Figured that this should be my lockdown project, primarily because I am confident that I have everything here to finish it, and also because I am sick of driving the Falcon everywhere.

Probably about 4 hours of work so far, fitted in around home schooling.

My biggest area of indecision is whether to delete the power steering or not. I was 100% sure that I was going to fit the non-PS rack, until I worked out that the manual steer rack is slower.

I now need to decide if it matters or I am just too habitualised to chasing faster steering in rally cars.

It's probably fine to live with without PS, Excels are.

It runs. Solid but not killer day today.

PS delete was easier than expected. Hardest part was working out what was straight on the rack to line it up with the steering column.

It runs nicely, but hard to start. Not worried yet - the extractors are just sitting up against the head…

Got the front Konis in. Totally forgot that S40 springs are a larger diameter, it’s all good…

Need to buy some camber pins because the struts are modified to make the camber pins work better/easier, so now they only work with camber pins.

Rears are ready to go in. Will do it tomorrow when I fit the 2” exhaust that came from the crashed car.

    Spac

    It runs. Solid but not killer day today.

    PS delete was easier than expected. Hardest part was working out what was straight on the rack to line it up with the steering column.

    It runs nicely, but hard to start. Not worried yet - the extractors are just sitting up against the head…

    https://cdn.ozvolvo.org/uploads/9VDJ2JPZXZPD/de1a92b8-7fdf-4378-90aa-4d0f8936a714.jpeg

    Got the front Konis in. Totally forgot that S40 springs are a larger diameter, it’s all good…

    Need to buy some camber pins because the struts are modified to make the camber pins work better/easier, so now they only work with camber pins.

    https://cdn.ozvolvo.org/uploads/7WNNXSRVQFV9/847a1017-9cbd-44dd-91a5-1dbe65983ca3.jpeg

    https://cdn.ozvolvo.org/uploads/D82QU8SOYVWS/68f88bcd-ac5a-4859-9a3d-5d9762a51817.jpeg

    Rears are ready to go in. Will do it tomorrow when I fit the 2” exhaust that came from the crashed car.

    https://cdn.ozvolvo.org/uploads/LDKA16Y7PAZ2/4767e74c-1acf-4228-afbf-2e1394dddbc2.jpeg

    Konis should make a nice taught car iirc.

    Philia_Bear

    Time for lawn mower engine?

    No, it will be hairy enough on the Barton as is.

    Exhaust went on easily.

    Filled gearbox with oil & radiator with coolant.

    Fitted Konis to the rear.

    Straightened the steering so that having the road wheels pointing straight and the steering wheel straight is actually in the centre of the rack’s travel.

    I am pretty sure that this car’s steering was way off centre originally.

    Cleaned a bunch of human slime off the steering wheel.

    It is very close to being ready for rego, I think. Not that I can drive anywhere for the time being…

    Drives and runs.

    Hard starting was a lack of fuel… ? 20litres of fresh fuel and now it starts ans runs beautifully.

    I think that it is rego-ready now, but I want to clean up the interior and fit a straight driver’s door first. Maybe a straighter driver’s side front guard, too.

    Also need to take the air conditioning belt tensioner from the blue car, because the now-deleted power steering pulley is the tensioner for the shared belt.

    Once I have done that, I will see if the AC works.

    Happy with the ride height.

    The noise from the exhaust is lower/better than I expected, but not sure if it will keep my wife and neighbours happy when I leave home at 5am… I will fix this if/when I need to.

    Turd polished with reasonable success.

    Battery… seems that I screwed up and gave away a Mirage battery with the Daewoo.

    So now I have two Mirages and only one battery that physically fits in a battery holder. And I had to spend a while digging around to find it - turns out that it was in one of the Mercs. Such a simple thing, but it took a while…

    Philia_Bear

    @Spac

    Single stage or clear coat?

    Single. Part of the reason why I like these in solid colours.

    Also swapped the driver’s door this morning.

    I think that it is ready for rego now?!

      Spac

      https://ozvolvo.org/discussion/comment/195908#Comment_195908

      Single. Part of the reason why I like these in solid colours.

      Also swapped the driver’s door this morning.

      https://cdn.ozvolvo.org/uploads/806KZ23IYBFV/1dd1d2b4-82e6-408b-a339-6af666c0725b.jpeg

      I think that it is ready for rego now?!

      I've got 4 10's in 2 boxes ready to go into the hatch area for you

      • Spac replied to this.
        Philia_Bear

        https://ozvolvo.org/discussion/comment/195929#Comment_195929

        I've got 4 10's in 2 boxes ready to go into the hatch area for you

        Not unless you supply the 20” chromies and white vinyl internet to match.

        Hmmm, maybe…

        Actually, not “maybe” at all. Just has to wait until after rego.

        The CB Lancer Recaro rails almost bolt into the CE. The only real hassle is the front outer mounting point that doesn’t line up (see bottom right of second photo). Should be easy enough to modify.

          Spac

          Hmmm, maybe…

          https://cdn.ozvolvo.org/uploads/9HZ88CF7RFFO/72ae482f-3962-41bf-8a1f-944894254569.jpeg

          https://cdn.ozvolvo.org/uploads/AI7RG5V3CGB8/024b47e5-2996-42a2-8e09-1bba9dcd824c.jpeg

          Actually, not “maybe” at all. Just has to wait until after rego.

          The CB Lancer Recaro rails almost bolt into the CE. The only real hassle is the front outer mounting point that doesn’t line up (see bottom right of second photo). Should be easy enough to modify.

          Apart from name and different look the almost look the same??

          15 days later

          Ask me how much I love powder coat…

          These are old rally wheels that came with the Daewoo. The powder coating had chipped, and then long, poor storage had allowed corrosion to form underneath, so I had to go exploring.

          Turns out that the corrosion wasn’t bad, but once I started…

            Dauntless

            Can't have them blasted?

            The glass media just bounces off powder coat. Maybe something like garnet would work, but garnet makes a mess of the aluminium.

            Best process that I have found so far, is attack with gasket stripper, scrape, wash, dry, bead blast, and repeat.

            I got it 90-95% on the first cycle, but am not confident that I will get to 100% on the second.

            a month later

            Life is far more valuable than fuel bills and caring for the planet. thats why i choose a heavy old Volvo. Tough as nails and will save your life some day. I have lost two friends in little ding dong cars like this and another lost her right arm in a sh tty little mazda she was driving to save money.

            the cost of an accident in these little cars and the suffering you and your friends n family will go thru cos you were in a crash in a little light car saving money / "the planet" and fuel can not be compared.