Builds The Volvo C304 restoration. (1 Viewer)

[cicak]

5 December 2016

One week on the Volvo coming first we move the cabin ready for a trial fit sometime this week. The whole crew is available to work on the Volvo all week. So I'm calling it the big rush week.

All hands on deck to install the ceiling.

Poor Yap trying to figue out how to do the front ceiling.

Mr Brown jumps up to assist and supervise

End of Day 1 of thhe big rush we have the roof done

Evening I end up 90k away at the closing ceremony of the 2016 RFC with 2 other friends who decided in a drinking session in Chang Mai in Thailand on Saturday night to fly to Malaysia lol and several other friends also came at the last minute.

 

[cicak]

6 December 2016

Picked up the kiwi video crew from their RFC 2016 hotel took them to see the Volvo in IPOH did a video interview for OFFOAD EXPRESS NZ and then back to Kuala Lumpur and out for dinner with the others.

7 December 2016

Slow morning after the long 190k drive backup to IPOH I managed to fly up early in the morning rather quickly lol

By the middle of the afernoon all the top removeable panels are completed except one which is being remade in the morning

I work on the front cabin panels getting them all to be removeable correctly for easy access.

 

[cicak]

8 December 2016

I'm out getting window rubber and bolts then have to go out again when we realise the window rubber is incorrect anD we cannot get the reversing camera to work and until it works we cannot glue down the roof so out I go again to find EPILSON reversing camera's a quick call to the importer from the box gives me the local IPOh supplier. Buy a new one and we replace the cable on the roof retest tomorrow 6PM hometime.

Then it's time to assist with the bottom panel gluing session 5.01pm we start have to finish by 6pm. 4 of us get it done withh 15 minutes to spare.

Tomorrow we will know if its all looking good.

Initial impression is the truck now looks clean and simple inside

 

[cicak]

9 December 2016

The end result of last nights gluing session is shade awesome, but oh and we need new gas stuts damn the 400M one's are not strong enough I need 600N the doors start to drop down a little.

So a 45 square foot jungle workshop is what it looks like now.

We retest the reverse camera after laying the new wires and yup it fails again so afer much stuffing around it finally works and the Battery Monitor turns up from the UK. Fit next week.

Next is the windows I fit the 2 side windows and give them a clean they come out smick.

Now the locks. Yap starts to modify the locks to accommodate the central locking while I clean out the holes for the locks to fit in.

Next week this will be ready to install and test out wow a 36 year old truck with Cental locking lol. The welded up keyhole is getting something special made up to hide the welded up hole.

We wanted to finish the roof by gluing down the top but alas we run out of time. It will be done first thing Monday morning.

So the end of the week we have thrown some 268 hours at it but missed the big goal of putting the cabin on.

 

[cicak]

10 December 2016 (Saturday)

Worked on the front panels went out to get done bolts for the ceiling as the roofing screws are going to cut my head and they look ugly.

Came back and had one panel almost finished and then the guillotine chopped to much off trying to trim 1mm off SOB. Down tools and we go to lunch and then I head back to Kuala Lumpur for a couple of days.

 

[cicak]

12 December 2016 (Monday)

Charity Day took People from Light up Borneo and potential donors to the scheme to a remote Orang Ali village to do a Mini Hydro recce. 11 4x4's and 37 people. Took my mighty Red truck for a stroll in the Jungle.

The girls from the group looked after the village kids while the other went to do the hydro meauring. Me I just relaxed for once.

However I want one of these little jungle dogs a Telemonian climbs steps loyal, kills snakes, hunts squirrels.

The mighty Red on its new Trepadors which I found to be quite harsh.

Arrive home 11pm exhausted.

 

[cicak]

13 December 2016

Day 6 of the big rush and im in Kuala Lumpur sorting out collecting my new passport then into thhe office to sort out the paperwork for the work permit.


14 December 2016

Day 7 of the big rush and I'm picking up parts for the Volvo from the laser cutters. I have to wait for one part to be cut out as they do not wanna bend it. It's ok we will bend it you just cut it. I wait 1 hour. Then sorting out my work permit yet again. Eventually I arrive at Ipoh 1.30pm.

The door locks are now fited

Cental locking also ready for wiring.

The exhaust heat shield and the turbo sheild waiting to be installed.

Mr Brown getting a Subway cookie.

 

[cicak]

15 December 2016

Day 8 of the big rush.

The exhaust shield is installed by 2 of us.

I started on the watertank install and had a few issues which have taken a day to sort out.

Brett started bending up the turbo heat shield.

Only the turbo heat shield is needed to allow the cabin to be put on tomorrow.

 

[cicak]

16 December 2016

Day 9 of the big rush.

We work all day quietly on the Volvo, Brett continues to bend the turbo heaat shield slowly. Customers come in the shop 7+ and all gravitate to the Volvo many questions etc

I work on the Water tank repair/fit - 6mm spacers are welded to the rear of the tank to cater for the unexpected BUMP.

Brett finishes the welding and leaves me the job of fitting the turbo shield. 2 hours later and a few unusual fixes to fit it and getting late in the day the turbo shield is bolted in.

Quickly we setup for the cabin move

15 minutes later we have mission success the weeks goal is achieved. But it will have to be lifted off Monday morning to fix up the harness sea belt mounts at the rear of the cabin. However everything else is all ok as we do the fit inspection.

She looks great better than I could have imagined. People ask when is the top coat going on. Thats it Ford Creamy White (or Desert storm base paint colour - hehe)

Had to have a pic with the grill in.

Dinner later and we drink a lot of beer lol.

 

[cicak]

17 December 2016

Day 10 of the big rush.

I'm a little slow. Waste 3 hours getting bolts as I got given 4 7/16 bolts not 3/8 like I needed

But ended up getting the harness seat belts fitted. Inspection of the cabin shows it needs to come off as a few of the rollcage holes are a little out.

Take a nap in the boat hammock late in the day as it's sinking hot

 

[cicak]

18 December 2016

Day 12 of the big rush. Another slow day

Worked on the water tank slotted the top bolt holes to make it easier to fit - hey prestto it was much easier to install. Now need to do the filler taps and the outlet taps sometime next week.

Fitted the shunt for the Battery monitor.

Removed the cabin ready for tomorrows work marked all the holes to be trimmed. Removed the air cleaner a we are now attaching the air cleaner bracket and the supports for the harness seat belts together.

 

[cicak]

19 December 2016

Day 13 of the big rush.

Cleaned up the holes with the air tools.

Then we we mounted the cabin. Marked the position of the harness brackets and made up the tubes and welded them to the air cleaner bracket. Bolted down the 4 bolts of the cabin. 8 to go to the rollcage sstill.

We redid the wiring to the injector pump to add a plug to it.

Mr Brown decided to wath everyone from the bow of the boat.

Then it was time for the reason for the big rush to occur. The 12 horse horse float turned up for its revamp and intimidated everything in the workshop with it's size.

Then suddenly it was hometime and this is the Volvo as I left it after 13 days of work on it.

I took the boat home ready for a trip sometime after the Volvo is finished.

Merry XMAS everyone.

 

[Pacer]

Happy holidays, really coming together! Love the big push, good work!

 

[cicak]

29/30 December 2016

Day 1 and 2 of a 5 day rush.

5 days to work on the Volvo in a row.

I work on creating the nice entry of the 4 power steering hoses into the cabin LEFT, RIGHT, POWER and RETURN .

Day 1

Remove the brake and booster and the clutch cylinders . We cut and brace the dash.

Cut the hole for the hoses and start the plate from 4mm alloy.

Day 2 then assist with the wiring of the central locking putting the wiring internally in the door frame.

5.15pm we have glued down the rear cabin alloy valance. Day work is over no wait the horse float is out we can get to the front roll cage. Pick it up and install it slowly. The horse float is reversed back in as we finish. The truck is complete no more large parts remain to be bolted down.

The roll cage looks good in the new colours.

The 4 hole plate which is giving me grief

6.10pm leave the workshop. Then the trusty Isuzu DIES about 500meters from the workshop engine check light on. It runs enough with light off to get it back to the workshop, leave it and leg it the 2+k back to the hotel via a halfway meal and a cold beer to cure my sorrows. I think its fuel filter will check in morning.

 

[cicak]

31 December 2016

9am we take the Isuzu to the workshop but not before I walk 2.5k in the rain too get breakfast. Isuzu say they wil ring later in the day with a diagnosis. They do 2 fuel pressure sensors have died in the fuel line.

Cannot repair till next Thursday.
Day 3 of the little rush. Brett takes me down to the hydraulic shop we ercut hoses to length and clamp up the end etc for the power steering. So afternoon I start off labelling the power steering hoses at both ends with clear shrink wrap.

The water tank is ready to be tapped up, However we have decided to make one out of stainless steel instead.

I make a bracket to hold the power steering hoses up high under the cabin

Now it's almost completed.

As I leave the workshop for the long walk to the hotel via a beer and a meal. Tomorrow is a new year

 

[cicak]

1 January 2017

Does not start well a walk in the rain to breakfasst then picked up and taken to the workshop we decide to bolt down the front roll cage. Hmm it will not the top bolts do not line up I confirm with Brett I have to trim 7mm of the right side top and 1mm form the left side due to the welds stopping the tubes sliding in and we also need to clean up the joins they look awful and some scraps and water damage. It's decided off it comes.

Making the plug to seal the top tubes from a piece of 4*2 that the guard puppy chewed up,

Then fitting with sealant

Then fixing the welds and the grinding mistakes from removing a cross joint gone wrong.

Then we check the gear lever to see if it'ss working. It is but we discover 4 wires we had missed from the loom. Damn!!!!!!!!

Now we have the issue of the ugly hole from some beaver who called themselves a workshop from the previous owner to deal with also this will burn vauable time. The deadline is 5/March/2017 my birthday.

Home time I have the front roll cage sanded, filled and undercoated and repainted it looks smick and I cut the ends off correctly an verify with a vernier ruler. The roll cage fits as I fit it myself with the forklift and a bit of string. It bolts in 10 bolts of the 14. The last 4 well I missed thats 6mm hole with a 8mm thread. Needs to be fixed also.

 

[cicak]

2 January 2017

Day is for pedals I find everything I neeed, hen its lunchtime and then the heart plays up cos I forgot to take the tablets yesteray and this morning I have to rest for the rest of the arvo.

Hometime pic.

The 5 day visit ends sadly with a wasted 1/2 day.

Train home to Kuala Lumpur

 

[cicak]

7 January

Damn the Isuzu is not ready so ISUZU inform me leaving a lasst minute plan of taking the mighty Landcuiser up with its dead air conditioning of taxi train an taxi's I elect the Landcuiser. So we (Joe fom the kids home) arrive 10.00am yes I'm late hot wet with sweat and the windows rolled down for 190k.

First time for Joe make 8 2" Square plates with a nut attached for the underneath of the seats so there is no chance of seat mount bolts pulling through in an emergency. So guillotine lessonss under strict adult supervision.

My job searching for nutz an bolts and missing wipers part. I fluke the end of the steering lock nut. One WF nut left that we that at the bolt shop by taking the whole steering assembly to the bolt shop.

Then its time for the pedal assemby it does not go well. The master cylinder bolt hole does not line up with the brake pedal.

End of the day what do we have pedal assembly not working. Seat bolt down points done without turning on the argon gas damn. Pedal assembly failed. Steering ready waiting for pedals to be installed.

 

[cicak]

8 January 2017

It's decided after measuring the pedal travel and position etc that the pedal axle needs to be 30mm lower to give 40mm of travel and match up to the lower position of the master cylinder.

The two part pedal is made.

Then I make the bottom of the pedal and the bushes from solid bar and drill them out. They will be welded up Monday as we do not have a long enough 14mm bolt in the workshop but it's now ready to go.

The new templates for the floor coverings are made

Home via a visit to my Ipoh Mum and then windows down the whole 205k drive home

 

[scrapdaddy]

Looks like a great time, being in the shop building parts. Good Job!