

I had a '63 122s a few years ago, which would be the same spec as yours, and that had grey mats, so why not stick with the carpets?

It would be good to see some pictures of your car if only to see what later parts have been fitted. The UK didn't get the 2 door until '65 when they did the changes to the interior and the front grilles plus boot lid handle change. Slotted wheels and other small changes. Your car should have plain fluted style upholstery and not the later perforated style. Yours could have a mix of cloth and vinyl panelling if it was a special order by an American serviceman in Europe at the time. I don't think any 2 door cars were dealer sold in the USA (?) In Canada they did get the 123GT.
Mirrors with the front arm have studs through the door with a nut inside because there is no space for a screw fixing from the outside at the front like the rear armed mirrors which can have a screw each end. As said, these were a dealer fitment to the buyers choice. Mirrors would have got knocked off in transit from the factory.
I'm pretty sure that the rubber mats were grey up to the interior restyle for the '65 models when they changed to black. Typically if your grey mats got a bitty ratty and split after 10 years or so the only replacements from Volvo were almost certainly the black ones. Grey repros were made and very expensive. Currently, I don't think any are available but are black sets supposed to be "coming" in late 2019.

Thanks guys!

I have been wanting to add a few pics since my first post... but I always get an error message. I will keep on trying later.+

The car has light gray vinyl with what appears to be cloth inserts. They look very correct and are in great condition. Door panels are full vinyl, with heat pressed marks making the patterns or design.

Thanks for the explanation on mirrors. I am glad that what I bought seems to be ok for the car.

Right now, the car has black carpet and I bought a set of 4 gray rubber optional mats (apparently offered by Volvo) to keep the carpet and look reasonably ok while I can source a set of the correct gray (or black) full rubber mats.

One other question: How can I find out if I have the B18B engine or the B18D. From what I found in Wikipedia:

- B18B: dual carburetor version. 100 and 115 bhp (74.6 and 85.8 kW) SAE with a higher compression ratio, fitted variously with dual sidedraft SU or Zenith/Stromberg carburettors.

- B18D: dual SU carburetor version. 90 and 95 bhp (67.1 and 70.8 kW) SAE


Thanks,
Victor


Victor

Message sent
 

Victor I sent you a private message, I am in CDMX
Andres

For the engine type, check here.
https://www.scandcar.com/motortypen-volvo/

You may be trying to upload pictures that are too big. Reduce the long side to about 1000 pixels and you should be OK.

Victor;

Following the thread...congrats on getting the car you always wanted! Questions have already been answered well...I was going to advise you that we have another member here, located in Mexico, but Andreas has already chimed in...

Welcome to this forum, and Cheers from Connecticut!