Volvo 2 - What not another one - WR6973

Volvo TGB and 30X (303/304/306) mods and resto work, news, resources and non-technical stuff
geckoadventure
New Zealand
Posts: 481
Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2010 8:48 pm
Location: Malaysia
Contact:

Re: Volvo 2 - What not another one

Post by geckoadventure »

VinceAtReal4x4s wrote: Mon Mar 19, 2018 3:59 am You are moving mountains! You need to take it easy though man. Do some fishing and smell some roses... you can't mess with that stuff!
I know but I need to get it done.

Got a worse message relayed to me yesterday from someone who visited the cabin shop after us - they think it will not be completed and passed a message via someone else to me to remove the cabin from the workshop.

I will deal with it when I am better.
geckoadventure
New Zealand
Posts: 481
Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2010 8:48 pm
Location: Malaysia
Contact:

Re: Volvo 2 - What not another one

Post by geckoadventure »

How wrong could I be, since my last visit to the cabin workshop they have not answered the phone nor have they been open when I have popped by for a visit.

Others have also been trying to visit their vehicles and also getting the same results.

Needless to say i'm getting rather pissed. it costs quite a bit of loot to go through the road tolls to visit the cabin shop and it turns out its a 1 hour round trip for the 26k to this workshop.

We may have access to borrow a cabin from another workshop so we can get it down to the chassis workshop to get the rollcage built started. Will find out after Sunday when the owner of this spare cabin is back.

Meantime I am getting the new half shaft delivered and about to order new high ratio crown and pinions. I have a set of new Alloy toyota PCD rims and ordered new tires so we can move the chassis around soon. I have to be able to move it as 25 cars are turning up to this workshop for a movie shoot in the coming weeks and the 10 crash cars.
geckoadventure
New Zealand
Posts: 481
Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2010 8:48 pm
Location: Malaysia
Contact:

Re: Volvo 2 - What not another one

Post by geckoadventure »

27 March 2018

A quick trip down to the cabin shop after work to see if they are in fact working nights like they said - no they are not. This has become a common sight from the others in the group who are watching out for their vehicles being worked on. Some have been here 2 years or more with little progress.

Image

Friday 30 March 2018

I run down to the chassis shop after work and collect Volvo 1's water tank and pay the bill, it looks ace work.

Then the bonus - they have got the engine and gearbox hanging there in position with just the 4x4 lever to remove so it can be positioned properly in the chassis and the new mounting points made up.

Image

Image

We discuss me bringing the cabin from the cabin shop if no progress is made in next 2 weeks so I can work on it.

Meantime the new crown and pinions are being delivered tomorrow for the Toyota professor to install then the axle tubes can be brought back to the chassis shop and re-installed.
geckoadventure
New Zealand
Posts: 481
Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2010 8:48 pm
Location: Malaysia
Contact:

Re: Volvo 2 - What not another one

Post by geckoadventure »

Went down to the cabin shop and surprise he was open and not one bit of progress has been made on the cabin except they say the cabin cross member is ready for collection from the laster cutting shop - so why have the not collected it - oh we were closed all last week. Crikey!!!!!!!. Another customer was there pulling his kit out he is in our watch this workshop group.

Due to my current health state I have left the cabin there to be worked on with the threat no weekly visible progrss via pictures it comes out, including him not sending pictures as that means no progress. Next update due is this Saturday.

Another member of our watch this workshop group is on the warpath on FB and letting loose with his opinions lol.

This panel restoration shop is putting itself out of business the biggest customer just left with his huge deposit spent by the workshop with no work performed and others are spreading the bad service word. He is the only one who can take court action as our amounts are not considered courtable *^* sigh - Mine is the last paying cutomer left and that is only on a week by week basis.
geckoadventure
New Zealand
Posts: 481
Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2010 8:48 pm
Location: Malaysia
Contact:

Re: Volvo 2 - What not another one

Post by geckoadventure »

Thursday 26 April 2018

Finally after weeks of trying to get hold of the cabin workshop and several visits to see if they were open along with others dropping in to see if he was open he finally answered a message - he did not ring etc.

I made an appointment for a progress update. Thursday 12.30pm

YES - he is open

I look at progress and realise he has done not one thing since we last inspected the cabin on 17 March. I make a decision - it's coming out. A frantic set of phone calls and i finally got a flatbed tow truck. They offer me the cardboard templates but in the end I saw they were not loaded up into my trusty Isuzu.

Image

I contact the Chassis shop tell them it's coming in soon.

Meantime we load it into the tow truck and the last paying customer leaves the workshop. WIth no workers and all 4 current paying customers gone (still owed their deposits etc) and future customers being wanred off on FB the future looks bleak.
Image

Finally 3.30pm its unloaded at the Chassis shop

A quick walkaround reveals the amount of panel work I have decided to do myself to do once I'm back on my feet. Meantime I can comedown and start identifying all the issues and prepare new templates and draw up the final plan for this monster. In all honesty I do not know when I will be back on my feet I have failed another hospital heart checkup.
Last edited by geckoadventure on Wed May 02, 2018 10:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
VinceAtReal4x4s
Admin
United States of America
Posts: 2035
Joined: Mon Apr 12, 2004 10:36 pm
Location: Ca. or lost in South West USA
Contact:

Re: Volvo 2 - What not another one

Post by VinceAtReal4x4s »

Wow, though it's a common story with body shops who dip into resto work unfortunately. In the US it's to the point that restoration body shops, who do good work and are remotely close to major cities, can pretty much charge what they want since it's getting rare to even find one willing to take on complex jobs. They all like simple insurance repair jobs that they can price WAY up.

How are you ever going to have time to enjoy the other 303 if you are dealing with this nightmare of a project??
"For those who risk, life has a flavor the protected shall never enjoy"

Your donation makes this site possible!

Image
geckoadventure
New Zealand
Posts: 481
Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2010 8:48 pm
Location: Malaysia
Contact:

Re: Volvo 2 - What not another one

Post by geckoadventure »

VinceAtReal4x4s wrote: Fri Apr 27, 2018 9:29 pm Wow, though it's a common story with body shops who dip into resto work unfortunately. In the US it's to the point that restoration body shops, who do good work and are remotely close to major cities, can pretty much charge what they want since it's getting rare to even find one willing to take on complex jobs. They all like simple insurance repair jobs that they can price WAY up.

How are you ever going to have time to enjoy the other 303 if you are dealing with this nightmare of a project??
All this shop does is restorations no insurance work.

I'm going to do this after hours since its on the way home once I'm healthy. The shop will also be doing the rollcage under the hands of an expert.
geckoadventure
New Zealand
Posts: 481
Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2010 8:48 pm
Location: Malaysia
Contact:

Re: Volvo 2 - What not another one

Post by geckoadventure »

Saturday 29 April 2018

Visit to the Chassis/Cabin workshop to draw up a detailed chassis plan.

I have been doodling away on the design of Volvo 2 and its looking like this, now I need to get this onto a proper scale drawing.
Image

Crikey it's a struggle just to walk back and forth to the desk to write down the measurements the heart goes nuts.

Once the measurements are taken it's time for a really close inspection of the cabin in the bright light.

There are 31 separate areas on the top half which need attention either a dolly hammer or just welding up holes all of which can be fixed up quite easily just time will be 3-4 days.A couple of area need cutting out and new pieces welded in,, We can get these laser cut before hand and just weld them in.

Then there is the cabin bottom. its a lot worse than I thought we go through marking issues areas. Andrew asks how much for a cabin from Sweden I tell him. He says buy it this will be constant draw up laser cut trial fit/bend then recut and oh more to cut and the wages cost will be huge.

So I contact Tatanka on FB they reply in less than 30 minutes. yes we still have the cabin we will get a shipping cost for you to Malaysia.

Left side of cabin areas marked for repair.
Image

Middle of cabin areas marked for repair.
Image

Right side of cabin areas marked for repair.
Image

Then its time for home once the rain stops and Zing the ever growing puppy will not sit still for a picture
Image

During the week I went for the Heart check but not as I expected I was sitting in the hospital peeing blood when I got the heart check lol. However, the heart is improving and now sits in the 70's which is much better than 150 range and is becoming more rythmical again.It's still got a way to go to get back to the 52 resting range which it was for about 30 years. A change of dosage and the blood stops and i'm released. Lol they call this good news.
geckoadventure
New Zealand
Posts: 481
Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2010 8:48 pm
Location: Malaysia
Contact:

Re: Volvo 2 - What not another one

Post by geckoadventure »

5 May 2018

Damn ISUZU is delayed by 2 days coming back from 200k away in IPOH and is only back on Tuesday with 67HP gain (to 177) and 38% increase in torque from 360nm to about 496nm.

Up call taxi to Nice breakfast. Call taxi to take me to auto store. Buy a dolly hammer set. Then another taxi to boat shop and collect the new HELLA waterproof tail lights for Volvo 2. Then the same taxi back to the workshop. Crikey $170rm in taxi fares gone.

Go to lunch very hungry then back about 1.15 ready for action.

I decide before pictures of the white circles is needed there are 31 of them to repair. I'm given the bangladeshi worker to do the welding and I can do the dolly work.

Left side
Image

Roof top
Image

Right side
Image

Only takes me 10 minutes to knock out 5 dents with the dolly hammer and the curved dolly.
Image

Image

Image

Then I see several dents and issues I missed. They are marked for repair also.

Rapidly we make progress each window has 8 bolt holes to be welded up. The TIG welder makes quick work as I prepare the holes for welding tap and sand etc.

All the smiley faces are repaired ares 2 holes filled or one. We find several pinholes and they are drilled until no more rust and a circle cut out and repaired also.

Then we decide to remove the spare tire carrier off the roof. Man i'm so happy I did its a rust haven. Now I need to get the IPOH shop to do same to Volvo 1.

Image

One hour laster I have it cut out in about 12 sections and wire brushed down. More work is needd to pull out the dent and fill the holes. I have also saved myself cutting a 8" plate and welding it in double bonus.
Image

Then it's time to wander around the cabin and view the days work.
Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

At hometime what do we have 31 dents or bolt/rust holes filled and 11 to go. So why could the "professional body shop" take 8 months and not achieve what I did in one afternoon with a dicky heart and working very slowly.
Image

I still have the rear and the front to look at and once I lift the cabin off we know there is rust on the bottom ledge to be cut off and replaced.

Roll on 2 weeks time - they are cutting out the engine mounts and gearbox mounts once they get rid of the

PINZgauer which is taking forever to get the owner to get the last part to put the dash back on and drive it away.

Taxi home and the wife has cooked a meal for us - so nice.

Today we also found another victim of the "professional body shop" who also lost his huge deposit with no work done. I'm so glad the cabin is back in my hands even though I have lost 8 months.

My health is improving the goal of me and Volvo 2 competing in RFC2018 is still in sight.
currypinz
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Apr 09, 2016 8:17 am

Re: Volvo 2 - What not another one

Post by currypinz »

geckoadventure wrote:5 May 2018

Damn ISUZU is delayed by 2 days coming back from 200k away in IPOH and is only back on Tuesday with 67HP gain (to 177) and 38% increase in torque from 360nm to about 496nm.

Up call taxi to Nice breakfast. Call taxi to take me to auto store. Buy a dolly hammer set. Then another taxi to boat shop and collect the new HELLA waterproof tail lights for Volvo 2. Then the same taxi back to the workshop. Crikey $170rm in taxi fares gone.

Go to lunch very hungry then back about 1.15 ready for action.

I decide before pictures of the white circles is needed there are 31 of them to repair. I'm given the bangladeshi worker to do the welding and I can do the dolly work.

I still have the rear and the front to look at and once I lift the cabin off we know there is rust on the bottom ledge to be cut off and replaced.

Roll on 2 weeks time - they are cutting out the engine mounts and gearbox mounts once they get rid of the

PINZgauer which is taking forever to get the owner to get the last part to put the dash back on and drive it away.

Taxi home and the wife has cooked a meal for us - so nice.

Today we also found another victim of the "professional body shop" who also lost his huge deposit with no work done. I'm so glad the cabin is back in my hands even though I have lost 8 months.

My health is improving the goal of me and Volvo 2 competing in RFC2018 is still in sight.
too BZ to shop for components for my dash... juz needed a higher amp IC for the 24V stepdown to 12V.
I can donate my good one to u.

Sent from my SM-N9208 using Tapatalk
geckoadventure
New Zealand
Posts: 481
Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2010 8:48 pm
Location: Malaysia
Contact:

Re: Volvo 2 - What not another one

Post by geckoadventure »

Well some good news. The pictures I posted about 2 months ago of the Volvo 2 cabon caught the eye of the Volvo wrecking yard TATANKA.

They contacted me on FB and said we have one bottom RHD cabin in stock do you want it.

We have gone back and forth waiting for a price of shipping.

I recontacted him 10 days ago and said do you still have it I really need it.

I now have a shipping price for the cabin bottom and 4 doors from Sweden to Kuala Lumpur

Just waiting for the invoice to send the money which cannot be done till next Monday due to the 3 days of holidays after our dramatic election here.

The good I expect to be here in 4-6 weeks. Now I can just concentrate on the cabin top and the rear panel.

So many thanks from Claes at Tatanka for friending me on FB and the Volvo TGB forum on FB also.

We can quietly restore the bad cabin bottom over the coming months and it may be able to be used in another Volvo restoration you never know whats around the corner (Adams Volvo 3 etc).

When I have a pic of the shipping crate I will post it.
geckoadventure
New Zealand
Posts: 481
Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2010 8:48 pm
Location: Malaysia
Contact:

Re: Volvo 2 - What not another one

Post by geckoadventure »

19 May 2018

ISuzu is returned Friday 11 May from IPOH. Saturday fancy breakfast is ruined by seeing a water leak from the ISUZU. So instead of working on the Volvo I have to head 30k the other way and spend 4 hours in the workshop repairing the cooling split hoses the Turbo shop caused. We had fixed one and reattached everything when we realised there was 2 leaks sign. Take everything off and fix leak no 2.

Hence I missed working on Volvo 2 by the time I finished it was time to head home and get ready for the family dinner outing.

Friday I paid for the Volvo Cabin and doors to come from Sweden - to Malaysia I guess they will arrive in the next 5 weeks.

I Have been told by the heart surgeon to start exercising by walking etc as I'm slowly improving so he has agreed I can work on Volvo 2 (1 I'm still banned from driving that long) but no heavy ligting etc.

Breakfast cheese on toast with tomato and hot cross buns - a rarity in Malaysia
Image

I sleep in today due to an icident with the CATS waking me up to go in and out from 3am onwards and because we are looking after a bitch cat for a week I cannot leave the outside door open - damn.

Hence breakfast is at 12.00pm. Then it's down to Volv0 2 workshop 10 mins away.

I have no news on Volvo 1 progress.

They help me split the cabin, remove the rear panel and leave me the top hanging on the car lift. Then it's all mine andI work my way around identifying more little rust holes to drill out and repair. I cut out sections of the front of which need replacing THey are going to make new pieces and weld up during the week. I am getting my Toyota mechanic to come assist us in reassembling the Volvo axles on the chassis so we can move the Volvo around the shop.

I wear a wire brush out cleaning the paint off. However, The damage caused by the "expert restoration" shop using a scrapper and a heat gun is immense deep gouges everywhere in the steel sigh.

Splitting the cabin was an engineering feat lol using the car lift.
Image

The rear of the cabin needs a little work before its ready to paint.
Image

The front not as bad as I thought only 2 areas cut out.
Image

The rear panel I will tackle next trip it has about 4 areas needing cutting and replacing.
Image

6pm my 5 hours are up. I left the shop with over 30 new areas to TIG weld up by next Saturday.

Time for cranberry juice and a meal at the pub since I can no longer drink beer.
Heinkeljb
Great Britain
Posts: 391
Joined: Wed Feb 27, 2013 1:09 pm
Location: Lewes,Southern England

Re: Volvo 2 - What not another one

Post by Heinkeljb »

Don't you have a strict diet you need to stick to? Just giving up beer seems a small price to pay!

John
geckoadventure
New Zealand
Posts: 481
Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2010 8:48 pm
Location: Malaysia
Contact:

Re: Volvo 2 - What not another one

Post by geckoadventure »

Heinkeljb wrote: Mon May 21, 2018 2:02 pm Don't you have a strict diet you need to stick to? Just giving up beer seems a small price to pay!

John
I don't have high colestrol
Don't have diabetes
Don't have high blood pressure

So can eat what I want lol.

Tablets cause issues with alcohol so 1 beer is enough to really impact me. Ask me how I found out after ignoring the docs advice lol.
geckoadventure
New Zealand
Posts: 481
Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2010 8:48 pm
Location: Malaysia
Contact:

Re: Volvo 2 - What not another one

Post by geckoadventure »

26 May 20186

Since I'm still banned from driving long distance I'm only working on Volvo 2. Volvo 1 has made no progress since the last set of pics I posted for it.

The cabin bottom for Volvo 2 is all paid up and leaves Gotenburg on 30 May and is due about 4 weeks later in Malaysia.

Early start at Volvo 2 workshop. First job finish cutting of the engine mount and make the 2 vaccum brackets welds I had cutof the chassis look like they had never been there no marks nothing to be seen by the vehicle inspectors.

3 hours later 2 of the 3 weld cleaning operations are done then I have to make way for the Volvo axle asssembler to start weaving his magic one of my friends offers to help him while I go play with the cabin top.

Allen turned up to work on his Pinz so he can take it off to get the air conditioning installed.

Meantime I have a little fun while doing the cabin. Idiot driver
Image

and idiot passenger
Image

Then a saw Andrew with a mini horse I asked him who's horse is that he said mine. This Doberman was huge he came up to almost my belt loop and is one imposing dog/horse. He has a great personality and lets you know he needs to be patted with one swipe of his head lol. He is constantly on guard never stops watching people.
Image

Then Allen got his Pinz started and even with wiring still to complete a quick road test it was ready to be taken down to the AiR COnd shop next week. He has beaten me in the race between his Pinz and Volvo 1.
Image

After 3 hours I finally have a lot of progress on the 4 dents/awful creases on the roof and it's starting to look factory again.
Image

By 6;20pm and packup time it's really improved I still have one crease line to remove and then just concentrate on removing all the dents and finish putting the proper curve into the roofline. Next weekends work.
Image

The Volvo portal assembly area we ended up not completing as we could not find the 2 locker cogs they have gone missing sigh.
Image

The cleaned up vaccum brackets on the chassis.
Image

Roll on next Saturday.
Post Reply