144 GL wanted
 

Hi , im looking for a late 73/74 144 GL preferably in excellent condition with no or little work needed , small or big bumper , I am realistic so good price paid , thanks Pat

According to the howmanyleft website there are just 6 144GLs known to them, plus just one auto so you don't have many to choose from, assuming they ever come up for sale!
I have a shabby one needing lots of rust repairs if you'd take a big project on, otherwise you could get a basic 144 and move the injection engine etc over so that you can make your own, if you have to have injection.
Personally I'd rather go twin carbs!

P

Hi Triple s , its amazing how few are left , where I live, in the mid seventies ,there were literally dozens of 144s , mostly DLs though . My parents had a dark blue 144DL auto PGP 58L whose steering wheel got chewed violently one parents evening by my sister as she was that worried what the teacher was going to say about her , my Dad went nuts and the teeth marks got part exchanged along with the car for a first year 244DL JMA 949N ,bright orange with black , orange and I think yellow striped seats ! Im not realy bothered about the injection but would like the leather seats and sunroof on a 144 and I think only the GL got the sunroof

Fond memories of HLH 915K for me (White 144S, 4 speed manual transmission, red vinyl seats and a moment of magic when as a 10 year old in 1974 and following the egging on of my brother and I for Dad to ignore Mum, we saw the linear speedometer exceed 100MPH on Bundesautobahn 1, en route to the Puttgarden Ferry and a holiday in Denmark).

21 of this model apparently left, but the above is sadly not one of them.

I used to work for a Volvo dealer in the early 1970's, we sold dozens of 144DL saloons and 145DL estates and a few 164's.

Ironically, we only ever sold one 1800ES and one 144GL during that time. If I remember correctly the 144GL was very close to the price of a 164 making the 164 better value for money!

It is therefore no surprise that one will be difficult to find 45 years later.

Bult - if you just want leather and a sun-roof then why not go for a 164? All my 164s have had a leather interior, a sunroof and power-steering.That way you get the added advantage of PS as standard. You may not consider PS a useful bonus, but having a narrow driveway here my PS 164 and PS-converted 145 are a cinch to get in, whereas my non-PS 144 is a swine! And I'm not a 10-stone weakling, having owned Volvo Amazons, Austin Cambridges and vans for years, all with no PS.
Also you should consider the availability of injection parts - when hunting sensors for my 164E I bought the last Braydons (or their successors) had, them not being listed anywhere else. You can get SU or Stromberg carb bits anywhere for small money, and are d-i-y-friendly. One can count the number of old injection specialists about on the fingers of one hand now, and faults are not an easy fix, most parts being repair-by-replacement only.

P

Triple S , I know where you are coming from but I just love the look of the last 144 s , although the appeal of that lovely straight six cannot be discounted !

Triple S is your Gl manual od or auto and what is the year and colour general spec etc , thanks Pat

Bult - another quick coffee before the light goes....

My 144GL is manual with (I think) OD (haven't looked!) and is L-reg and light blue with big bumpers. However, no keys or papers as I bought it for spares really, but a one-owner car all its life (although it was barn-stored the last decade plus). I don't know the state of the engine, other than its all there. From memory (car not here) the front seats are wet as a window glass is broken.

A cars beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.....and I prefer the older 140s with the stainless grill....and of course the early 164s with that evocative dipped front bumper! We are all different.

P

Appreciate this is quite an old post now, but a guy on the Facebook 140 page has just come on asking how much he should put his one up for sale for