project. Volvo V40 T4 Resurrection Shuffle.

[Snake Charmer]

We have had this 2001 V40 T4 since it was about 14 months old and was predominantly my missus car, she drives like a bloke and had a lot of fun with boy racers over the years until in 2010 it started knocking/tapping on idle. For various reasons the car has sat on the drive since then, I would run it up, do the tyres and give it a pressure wash occasionally and it would always start no problem.

Last year the fuel had gone off and the fuel pump seized, I managed to free it off and the car burst into life as normal but then ran for 10 minutes and the pump gave up completely. I really was on the verge of scrapping the car but a few weeks ago I decided to fit an aftermarket pump from FSE Glencoe, clean the car up and see if anyone wanted to buy it being a T4. After fitting the pump I sat in it one night and everything works apart from one headlight I had nicked the bulbs out of, the air con is weak to non existent, the heater fan has a faulty resistor pack but was like that beforehand and the radio I could not find the code for. Nice and dry inside with no mould and still smells good. The heated seats work, the leather is good apart from the steering wheel top, it's a nicer place to be than my MkIV Golf 1.6. Dammit, I'm starting to get attached again thinking about all the stuff we carried in, on top of and behind in the trailer. It has the family pack with fold out child booster seats and lots of nice little bits like leather pockets on the seat squabs and a plastic clip on the screen for parking tickets, a radio cassette AND CD player! 

I have driven shite far too long, the last car I bought for me was a 1973 Jensen Interceptor, a replacement for my V8 Opel Manta and both are long gone. last weekend I gave myself a choice, keep the Volvo or Nissan Terrano 2.4 SWB I had planned to go offroading in and modify. Well, the Terrano went on Monday for the equivalent of the £400 scrap value and I have started using the money on the V40 resurrection. Have I made the right choice?  

 

Best angle to view from!

 

Shoddy front end.

 

Knackered lenses, foglight spoiler, rusty dents in bonnet and shite paint on the bumper by the dealer to cover stonechips.

 

Scabbiest of scabby wheels.

 

Tidy.

 

Neat booster seat. Not sure they are legal now though.

 

 

[inconsistant]

You totes did the right thing. 

[Minimad5]

Wise plan !

Anyone who keeps a Volvo on the road is a wise man / woman / person / individual 

[omegod]

Right decision 

[SRi05]

V40's still look modern to me even though they're a 20+ year old design. Aged very well. That leather interior looks new in yours! 

[FakeConcern]

Love the look of these and T4 too! Right decision made...

[Noel Tidybeard]

winnah

[Rocket88]

As one who has just bought one....👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[Snake Charmer]

2 minutes ago, colc said:

As one who has just bought one....👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Nice one, was that on Autotrader with rusty sills? Might be the one I considered buying as a parts car.

[Stanky]

Fit steel wheels with base spec hubcaps, a 1.9d badge and put a stuffed St Bernard dog in the boot. Then go and bait people at the TLGP.

Are these as much of a weapon as I suspect they are with 200bhp on tap? How fragile are the engines generally?

[CaptainBoom]

Good work, a Volvo saved basically means you will be rewarded in the next life, or something like that.  Tutankhamun saved a Volvo 240 in early Egyptian times and they looked after him alright.

Having had a V40 for six years, I envy your seats, they look like they have barely been sat upon!  Mine look more than a bit tired.

I endorse Stanky's suggestion, however if you have a parcel shelf, poke a trilby hat and a wax jacket onto it.

[stuboy]

14 hours ago, Snake Charmer said:

Have I made the right choice?  

yes.

[Snake Charmer]

1 hour ago, colc said:

As one who has just bought one....👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Nice one, was that on Autotrader with rusty sills? Might be the one I considered buying as a parts car. I think that is a 1.9 T4 too, that was tempting me.

 

So far all I have done is give the car a clean inside and pressure wash the outside. I found a little water in the spare wheel well, no idea how it is getting in as yet so something to keep an eye on although the aerial gasket has rotted away but no signs of water ingress.

I searched everywhere for the radio code but it is definitely in one of my safest of safe places. I remember having to get it from the dealer around 2007 when I changed the battery. I found on YouTube a Russian video of how to access the EEPROM and submenus then managed to work out how he did it to change the code also display the original code. happy days, free fix! I forgot the car has a factory bass sub in the boot! I took a photo of the code to loose on a HDD somewhere then noticed the 4 digits are 3 and a square as the last digit was flashing!  I found a tape in the glovebox, The Human League, Dare  and the cassette works properly as does the CD (player). The aerial itself has a rotten rubber to go with the seal so that will need repair or replacement to tidy it up.

I took the front wipers off the Terrano before it went as they fitted, another cheap fix. I found an old wiper blade, shortened that and swapped into the bidet then technically adjusted shitite zinc metal part of the arm so the blade now contacts the screen and not the spoiler. Ordered two new headlamp wipers. The front drivers side arm needs a technical adjustment too as it hits the bonnet when you open it, standard S40/V40 fault as the shitite zinc bends over time.

Went on an Ebay rampage, ordered Mintex discs and pads all round for £93, a couple of cheap used headlamps for £35 for spare to rebuild mine and went mad on new aftermarket front indicators as the lenses are faded and a used L/H foglamp. Couldn't resist a new cock ring for the petrol cap either......

I have clocked up a whole mile in the drive since fitting a part duff battery scored from an AC Cobra driving  backwards and forwards listening to The Human League trying to run the stale fuel out with a bit of fresh, a new filter and a flush come service time is on the cards. So far I am up to £263 in parts including a fuel pump plus a few litres of fuel. I tried buying some parts and wheels off a guy on Faecesbook but that has been like pulling teeth so the originals may go to Lepsons for a refurb, a bonus if I can get them done Trade through work as that and new tyres will be three times the cars scrap value!  

 

1 hour ago, Stanky said:

Fit steel wheels with base spec hubcaps, a 1.9d badge and put a stuffed St Bernard dog in the boot. Then go and bait people at the TLGP.

Are these as much of a weapon as I suspect they are with 200bhp on tap? How fragile are the engines generally?

They aren't mega rapid but pretty quick and were very understated at the time, my missus blew the doors off a lot of unsuspecting teenagers with the kids in the back! Plenty of low and mid range urge but a bit wheezy up the top end of the rev range. Great acceleration on the motorway, always nice to move over out of the way of a BMW or Audi then leave them sat in lane 3. 

Will this do for the parcel shelf? 

[Stanky]

22 minutes ago, Snake Charmer said:

Will this do for the parcel shelf? 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/202481159060?epid=1776054020&hash=item2f24d14b94:g:kyMAAOSwlINb0hFM

This or death!

[Rocket88]

15 hours ago, Snake Charmer said:

Nice one, was that on Autotrader with rusty sills? Might be the one I considered buying as a parts car.

Sills done.said he had interest in people wanting it for bits.

[Snake Charmer]

Most of the Ebay spending spree has turned up, might need a better nearside headlamp for minty mintyness but will be presentable and Pass the Mot. I couldn't resist an original Volvo optional piano black 4 spoke steering wheel to match the trim and had a result at the checkout, £10 discount for some reason.

Tyres are off and disposed of for a wee drink, all sorts of wildlife in there and loads of moth cocoons. How perished are those matching set of Falken tyres dated 2008?

Rims will be off for refurb this week coming if I get my way, might have to overstretch the budget a little to get the tyres though.

 

[Snake Charmer]

The boot is filling nicely with spares new & used. I'm undecided about the steering wheel at the moment, slightly bigger diameter and needs a fair bit of work to make the scuffs good.

Wheel refurbishment is on hold until I'm back to work next Wednesday. Very tempted to see how one fits in my shotblast cabinet but I think it's too big.

I'm currently trying to resist temptation and start work on the car but need to concentrate on shifting other peoples cars sitting here first. 😔

[Spiny Norman]

These old V40s are great comfy old buses, one of the best looking estate conversions ever, and pretty bulletproof mechanically.
The one I had was only a boggo 1.6 but it did me well, I'd say that was well worth spending some coin on it.
 

[Lord Sterling]

V40s are the best.  Great load luggers without being too large in a sense. Fatha_Sterling had one which I occasionally drive around Brussels. 

I'd have a V50 estate if I was looking for a car. But I'm not.

[worldofceri]

Superb q-car these. Loved my S40 T4. I’d like to think I’d still have it if some crack head hadn’t driven into it and smashed it up.

[Snake Charmer]

Thanks people. Well, I thought a few minutes fitting the new fuel cap strap wouldn't hurt, at least I would feel better about having done something to the car. Ten minutes that's all then get on with the Jensen.......

Needs a bit if truck wash slopping about with a brush, only take 5 minutes.......

As the brush was wet........

Oh dear. 🙈 Am I on the slippery slope to becoming a detailer? 😳

[Bren]

I would sooner spend on a known quantity than buy somebody else's trouble.

Tell us about the jensen...

[Snake Charmer]

16 hours ago, Bren said:

I would sooner spend on a known quantity than buy somebody else's trouble.

Tell us about the jensen...

I seem to end up with everybody else's troubled motors and no time for my own unless it's absolutely necessary. 

1969 MkI Interceptor that belongs to a good friend.  I have a list of work to do on it and very little time now I have gone PAYE. No show queen or full on restoration just repaired and resprayed as needed over the years. Nice to drive with a good rebuilt 383ci engine and suspension in good fettle. Currently I am fitting central locking and of course whilst the doors are apart I might as well replace the original speakers and adjust the electric windows. Complete rebuild then!

Needs a wash, should have done it yesterday while defestering the Volvo.

[Snake Charmer]

See, other peoples automotive nightmares! 1968 Ford Zephyr 6 MkIV. Next on my hit list after the Interceptor goes. 

[Low Horatio gearbox]

Tho by accident and granted they are not all yours.. that's a bloody great 3 car garage there!

[Snake Charmer]

3 hours ago, Low Horatio gearbox said:

Tho by accident and granted they are not all yours.. that's a bloody great 3 car garage there!

There's a "78 Manta Coupe in the Carcoon with a 5ltr Griffith engine & box too.

[Essex V6]

Funnily enough I spotted this at the weekend. Remember think how cool these S40 estates were when they came out 

[Snake Charmer]

11 hours ago, Essex V6 said:

Funnily enough I spotted this at the weekend. Remember think how cool these S40 estates were when they came out 

Does that say V40 Nordic on the rear?

I made a bit of a start on proceedings. My Missus had a light bump a couple of years after we bought the car and we just left it as is, the crash bar has a kink in it and needs replacing too. The dealer had resprayed the front bumper allegedly to tidy stone chips and the paint has been peeling,  I need to sort the headlight lenses so it all had to come off. 

I also took the bonnet catch off and freed it up, a common S40/V40 fault and for the first time in years the bonnet now locks.

I now need one of these crash beams to see if the bumper is salvageable.......

New number plates on order, l have never noticed the rear plate is 'Sytner Volvo' and the front 'Dorchester Volvo' who we bought the car off. I suspect now the car had light front damage rather than stone chips. Mugged off!! 🤣

I currently have about £20 left out of the £400 from selling my 4x4 after my spending spree. Refurb the rims and tyres next on the list, see if I can find a crash beam, straighten the bumper out and refit everything then go for an Mot. 

[Essex V6]

Yes I think it did say Nordic

[Snake Charmer]

 

I'm having my very own Apocalypse Now moment, tyres. Oh the horror!

£100ish a corner budget, something classed 'A' grippy in wet and sticky dry so I conclude the crappiest economy must mean grippy. I have liked Continentals over the years but want to try something more up to date and thought of Michelin Pilot Sports. Volvo specify 205/50 R16 87W, that size only comes V rated but they do a W rated 45 section! Why? The horror, oh the horror. 

Rims bring collected Monday for refurb, silver as per original.  Now I have until then to pick one of the 4 different silvers they do. More horror.