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My new 164. A sorry tale with a happy ending

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Old Apr 28th, 2020, 23:04   #11
90Wine745
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Hi, i just recently purchased a very similar 164, and i am now in the process of a complete respray , and i must say i am amazed at the amount of weld splatter, paint runs, and body filler that came from the factory when these where new, i always thought the quality was better, this is my 4th 164 over 50 other Volvos over 40 years, and until i took it apart for the respray, i was very surprised at the quality.
I've added some photo's, last photo of car outside is before respray.
Wow, Looks fantastic, Great job.
Mike
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Old Apr 29th, 2020, 01:19   #12
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Sorry Griston 64. The one that got the short straw is a non Volvo. Our 164 is our first and only. The leaver is a '14 Landy Freelander 2. Not because it's a dud, but because we have another '11 Freelander 2 which is a stalwart workhorse, and deserves our loyalty more. The other one is a bit of a primped princess, though very smart to look at and very nice to drive. Neither the BH or I like it as much as the old(er) faithful one, though.

After a messy and rather expensive game of "what cars can we live with and will be most practical and reliable for the wilds of Scotland?" since we came back here to live from Oz for the second time 2.5 years back, we've accumulated 7 cars and sold 3, giving us a rather odd reputation in our little village.

We got talked into our first Freeloader before arrival and had it ready to pick up at Glasgow airport on arrival. It was bought and thoroughly checked out for us by a close friend of a close friend who specialises in Landies. It's been a terrific car, and just right for the conditions around here.

We then felt we needed two cars, as I seemed to do most of the driving when we went anywhere together (I get violently car-sick as a passenger), and I didn't want the BH to lose her interest in driving. We'd had a 4X4 Skoda Yeti in Oz, so we found one here. Fabulous little car, but she wasn't overly fond of it. So the Yeti was turned into a '15 Mini, which we both unfortunately loathed. Fun to drive but a totally claustrophobic experience, nothing like her memories of her original model Mini of many years ago.

So that turned into another Freeloader2, since she'd grown to like the first one so much.

Meanwhile a boost to the exchequer gave me enough courage to "justify" (read apply BS in spadefuls) the need for a "toy" that I'd long yearned for, in the form of an '11 Defender pickup.

Which turned out to be a disaster. Despite trying hard I hated driving it, and when the clutch died almost immediately despite only 30k on the clock, and the thing being in mint condition otherwise, I realised that some dreams are best left unfulfilled.

So that got offloaded (by now the balance sheet was looking a dark red, as every change involved a loss after spending a fair bit/a lot on fixing little bits and pieces up). Down to 2 of wheels.

After a short respite the urge for another toy became too strong to resist so after another BS campaign I went cheaper this time and got a 61 Morrie Minor, in good, (but not nearly as good as advertised), condition. That was my 4th MM over many years, and I wanted something that I could actually work on.

We were an instant tourist attraction in the village, with dozens of people dropping by to inspect and reminisce. Old cars are rarely seen over here.

I then discovered to my great joy a local garage and people who worked there who are into classics big time. Such things are very rare over here in the boondocks, and it gave me the courage to push the marital harmony boundaries even further, painting a picture of only needing one "proper" (ie modern-ish and reliable) vehicle (ie F2), one toy for bumbling around the local roads (MM), and an in-between classic that we'd both like to drive, that would be safe and reliable (once sorted), and comfortable for a reasonable length trip if needed.

And voila, a 164 appeared after the saga I've already described in this thread.

All this was on the understanding that a very nice blue Freeloader 2 got the short straw before the bailiffs and divorce lawyers got into the act. That refund to the exchequer was supposed to go towards a long overdue visit to family back in Oz

And we all know what happened overnight, don't we.... The world came to a standstill. No Oz visit, and no vacancy in the available parking space for the forseeable future.

Talk about first world problems, eh? Absolutely embarrassingly obscene when considering all the locals who are dependent on tourism, which is now non-existent, or other jobs that have disappeared, and thousands of others around the world who are struggling to find out where their next paycheck or meal might come from. Not to mention the incredible people putting their lives on the line for us all.

Especially those geriatrics (like us) in the high risk categories.

Yes, we are very aware, and very humble, to be where we are.
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Old Apr 29th, 2020, 02:23   #13
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Which turned out to be a disaster. Despite trying hard I hated driving it, and when the clutch died almost immediately despite only 30k on the clock, and the thing being in mint condition otherwise, I realised that some dreams are best left unfulfilled.
Sometimes those itches have to be scratched to realise that though. I'd always had a yearning for a Jeep XJ Cherokee 4.0 HO until a few years ago. After selling my last 740 and still needing a "Dogmobile" i bought the XJ. It wasn't without its problems, most of which i was prepared for and happy to sort.

However, a previous owner had fitted LPG to it (part of the reason i bought it in fact) but they'd made a terrible job of it (so bad i had to fit a new control system!) and mounted a torpedo tank behind the rear seat.

Bearing in mind the Cherokee is meant to be an estate car, fitting the tank there destroyed it for any decent load. Wasn't that great for the hound either!

Hence it was put up for sale and by a stroke of luck, my current 760GLE came up for sale about the same time.

Volvo bought and picked up, Jeep sold, rest is history. If i win the lottery, i might have another XJ but it will have to be a very well sorted one to start with - meanwhile the dream is fulfilled, itch scratched and lessons learned.
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Old Apr 29th, 2020, 13:44   #14
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Sorry Griston 64. The one that got the short straw is a non Volvo. Our 164 is our first and only. The leaver is a '14 Landy Freelander 2. Not because it's a dud, but because we have another '11 Freelander 2 which is a stalwart workhorse, and deserves our loyalty more. The other one is a bit of a primped princess, though very smart to look at and very nice to drive. Neither the BH or I like it as much as the old(er) faithful one, though.

After a messy and rather expensive game of "what cars can we live with and will be most practical and reliable for the wilds of Scotland?" since we came back here to live from Oz for the second time 2.5 years back, we've accumulated 7 cars and sold 3, giving us a rather odd reputation in our little village.

We got talked into our first Freeloader before arrival and had it ready to pick up at Glasgow airport on arrival. It was bought and thoroughly checked out for us by a close friend of a close friend who specialises in Landies. It's been a terrific car, and just right for the conditions around here.

We then felt we needed two cars, as I seemed to do most of the driving when we went anywhere together (I get violently car-sick as a passenger), and I didn't want the BH to lose her interest in driving. We'd had a 4X4 Skoda Yeti in Oz, so we found one here. Fabulous little car, but she wasn't overly fond of it. So the Yeti was turned into a '15 Mini, which we both unfortunately loathed. Fun to drive but a totally claustrophobic experience, nothing like her memories of her original model Mini of many years ago.

So that turned into another Freeloader2, since she'd grown to like the first one so much.

Meanwhile a boost to the exchequer gave me enough courage to "justify" (read apply BS in spadefuls) the need for a "toy" that I'd long yearned for, in the form of an '11 Defender pickup.

Which turned out to be a disaster. Despite trying hard I hated driving it, and when the clutch died almost immediately despite only 30k on the clock, and the thing being in mint condition otherwise, I realised that some dreams are best left unfulfilled.

So that got offloaded (by now the balance sheet was looking a dark red, as every change involved a loss after spending a fair bit/a lot on fixing little bits and pieces up). Down to 2 of wheels.

After a short respite the urge for another toy became too strong to resist so after another BS campaign I went cheaper this time and got a 61 Morrie Minor, in good, (but not nearly as good as advertised), condition. That was my 4th MM over many years, and I wanted something that I could actually work on.

We were an instant tourist attraction in the village, with dozens of people dropping by to inspect and reminisce. Old cars are rarely seen over here.

I then discovered to my great joy a local garage and people who worked there who are into classics big time. Such things are very rare over here in the boondocks, and it gave me the courage to push the marital harmony boundaries even further, painting a picture of only needing one "proper" (ie modern-ish and reliable) vehicle (ie F2), one toy for bumbling around the local roads (MM), and an in-between classic that we'd both like to drive, that would be safe and reliable (once sorted), and comfortable for a reasonable length trip if needed.

And voila, a 164 appeared after the saga I've already described in this thread.

All this was on the understanding that a very nice blue Freeloader 2 got the short straw before the bailiffs and divorce lawyers got into the act. That refund to the exchequer was supposed to go towards a long overdue visit to family back in Oz

And we all know what happened overnight, don't we.... The world came to a standstill. No Oz visit, and no vacancy in the available parking space for the forseeable future.

Talk about first world problems, eh? Absolutely embarrassingly obscene when considering all the locals who are dependent on tourism, which is now non-existent, or other jobs that have disappeared, and thousands of others around the world who are struggling to find out where their next paycheck or meal might come from. Not to mention the incredible people putting their lives on the line for us all.

Especially those geriatrics (like us) in the high risk categories.

Yes, we are very aware, and very humble, to be where we are.
No worries. Perhaps we will spot you the next time we are up in Skye Now that will be a nice little drive once this lockdown is over
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Old Apr 29th, 2020, 15:18   #15
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Hi Laird. We had an XJ back in Oz. 4 litre auto. 2000 model (almost the last year), mint condition, bought 2005 with almost no mileage on it.

We loved it, although it was a total PITA getting decent servicing and fault fixing at first, as the Jeep dealers were either totally incompetent or dishonest, and independent mechanics didn't undertand Jeep idiosyncrasies. And let's face it, Jeep has a crap worldwide record for after sales service and spares, a bit like Arnold ..... over here, eh?

Then I discovered an immigrant Yank who lived on the other side of Perth (ie Perth in Oz) who had grown up as a mechanic on Jeeps, especially XJ's and knew everything about them. He specialised in building them up for serious offroading (much to the amusement of all the local LandCruiser owners, who considered them to be made of cardboard and chewing gum. They weren't after he'd finished with them.) He'd diagnosed my steering clunks and quite a few other things that the "experts" had told me were normal, and fixed them at ridiculously low cost. Worth his weight in cream donuts and weak coffee.

Anyways we loved that car and did some impressive mileage in it, then had to sell when we first came to live in Scotland in 2010.

When we came back this time to Scotland I spent some serious time looking for the same 4litre auto model, but they were few and far between, and all looked a bit suspect, and I reminded myself how much trouble we'd had back in Oz finding an expert for advice and jobs I didn't want to do myself.

My BH still wants one.

Don't watch this space.........

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Old Apr 29th, 2020, 16:36   #16
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Hi Laird. We had an XJ back in Oz. 4 litre auto. 2000 model (almost the last year), mint condition, bought 2005 with almost no mileage on it.

We loved it, although it was a total PITA getting decent servicing and fault fixing at first, as the Jeep dealers were either totally incompetent or dishonest, and independent mechanics didn't undertand Jeep idiosyncrasies. And let's face it, Jeep has a crap worldwide record for after sales service and spares, a bit like Arnold ..... over here, eh?

Then I discovered an immigrant Yank who lived on the other side of Perth (ie Perth in Oz) who had grown up as a mechanic on Jeeps, especially XJ's and knew everything about them. He specialised in building them up for serious offroading (much to the amusement of all the local LandCruiser owners, who considered them to be made of cardboard and chewing gum. They weren't after he'd finished with them.) He'd diagnosed my steering clunks and quite a few other things that the "experts" had told me were normal, and fixed them at ridiculously low cost. Worth his weight in cream donuts and weak coffee.

Anyways we loved that car and did some impressive mileage in it, then had to sell when we first came to live in Scotland in 2010.

When we came back this time to Scotland I spent some serious time looking for the same 4litre auto model, but they were few and far between, and all looked a bit suspect, and I reminded myself how much trouble we'd had back in Oz finding an expert for advice and jobs I didn't want to do myself.

My BH still wants one.

Don't watch this space.........
Some of the best tips and tricks for the XJ i had were what i found on a website produced by a guy in Oz, think it was called "Go Jeep" or similar and from your description, it sounds as if it might have been the same guy.

For some reason the 2000 model year 4.0s are prone to HGF so a bit older (98 back) would be a better choice although one of the tips i found on that website was adding a 7/16" bore restrictor in the 'stat outlet to restrict the coolant flow when the 'stat opened. Apparently letting a lot of colder, unrestricted coolant into the engine suddenly could cause HGF on them and given our colder climate here, might be part of the reason they're more prone to it here than in Oz although the website indicated it was a common problem there as well.
Rumour has it the Rover K series (as fitted to many petrol Freelanders) suffers a similar fate because of the positioning of the 'stat on some engines - how true that is i don't know but many have been modified.
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Old Apr 29th, 2020, 19:14   #17
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I'll search for Mr "Go Jeep", Laird. You may be right that it was him. He was considered a god-like figure in the Jeep fraternity in particular, and in the 4WDer herd in general, even though Jeeps, apart from well prepped Wranglers, were considered a bit of a joke by many LandCruiser owners. In Oz, Landcruisers replaced Defenders almost overnight back at the time they first appeared, and were never threatened by any other make, including Nissan, thereafter.

But the snobbery about "lesser" makes like Jeeps (and Landys) was pretty funny, because most of the urban Land Cruiser set drove (and still do) the big poncy models designed for the people who couldn't afford Range Rovers, but liked the RR look, who liked their bums to be comfy, and who wouldn't know how to get over a sand dune or through a Northern Territory or Queensland rainforest bog if their bums were on fire.

The "real" serious 4WDers nearly all used, and still do, the heavy duty mining company model Land Cruisers which were bomb proof (they're known as "troopies - for troop carriers, even though the Oz army hung on to (mainly) Defenders for many years, and still have a lot of them, so it's not clear to me where that label comes from).

Maybe they still are bomb proof, though comfort has crept in over the years. I occasionally drove one of those "troopy" Cruisers about 10 years back which was a fast response fire tender in my local volunteer bushfire brigade, and it was rather pleasant both on and off road. A big jump forward from the early versions. We have a senior citizen lady friend back in country Oz who has one as her daily drive, and she loves it.

And it was a limo compared to my 2011 Defender, which was possibly the most uncomfortable thing I've ever driven. And it could've eaten the Deaf Ender for breakfast in the rough.

The Wranglers that landed in west Oz, and were brave enough to go bush without having my XJ man do a thorough check-over and upgrade, regularly fell apart due to lousy manufacturing standards (eg critical frame welds not actually welded, so things bent at the first proper excuse. Jeep Oz refused to acknowledge any such faults, though they were patently obvious).

He waged constant warfare with the Jeep dealers in Australia and US management on behalf of owners who'd been shortchanged on quality control and after sales service. The only way Jeep managed to keep their sales going fairly well in Oz despite a totally lousy reputation was by reducing the prices on new ones to extremely low levels.

So we had lots of urban cowboys driving Wranglers that never got dirty. And were never pushed hard. Fortunately.

The XJs, with a few mods and decent care, were great cars, though, and pretty good even in standard mode for not-too-serious offroading. And quite comfy too. They never pretended to be be hardcore. Apart from a early Thunderbird, or Studebaker Golden Hawk, which are a whole different ball game, they're the only Yank set of wheels I've ever really liked.

Last edited by Nextmove; Apr 29th, 2020 at 19:25.
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Old Apr 29th, 2020, 21:56   #18
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I found that website :

http://gojeep.willyshotrod.com/

Loads of stuff there!

It's funny how certain things fire peoples imaginations, i don't doubt the Land Cruiser was a good vehicle but if serious mud-pluggers still wanted the "industrial" version (Troopie) then it sort of says the normal version was just a "soft-roader" as the XJ is normally called.

Out of all the vehicles i've owned (last count 235+) i've only owned two American cars, the Jeep XJ and a 5th gen Honda Accord Coupe - would like a 6th gen as the UK model got the 3.0 V6 VTEC lump but that will have to wait a while!
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Old Apr 29th, 2020, 23:43   #19
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And I thought I was doing well. I think 51 at last count. I have a very long way to go! Slow down a bit!
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Old Apr 30th, 2020, 11:35   #20
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And I thought I was doing well. I think 51 at last count. I have a very long way to go! Slow down a bit!
I've slowed down a lot - had my Rover 12 years and the 760 4 years - that represents one ownership record (12 years) and a close challenger (second longest i've owned a car is 5 years which was my 827 Coupe) in the shape of the 760 which i don't plan on changing either of them any time soon!
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