Builds The Volvo C304 restoration. (1 Viewer)

[cicak]

4 September 2014

Finished up the top hatch locking tabs. Welded in the tie downs points and finished the fold down steps locking pins.

Then it was the time for the strip. All the bolts are undone 8 to go in the morning to lift the rear out.

The doors have an internal rust issue to be dealt with

Front cage off and the wiring loom stripped and labelled.

All the doors frames etc removed

Side view

Tomorrow the LIFT off.

 

[cicak]

5 September 2014

Continuing the stripping today all stripped and all touchup welding done and then we discovered that 2 braces had been missed on the rear body and the 6 contact points with the cabin needed more work.

Damn fit the cage back on and redo the welds took us an hour to fit it properly to effect the repair.

Time for home to repair the busted CV joint on the mighty troopy they had one set of welds left to do.

Monday finish the remaining touchups on the body

Tuesday off to the paint shop for the sandblasting and undercoat.

 

[Christian]

Thanks for the update, please keep them coming!

 

[doughboy]

Awesome stuff Cicak!! Can't wait to see it finished.

 

[Mudder]

This may be a long shot but any updates?

 

[cicak]

11 December 2014

Sorry been slightly sick so been resting the heart work/home/rest work/home/rest

Quick visit to collect my new boat trailer and then check on the Volvo at the same time.
Progress has been made.
Chassis has been painted black
Rear cabin frame has been sandblasted and undercoated
Front Cabin is to be split and sent to a sandblaster who uses softer blasting material not steel pellets like was used for the Rear Frame.

Chassis painted - sorry about the pellet etc on top but no time to move it.

The Cabin with more touchup brazing done.

THe rear cabin frame all undercoated

Wiring loom is all tubes up ready to install

Next is top coat for frame and cabin after blasting this week, I have to pass the paint code to paint shop also asap.

2 months they say drive away from workshop.

Heart is ok sort of. On Cardio's orders no more whitewater activities. No more 4x4 Competition driving or wenching, no more endurance kayaking or cycling. Tablets keeping the heart stable.

 

[cicak]

25 Feb 2015

Quick update

After the efforts required for the massive flood relief and now subsequent food drops and the latest supplying clean water I have not had much time to look at the Volvo.

I heard it was sandblasted and then in paint I sent them the paint code for RESCUE ORANGE as I have offered the Volvo to be a main squad vehicle for the Malaysian Emergency Disaster Rescue Force - Elite 4x4 Search & Rescue Squad hence it now has to be orange.

I will get an update this week and post some pics of the rescue stuff and a link to our rescue story from an outsider.

 

[D'Animal]

Good to hear your heart condition is under control.

Any update on the rig?

 

[BeratE]

How are things going with this beast?

 

[cicak]

After a small cash crisis it was supposed to be painted last week (while I was away fishing for a week) so I could go up this week and pend 5 days working on the reassembly. However the painter claims they cannot find the paint code I asked for rats damn . So I am organizing the painting this week instead sigh. TArget is to hjave finished ready to support the expected huge floods again this XMAS here in Malaysia as the logging has intensified not decreased,

 

[cicak]

after a small cash crisis it was supposed to be painted last week (while I was away fishing) but the paint shop cried saying the paint code I gace them was wrong and could not get to the internet URL I gave them for the colour code SOB so I could go up for the next 5 days this week and work on reassembly. So now its being painted this week instead I hope.

I need the Volvo finished for the upcoming monsoon season as the LOGGING has intensified not reduced and the chances of bigger flooding is even higher this year.

 

[pfran42]

Subscribed!

 

[Hugh Heifer]

I thought I had a long build thread. We moved to Manila while watching this thread. If we make it to KL we are coming by to give you a nudge!

 

[cicak]

11 Sept 2015

Latest update its been undercoated and the top coat is due to be done next week.

More updates when I get a PAinted PIC.

 

[BeratE]

Oh, now that's just a teaser! What does it look like now?

 

[cicak]

07/12/2015

Status of the Volvo is total chaos. We are really struggling to paint it. For the past 4-5 months we have been trying to sort out colour and a paint shop. We have had stupid quotes such as 5-6K local which i basically like saying USD 6,000 to paint a cabin only which only needs to be lightly sanded as its already undercoated.

Then we get oh my workers have run away due to the currency devaluation (the ringgit has drooped some 30% against the USD this year) .

Also the builder is now away at the Malaysian 4x4 Rainforest challenge for the past 9 days it it finishes tomorrow so maybe Wednesday he will be back unless they win and he will be drinking lol. We had a long chat on last Sunday abou it his mates there also giving him a hard time get it finished lol. The paint shop across the road from the workshop wants to bodyfill the car even though there is nothing wrong with it. He's getting them to look at it on Thursday and explain what I want no FILLER. Then we wait for the rediculous quote yet again.

 

[cicak]

12/12/2015

Well the builder run me Thursday come up and see me I'm sick of the painters quotes.

So Saturday took the trusty Isuzu and attached the boat and trailer, had a swiush breakfast and then headed to the workshop 190K away. Fark me holiday traffic and 3.5 hours later.

Reversed the trailer in for the addition of rollers to combat the issues on steep boat ramps and a dry pull out and to make it 3 feet shorter. No the dog is not the trailer tow dog. He is also still deciding whether to rebuild the new fuel tank/seat which has leaked again 3 weeks after the boat shop repaired it looks like the did mig welding and not tig on the fuel tank so its split - YIKES!

Then onto to the real purpose of the trip the Volvo.

The final requote they got was $4800 and oh we will do you a favor we will paint it in the workshop for you. 4800 just for the cabin and the roll cage its laughable.

So it was decided. In the workshop we will get our own painter and paint it in the same area they paint the trailer axles So sometime in the next 10 days it will be painted and assembled. The winches and all the chassis stuff will be attached in the next 10 days (Winches and wiring etc). I marked all the areas which need a little putty before the top coat is applied.

Before you ask the beast beside the Volvo is a 2WD 400HP Nissan V6 powered Landrover Alison gearbox etc and yes it goes. No its out of scope for this story line lol.


The Build has recommenced the target is before my birthday in March.

 

[cicak]

24/12/2015

Good news cabin split in two and removed from chassis to do the touch up welding send putty work.

So next week almost ready for painting.

So merry XMAS to you all from me and my friend Mr Cheshire.

My little friend Cheshire happily sleeping on my chest. So go give your pets a hug for XMAS.

Honest it was me that made this mess it was the black cat at the door "Fury" is his name. Yes the mess was really made by Cheshire.

May all your offroad trips for 2016 be action packed. Laying out the practical course for charity group 4x4 driver training lol what they never saw lol.

 

[cicak]

2 Feb 2016

I rung for a progress report and got told none so I asked why he said no staff to do the body work. So being years since I prepped a body I volunteered to do my own vehicle.

Monday wa a pub holiday and they offered me the workshop for Sunday and they would help me Monday.

So Sunday morning 9am im 190k away from home at the workshop. I start had a quick look at the Cabin and did a quick plan of attack. All day I played with small amounts of body filler. By the end of the day the cabin wac starting to look close to being ready for paint. Original dents etc were left alone

The frame as Sunday morning

My companion while I did the top of the cabin was the workshop new guarddog the cazy happy 7month old mongrel

The rear panel is a bit of a mess but its been decided its original we leave it.

Filling the repair work from the patches added to the roof.

Oh yeah the pooch likes ICE as its over 34c here at present

Preparing the paint

Inside of the cabin top painted

We sat this here this morning ready to paint then we realised the sealant we added at lunchtime took 24 hours to cure our mistake for not picking it up yesterday

So after 2.5 days work of pure hard work in the heat I have made a lot of progress.
Early this evening we moved stuff around to enable the rear cage to be painted.

Rear cage 2/4 sanded tomorrow they can finish it and paint it

The doors are being taken apart a there is a small rust issue in the top/bottom join area.

3rd coat on the top of the cabin.

So next Monday Chinese new year to be spent in the workshop.

 

[Pacer]

Way to get after it!
I can't wait to see this done!

Sent from my XT1056