A 52 year old daily drive? Why would you?

What’s it like to drive a half century old car on a daily basis? In part 1 of this video I introduce you to my 52 year old daily drive, a 1972 Volvo 144s DeLuxe. In part 2 I’ll take you for a drive in it.

[@BestBenz333]

That is a great looking car with a lovely colour. Being a MB guy myself I totally get the charm this old beauty.

[@oldmercguy]

Many of the things that I love about older Mercs, reliability/ simplicity/ solidity, can be found in these old Volvos too.

[@kim007250]

Senior cars have Soul, character, a past history….you have class my friend

[@oldmercguy]

Thank you!

[@ronalddean3630]

Agreed!

[@Alan-lv9rw]

I grew up in the suburbs of New York City. In the 1970’s, those Volvos were everywhere.

[@oldmercguy]

Do you still see a few around these days there?

[@friendlypiranha774]

Why would daily drive an old car like that? Reliability 😀😀😀 My daily driver is over 40 years old and I LOVE it.

[@olavi_liikanen]

Wise words! 😃👍

[@russellaycock3703]

Nice car in exceptional condition. I particularly like the copper color!

[@georghansson8178]

What a beautiful car, the color is perfect against the chrome and the black details. Here in Sweden, you still see a few Volvos from the 140 series in everyday use. Also from the 240 series. Volvo's quality from that time is perfect. I myself drive a W123 on a daily basis. Thanks for a great movie!

[@oldmercguy]

Nice to hear that they’re still on the road there. Very cool, usable cars!

[@brianpeterson8253]

I share your philosophy. No computers screens, lane asst, self driving etc in the cars I drive.

[@oldmercguy]

And consequently, no hassles!

[@ronalddean3630]

I hear you! And let's not forget that LED lighting is taking over most of them. If I could convert my Mercedes 123 to manual windows, I would do it.

[@tombrehony6277]

The original 144 with the small bumpers is a great looking car

[@oldmercguy]

I also prefer the look of them to the facelift ones.

[@BEGGARWOOD1]

Love an old Volvo

[@dorkomatic]

It's *beautiful* - especially compared to those overweight modern SUV monstrosities.

[@oldmercguy]

I couldn’t agree more!

[@awanghabakkuk533]

Volvo 144S is one of the best car simple & reliable

[@oldmercguy]

And comfortable and easy driving too…

[@wooster85]

We had a bright orange '74 244 on farm for years and years. Still miss it.

[@oldmercguy]

if you ever come across a photo of it, please share.

[@ronalddean3630]

Amazing! Simple! Intelligent, with great lines, and built to last. Love the manual windows, quarter windows for ventilation, and common sense stuff! The engine bay is great, you can actually get to something! I am looking for a new Mercedes, but this time NOT a daily driver. For that, I am also looking for something else like this as a daily driver.

[@oldmercguy]

Simplicity really is best.

[@magnusterminus4728]

I can get along with normal traffic just fine with my b20a 144DL 1973 automatic (with additional earplugs when I am on the highway). Acceleration, steering and braking is just fine 😊

[@oldmercguy]

They do run very well. I’m going to try install some insulation out of a w123 on the inner firewall which should bring that highway noise down a bit.

[@muckle8]

Fit later Volvo wheels 16” or 17”to higher the gearing., turn into a highway eater!

[@JorgenRomeMojo]

Excellent car with a bombproof engine, Very easy to work on and last forever as long as it get cooling and some sort of oil. The breaker point however is very important to adjust right and a bit fiddly. But I love theese old redblocks.

[@oldmercguy]

Indeed. Check out the video I did on converting the points to electronic ignition here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kJ66oaR3mrupfLMsi=t3rQ_MyFQpP98OnZ

[@markhealey9409]

Amazing survivor! 😍😍 I learned to drive in a 4speed yellow 1973 Volvo station wagon/estate of this model,back in 1993,in Pennsylvania,USA. Loved the short gearstick,which is quite unusual for a 70s car,the clutch was heavy though,& not very linear,& it was not easy to find the biting point as a 16 year old new driver,until I got the hang of it! 🤣🤣

[@oldmercguy]

Thanks for sharing Mark, great story!

[@glynjones2540]

Always preferred the 140 to the 240. Our local taxi firm had a fleet of smoky old Zephyrs, Victors etc. Then one Monday morning in around 1972 they were all swept away, replaced by a fleet of 140s in white with dark red seats - presumably an advantageous lease deal. Anyway they ran up huge mileages apparently with very little trouble. Taxi firm now uses Toyotas.

[@oldmercguy]

We didn’t get the 240 here in South Africa but I don’t like the look of them anyway. Fascinating that they were used by the Taxi company, makes sense from a reliability point of view for sure.

[@BigPaul62]

What a great old car and so enviromentally friendly to still be using a 50 year old car rather than all the pollution caused by the production of new ones. I had a 144 automatic here in the UK and it was painfully undergeared and I so wished it was a manual with the optional overdrive.

[@oldmercguy]

I agree completely about the envromentlsy friendly part, sustainability at its best. A different time of course, in the mid 70's here in South Africa, during the oil crises, the speed limit was dropped to 80km/h. Gearing for those roads at that Tim,e was pretty much spot on. I get into my S80 D5 though and at 120km/h the thing revs at 1750rpm instead of the 144's 4200rpm at the same speed...

[@lesklower7281]

Your 52 year old Volvo is in good condition also its a red block considered a extremely reliable engine although this Volvo has only 160000 kilometres on it so it probably will out live you it will go for another 52 years also my elder brother daily drives a 1976 Toyota Corolla that's only 48 years old and it also has 160000 kilometres on it and l do like the quarter windows but my 1997 Toyota Hilux has them only available on the Australian version and it also has the 22R motor which is considered another very reliable engine and it has only done 437000 kilometres and l have replaced a lot of parts that were 27 years old and a couple of things don't work on it like the radio cassette player the radio was working but it completely gone and the cruise control doesn't work now these were optional extras along with the air-conditioning but that does work now when l bought it 5 years ago there was no service records no owners manual nothing the only paper work was the registration paper but fortunately the Hilux has been looked after and when l bought it new rear springs had been fitted and a new petrol pump and the caburator is original also spare parts no problem at all easy to get then most newer cars even the whole exhaust system has been replaced and it was no problem a local exhaust specialist also they aren't that common l do see them occasionally as for 1970s Toyota Corollas l have only seen 3 including my brothers Toyota Corolla but a couple have sold from aud $3500 to aud $13000 and my 1997 Toyota Hilux they sell for aud $5000 l have seen them sell for as little as aud $500 that one had done 980000 kilometres up to aud $10000 that had done less kilometres than mine and had been resprayed

[@oldmercguy]

Very interesting, thanks for sharing. Yeah older Hilux’s really are indestructible.

[@lesklower7281]

@@oldmercguy l do like seeing older vehicles still been used as they are meant to be used fair enough they are not as safe as modern vehicles you just drive them safely now l am a retired courier and l have driven millions of kilometres and l an still here and l was never hospitalised because of an accident l stuffed my back up from a rear end crash which still troubles me today l have a bad back but l learn to live with it and that's the only injury that l have that l have the rest of my body has aches and pains and l am 69 years old and l still can do things like work on my Hilux ect so it doesn't stop me

[@user-ix4wn1th5m]

Hi 👋 Greetings from New Zealand. Volvos weren't a common sight on our roads back in the 1970s. They were brought in to the country in limited numbers. I like this model. Very nice car , and in good condition.

[@oldmercguy]

Thank you! Not a lot on the roads here in South Africa either these days. Even though they were made here, only a few thousand were sold.

[@user-ix4wn1th5m]

@oldmercguy Thanks for your reply. I didn't know that Volvo's were assembled in South Africa. I went high school with a friend and his father owned a dark green Volvo 264 GL in the 1970s. It was very nice and had head rests on the seats , and big lights in the front with wipers on them. Also extended rubber bumpers for safety. The Swedish cars were like that , ahead of their time with safety features. From Carl in NZ.

[@johnfroneman1675]

Why would you? Why wouldn't you?

[@cmartin_ok]

Memories.... my parents had a 1973 model 144 single-carb (updated dashboard and rear lights etc); dual circuit brakes worked on both fronts an done rear so if you lost one circuit, you still had 3 wheels being braked. The air filter housing was different for the single carb, a round enclosure and round filter.

[@oldmercguy]

Yes you're right. In the period road tests they speak of always having at least 80% of your brakes if a circuit fails.

[@markoparviainen77]

It's a great car.It's in finnish film MUSTAA VALKOISELLA in 1968 .Jörn Donner produktion .❤

[@oldmercguy]

Interesting

[@christianvanneuves9958]

Great car. I had one in black, back then 15 years old 170.000 kilometres. A solid car in which I felt immediately comfortable. I later wrecked it in an accident. I still look back with bliss at "Black Beauty".

[@oldmercguy]

Must have looked great in black!

[@Matt_from_Florida]

Wow! 4 piston ATE front calipers & 2 piston rears; both fixed position. Very, very impressive for that time.

[@oldmercguy]

Very! A system that always guaranteed at least 80% of your brakes.

[@owenwiggins9416]

Another great video Keyan. I must be getting old, because I love it! So much character.

[@oldmercguy]

Thank you Owen! So much character and, unlike a lot of newer cars, the more you drive these old gems, the more you love them.

[@muckle8]

One of the best cars ever built if not THE best as a do it all car , totally reliable and easy to live with - Volvo 4 life

[@oldmercguy]

couldn't agree more!

[@iansmith6728]

You should be able to get 9-10 l/100km when tuned correctly. The Strombergs wear in the fixed jets.

[@oldmercguy]

I did this conversion kzbin.info/www/bejne/kJ66oaR3mrupfLMsi=d0q2s33BGrvSBJSp

[@MLC...]

That is a very nicely preserved Volvo you have there. You do not find them often in that condition. I would love to use my classics daily, like you do. I have a fleet of 6, from a 1973 Alfa Romeo Giulia Super, to a 1997 BMW 323i. Here are the reasons I daily a more modern budget car (Polo), instead of the classics: 1)Risk of damage or total loss. I live in Pretoria and work in Randburg, where we have the rudest, most inconsiderate and most dangerous drivers, especially if they drive a 4x4 Double Cab, SUV or Taxi. They have no respect for a rare and beautifully preserved classic. They would not shed a tear if they write off something very precious. 2)Practicality. Putting a classic into daily use is not practical for me personally. I cannot even buy an air filter at my local Midas for some of them. Almost every time I need a part, I have to order from overseas. Unless it is for a BMW, where parts are no problem, or where the part can be reconditioned, like a brake cylinder. Would not like the car to be out of action while we wait for parts. There is also a cost consideration when importing parts. 3)Risk of Rust: Using them often also means cleaning them often. I do not want to wash them all the time due to the risk of rust formation. For that reason you also don't want to drive them in the rain. I do Tectyl them anyway. 4)Insurance: Insurance at agreed (market) value is not that cheap on the more valuable cars. 5)Stress: My blood pressure and stress levels looks much more healthy while driving my modern, especially when it comes to point 1 above. Thank you, enjoying the videos.

[@oldmercguy]

Thank you! Yes I'm very fortunate to live in a place that its possible to drive and enjoy an older car like the Volvo. Parts still seem to be fairly freely available on it and I am looking around for another one to buy and keep as a parts car. Living and working as close to the coast as I do, I do wash it frequently and garage it too BUT I think the biggest thing that counts in my favour is value, the car was dirt cheap to buy and, as such, total loss is not as terrifying a prospect as in your case.

[@MLC...]

@@oldmercguy At least in your case the risk of a total loss is a bit less than in this crazy Gauteng. I can understand why a lot of classic car enthusiasts move down to the Cape when they retire, or before. If I can afford to, I will do it as well in a few years.

[@OrnumCR]

Cockroach vs Volvo…Same colour. Which will outlast the other? Neither, they’re both indestructible! Got sideswiped in my Jaguar XJ by one of these. Both cars from the 1970’s and neither yielded to the other! Both cars built like tanks…but I’ll never forget that old woman in that green Volvo sliding along my driver’s side as I sat stopped at a red light. She carried straight on through…

[@oldmercguy]

😂 isn’t that the truth! Scary stuff that accident though, glad you’re here to tell the tale.

[@andrewallen9993]

Don't drive head on into an old VW kombi highlight. The VW bus will kill you thanks to the way it's crumple zone is designed.

[@esengersma5391]

Honest and nice talk!

[@oldmercguy]

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the video

[@renebergqvist599]

Interesting. I have a 1970 Volvo Amazon (B20A). This looks like mine just a different package. Even the speedometer, fuel gauge and thermometer are the same components - just the box around modified. I only have a single Stromberg though. I have the never butterfly steering wheel - believe they came in 1969.

[@oldmercguy]

Great cars. we didn't get the butterfly wheel here in South Africa.

[@user-kw5hx7ji8h]

If it still works it works.

[@oldmercguy]

And if it works, why not use it?

[@Bratfalken]

The brakesystem has two circuts, each giving brakeforce to both front and one rear brake. No floting calipers, four pistons in the front and two in the rear. :) The 240 came in late 1974 with 14" rims but upped the width from 165mm to 175mm wide, 82 profile on both. Both rims fits these but your spedometer will show too much with the slightly smaller 175/82 14". The speedometer is actually a tube with a red area wrapped diagonally around it. You can see it as an normal speedometer with a needle but turned 90° so you see it from the side. Nice car, what paint is that, I seem to recall seeing that on Mercedes 123s

[@oldmercguy]

Interesting that the 240 went down to 14 inch, we didn’t get them here in South Africa unfortunately as Volvo left in 1974 and only returned in 1995. Thanks for the clarity on the speedo, I assumed it worked like that but wasn’t sure. Here in SA they were assembled at the local Toyota plant and they used whatever colours were available there at the time, this one was called saddle brown.

[@comancheflyer4903]

I had one of those, same colour. The only problem I ever had was with the clutch fork/lever. If you can have it reinforced. Greetings from Mossel Bay 🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦

[@oldmercguy]

Sadly a common problem on older cars, they just wear out I suppose. Luckily the spare gearbox I was able to find over the weekend had a good one on so I'll definitely keep that in a safe place.

[@AlienLivesMatter]

A bright orange splash of interesting Volvo among a sea of boring white plastic SUV

[@oldmercguy]

Exactly!

[@Visionery1]

Keyan, the colour's typically Volvo for that era, nothing wrong with it at all, we had a brown one - it actually looks quite nice when compared to modern cars where real colours are lacking. I'm sure you'll quickly find a buyer if you planned to sell. Re carb sync, a simple vacuum carb sync balancer will do the trick. 10:58, and in the blink of an eye it turned into a LHD. :)

[@oldmercguy]

No intention of selling it and yeah, nothing wrong with the brown but would have preferred one of the other colours they came in, like yellow, teal or red. No intention of changing it though. Re the carbs, these early Strombergs need a special tool to adjust the mixture (it’s adjusted from the top as opposed to the base) so need to get one of those as the back one is a little rich. No biggie though, watch the video that comes out a bit later today. Was able to find a bunch of old new stock spares including two carb kits.

[@Visionery1]

@@oldmercguy re CD175 carb tool, do a search for "Dingocroft". Knowing what it looks like, I'm sure one can "McGyver" something to work.

[@davidreynolds3082]

A red car in a picture of white and silver ones - why would you? ;)

[@oldmercguy]

Absolutely, have a look at part 2 of this video and I discuss exactly that. b

[@tombrehony6277]

Did these cars come with optional overdrive?

[@oldmercguy]

They did but not here in South Africa unfortunately. I’ve got used to the gearing now though.

[@mondegreen2903]

Am I seeing things ?, Is it left or right hand drive?🙃

[@oldmercguy]

😂 right hand drive. I’m filming myself using the front camera on my phone, so it’s reversed

[@andrewallen9993]

Why would you not?

[@oldmercguy]

Why indeed?

[@larrycjost9388]

I wouldn't drive a 52 year old car. I live in Seattle WA USA. One consideration. Manual Transmission. Many cars from 52 years ago had manual transmission. I live in Seattle WA,Cant drive s manual transmission. Traffic jams where traffic is too slow to drive manual transmission Automatic transmission from that time 3 soeed and even 2 speeds awful. First competent automatic transmission design was overdrive 4 speed. Detroit 1980. Japan Inc 1984. Cars didn't meet pollution standards. I am not sure but I haveseen heard readthing indicating very seer restrictions on how much you can drive antique and classic cars which preclude daily driving. Also. No abs. No tcs. Cars todayhavethese and traffic is much more rambunctious. Ni air bags in case of an accident. Traffic so awful and probably accidents great people sre afraidto actually drivecars thatcant be replaced. . What about parts. Where are you going to find parts that aren't made and practically all ars went. Ti the junkyard long time ago and there aren't any left. No thanks. U wouldn't do it.

[@oldmercguy]

I do do it, by choice. I do own a modern automatic car that I choose not to drive and elect to drive my 52 year old one instead. Why? Because I can and because it’s fun and it’s what driving is all about. Simplicity is king and in that respect older cars trump modern cars hands down and parts are freely available and far cheaper than on a modern car. The manual doesn’t bother me at all, even in traffic but that’s just me. For interests sake Mercedes had four speed automatic transmissions from the early 70’s. Living in a country that’s largely free of endless regulations and stupid restrictions, there is nothing stopping me driving whatever I want to drive anywhere. Each to his own though.

[@larrycjost9388]

Where do you live that you can drive a manual transmission and also not be afraid of the car getting wrecked. And how long will it stay that way before traffic gets to be as bad as in Seattle

[@oldmercguy]

South Africa 🇿🇦

[@KenEvans-go9or]

They were great cars totally agree simplicty

[@oldmercguy]

Simplicity is indeed King!