The story of #89/480 continues...

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The story of #89/480 continues...

Post by 89of480 » Tue Oct 27, 2015 9:51 am

26/10/15

Had a productive weekend!
Preparing the car to be welded up to get rid of the dreaded rust that's had a good go at attacking it!
I also removed the rear seats to have a good clean under them - found a cool £1.20 down there :wink:

As I began removing the rear trim, and removing the boot rubber, it was clear the rust was worse than I thought as half of the lip is missing!
Removing the rear lights proved tricky, as someone had put some serious sealant behind the lenses in a vain hope to stop them leaking. Alas, in the process of removing them, the 20 year old, brittle plastic succumb and shattered everywhere :kill: it was impossible to get them off without breaking them, but they were so faded I suppose it's for the best :?

There is a little bit of welding to be done to the boot floor, thanks to the rear lights, but it's mainly the wheel arch with tonnes of filler on it that needs sorting. Who ever repaired it has literally filled straight over the rust :(

On the plus side, we have fitted a new electric aerial and I did finally fix the SRS light which had been bugging me! After soldering a new wire into the diagnostic tool with a crimp on the end to plug into the ports, we found a fault indicating the steering wheel was open circuit, which I was sure it wasn't, so we reset the memory and boom! The light is finally gone, which was a major concern of mine.

Another interesting find was one of the number plate lights has a 'custom' lens made of plastic! So a new set of those is needed, somehow, and the front number plate holder is in need of renewal as this one is cracked and has plants growing out of it!

Today is the day I will finally order the replacement outer wing from Scandix! And possibly some new rear lenses while they're available, albeit very expensive! A new right hand indicator and day time running cluster is needed too to replace the faded old one, to match a new one someone had fitted on the left a short while ago. I desperately need a new front spoiler too as mine is missing!

But for now, the main focus is the welding. The boot floor, the arch, and the boot rubber lip. These should be sorted within the next couple of weeks! :D

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http://postimg.cc/gallery/2npggbkn6/ here's the link for that thumbnail gallery as images don't seem to be posting too well for me for the moment
Last edited by 89of480 on Mon Jun 04, 2018 10:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The story of #89/480 continues...

Post by 89of480 » Tue Oct 27, 2015 10:21 am

27/10/15

Bought an M reg ES off of eBay for spares! 250 for the whole car! :D and it's only done 51000 miles, it's a little accident damaged, but there will be plenty of parts I'll have off of it! The rear lights, some of the trim, the interior trim as some of mine is broken, the mud flaps, the wheel arch protectors, what I would really love to do is a moon roof transplant! :wink:
But we shall see when the car turns up, hopefully Thursday or Friday! Might even try and have the engine out of it too! And probably the instrument cluster, as my odometer doesn't work :o

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Last edited by 89of480 on Mon Jun 04, 2018 10:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The story of #89/480 continues...

Post by Alan 480 » Thu Oct 29, 2015 12:49 pm

Why not repair the crash damaged one with the front from the maroon one?

and if you want it still to be #89 of 480 then a quick change of number plates/respray/id etc and sorted :-)
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Re: The story of #89/480 continues...

Post by 89of480 » Tue Nov 17, 2015 1:36 pm

Alan 480 wrote:Why not repair the crash damaged one with the front from the maroon one?

and if you want it still to be #89 of 480 then a quick change of number plates/respray/id etc and sorted :-)
My dad and I did decide that if the black one was in much better condition we were going to get that one back going instead. However, upon inspection once I received the car, it was a lot worse than you could make out in the photos :( It looks like it ran into a low post at 40!

I was told upon delivery that it was more or less a one owner car, a full Volvo service history for it's (sadly cut short) life, and then the last owner was in fact an enthusiast, who was (understandably) gutted at his loss.
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Re: The story of #89/480 continues...

Post by 89of480 » Tue Nov 17, 2015 2:32 pm

17/11/15

I apologise for the long delay in writing, I've been so busy at work on the graveyard shift, and the rest of my time has been spent recovering and stripping the other 480!

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The car looked truly beautiful when it turned up! Hardly any rust present anywhere! Even down to the pretty much new :shock: rear cluster and the very good condition left one! And even a brand new exhaust that was fitted very recently! The car was only MOT'd in September, it also had a new screen fitted then, and there was even a parking ticket in the passenger door from September! The poor chap hadn't even had a month's worth of use out of it after then before the 'incident'. Which is a shame, but more bits for me! :wink:

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After removing the rather mangled front end, it became apparent the car had taken a rather large whack. The engine was displaced considerably, the manifold squashed at the back and it later turned out the rear engine mount had snapped. The gearbox dipstick pipe was squashed, but I have the one from the Celebration, and, aside from the annihilated rad, the rest of the engine was remarkably okay. :D

So began the long process of stripping the rest of the car down! After dismantling the front end we got the exhaust off, and I proceeded by removing the mud flaps, wheel arch trims, bonnet, wings, the doors, most of the interior, the sunroof, and the tailgate.

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After only a couple of hours work, the low mileage engine and gearbox were out, in beautiful condition too. After a degrease I think this will look lovely in the front of the Celebration! Especially with a red painted block, and a highly polished rocker cover and intake, me thinks :wink:

Sunday was the day the rear lights came out! The left one was easy (and leaky), it was just a case of cutting the old seal out and carefully peeling the light out! And the centre section which sadly broke on mine :(
The right light was a bit more tricky as someone had smothered it with what appeared to be tiger seal. After much careful cutting, and many kettles of hot water, the light was eventually freed (albeit with one tiny piece that chipped off, but a bit of sealant and you'll never know :wink: )

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Pure Volvo 480 gold dust!! :hopping:

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All that is left for me to strip is the sunroof drain tubes and wiring loom, the dashboard and switches, the tunnel, the carpet, the side markers, and the more I look at it, I might have to cut the roof off in case I need it for a sunroof retrofit :bla:

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Plenty of spares! A lot of which may be for sale :)
Last edited by 89of480 on Mon Jun 04, 2018 10:55 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: The story of #89/480 continues...

Post by Alan 480 » Wed Nov 18, 2015 5:01 pm

Ah that M reg one looks like a massive shunt,

the sort of car you 'could' repair if you had another doner for the front end for and were a dab hand with a MIG welder and maybe a spot welder?

BUT probably not able/allowed to put back on road anyway as insurance would have had a marker on it as it looks in good nick with all body panels clean and straight :-(
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Re: The story of #89/480 continues...

Post by 89of480 » Thu Nov 19, 2015 5:11 am

Alan 480 wrote:Ah that M reg one looks like a massive shunt,

the sort of car you 'could' repair if you had another doner for the front end for and were a dab hand with a MIG welder and maybe a spot welder?

BUT probably not able/allowed to put back on road anyway as insurance would have had a marker on it as it looks in good nick with all body panels clean and straight :-(
It was a shame it took such a whack! I'm sure parts of the wheel arms were bent too, it's a shame as its in much, much better condition than the celebration, everything was clean and straight on it, apart from a dent that had rusted inside the passenger door shut :(

I don't think it was actually recorded as accident damaged though! I'm sure it came back with nothing with one of those plate check things :( but my welding skills are pretty much non-existent... :( well, I've never tried personally, I've never really had to :tomato:

But the ES isn't going to waste as most of it will end up on the celebration, the rear quarters will hopefully be going on within the next week or so to replace the rusted ones on the Celebration, the carpet and some of the trim is in better Nick so I'll keep that too, so it's not wasted :)
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Re: The story of #89/480 continues...

Post by Alan 480 » Thu Nov 19, 2015 4:03 pm

if it keeps another one on the road I guess not all bad, I have same issues with the Reliant SS1, they built 1500 (NOT 15000) and only about 700 left, half o fthose are on SORN, although the number goes up and down with the seasons :-)

it is always a shame to see one broken for spares, but some are beyond repar as early ones were painted chassis and rotted out :-( however Reliant had made the Robin with galv chassis for a few years prior so no idea why they didn't do the SS1 :? later SS1 were galv :D
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Re: The story of #89/480 continues...

Post by 89of480 » Sat Apr 14, 2018 3:17 am

I realise it has been a while...

But things have been very hectic really, and the 480 has sadly been on the backburner recently, however, she is still with us, she just needs more love and attention! The car was MOT’d in March last year, and I was able to enjoy a journey to London and back for work in the blazing summer heat, all without missing a beat, which I was very pleased about! I had the rear engine mount changed to stop the clunking when shifting between drive and reverse too. I’ve even had some of the mismatching paint sprayed in, however, the car really does need a going over with paint; I have the correct paint and lacquer, I just need to find somewhere that will do it...
Unfortunately the car has been staying at my friend’s house while I have been sorting storage, and one of his family members had left the driver’s door adjar, so now my nice replacement carpet is all waterlogged, fantastic! Dehumidifier it is then...
The main thing the car needs now is the speed sensor sorting; it works intermittently, but then stops working, and then says I am doing 100mph while completely stationary! I’m not sure if it’s a problem with the connector, or the actual sensor itself, I’ll have to put an ohmmeter across it and see. Once this is complete, then the car is fully running, and it will be purely cosmetic work that needs polishing off now, aside from the A/C! That might be a bit knackered by now...

Here’s a picture of her from recently;

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Here she is enjoying the journey home from work in Tunbridge Wells;

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And here she is in London;

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Now I just need a new MOT, and to get the car from East Sussex to Swindon, and hopefully get the speed sensor sorted once and for all!
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Re: The story of #89/480 continues...

Post by arthuy » Fri Apr 20, 2018 7:17 pm

Looking smart.

With the speedo check the cable first mine was shocking. It is like a coaxial cable and the outer had broken in a few places. You can loop the connector either at the speedo or the engine and test from the other end. I did this and proved it was dis, then used a length of twin core cable and a plug that matches the loom connector to prove continuity. I rewired the cable and no problems since.

Interested to hear about the rear engine mount, I think I have a similar problem. was it easy to source and change?

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Re: The story of #89/480 continues...

Post by 89of480 » Fri Apr 27, 2018 2:25 am

arthuy wrote:
Fri Apr 20, 2018 7:17 pm
Looking smart.

With the speedo check the cable first mine was shocking. It is like a coaxial cable and the outer had broken in a few places. You can loop the connector either at the speedo or the engine and test from the other end. I did this and proved it was dis, then used a length of twin core cable and a plug that matches the loom connector to prove continuity. I rewired the cable and no problems since.

Interested to hear about the rear engine mount, I think I have a similar problem. was it easy to source and change?
The rear engine mount I sourced from Scandix.de - as for fitting it, I don’t think it’s too horrendous, but I had my local garage chuck it on for me as I know them quite well, and as I was struggling for free time to do it too.

Thanks for the tip regarding the speedo cable, hopefully Saturday I should be able to bring the car back to a safe place where I can work on it so I’m really hoping to be able to look at the cable (again), check the resistance, check the terminations, reterminate or rewire, and hopefully finally get it sorted!

Then all I need is a decent paint shop for a decent price :wall:
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Re: The story of #89/480 continues...

Post by 89of480 » Sun Apr 29, 2018 1:14 pm

2 weeks ago...

So yesterday I started getting the car ready for MOT again, I’ve taken the battery away to try and recover it, it was brand new only a couple of months ago but it has suffered where the car has been left. I’ve removed the boot carpet and the rear seats completely to mop up the water that has come in through the rear lights, I put new foam on them but I never sealed them as I had the intentions of painting the car at the time, these parts have been drying outside for now luckily, I just need to be in a position to remove the driver’s seat and lift up the carpet on that side where the water has been sitting, it’s not ideal because I live away for work at the weekends :( But my next job will be to get that seat out sooner rather than later and try and dry that carpet out!
The windscreen needs replacing as it has cracked around the interior mirror, but that might be a good time to address the small bubbles that have been above the windscreen since I’ve owned the car, hopefully nothing too bad! :eek:

A steam clean under the bonnet is needed too! If that’s actually a good idea? I know how quirky these electronics are.....
So far, everything I can think of that has been done to the car;
-Rear quarter panel replaced from donor car
-Boot rubber seal lip welded and repaired
-Boot floor repaired
-Floor on passenger side repaired
-Engine and gearbox replaced from donor car
-New stainless exhausted fitted from donor car
-Driver’s door replaced with donor car door and sprayed (temporary fix)
-Very good condition front and rear clusters fitted from donor car
-Carpet (sigh) and other interior trim parts replaced with unbroken or better quality items from donor car
-Blown interior bulbs replaced
-Electric aerial fitted to replace weird static aerial that had been fitted
-Rear bumper main body replaced from donor car
-Speedo replaced to match replacement engine
-New rear engine mount from Scandix fitted
-Leaky drive shaft seal replaced with new Scandix replacement
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Re: The story of #89/480 continues...

Post by brinkie » Sun Apr 29, 2018 6:31 pm

89of480 wrote:
Sun Apr 29, 2018 1:14 pm
The windscreen needs replacing as it has cracked around the interior mirror, but that might be a good time to address the small bubbles that have been above the windscreen since I’ve owned the car, hopefully nothing too bad! :eek:
Prepare for a shock... It might look like this underneath.

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It is the third most common source of rot in the 480 (first being the wheel arches and second the inner bumper supports).
Robert.

Present cars: 1994 Volvo 480 GT 2.0i, 1999 Volvo S70 2.5 Europa, 2010 Volvo V70 2.0F Momentum

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Re: The story of #89/480 continues...

Post by jifflemon » Sun Apr 29, 2018 7:14 pm

89of480 wrote:
Sun Apr 29, 2018 1:14 pm
A steam clean under the bonnet is needed too! If that’s actually a good idea? I know how quirky these electronics are.....
You can do an awful lot of cleaning without a steam cleaner; usual precautions apply. Cover sensitive stuff (cap, coil etc).
Plenty of good degreasers with judicious use of old tooth brushes and you'd be amazed....

Got a shot of engine bay showing how bad it is?

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Re: The story of #89/480 continues...

Post by 89of480 » Tue May 01, 2018 2:18 am

brinkie wrote:
Sun Apr 29, 2018 6:31 pm
89of480 wrote:
Sun Apr 29, 2018 1:14 pm
The windscreen needs replacing as it has cracked around the interior mirror, but that might be a good time to address the small bubbles that have been above the windscreen since I’ve owned the car, hopefully nothing too bad! :eek:
Prepare for a shock... It might look like this underneath.

It is the third most common source of rot in the 480 (first being the wheel arches and second the inner bumper supports).
Thanks for the heads up mate, funnily enough, I did see your post about this the other day which did concern me! All I can say is that I haven’t seen any signs of the trims being misshapen or any signs of delamination, but it’s scary knowing what could be behind the screen where you can’t see!
Luckily, I have a good friend who is good with a welder, the same one that helped me with the new rear quarte , if it comes to that, but hopefully not! All I can see are 2 bubbles and another one inside the passenger door shut :(

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Re: The story of #89/480 continues...

Post by 89of480 » Tue May 01, 2018 2:21 am

jifflemon wrote:
Sun Apr 29, 2018 7:14 pm
89of480 wrote:
Sun Apr 29, 2018 1:14 pm
A steam clean under the bonnet is needed too! If that’s actually a good idea? I know how quirky these electronics are.....
You can do an awful lot of cleaning without a steam cleaner; usual precautions apply. Cover sensitive stuff (cap, coil etc).
Plenty of good degreasers with judicious use of old tooth brushes and you'd be amazed....

Got a shot of engine bay showing how bad it is?
As it happens, I do have a shot! the only thing that bothers me about the bay is where the car was sitting for a few years before I purchased it, I even had the engine and box out and replaced the, its’ a real shame I didn’t get a chance to properly clean the bay with those out the way! I would prefer not to use a steam cleaner, I doubt the 480’s electronics would like that one bit!!!

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Re: The story of #89/480 continues...

Post by 89of480 » Tue May 01, 2018 2:24 am

Here’s a couple more pictures of the car from last weekend when I was able to get the car back from my friend’s place back to somewhere safe and able to remove the wet interior and let it dry, and attack the speed sensor once again! Hopefully when I return home in a couple of weeks I will be MOT ready and have a working speed sensor and be able to get my (dry) interior back together! :D

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Re: The story of #89/480 continues...

Post by brinkie » Tue May 01, 2018 11:57 am

89of480 wrote:
Tue May 01, 2018 2:18 am
Thanks for the heads up mate, funnily enough, I did see your post about this the other day which did concern me! All I can say is that I haven’t seen any signs of the trims being misshapen or any signs of delamination, but it’s scary knowing what could be behind the screen where you can’t see!
Luckily, I have a good friend who is good with a welder, the same one that helped me with the new rear quarte , if it comes to that, but hopefully not! All I can see are 2 bubbles and another one inside the passenger door shut :(

Image
See it from the bright side: your Flame Red car suffers from peeling clearcoat like all Flame Red cars do. So when you're done rustproofing the A-pillars and the roof edge, you have to respray the roof anyway which takes care of the paint problem.
It's a bit costly but it will make your car look like new again!
Robert.

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Re: The story of #89/480 continues...

Post by 89of480 » Wed May 02, 2018 12:26 am

brinkie wrote:
Tue May 01, 2018 11:57 am
89of480 wrote:
Tue May 01, 2018 2:18 am
Thanks for the heads up mate, funnily enough, I did see your post about this the other day which did concern me! All I can say is that I haven’t seen any signs of the trims being misshapen or any signs of delamination, but it’s scary knowing what could be behind the screen where you can’t see!
Luckily, I have a good friend who is good with a welder, the same one that helped me with the new rear quarte , if it comes to that, but hopefully not! All I can see are 2 bubbles and another one inside the passenger door shut :(

Image
See it from the bright side: your Flame Red car suffers from peeling clearcoat like all Flame Red cars do. So when you're done rustproofing the A-pillars and the roof edge, you have to respray the roof anyway which takes care of the paint problem.
It's a bit costly but it will make your car look like new again!
You are quite right! The whole car is suffering badly from lacquer peel, so the only option is respraying the whole car anyway! I am already one step ahead, I have some Flame Red Metallic paint I had mixed up not too long ago, enough for the whole car, I am just currently in the process of trying to get a price from my good friend and hopefully we will see a nice fresh coat of Flame Red Metallic soon! :D
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Re: The story of #89/480 continues...

Post by dragonflyjewels » Wed May 02, 2018 7:22 am

Will we see you on 12th May?
Sylvia

Snazzy - 1993 Paris Blue ES red dipstick 2.0i bought 2001
Lethal Lily - 1991 White Turbo
Paris the Unicorn - 1991 Paris Edition
hubby has
Sven - 1994 Racing Green GT
Evil Eva - 1992 Paris Blue Turbo

no previous 480s - can't bear to sell any

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