Volvo C304 (4x4) Restore and fitout - WR7002

OuterLimits

I control the horizontal and the vertical
I'm with Mr. Brown. Good have you back at your workbench!

Cheers
 
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geckoadventure

Geckoadventure
9 June 2017

Took the week off to take 17 orphanage kids on a 4 day intensive kayaking training camp. Then had the Friday to myself. So a visit to the Volvo was in order. 5:5am Leave KL with young Joe from the orphanage with me . 7.30am in IPoh for breakfast and 8.15am at the workshop.


So whats been done.
- Powersteering is almost completed - still have resivior to mount
- Bull bar was bolted down but not correct so I have this to fix today.
- Rear floor has been bolted down
- Covers are being made for the inside of the door locks.
- The side bars on the bumper have been remodelled to protect the underneath of the cabin door frame.

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Then we moved onto the power steering resivior - cut hoses ready to bolt it in. Damn the braket is imperial bolts 6mm will not fit. We need to go to the bolt shop later.

Cut and fit the brake booster vaccum hose.

Then we found the engine mounts we had missed bolting down the underside of the engine mount locking washer. So we made 2 8mm washers from steel and bolted them in - 1 hour gone

Connected up a missed brake pipe part.

Then it was time for a test fit of the glass we had so happily brought from KL.

Great dissappointment they did not fit. Turns out some idiot made them bigger than the exact tenmplates we supplied. Quality was terrible. They were returned to the glass factory much tot he anger of the big chinese shop manager who looked like he wanted to string the cheap bangaldeshi labourer up when he explained how he made the windows.
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Then Joe tried out the hammock setup and gave it the thumbs up.
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Oh we missed getting to the bolt shop.

Soon it was hometime and the end of a very unsuccessful day and Mr Brown decided to get friendly with Joe by holding his hand with his teeth.
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Final view of the Volvo before I see it in a couple of weeks.
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So whats left
- Doors assemble and bolt on
- Air COnd to do
- Dash wiring
- Switch Panel to be cut out
- Power steering final connection
- Fix the loose rubber hose we found under the engine
- Window wipers buy and fit
- PTO Switches find and install
- GEar lever hole repair
- Windows fit.
 

geckoadventure

Geckoadventure
26 June 2017


Public holiday Parts run after spending the 2 previous Saturdays chasing parts . Compressor, ARB pressure switch, drop seats off to cushion shop, return glass to glass shop to remake as they really screwed it up.

Recce for corporate team building etc and of course the Sunday kayaking training for the orphanage.

Saturday 24 June was teaching a kid from the orphanage the basics of welding - trying to show these kids career opportunities.

So they sent me a pic of the switch panel. It's a go cut the new one out.

Meantime in my spare time I have been drawing up the rollout drawer stuff (cooker plate and hidden tables) free-hand ready to get to the bending engineer to do his magic laser cuttting and bending stuff. I only need to repurchase 2 M8 internal diameter bearings so we can do the final measurements needed for the 60+ bearings needed to make it roll out/in smoothly.

Switch panel is layed out they are laser cutting the new one out now.
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The cushion shop sent me the pic of the seats they are ready. They look ace with material instead of the sweat causing PU. However, they are closed for Raya holidays so I can only collect this coming Wednesday.
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So welding lessons for the kid and I slowly get the racks for the military box storage at home completed.
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Collected the speaker panels and the overhead console. They did not bend the speaker panels sigh - have to do that in IPOH next time.

Then we attacked the overhead console - Oh Crap there is a design issue and the first weld splits the 5052 alloy - sigh back to the drawing board and redesign to make less pieces. There goes 600rm of 5052 alloy rats.
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The speaker panels I need to spend time sanding them ready to mark and bend then they can be undercoated and painted the desert storm colour with maybe a blue sheet behind the gecko to highlight it.
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Then finally 26 June 2017 a late arvo 2 hour run to IPOH 190k away to drop off the glass, COmpressor and pressure switch so they get it all fitted.

Well the 2 hour trip turns into 4 hours the traffic and the accidents. We test fit the glass after they delivered it to my house after the mouthful I gave them after returning the first attempt back to them - ******K they did not follow the perfect templates yet again and left the bottom corners of each window intact instead of trimming them off. It's ok the workshop will grind the insides of the window frame welds out.

Dinner then home time - another 4 hours goes by and I arrive home 1.30am exhausted. No idea when I will get to the workshop next maybe next sunday if I give the kids kayak training to someone else to run.
 
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geckoadventure

Geckoadventure
Yes Gecko was laser cut. Both need a lot of work with a flapper wheel to clean up the laser muck as one of the rough sides is the visible in the cabin.

I will try to do this saturday but I have 3 kayak racks to weld to hold some 21 kayaks up at the orphanage with the boys help.
 

geckoadventure

Geckoadventure
8 July 2017

So early morning drive to IPOH 190k gone. Breakfast then down to the workshop. Hmmmmm not open So I go to the bearing shop instead. Now the workshop going to be is open so I head to the workshop after getting bolts for the bearings for the testing of the rollerdrawer design. I also drop the TURBO of my RED monster in for surgery to make it spool up faster since the RED monsters engine is getting a head overhaul due to pitted intake valves sigh and an overheating issue. IPOH has an excellent diesel performance tuning shop.

The progress is explained to me so I can carry on with my plan while they do the wiring in the next 2 weeks

Finish the doors and cockpit metal fabrication.

I hand over the new simple shocks I have purchased. They can be installed anytime not today.

I have the doors to panel up. The kneepads to remake and the speaker panels to prepare to bend and paint and bolt in.

The test bearings to get the measurements from for the roller drawers we will need 50-60 of these. Now I can finish the drawing ready to get CNC cut.
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First the newly covered new seats. They look cool and will not be as sweaty as the PU.
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The mess I have to start with - a door and the really rusted knee pads from Volvo 2 as samples. My goal is to finish paper templates and then do the cutting. WHo needs a huge crew like overhauling I can do all this myself.
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Soon I have left door top panel done. The right well I prepared it and fited it but with 20mm left to slide in it will not budge. I need to knock out and do some trimming and and sanding with the flapper wheel. If the 5 bar plate proves to be too rough on the skin then I will replace with smooth panel. They are almost ready to get powder coated or anodized.
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Door templates done. I could not do the cutting as I had trouble getting the 84 sheet to stay steady by myself so have left the big chop for the shop to do for me.
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Next the afternoon killer the kneepads. Takes me several hours to get them cut out. The drivers side proving to be a pain to cut and will be a pain to fit due to the power steering and the new brake cylinder. I can make these out of 1.6mm steel next visit. Next is to find the sponge - im looking at kiddy playground floor sponge then I can shape it and cover them in Vinyl and fit.
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Speaker panels need sanding after the lazer cut has left a lot of slag. I have 3 spots to get a fine file in and cleanup then they are ready for bending. Alloy bending template left for the workshop to bend them.
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The front swithc panel is all cut out os stainless steel. I have requested it be cleaned up and clear coated. Connecting of the panel wiring and switches starts this week.
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Wiring diagram has been revisited and some 24v stuff converted to 12v including the air conditioning. Only the starter and the t-Max winch remain 24v.
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Service hatches have now been cut to allow generator and fuel pump access.
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Final pic before I head off home. It hasn't changed much but quite a bit of work done.
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Home time for the long drive home. Sicne they have added new speed cameras in the past month I have slowed down a lot and happily sit on 110kph.

Plans for the rollout drawer and the 2 slide out tables - cooking and eating are almost complete soon can start the CNC drawings and the building of the drawers and tables in KL.
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geckoadventure

Geckoadventure
22 July 2017

So early morning drive after getting up before 5am and working for 30 minutes doing office work leave home 5.30am then arrive 7.25am in IPOH but not after getting a camera ticket from the new camera location sigh. Gotta be at the factory 8.15am.

The 190k gone made easier by ZZTOP music etc. Breakfast then down to the workshop. Hmmmmm not open so I wait with Mr Brown who only wants the gate unlocked.

The progress is explained to me so I can carry on with my plan to finish the door panels and latch assembly.

The centre console has been rebuilt (apparently it got 3 fail strikes so was tossed) and really looks ace.

Only a wiring set of pipes need to be added else it will vibrate itself to pieces.

Mr Brown waiting for the gate to be opened.
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The new centre console looks ace
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I work away quietly all day after buying a sheet of alloy and mark out the door panels and remake the 5 bar checker plate panels I made previous trip. Popped into the powder coating factory next door got a quote and decided the colour all the new parts will be covered with. Then I discovered the heartache the paint was bubbling up in places. RUST FARK. So now I need to wire brush again and rustkill and then undercoat and top coat the doors all again sigh.
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The left and right door panels are cut out.
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I know where the rivnuts are going the template is marked ready for next weekends effort.
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I have one kneepad cut out of 2mm alloy ready to bend up and need to buy a sheet next week to complete the other.
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My final picture before I head off to the recce location for the kids kayak trip to view a houseboat. LIttle did I know I was going to get a crook stomach from the restaurant shortly after this picture sigh.
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Every week I get closer to completing the beast.
 

geckoadventure

Geckoadventure
29 July 2017

So the early morning 190k drive after getting up late getting the wife up to take her along also step on it drop wife off at mother's 8.00am and arrive factory 8.30 am with a yoghurt drink and butterscotch bread for breakfast .

My job is to sand the alloy console and the door panels ready for powder coating.

Almost end of the day I have sanded my poor fingers off 320/600/1000 grit sandpaper only 2000 to go most of the scratches etc are gone.
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Door panels are both identical and the holes drilled for the rivnut bolting in.
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So I decided on a change of effort - prepare the template for the 2 holes for the old centre console and the dog eared gear lever hole issue.
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Home time for the mother in-laws for dinner and Mr Brown decides its love an attention time.
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geckoadventure

Geckoadventure
26 AUgust 2017

Well after months of planning and stopping work on the Volvo for the past 3 weeks to ensure the kids kayaking event goes off of we get the HK typhoon 2+ hours plane ride away severely affecting our weather thunderstorms continuous rain etc.

The 3 support boats are not loaded until it stops raining the lorry is loaded up with 15 kayaks. Red broke down last weekend (after getting a rebuilt head and a more modified turbo ) going 4 hours north to collect the 19foot support boat so I had to go up yesterday instead and collect it. The new turbo HOWLS and is really nice to drive lol.

5 days with the kids kayaking and then 3 more days fishing after with 3 kids from the kids home.

Tonight we head to the houseboat 6 hours away and its pouring sigh.

No work on the VOlvo for 2 more weekends.

ANyone in TEXAS stay safe your having even more issues with the weather.

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