Jimbo's Amazon: 1964.5 220S Project

[vwbusman66]

So after 2 years of "purchasing" the car (well, 23 months to be exact), I finally was able to get down to FarmUse's gorgeous home in VA with PayPal in hand to get the car home. The discussion started when I began searching for a more appropriate daily driver to replace my '71 142S. Somehow, we both thought this would be a better replacement than something with fuel injection.

Bad news- a young ******* got his hands on another pushrod car.

Deets:
Late 64 (I think) 220S (Titled as a '65, weirdly enough the VIN on the title is given as "15**9B", though the chassis number is just "15**9")
White/red interior
Originally a B18B/M40, now a B20B (worked over so I'm told) and M40
Pretty decent body- was a California car until ~2000, rust through in weird spots on panels
Straight -64 nose

On the trailer:




What it needs and order of operations:
- A bath
- Fuel tank drained, cleaned, sealed (will be done by local radiator shop)
- SU's cleaned/resealed (will eventually have Ike at Curto's build me a beautiful pair)
- Fuel hose replaced
- Drizzle oil over top end, crank with plugs out to clear any ATF left in the chambers from when it was regularly lubed while sitting
- Tune up
- Charging system (probably SWEM Delco 10si swap)
- Complete brake overhaul (porterfield pads, stainless soft lines, new/rebuilt calipers, maybe a dual master conversion)
- Suspension overhaul (Billies, sport springs?, bushings everywhere)
- Simons sport exhaust?

[janne81]

Wow, what a nice car
I have 1967 121 Wagon, i built it last winter.
What kind of sport springs are you planning to install?

[vwbusman66]

Originally Posted by janne81

Wow, what a nice car
I have 1967 121 Wagon, i built it last winter.
What kind of sport springs are you planning to install?

Thanks!
Most likely the linear rate Lesjofors ones that VP sells (which I suspect are what KGT also sells). Might explore a complete setup from ClassicSwede depending on how long this car sticks around, or if I like it enough.

[oldschoolvolvo]

Nice!

[spock345]

Originally Posted by vwbusman66

Thanks!
Most likely the linear rate Lesjofors ones that VP sells (which I suspect are what KGT also sells). Might explore a complete setup from ClassicSwede depending on how long this car sticks around, or if I like it enough.

I am debating those Lesjofors springs for my Amazon.

[propav8r]

I'm here for it.

[propav8r]

You should 5 cylinder swap it.

[JohnMc]

Originally Posted by vwbusman66

- Charging system (probably SWEM Delco 10si swap)

One of the better mods I've done to my PV. For a couple of decades I just sort of put up with slow wipers, dim headlights, weak heater fan, etc. "Just how old cars are!"

Then when the B20 alternator fried, I stuck on a Delco using that SWEM kit, and... wow, white(ish) headlights? Wipers and fan that actually work! I don't hear the fuel pump slowing down when the blinkers are on!

You can do a 1, 2, or 3 wire setup.

1 wire and you lose your warning light.
2 wire retains the warning light.
3 wire references the voltage from somewhere else (like the other side of the fuse block)

I got a brand new chinesium alternator on eBay for $50, it's been working fine for a few years so far. If it ever dies, pretty much any parts store will have replacements siting on the shelf for cheap.

[vwbusman66]

Originally Posted by JohnMc

One of the better mods I've done to my PV. For a couple of decades I just sort of put up with slow wipers, dim headlights, weak heater fan, etc. "Just how old cars are!"

Then when the B20 alternator fried, I stuck on a Delco using that SWEM kit, and... wow, white(ish) headlights? Wipers and fan that actually work! I don't hear the fuel pump slowing down when the blinkers are on!

You can do a 1, 2, or 3 wire setup.

1 wire and you lose your warning light.
2 wire retains the warning light.
3 wire references the voltage from somewhere else (like the other side of the fuse block)

I got a brand new chinesium alternator on eBay for $50, it's been working fine for a few years so far. If it ever dies, pretty much any parts store will have replacements siting on the shelf for cheap.

Your tale of the 140 alternator dying on the way home from MM a few years ago is what prompted me to rig up a 10si on the B20 in my 142. I never realized how bright sealed beams could be!

[vwbusman66]

Originally Posted by propav8r

You should 5 cylinder swap it.

Agreed.

[vwbusman66]

Originally Posted by propav8r

You should 5 cylinder swap it.

Actually, J series?

[FarmUse]

Originally Posted by propav8r

You should 5 cylinder swap it.

ha! don't listen to him! I know for a fact you've heard how good that B20 runs!

I'm the PO here, and in exchange for cutting vwbusman66 a fair deal on the car he "agreed" to not throw me under the bus "too badly" as he gets this poor neglected car back on the road and fixed up properly. It came to me with a B18 the guy before me managed to blow up. I've never had the B20 that's in there now apart myself, but the guy who sold me the motor thought it was overbored to 2.1 and had a hotter cam in it. He's rebuilt enough of them that he wasn't 100% sure on the details (he had like six or seven laid out in a row in his shop at the time and it had been a while since he'd done this particular one), but sure, why not, that always seemed accurate enough to me based on how it ran.

So anyway, I ran out of time on it about two years back for a variety of typical life-based reasons. No need to bore everyone with the details, I'll just say I'm very glad it's gone to a good home, and vwbusman66 is a great dude who I'm sure is going to do a great job. I'm looking forward to seeing the car come to life--it's really not far off from being a good daily driver.

I'll chime in if I can remember anything helpful. For instance, after reading JohnMc's post I had a vague recollection of already having done the wiring for 3-wire 10SI conversion. See if there's a newish wire that runs from the alternator area to the fuse box--possible fuse 1? I think that was where I decided to pick up a reference voltage, with the rest of fuse 1's regular functions moved to a blade fuse under the dash. Or something like that? That was 3+ years ago and I have no idea what I had for breakfast yesterday.

Also give those springs I gave you a try before spending the money on Lesjofors. They came from someone who raced Porsche 356s and had pushrod Volvos as their daily drivers so they're potentially really good springs.

[JohnMc]

A 2.1L with a stock head on it won't make all that much more HP, although it will def add torque down low. Which is a good thing.

A cam helps raise the RPM range, but what it really needs to uncork peak HP is lots of head work, esp in the exhaust area. And apparently it's hard to do that right. And tends to cost a lot. Which makes R-Sport heads, if you can find them, a relative bargain: http://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=361436

Head, cam, intake, and exhaust, along with a lightened flywheel, and you've taken almost all the 'tractor' out of the old Volvo motor.

[vwbusman66]

The short-long term plan is to keep the car B20 powered. Whether or not that includes forced induction is a different story. I have a FI head at home along with injectors and a rail, and would really like to do some kind of supercharged/turbocharged pushrod car. I keep saying I will, and then never do.

For now the plan is to just make it roadworthy and drive it. I need to find someone local who is willing to install a new windshield (that I source).
Is it possible to leave the trim out of the seal on a windshield- I know they're usually a bitch and a half to install.

[stick70]

You can leave it out but the seal will still have the groove in it unless VP sells one without trim. I need to get mine redone too, it leaks water worse than anything I've ever seen.

[cwdodson88]

The front, rear, and rear quarter windows are cake to install. Just grab a friend, some 1/4" paracord, and foaming window cleaner and a big tube of hand sanitizer. Rub the rope down with sanitizer and stuff it in the flange channel. Overlap the rope on the ends at the top center of the window, soak the gasket with foaming cleaner and lay the glass and gasket on the flange with the lower lip over the flange as much as possible. Get it square and while a friend or two gently pushes the window in and down, pull the gasket over the flange with the rope.

[vwbusman66]

Originally Posted by stick70

You can leave it out but the seal will still have the groove in it unless VP sells one without trim. I need to get mine redone too, it leaks water worse than anything I've ever seen.

Yeah they only sell the ones with trim.
I don't really care if the groove is there. In my experience with VW's the trim has been a PITA.

[stick70]

My only point of reference is a 70 beetle and the amazon was worse to try to do. I eventually paid a guy to **** it up for me.

[JohnMc]

And depending on how/where you'll be driving it, maybe start looking for an M41 to put in it. Wagons have shorter gearing IIRC (4.56 rear axle?) than coupes/sedans, and the 4.10 gearing they have is pretty miserably short already.

[spock345]

Originally Posted by JohnMc

And depending on how/where you'll be driving it, maybe start looking for an M41 to put in it. Wagons have shorter gearing IIRC (4.56 rear axle?) than coupes/sedans, and the 4.10 gearing they have is pretty miserably short already.

The M41 in my car definitely made highway trips more pleasurable. Still very loud (classic car, no fixing that really), but it cruises at 65mph below 3000rpm now.

All the wagons we got in the US had a 4.56 rear end. Same gearing that factory overdrive cars got.

[vwbusman66]

I made a youtubes vidya starting it.
Might do more of these if people like them.

[vwbusman66]

Originally Posted by JohnMc

And depending on how/where you'll be driving it, maybe start looking for an M41 to put in it. Wagons have shorter gearing IIRC (4.56 rear axle?) than coupes/sedans, and the 4.10 gearing they have is pretty miserably short already.

Yep, all wagons here were 4.56:1.

Great news, 2 weeks before I bought the car, I bought my local hoarder out of his last M41's. My favorite flex (3 overdrives in the back of a wagon):

[JohnMc]

Awesome!

[cwdodson88]

Wagons are fun. Would be awesome with a little turbski. 10 psi and you’ll love the 4.56/m41. It’ll rip. More fun than you’d expect. Stoplight shenanigans are necessary.

[vwbusman66]

Originally Posted by cwdodson88

Wagons are fun. Would be awesome with a little turbski. 10 psi and you’ll love the 4.56/m41. It’ll rip. More fun than you’d expect. Stoplight shenanigans are necessary.

The real question: can I modify a weber 38/38 downdraft for boost? I'd like to add boost to the car without having to go full EFI conversion for now. MSD makes a box that will retard timing based on boost pressure. J-pipe on stock exhaust manifold with a 13c on top to feed it.