Every spring when the sun actually spends a good amount of time on the sky, instead of just taking a peek and going back to slumber, I habitually bring out old albums that I associate with advancing spring – albums like Odelay! by Beck and that one New Radicals album that was the only New Radicals album. You might guess I’m a late-’90s kind of springtime guy, but that’s the kind of stuff that was on MTV rotation when there still was an MTV rotation to watch and I still gave a damn.

Just like proper sunny weather, these albums make my brain realize it actually is spring and take in all the available sunlight and warmth. Looking at this warm yellow 1973 Volvo 142, the same kind of connection was made in the wiring inside my skull. Damn, summer’s coming.

So, now that the weather report is done, we can move on to the 142.

Take a look at this photo. What colours can you see here, other than the yellow? Yeah, mostly blue/silver/grey with a couple red cars. Yellow really isn’t that common a colour here; off the top of my head I can recall Renault Meganes and some Mazda 6:s being yellow often, and that’s pretty much it. Red is common, but newer cars are almost always some discreet colour that matches concrete and asphalt well.

Only older cars, particularly ’70s ones, seem to be commonly yellow. That means it’s fairly easy to pick out the interesting older cars on a parking lot with a wayward glance.

Thing is, this Volvo isn’t some ordinarily stock well-preserved old Volvo; it’s been suitably lowered with turned wheels, now tastefully wide in the arches. At a glance, it looks original; with a second glance you notice how low it is and how good the dog-dishes look.

The B20F-engined 142 is a post-facelift one, distinquishable from the, well, distinquishably huge orange blinkers on both sides of the grille. It’s a significant step towards the 240-series from the more delicately detailed pre-facelift 140-series.

So yes, this 142 is modified pretty much to the extent that it should be modified. It’s a hat tip to the stock 142, but with a sense of humour about it.

Now, who’s the first to suggest a SBC swap?

 

[Images: Copyright 2012 Hooniverse/Antti Kautonen]