Rick's Orange 245L Van + LS1

serk · 2020-05-04T07:13:32+00:00

Just like my 245L but with more rust I'm almost wishing the valve covers were orange to match the car... but still total awesome work so far

serk

Have made some good progress in the past couple of weekends...

Modified steering assembly using the Statesman Uni and some key steelCleaned the engine bay while the engine was out - just a power wash and a rub down with some wax and grease remover, not going to go over the top on a budget buildReplaced the stock fuel pump with a Walbro 460 intankRan fuel lines Replaced the fuel line fittings on the stock Volvo sender to AN6Added 2 extra mounting holes in the chassis rail using a Nutsert tool - I'm using the STSMachining transmission mount which positioned the cross member too far backwards and only picked up one hole on each chassis rail. Drilled out 2 more holes further back and used the nutserts to use the stock transmission crossmember with the new mount. Honestly looks stock all bolted up. Mounted 2 thermo fans to the Corvette radiator Radiator is now mounted in stock position

Philia_Bear

Very good progress

serk

Thanks!

carnut222

Nice work! Nutserts are great aren't they? :)

serk

A bloody brilliant idea - saves a lot of time, thinking and cutting!

alphax

Looking great, nice work!

serk

Cheers!

serk

Minor progress this weekend:

Radiator all plumbed up - used a combination of Volvo and Statesman rad hoses and will be running the steam ports, rad overflow and bottle into a basic brass T and hidden away behind the grillTrans oil cooler is mounted, just waiting for fittings to arrive before that's ticked off the listIntake completed with a 4 inch to 3 inch 90 degree reducer and some 3 inch pipe. Ebay shorty pod filter and a little bracket to keep it from moving around everywhereVac lines all connected - the Statesman brake booster hose fits the volvo booster without any kind of modification! The vac port on the back of the manifold requires a 90 degree turn and I didn't go looking for something to make it look pretty, its just useful. Might change this once the car is running but I'm currently gunning to get it started just to hear that engine again....Tightened all the engine mount bolts and fitted the passenger side exhaust - plenty of room which is awesome, just had to bend the brake lines a little and might make up a bit of a shield for them.

List of things still to go:

Mounting ECU and wiring it into the ignition and dashOne more fuel line from the Corvette pressure reg to the engine - been waiting for fittings for over 2 months, gonna have to reorder and write them offPaint the intake and rad bracketsPower steering linesTailshaft Rebuild kit for all the brakes is probably a good idea Attach some 940 stock steelies and get them widened for that ultra budget lookFix the passenger side rear wheel arch - cut and replace the piece that's been run intoAuto trans shifter hooked up properlyGet the rest of the exhaust madeWiring the starter and altNew tie rod ends and ball joints

serk

Made some good progress this weekend:

Tailshaft is at the shop being made - measured and took both the stock Volvo and Statesman shafts in to be cut and joinedSway bar mounts completed, spacing the swaybar away from the sumpCoils and leads hooked up and a custom lead has been made just need to pick it upPainted a few bits and pieces matte blackMounted fuses and relaysStarter, alternator and power distribution block wired upCatch can and all plumbing sortedTrans cooler and all radiator related stuff completely plumbed.

Feeling like I should be able to turn the key next weekend... fingers crossed.

serk

Few bourbons deep at this point...

https://youtu.be/cx2tuzH08ns

jamesinc

serk
Few bourbons deep at this point...
https://youtu.be/cx2tuzH08ns

"it's had a little bit of work done to it"

serk

Had a look last night, the engine came out of the Statesman on the 14th of April this year so it's been almost 7 months of weekends (missed a few here and there) in the making!

Shifter linkage is going to be the next item on the list...

serk

Wagon drives now! Took about 4 weekends to get the stock auto shifter to play nice with the 4L60 but now it selects all of the gears and they line up with the positions on the shifter in the cabin really well. Reverse lights are running of the adjustable switch inside the auto shifter housing too, instead of the PCM. Using the stock shifter was a personal requirement, just not a big fan of the Hurst type shifters in a stock interior.

All door cards have been removed and fish oil injected into all the doors. Silicon spray into the window channels and all of the mechanisms greased - Really makes a difference when you don't have to fight the windows up and down!

Car is booked in for a new windscreen this Wednesday, and an exhaust on Thursday. Will be going with a 92 240 windscreen without the chrome and a 2.5inch quiet exhaust.

I found it difficult to locate a grommet on eBay for the PCM but found that a regular sink plug from Big W worked a treat! Just drilled out the center, added a slit in the bottom to slid it over the harness and it looks great IMO. The hole I drilled was 52mm so I could get the connectors run through and the sink plug is 50mm... close enough!

jamesinc

I never would have thought to use a drain plug! 10/10

alphax

Congrats! It's a lot of work when trying to design and build on the fly. Lots of little things that turn into more little things that need to be done twice or three times over ?. Everyone knows about LS engines but it's still far from bolt in and go! A quiet exhaust will be nice to keep it more 'normal car' but still enjoy the improvement in sound, power, drivability etc.

serk

alphax
Congrats! It's a lot of work when trying to design and build on the fly. Lots of little things that turn into more little things that need to be done twice or three times over ?. Everyone knows about LS engines but it's still far from bolt in and go! A quiet exhaust will be nice to keep it more 'normal car' but still enjoy the improvement in sound, power, drivability etc.

Thanks Michael! Totally agree with you - the amount of work it takes is very surprising and words and pictures on a forum don't do it justice (even for a budget build). I've spend a good amount of time tossing between a loud or quiet exhaust, I've settled with quiet for more of a sleeper feel, but seriously considering a LoudValve to give it some more noise... Will wait and see what it sounds like once it's on the road.

alphax

A happy medium might be something that sounds like a 'sports exhaust' when a normie drives their V8 Commodore into an exhaust shop for an upgrade. Louder than stock with a good throb to it, but no harsh bark. That intake you have should add a nice bit of sound too at decent throttle openings.

serk

Sports exhaust it will be! Thanks for the advice!

serk

Chrome surround off, cleaned up and new screen fitted! Can confirm the 92 240 screen fits although it was a 2 man job to install.

Removed the chrome clips as most were rusted and under all the old goop and rubber it was surprisingly clean and rust free... Very surprised. There's definitely been some kind of repair on the driver's side.

Ex850R

Great!

I did my old 240 wagon after suffering though country drives to work away in winter,plastic bag on right foot as water freely flowed in.....i did the rubber surrounding when i sold it ha!

serk

Ex850R
Great!
I did my old 240 wagon after suffering though country drives to work away in winter,plastic bag on right foot as water freely flowed in.....i did the rubber surrounding when i sold it ha!

? Never heard of water getting in that hard and fast! Hope the drain plugs came out easily after a trip like that.

About a week ago there was a good amount of water in the footwells after a rain shower... definitely the reason why the floors were all rusted out! Figured I go the new screen and tick that off the list as you can see how crap the original rubber looks after a few years. Also added some silastic under the wiper arm rubbers to help reduce the amount of water getting in too.