444s also had a 6V electrical "system" that was never very good and only got
worse w/ time. Mine had a diff w/ about 1/4 turn of lash in the drive shaft
just to keep it interesting when taking off
Mike
----- Original Message -----
From: Dennis Hale <dhale_510@yahoo.com>
To: <ba-autox@autox.team.net>
Sent: Friday, November 30, 2001 6:23 PM
Subject: Re: Volvo 444
> Are you guys sure you all had 444s? They were pretty
> uncommon in the USA. The first ones in were '67s, I
> don't think we got any '65 or earliers. By '69 they
> had become 544s and were fairly common. 444s had small
> round glass lens taillights, a big chrome center in
> the dashboard, and a two piece windsheild. 544s had
> oval plastic taillights, a dash without the '50
> Mercury looking chrome center, and a curved one piece
> windsheild. Some got a nice 4 speed gearbox with gears
> interchangeable with Ford Mustang V8 gearboxes, way
> strong! The old three speeds were weak. The 1600cc 3
> mainbearing engine grew to 1800cc in '61 or '62 and
> got a full 5 main bearing crank, again a big
> improvememnt. The 122 replaced the 544 in '64 I think,
> but then again they may have been sold together for a
> couple of years. There also were 445 wagons, but I do
> not recall any 545 wagons.
> Wix has just stopped supplying the air filters, I have
> been useing them on 510s.
> Before 510s and Beetles I had a 544 problem. My '59
> went almost 500,000 miles. I also had a '57, '58, and
> a 445 wagon that never actually ran but had very nice
> wooden slats and panelling inside.
> I still have a set of hubcaps hung in the garage, and
> a paper weight rear main bearing part of my broken
> crankshaft [three main 544].
> 8-)
>
> =====
> Dennis Hale
> Buy the perfect holiday gifts at Yahoo! Shopping.
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