Volvo C304 (4x4) Restore and fitout - WR7002

[geckoadventure]

Sunday 4 February 2018

Workshop 8.45am fit the starter and by 12.00pm it's all installed and I have hopefully made it waterproof and the engine sump is cleaned ready for the sump install.

Lunch then the fone goes - office I pull the work laptop out. I get the alternator installed with 3 turns holding it in and the office calls again the day is a bust and by 5.30pm

I have done no work on the Volvo all afternoon except stare at office computer screens.

The trip home is not worth talking about Sunday night traffic hell. Blondie gets a workout on the stereo along with ZZ Top.

 

[geckoadventure]

Saturday 10 February 2018

God is it Saturday already can I sleep in for 4 more hours - its 4am - No then sleep in on the road Eventually 6.08am. Stuff it I floor it and arrive in IPOH 190k away in 1 hour 15 minutes the speedo rarely under 160kph.

Some idiot really annoys me this time in a BMW for miles guess these idiot don't like being passed by a beaten up Isuzu pickup. I eventually get him back with him getting a speed camera ticket at over 160kph in the pitch black the double flash lights up the morning darkness lol. He stops annoying me.

Breakfast and arrive at the factory 8am ready for work. Funny no Mr Brown at the gate. He's on the trailer shaking. I thought he had been poisoned jump the gate and find he is Caught by his collar on the metal grill he is frantic. He is all over me when I free him.

I work on stuff outside the cabin while Raj finishes the air cond ducting mounting points and drivers vents.

I try and get the windscreen trimmed to make it fit. Its a bust they need to be remade as tempered glass cannot be trimmed.

Raj starts on the flip up instrument cluster to on top of the dash cover he has just made.

I manage to finish the top panel it all lines up and bolts fit perfectly.

 

[geckoadventure]

Sunday 11 February 2018

By lunchtime I have the middle panel fitted and it is almost finished just the window trimming to go.

By evening I have all the rear panels fitted nicely and have 1 hole to weld up and 2 holes to relocate to avoid the speaker panels.

Cleaned up the panels look ace well worth the effort.

I fit the wifes seat to see how it will look.

Home time - next weekend is CNY so no work on the Volvo I have been confined to KL

 

[geckoadventure]

Saturday 24 February 2018

Wake up late really late 5:50am on the road. Make it to breakfast 190k away at 7:10am. In the workshop at 8.30am. THey have redone the complete roof lining and created a new front top panel and finished the dash pod.

We go get a new UHF radio and some interior lights and organise new battery for the Volvo.

I spent the day getting a template cut made for the UHF radio while Raj does the top panel and a visit from a friend who was a little stunned by the amount of custom work to the Volvo.

I fill the engine with oil and head out for much needed food and accommodation. No leaks cool all ok.

Sunday 25 February 2018


Workshop 8.30am and see the puddle of oil on the floor - cry sob nooooooooooooooooo!!!. Its done the landrover thing and marked it's territory.

So my days work is decided. Drain the oil. Kitty litter on the oil slick. Then when all cleared undo the sump - 2. hour to remove the sump. Find the leaks and leave it for welding.

TRy to find the hinges for the engine cover cannot spend hours looking for bolts/hinges and still they are missing I know they are around I stripped them back to bare brass.

Finally 8pm comes around and its time for home. There is next weekend.

 

[geckoadventure]

Saturday 3 March 2018

Alarm goes off 4am I sleep through it eventually I'm on the road 5:20am 190k to go. Its all soon a memory as 1:30minutes later I'm sitting at breakfast.

Then it 8.30am to the workshop for the 9.00am open up.

They have finished the front console and the centre window wiring channel. The goal today is to get everything cleanedup and down to the powder coating factory next door.

The sump is finished and is ready. I leak test it later in the day and it fails again. It will be fixed next week.

I strip the gearlever panel and make the plate ready for powdercoating. The engine cover is restripped then taken to the powder coating factory immediately for processsing.

The other dash panels are given final welding and making sure evedrything fits perfectly and final sanding.

We order a sheet of alloy to remake the windows templates it eventually arrives and I get help from the boat factory boss and we cut out new templates.

They make a list of stuff to be made during the week as they are putting 3 workers on it:
Fire extinguisher holders - 2
Relocate batteries to give me a dirty straps bin.
Make new winch wiring due to the battery relocation.
and a lot more.

I try to fit the new clutch master cylinder but it fails as it's the wrong one it sits 30 degrees to the left sigh and it needs a new one again.
We fail to get everything ready or powdercoating as they have not made the top centre console.

Sound proofing is ordered from the new stereo shop.

Soon its 6pm and its time for home I have a birthday dinner to attend to and My Orphangae kayaking training program starts tomorrow so I only have 1 day a weekend now on the Volvo.

There is so little left to do once all the panels are bolted in.

 

[geckoadventure]

Saturday 10 March 2018

Alarm goes off 4am I sleep through it eventually I'm on the road 5:40am 190k to go. It rains for the first 100k the michellin's hang on as I sit on the wrong side of 140kph. It's all soon a memory as 1:20minutes later I'm sitting at breakfast.

Then it 7.55am at the workshop for the 8.00am open up Mr Brown lets me know I'm early.

The goal today is to get everything cleanedup and down to the powder coating factory next door. Then whatever else we can do.

Ranjin finishes up the final fit of the service hatches release levers while I find the the engine cover hinges and then work on the cutting out of the hinge holes in the rear panel.

The overhead console has been simplified and the light panel is completed

By lunchtime I have cut out the hinge cut and it all fits nicely in the rear panel.

We spend the afternoon sanding and cleaning the panels 5:20pm they are all in the powder coating factory next door and Mr Brown escorts me there.

Then its onto the clutch we cannot get another one which has the bolts vertical so we cut off the new old clutch mount and prepare a new one. However, the pedal and brake master cylinder assembly must all be removed first.

Mr Brown is guarding the Volvo

The batteries are all fitted just need wiring in and I now have a straps box.

Then it's hometime after cleaning the workshop and leave IPOH headed for KL. I hit the start of the highway at 130kph and floor it all the way back to KL for a nice uiet beer and a meal.

Tomorrow is the Orphanage Kids Kayak training

Close yes it's really close to being finished.

 

[geckoadventure]

Monday 12 March 2018

Ok 12 March I knew something was wrong getting exhausted climbing a set of stairs - wanting to pass out after being under the Volvo when I stand up etc. I went to the docs at work got sent to the cardio immediately and was grounded for 2 complete weeks
Some friends collected the Volvo window templates from IPOH and brought them to KL for me.

 

[geckoadventure]

Saturday 24 March 2018

Chauffer turns up early in the morning and we order the front windows yet again for Volvo 1 and hand over the perfect template which are 3mm smaller than the window frame.

 

[geckoadventure]

Saturday 31 March 2018

I'm back on deck after 2 weeks of complete rest. Lets see how I go.

Up early eventually leave the house 5.25am - what the heck the highway is crowded and it's pouring down. It's impossible to even stay on 120kph the idiots are all over the road.

Eventually after 100k the rain stops but the idiots down't and I eventually arrive IPOIH 190k away at 7.30am for a nice breakfast and a rest before the workshop opens 8.30am,

Wife informs me it's Chinese ancentor Grave Clearing next 2 weekends evryone is coming back to clear the elders graves.

The 8.30am meeting shows they hAave been busy. The rear of the cabin is all soundproofed and 2 layers of insulation added. Its all bolted down and looks really ace. The batteries have had an inspection hatch cut into the floor

My job today is parts collection first while Ranjit does the making of the air intake, starts to mount mudflaps and also bend the leading edge of the service hatch covers deg to make them nice. My job is to mount the panels and the watertank and paint the new battery box hatch and the parts run and work on the clutch.

Afternoon for something different we mount the wheel studs on the tire carriers and then a test load and unload one of the studs on each carrier spins - DAMN we now have to remove and find bolts and weld them in. Damn more wasted time.

The rear panel and roof look really ace.

The new 80 litre Stainless steel water tank is washed and prepared ready to mount tomorrow and test fitted

I have the clutch starting to work it no longer leaks and pressure is building in the clutch line.

 

[geckoadventure]

Sunday 31 March 2018

8am start. I do the Sump 2.5 hours later the sump is bolted in after complete preparation of the sump and the engine block.

The air intake is completed and the connecting pipes made up.

By early evening we have the water tank mounted and 3 panels bolted in and sealed

One mudflap mounted with more to do to stop early wear etc

Ranjit has bent the leading edges of the service hatches inwards 45deg to make it look tidy.

The water tank looks ok

The air intake is completed on the left or the birds nest as it's been named after the tiny finches who made a home in a fluro light in the workshop.

home time 6.30pm. Little did I know it was going to take me 5 hours to get home.

Next morning is the hospital checkup - I fail I'm grounded indefinately until the heart recovers. The workshop has agreed to finish the Volvo to registration passing and also to transport it to KL.

 

[piratexpress1369a]

Sunday 31 March 2018

8am start. I do the Sump 2.5 hours later the sump is bolted in after complete preparation of the sump and the engine block.

The air intake is completed and the connecting pipes made up.

By early evening we have the water tank mounted and 3 panels bolted in and sealed

One mudflap mounted with more to do to stop early wear etc

Ranjit has bent the leading edges of the service hatches inwards 45deg to make it look tidy.

The water tank looks ok

The air intake is completed on the left or the birds nest as it's been named after the tiny finches who made a home in a fluro light in the workshop.

home time 6.30pm. Little did I know it was going to take me 5 hours to get home.

Next morning is the hospital checkup - I fail I'm grounded indefinately until the heart recovers. The workshop has agreed to finish the Volvo to registration passing and also to transport it to KL.

Nice progress. Take care of your health and get well soon

Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk

 

[Timod110]

Any updates. Hope you are doing well

Tim

 

[geckoadventure]

I heard they have done only 2 days work on the Vo.vo in the 3 months.

Now since our history breaking election they are now have a huge workload of trailers to construct as there is a 3 month relief from our 6% consumption tax.

I am progressing and been allowed to work on Volvo 2 in Kuala Lumpur 10 mins from home once a wwek which you can see progress is being made.

Now I have been given 3 months to go do normal things (but I am unable to cope) but I am taking it very eASY. After the 3 months of the heart beat is not righ then I am having an operation apparently. I did happen to packlup an almost 80lb outboard engine and lift it over my head onto a rack and my heart remained calm so I know I am progressing.

I hope to return to VOlvo 1 in JUly after my wife has finished her holidays. I also hope they do more wirk on it without me there - air conditioning, wiring, wipers etc.

 

[geckoadventure]

9 June 2018

I have help today little Joe from the kids home wants to spend the day with Grandpa and he is good help. His job wire brush the rest of the roof for me while I tap more of the big roof dent then start on the rear panel repairs.

Mark then cut and make a new piece

Wire brush

Weld in and wait and repeat the exercise 8 times more. 4 done 4 to go.

A corner piece is really quite trickey to do so it needs a second go.

 

[Timod110]

Glad to hear you are up and running!!!! Nice to see the progress on the volvos

Cheers

Tim