Famous Five - NOW SOLD

[eddyramrod]

As well as doing Huggy's, I've taken the battery off this today because it was so flat it might have been ironed.  It's in the queue for charging.

[danthecapriman]

I’ve been leaving all my cars with the batteries disconnected lately. Winter layup and all these sodding lockdowns is doing them no good whatsoever. It’s the brakes seizing up I’m worried about!

Mind you, nobody else seems to be staying home during the lockdowns given the amount of traffic on the roads throughout.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

4 hours ago, danthecapriman said:

... nobody else seems to be staying home during the lockdowns given the amount of traffic on the roads throughout.

The Tube home was packed this evening, so it looks like an increasing number of London workers are tired of shirking from home....

[danthecapriman]

38 minutes ago, Tadhg Tiogar said:

The Tube home was packed this evening, so it looks like an increasing number of London workers are tired of shirking from home....

It’s been like it here too. Up to now I’ve been working as normal as a utility company key worker and from what I’ve seen it’s been lockdown in name only with the exception of the original lockdown where it was absolutely bliss out and about. Since then the further lockdowns have seen some shops closed and schools shut. Traffic on the roads I’d say has been comparable to a school holiday sort of level. God knows wtf everyone has been doing and where they’ve been going though!

Sorry for the thread drift Eddy!

[eddyramrod]

I put the battery back on this today and took it for a little run.  All was fine.

[eddyramrod]

This week I went to start this and.... we're back to just lighting up the dash.  Fucking marvellous.  I want it on Monday so I'd better give it a jump and see what it does.

[High Jetter]

If an auto, rock the lever in Park in case inhibitor switch is lazy.

[eddyramrod]

22 hours ago, High Jetter said:

If an auto, rock the lever in Park in case inhibitor switch is lazy.

Thought of that, because it does indeed have a Proper Gearbox.  I also tried it in N.  None of it made any difference.

[eddyramrod]

I've just given this a jump off the Suzuki and guess what, it fired up no problem.  So I took it out for a little blast to buck up the battery a bit.  Should be ok for Monday.

[eddyramrod]

...And it wasn't.  So I took the battery off again and put it on the charger.  It took all day but did charge up, so this afternoon I refitted  it and went for a good drive.  Trust me, the south Lakes is a gorgeous place to be cruising around in a powerful comfy car on a beautiful day.  If tomorrow is as nice I think I might repeat the exercise with Huggy.

[danthecapriman]

24 minutes ago, eddyramrod said:

...And it wasn't.  So I took the battery off again and put it on the charger.  It took all day but did charge up, so this afternoon I refitted  it and went for a good drive.  Trust me, the south Lakes is a gorgeous place to be cruising around in a powerful comfy car on a beautiful day.  If tomorrow is as nice I think I might repeat the exercise with Huggy.

If it’s any consolation Eddy, I’m having the exact same problem with the 740. Needed to move it this morning, connected the battery, went to start it and... sod all! Mines gone flat with the battery disconnected it’s been sitting so long. It’s charged up now but I’ll have to do the same as you I reckon and go drive it somewhere.

Enjoy your drive in Huggy!

[GeordieInExile]

On 4/10/2021 at 4:42 PM, eddyramrod said:

I've just given this a jump off the Suzuki and guess what, it fired up no problem.  So I took it out for a little blast to buck up the battery a bit.  Should be ok for Monday.

Are the batteries in these just shite or something? I had to get the RAC out yesterday because my battery was so dead that even a couple of blasts with a charger wouldn't jolt it. I don't have at home recovery so I had to push the heavy sod 0.25 miles away, fortunately I live near to the top of my street and it's on a gradient.

 

I guess doing lots of short distances finally caught up with it. A quick jaunt to the coast after the RAC man got it going and it's fine again today.

[eddyramrod]

Thanks Dan!  You're right, a good run is what they need.  I was driving for over an hour today and I sure as hell wasn't waiting for anyone!

[Milk]

It could be something draining the battery down when in use ?

[mitsisigma01]

🤔Not when it's not connected 🤔

Old or cold or both

[danthecapriman]

1 hour ago, mitsisigma01 said:

🤔Not when it's not connected 🤔

Old or cold or both

Probably both on mine! Plus the lack of use with all these sodding lockdowns. This battery has done it before on the Volvo, it’s ok if the cars in regular use but doesn’t like being left more than a few days anymore. I tried swapping the Transit battery and the shitty one out the Volvo (same type of battery) and the problem went to the Transit instead with the dodgy battery! It’s probably just reaching the end of its life. Don’t really want to buy another one though! 
When I first tried to start the Volvo the dash lit up, central locking worked, leccy windows ok, it just called time as soon as I tried to crank. It’s the heavy load draw from the starter that instantly drags the battery voltage down. Which it would do on a tired old battery I suppose.

[eddyramrod]

After a few days of inactivity (since Monday) I had to go to Kendal today, the longest drive I've done in ages!  Naturally I chose this car.  It did exactly what it was supposed to do, took me there with contemptuous ease, and back again.  It was the oldest car in the hospital car park by some margin, and except for a handful of classics, the oldest car on the road between the towns.  On the way back I stopped and bought it a little treat, but you'll have to wait for the pics.

Oh and I can now claim that the electric sunroof works!

[mitsisigma01]

On 4/22/2021 at 7:39 PM, eddyramrod said:

Oh and I can now claim that the electric sunroof works!

Proof required 🤞🏽

[eddyramrod]

A little treat, I did say... well yesterday I fitted it.

Can you see it yet?  No of course you can't.  What you can see in this pic is something that was an advisory on the MoT in November.  The back number plate is delaminating and will eventually become illegible.

Eventually will now come significantly later.  Local parts shop, while I wait.  Then I took it home and ignored it for 48 hours.  Yesterday I took the old one off, finding in the process that one of the screws was knackered, and drilled holes in the lovely new plate using the old one overlaid on it as a pattern.  Fortunately I have a vast stock of old screws and the like.  Oh and I've saved the old plate for my wall.

Further treats to follow, watch this space!

[eddyramrod]

Regular readers will remember that last year at this time, I wirebrushed the wheels, primed and rattled them, in a pale green that I happened to have around.  Reaction was a bit mixed.  Well the naysayers were right this time, because the lovely fresh paint hasn't survived the winter.

As you can see!  Not exactly impressive, is it?  So over the weekend I've had all the wheels off and wirebrushed them again.  Then, crucially, treated them with Kurust, and finally brush-painted them with Hammerite.  I also chipped off most of the solidified brake dust that was on the back, each wheel must be a pound lighter now!

And yes, you can see a thin gold (Hammerite) edge to the wheel.  I'm very pleased with how they've turned out, but let's see what happens over winter this time, shall we?

Now that the wheels are lighter, they're going to need balancing.  I've got it booked in tomorrow for that, and to investigate the air leaks that plague the front pair.

[eddyramrod]

We now have new valves, and the tyres have been reseated.  All being well I shouldn't need to carry my little compressor everywhere now!

[eddyramrod]

My repairs to the glovebox lid haven't lasted.  The hinge has broken away again, and it's still almost impossible to unlock.  Fortunately I know there's nothing left in there now.  But at least the car is running fine (I shouldn't speak too soon, should i? Lol).

[danthecapriman]

Try some of that pvc plumbing adhesive stuff. It seems to work similarly to poly cement style glues and melts the two surfaces together. It’s incredibly strong though, I glued two sections of gutter pipe together with it and they are definitely not ever coming apart again short of using a hammer!

[eddyramrod]

New thread started in the For Sale section.

[eddyramrod]

On Friday I had to go back to the tyre shop, as one of the front tyres had lost most of its air, which it shouldn't after I gave them £50 to sort it!  I chose my parking spot carefully...

:)

[aldo135]

This Volvo has retrained as a Spanish waiter…

[eddyramrod]

HFM????????

[Schaefft]

Seems like a reasonable price considering the manual swap and improvements. Although leaky heater matrix and rattly flywheel don't sound good.

[Spiny Norman]

I remember when the guys came to buy it they were talking about dropping the turbo lump in it because they had a rusty T5 but it looks like that never materialised. Unfortunately all they've done is made it more shit than it was, new glovebox lid and fancy headlining notwithstanding. There was nothing wrong with the auto gearbox when I had it, and it rode the bumps well which it won't do now.
Still, a mostly functional Volvo wagon with a year's ticket is probably worth £1500 of anyone's money.

 

[HoyWagon]

Hey guys, I bought this volvo not long ago. I believe the question has been asked before? But does anyone still have any sorts of history papers on it at all?