We need to stop this myth....

Here you can talk about the joy owning a Volvo 480 brings. Non-technical discussions take place here, like what is the difference between an ES and a S version.

Moderators: jifflemon, coyote1980, Rachel

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jifflemon
480 Is my middle name
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Joined: Sat Dec 17, 2016 11:03 am

We need to stop this myth....

Post by jifflemon » Sun Mar 10, 2019 5:36 pm

That the best way to prevent leaks is to seal the rear lights in.
:wall:

Had a call from my brother on Saturday, He had found a 480 in a salvage yard. Perfect rear clusters but had been sealed in.
Sent me a picture, I said to get at any cost, even if it meant cutting the rear end metal out.
As he was leaving to go home to get Stanley knives, plastic pry tools and a hack saw, he enquired on the price. £10 each!
He returned to find the yard had decided to help him by removing them.....

I’m sure you know how the story ends.

Sealing lights in means it’s next to impossible to remove without damaging them. I’d argue it’s not even a fix for leaks.

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dragonflyjewels
480 Is my middle name
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Re: We need to stop this myth....

Post by dragonflyjewels » Sun Mar 10, 2019 5:39 pm

:cryhard: :cryhard: :cryhard: :cryhard: :cryhard:
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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dcwalker
480 Is my middle name
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Location: York

Re: We need to stop this myth....

Post by dcwalker » Sun Mar 10, 2019 8:09 pm

Aw nooooo☹️

Your are right Jeff - we need to stop this happening!!

David
Current: 1994 480 GT, 1996 460 CD & 1997 440 LE with lots of optional extras & 2007 V50 SE Sport
Previous: Celebration 331 (re-homed with Richard S), Celebration 467 (returned to Martin Mc); Celebration 346 (re-homed with Alan480); Celebration 269 (scrapped abandoned project), Celebration 73 (sold on after 6 years), 1992 ES, 1988 ES - and numerous other non-480 Volvos!

timrosser
Advanced 480 rookie
Posts: 546
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2010 2:22 pm

Re: We need to stop this myth....

Post by timrosser » Mon Mar 11, 2019 2:31 pm

Ok, not wanting to add to the suffering of others, but sealing must stop at least some water?

jifflemon
480 Is my middle name
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Re: We need to stop this myth....

Post by jifflemon » Mon Mar 11, 2019 3:16 pm

timrosser wrote:
Mon Mar 11, 2019 2:31 pm
Ok, not wanting to add to the suffering of others, but sealing must stop at least some water?
It depends how you seal. £30 spent with Joep will get you new light seals. That will stop any leak coming in from the lights (although I'd argue very few leaks originate from the lights!).

Those seals will also mean you can remove the lights should you ever need to.

jifflemon
480 Is my middle name
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Re: We need to stop this myth....

Post by jifflemon » Mon Mar 11, 2019 7:24 pm

And just to add insult to injury....

Brother went back today armed with his big brothers shopping list of parts. They’ve only gone and cubed it!

“Everything breaks when you try and remove stuff, so there’s no value in these old cars....”

Everything breaks if your ham fisted moron whose only tools are a hammer! :angry:

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dragonflyjewels
480 Is my middle name
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Re: We need to stop this myth....

Post by dragonflyjewels » Mon Mar 11, 2019 8:40 pm

I sealed our rear lights with sealed cell foam cut to shape. Not a perfect fit as making the template was tricky, but you can't see it anyway now it's in.
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

jifflemon
480 Is my middle name
Posts: 2464
Joined: Sat Dec 17, 2016 11:03 am

Re: We need to stop this myth....

Post by jifflemon » Mon Mar 11, 2019 8:50 pm

But, and here’s the important bit, you can still easily remove your lights right?

Imagine you get a small dent in the rear panel; easily fixed, just pop the lights out and a decent pdr man could get it out.

Only your rear lights are sealed in, and in trying to remove those lights, they break the brittle plastic outer lens and now your car is a write off cos the cost of lights exceeds the value of the car...

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dcwalker
480 Is my middle name
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Location: York

Re: We need to stop this myth....

Post by dcwalker » Mon Mar 11, 2019 9:36 pm

jifflemon wrote:
Mon Mar 11, 2019 7:24 pm
And just to add insult to injury....

Brother went back today armed with his big brothers shopping list of parts. They’ve only gone and cubed it!

“Everything breaks when you try and remove stuff, so there’s no value in these old cars....”

Everything breaks if your ham fisted moron whose only tools are a hammer! :angry:
Nooooo….. :cryhard:

You are quite right about the lights, too. Make new seals in some way for them, but don't take to the sealant gun; previously I have made up seals using butyl tape which have been successful, and as this thread shows there are other options, but the key thing is to keep the lights removable if need be.

Ho hum!

David
Current: 1994 480 GT, 1996 460 CD & 1997 440 LE with lots of optional extras & 2007 V50 SE Sport
Previous: Celebration 331 (re-homed with Richard S), Celebration 467 (returned to Martin Mc); Celebration 346 (re-homed with Alan480); Celebration 269 (scrapped abandoned project), Celebration 73 (sold on after 6 years), 1992 ES, 1988 ES - and numerous other non-480 Volvos!

Alan 480
480 Is my middle name
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Location: Aberdeen

Re: We need to stop this myth....

Post by Alan 480 » Mon Mar 11, 2019 9:47 pm

guilty of grabbing the sealant, but in defence it was just a strip of the black rubbery stuff (for sealing gutters ! ) along the top edge to 'encourage' the water to exit left or right and not sit on the seals, could probably easily be cut through if had to . .. . .
Alan

480 ES 2litre 'Celebration' ? , C30 1.8ES, SS1

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dcwalker
480 Is my middle name
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Location: York

Re: We need to stop this myth....

Post by dcwalker » Mon Mar 11, 2019 9:49 pm

Alan 480 wrote:
Mon Mar 11, 2019 9:47 pm
guilty of grabbing the sealant, but in defence it was just a strip of the black rubbery stuff (for sealing gutters ! ) along the top edge to 'encourage' the water to exit left or right and not sit on the seals, could probably easily be cut through if had to . .. . .
Let you off then... ;) honestly, you want to see the rear lights on the red Celebration; quite neatly done but so heavily sealed in I don't think they're going anywhere, ever! And the boot still isn't entirely watertight, although I am working on it...

David
Current: 1994 480 GT, 1996 460 CD & 1997 440 LE with lots of optional extras & 2007 V50 SE Sport
Previous: Celebration 331 (re-homed with Richard S), Celebration 467 (returned to Martin Mc); Celebration 346 (re-homed with Alan480); Celebration 269 (scrapped abandoned project), Celebration 73 (sold on after 6 years), 1992 ES, 1988 ES - and numerous other non-480 Volvos!

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dragonflyjewels
480 Is my middle name
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Location: Norfolk

Re: We need to stop this myth....

Post by dragonflyjewels » Tue Mar 12, 2019 8:56 am

David, have you tried changing the rear hatch seal for a 440/460 one? We changed all 4 of ours as well as making new rear light seals and now have 4 dry boots.
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

timrosser
Advanced 480 rookie
Posts: 546
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2010 2:22 pm

Re: We need to stop this myth....

Post by timrosser » Wed Mar 13, 2019 8:47 am

Ohh, Sylvia 440/460 has a different hatch seal? I think someone suggested a fiat tipo seal too?

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dragonflyjewels
480 Is my middle name
Posts: 1584
Joined: Sat Dec 18, 2010 10:38 am
Location: Norfolk

Re: We need to stop this myth....

Post by dragonflyjewels » Wed Mar 13, 2019 8:57 am

The 440/460 hatch seal has an extra lip which the 480 seal doesn't have.
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

timrosser
Advanced 480 rookie
Posts: 546
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2010 2:22 pm

Re: We need to stop this myth....

Post by timrosser » Wed Mar 20, 2019 5:57 pm

Top tip!!!! Thanks Sylvia :-)

Ortovox77
480 Newbie
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Joined: Fri Sep 14, 2018 10:50 pm

Re: We need to stop this myth....

Post by Ortovox77 » Fri Mar 22, 2019 8:06 am

Now Im really happy that the seller of my latest 480 told me that the rear lights needed to be sealed since they hadn't done that when they were replaced. So hopefully they should be easy to remove.
I bought the car more or less for the rear light to put on my nicest 480.
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Volvo 480 Turbo 1994
Volvo 480 ES/GT 1995
Volvo 480 Turbo 1988
Volvo 480 Turbo 1990 (will be scrapped)
BMW Z4 coupe (ESS supercharged)
Saab 9-5 2006
Rotax DD2 Gokart
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