Intro from Malaysia - WR7002 - C304

[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.


The new centre console looks ace




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.


The left and right door panels are cut out.


I know where the rivnuts are going the template is marked ready for next weekends effort.


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.


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.


Every week I get closer to completing the beast.

[Heinkeljb]

And every week we want more details!

John

[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.


Door panels are both identical and the holes drilled for the rivnut bolting in.




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.


6pm Home time for the mother in-laws for dinner and Mr Brown decides its love an attention time.

[Haf-e]

Are powder coating them with a clear finish? Otherwise I didn't think having such a smooth finish was required since powdercoating tends to "hide" scratches and imperfections in the metal???

Glad to see the progress! Getting closer!

[geckoadventure]

Are powder coating them with a clear finish? Otherwise I didn't think having such a smooth finish was required since powdercoating tends to "hide" scratches and imperfections in the metal???

Glad to see the progress! Getting closer!

No Lol. We are coating them with probably matt black . I wanted blue with black mottle finish. We have seen before if you have smooth finish then it shows up any deep scratches etc or even small scratches int he finished product. So all the scratches need to be removed sigh.

Actually the lighter colours they had next door in the powder coating factory did not weather well from the samples I saw.

[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.

[geckoadventure]

22 September2017

3 days work on the Volvo coming up.

Friday public holiday - our 7th of the month.

Oh there's a catch my wife is away I'm informed I have to return home each night to feed the fur kids each morning and night. I have to return to Kuala Lumpur each night and drive back up each morning.

Wake up late for the long drive to IPOH. The 190k takes me 90 minutes there is not much traffic people have no money left to travel lol.

The factory is open and working when I arrive at 8.10am.

My goals for the next 3 days are the knee pads finish. The speaker panels mount and sand and ready for powder coating. The door panels mount and ready for powder coating.

First the kneepads. Damn one has gone missing. The template is found and the old kneepad but the alloy cutout is gone I hav e to make another. Fark no guillotine its been under repair for some 4 weeks. I cut it out by hand and then the old console plate and the gear lever cover.

I then get help with the bender and they bend up the speaker panels and the knee pads.

Then the knee pads are welded up.

At the end of the day I also get given the air conditioning compressor the air cond workshop gave it back to them unable to get the parts to make it work can I get the parts. What sort of air cond shop is this?

The left side kneepage welded up ready to mount.


The right side knee pad is ready to mount I had to chop the steering wheel part out and make it 2 parts instead.


Old console cover cut out. However the rivnuts are IMPERIAL I cannot find nice bolts to fit. I might have to drill and retap.


I have the door panel the little end cap bent and need to file it down still down.


I have the other door panel the little end cap it bent and filed down and now it fits perfectly.


I have the rear door locks to sand down and some welding needs to be added there is stress cracks in the alloy from over bending.


The speaker panels are bent up ready to trial fit.




The centre console has been alkaline cleaned and powdercoated and looks ace.




Then the long drive home. I floor it and arrive in KL 80 minutes later including a refuel lol.

The smallest furkid gets her special food with guard on the ironing board to stop the others stealing it.

[Heinkeljb]

It's moving along nicely, if you didn't keep losing bits and having to re-make them!

Does the engine run after all this time?

John

[VinceAtReal4x4s]

Nothing like a custom switch panel!

That cat looks like a miniature cougar.

[geckoadventure]

It's moving along nicely, if you didn't keep losing bits and having to re-make them!

Does the engine run after all this time?

John

Yes remaking stuff looses a lot of time which is really precious especially when doing most of the work solo.

Yes it does can no longer hotwire it to run it as all the wiring is connected except the dash sigh.

[geckoadventure]

23 September 2017

The day starts of bad the new phone's alarm sucks and would notwake me up. Damn I leave late after packing the kit I need for today the padding for the knee pads. Feed the furkids etc.

I make it (the 190k) in very good time and get to have breakfast and arrive in time for hte factory to be opened at 9am.

I spend the morning buying RIVNUTS and RIVNUT tool as the workshop one does not do 4mm rivnutz.


I work on the door panels and then realise I have to go do the air conditioning compressor. The hydraulic shop points me to a little hole in the wall air conditioning supplier shop and they are very helpful and replace the complete cylinder head with commonly available parts. Made my day

The repaired compressor ready to back into the Volvo.


Back to the door panels one is almost finished I have 3-4 little cuts to make to make it perfect and work out the spacer needed for the door handle. If only I could find the inside door handles.


The other door panel is also nearing completion.


The knee pads are now bolted in awaiting the padding.




The state of the old Kneepads


Mr Brown did not want his photo taken he wanted to fool around.


Home time 7pm - step on it I'm hungry the 190k whizzes by real fast.

Feed the cats have a meal then gotta do it all again tomorrow. The Isuzu trip meter shows 846k for the weekend when I roll up at the gate.

[geckoadventure]

24 September 2017

Wake up late again - feed the furkids and head off 190k to go. I arrive at 8am and then fall asleep in the car I'm so tired.9.30am I eventually start work. The arduous task of mounting the speaker panels by myself.

The speaker panels marked ready to mount.


Takes me till 1pm to mount the first speaker but its up and looks cool.


Another 3 hiurs and I have the second speaker panel mounted.


At the end of the 3 day weekend what do I have.

Kneepads bolted in


Centre console base bolted in.


Door panels almost ready but they are bolted down




The first foam pad gluing to the alloy kneepad base.


I have to remember the big picture yes its getting there.


Mr Brown finally sat still for 10 seconds on his favourite workbench.


Home time 6.30pm the workshop is clean. 3 and a 1/4 hours home it's a nightmare of traffic accidents and nothing over 120k.

Arrive home after 10pm needing a meal and rest. The poor Isuzu has 1250k on the weekends trip meter.

[VinceAtReal4x4s]

Isn't your shifter handle now too close to the handbrake?

[one2many]

Swedish Volvos use a twin remote brake booster mounted under the cab on the chassis. Is that brake booster set up under the dash standard to Malaysian Volvos? Or was yours changed as part of the disc brake conversion?

[geckoadventure]

Isn't your shifter handle now too close to the handbrake?

Yes it is after they relocated the handbrake. We are still mulling over several ideas on how to fix it.