Restoration of an 480ES 1987

DaKyy · Post by **DaKyy** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 9:36 am

Because of the lack of project blog area, I'll start up my project blog here.

My aim is to restore my dear old 1987 Volvo 480 ES 1.7i.

Summary this far

I began my project 2005. My 480 had been pulled out of road use previous fall as it wouldn't have passed it's annual MOT.

I started to list up things to fix:

Rear shocks were busted as well as the springs

As were the brakes...

...And brake shields

I got new springs (LesjÃ¯Â¿Â½fors 30mm drop) and a set of shocks (Bilstein). Also new brake parts were gathered. All new brake calipers: ATE refubished cooled front calipers and refurbished rear calipers. Lucas discs and pads.

Then the bodywork. Just a little bit of rust here and there...

Behind rear bumper (have you even checked yours?)

That once was a bumper frame

Windshield edges...

...Door

DaKyy · Post by **DaKyy** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 9:44 am

She also would get these:
- New brake shields
- New bushes all around
- New wishbones
- New rear radius arms
- Several other bits I already forgot or try to forget.

I then started to dismantle the car

I painted the rear axle and changed the bushes and installed the new radius arms.

Then I got a spares car

Soon the rear started to look a bit better:

This was done during 2005.

DaKyy · Post by **DaKyy** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 9:58 am

2006 came and I bought a decent tent to do the fixing in... Last year it poured all the water inside my ES and the old seats were covered with mold.

New tent and some paint already under the old rad

Those shocks look pretty bad as well as the brakes. I also put in new bearings to the front as the brake shields were replaced.

Because of the mold I threw the old seats away and cleaned the interior all around.

Whee - FISHEYE

a bit of sanding and new rustpaint and it looks better already

"New" seats from germany arrived

And I installed them. Torx's were a bitch

I removed the old front shocks

And started to fit back the pieces

Found out I did it the wrong way around. Notice the old rad on the ground - new rad was installed and fresh juices were put in.

MID-AIR

new shocks and springs

Rear calipers on place

Finally back on paws

It almost fits

New rear bumper frame. 170euros from Volvo.

Current state:

Rear bumper back on place
Brakes are now working and new hand brake cables installed.

To be continued...

DaKyy · Post by **DaKyy** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 11:24 am

VBB - feel free to transfer this thread if it is on wrong forum.

VanDerGraaf · Post by **VanDerGraaf** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 11:30 am

Wow- great work there my man!

Hope to do something similar one day with my Turbo....need another car first though.

Bakke · Post by **Bakke** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 12:43 pm

Nice project dakyy. Coyote really should open a new subforum for all our projects ! keep up the nice work.

Roo · Post by **Roo** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 1:05 pm

Bakke wrote:Nice project dakyy. Coyote really should open a new subforum for all our projects ! keep up the nice work.

I've got a project i'd like to share too but not going to put it up as there's no area on the forum for it.
Maybe one day along with a 'how to' section...

Roo · Post by **Roo** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 1:06 pm

Nice project BTW!

DaKyy · Post by **DaKyy** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 6:44 pm

Post yer projects all over the forum like I do

Maybe that is the way to get the much needed project area...

Thanks for the feedback and a big thank you to everyone who has helped me with my problems.(edit: with the car

) I've never repaired any cars so this is quite an experiment for me. You try and learn.

Car will receive new coating hopefully next summer. The colour will probably be original code 199. I haven't decided yet on the Hausser kit which I desire, but Bakke is being a bitch about it not wanting to send it to Finland

So I'm thinking maybe a road trip to belgium next summer?

hebruins · Post by **hebruins** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 7:05 pm

Great project !

When repainting I would keep it white and not go for a bodykit, just get the bumpers colourcoded.

Milosz_480 · Post by **Milosz_480** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 7:38 pm

Get a front spoiler paint it white and enjoy

Really good job!
Despite not having a good garage you really managed very well!
For what you've done to your 480 you deserve for a better status than "Knows an Aerodeck isn't a 480"
Admin think about it

Looking forward to your project!

Murf · Post by **Murf** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 9:49 pm

Nice work dude! Another 480 saved from the scrappy

DaKyy · Post by **DaKyy** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 11:06 am

hebruins wrote:Great project !

When repainting I would keep it white and not go for a bodykit, just get the bumpers colourcoded.

Yes the 199 is the original white color

I already have Lee's snowcap ready to get on to the hood.

So the bodykit would prolly fit good... And the rims will be Borbet A.

@Milosz: Any ideas where to get on with a decent prize? I would've bought Lee's spoiler but there was no way to ship it without huge postage costs.

@Murf: Yeah

Some things just belong and you won't let them go no matter what. 480 was my dream car since I was ten so no way I would let this one go, even if it would look like a lost cause. It was my first car and I bought it with my own money. Atleast this car will serve as a wedding car...

stu chacks · Post by **stu chacks** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 11:55 am

Love seeing posts like this with plenty of photo's, nice 1 Dakyy, as time marches on more and more of us will be needing to start doing these projects I guess.

I'll second a seperate section you have your (cars) story/photo's on too, would be a great idea.

Stu.

Agwa Moose · Post by **Agwa Moose** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 12:12 pm

Nice work mate

Good to see another one saved

J

robkendall · Post by **robkendall** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 12:36 pm

it always makes me slightly feel guilty when i see the amount of work some people put into their 480s, and over here we seem to still treat them as moderately disposable....slightest thing wrong, we sell and buy another etc....

nice restore dude.
rgrds
rob

Brasco · Post by **Brasco** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 2:28 pm

robkendall wrote:it always makes me slightly feel guilty when i see the amount of work some people put into their 480s, and over here we seem to still treat them as moderately disposable....slightest thing wrong, we sell and buy another etc....

nice restore dude.
rgrds
rob

Yeh! The Baroness is in far better condition than that ES, and she's off to the scrap yard. It's a case of not having the kind of wealth that justifies this kind of restore!

Milosz_480 · Post by **Milosz_480** » Sat Oct 14, 2006 6:59 pm

Curently I'm working on front spoiler. I'll inform you when I'll have first one. I think that posting cost from Poland/Sweden (where my sister lives) can be lower than from UK.

DaKyy · Post by **DaKyy** » Sat Oct 14, 2006 10:32 pm

Cool, let me know when you're ready

DaKyy · Post by **DaKyy** » Sat Oct 14, 2006 10:37 pm

Brasco wrote:Yeh! The Baroness is in far better condition than that ES, and she's off to the scrap yard. It's a case of not having the kind of wealth that justifies this kind of restore!

Well I'm currently counting just below 2000 euros for the parts alone for this project. Still to come is the painting, new windshield and some bodywork at the garage, sits around 2000 euros. You'd get a decent 480 with that money even here! I've gone coo-coo!

But you know, It's not about the money. It is what this individual means and represents to me personally.

Volvo 480 Club Europe

Restoration of an 480ES 1987

Restoration of an 480ES 1987

Re: Ancient 480 restoration project - - 56k WARNING!

Re: Ancient 480 restoration project - - 56k WARNING!