1987 Volvo 340 GLE - a bit of fun

[mk2_craig]

Great effort! I hope those mega old stock brake pads are chock full of lovely asbestos for maximum period correctness. 

[tobyd]

Economy gauge and ambient* temperature! I thought you only got those on a GLT model. I retrofitted them to a 1.4 i had yonks ago - the economy gauge was happiest at higher than NSL which never worked out to be economical... I often wondered how hard it would be to retrofit the SPI from a Renault 19 to one of these engines.

Good work all the same!

[danthecapriman]

Well done chaps, another old Volvo back on the road!👍

[Austat]

  On 21/09/2021 at 10:33, SmokinWaffle said:

Some parting pictures, they'd look nice on some sort of themed calendar... 

Expand  

What's the brown car in the corner? I recognise the Ital from the Ebay tat thread.

[mercedade]

Belting work, and what an absolute diamond @Jikovron is. Top effort lads, really well done.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

  On 22/09/2021 at 01:03, Austat said:

What's the brown car in the corner?...

Expand  

Looks vaguely Hillman Avenger...

[SmokinWaffle]

  On 21/09/2021 at 19:21, mk2_craig said:

Great effort! I hope those mega old stock brake pads are chock full of lovely asbestos for maximum period correctness. 

Expand  

They are actually - there was a warning on the box!

2 hour round trip to Bradford to get some 67.1 to 52.1 Spigot rings because I'm impatient and can't wait for them to arrive in the post? Don't mind if it do.

 

Needs lowering - but I adore how it looks.

A really wholesome moment actually - for a good 4 years or more I've wanted a Volvo 340, and I've wanted a car that I can put Starmags on. Both come together and it's glorious - I spent a good 15 minutes just looking at it.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

That really is sex on four wheels.  The good kind.  Not the kind behind the bins at the community centre with Dodgy Doris after six pints of lager.

[quicksilver]

Fantastic to see this living on and getting some love. Looks so much better on a matching set of wheels.

[tooSavvy]

#oh $hit alert#

..... No Scrote/Thievery risks here....

😱

[SmokinWaffle]

  On 23/09/2021 at 05:56, GrumpiusMaximus said:

That really is sex on four wheels.  The good kind.  Not the kind behind the bins at the community centre with Dodgy Doris after six pints of lager.

Expand  

Hahah, cheers! 

  On 23/09/2021 at 08:52, quicksilver said:

Fantastic to see this living on and getting some love. Looks so much better on a matching set of wheels.

Expand  

It does indeed. Although it was rusty and the other still will need attention before the next MOT, it's far from a basket case. 

Now just to hunt down a radiator and then I can get onto checking the thermostat ect, as it still doesn't get up to temp when moving. A few 300 owners told me that's semi normal though - but also that the stat is often mistakenly fitted backwards. We will see.... 

[MJK 24]

Great work on the sills!  Really tidy job.  A bit of wax inside the box section will see that being a very long lasting repair!

You don’t see these on the roads anymore!  Cliché alert but I can’t remember when I last saw one!

[vulgalour]

That's looking neat.  I guess you've moved up to Chesterfield/Derbyshire if you're in the vicinity of @Jikovron which is my old stomping grounds.  Been past Dearne's a couple of times years ago when I used to live in Sheffield, never had call to actually go in, but it was always a neat place to see and it's great to know they're still going.

[SmokinWaffle]

  On 23/09/2021 at 10:43, vulgalour said:

That's looking neat.  I guess you've moved up to Chesterfield/Derbyshire if you're in the vicinity of @Jikovron which is my old stomping grounds.  Been past Dearne's a couple of times years ago when I used to live in Sheffield, never had call to actually go in, but it was always a neat place to see and it's great to know they're still going.

Expand  

Sheffield way - correct!

Had a strange stroke of luck yesterday when I randomly happened to search eBay - a new old stock Nissens Radiator - the exact one I'm looking for. Purchased in the early 80's but never used or even left the box!

Was up for £190, I got it for £130 after chatting with the seller. I honestly cannot believe my luck.

For anyone interested, on my hunt I found the part number and every other alternative/other brand part number for the rad here - and I also found someone who can actually supply one in Lithuania here . I asked them on Facebook if it's actually in stock (comes to 145EU or so after shipping) - and they said technically yes - but they're checking on Monday with regards to shipping and Brexit - figure it's good to know for other 300 series owners.

Still - really can't believe that this new old stock one even existed.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

  On 25/09/2021 at 08:58, SmokinWaffle said:

 

.....Lithuania here . I asked them on Facebook if it's actually in stock (comes to 145EU or so after shipping) - and they said technically yes....

Expand  

That suggests no. What they'll have to do is check with their supplier, who may* have it.

[SmokinWaffle]

Arrived, oooh it's pretty. Leak free too.

[SmokinWaffle]

The weather actually broke and had a bit of sun/dryness, so I took of the carrier bag and got some sealer on it:

Not the cleanest job - but not awful. Again, newbie, learning, and at least it'll help it not rust.

 

Needs 24hours to cure - which is a pain as rain is forecast. Luckily - I have access to cutting edge solutions and technology.

Like a cut up Aldi bag, some gaffa tape and a pipe cleaner. Don't mean to brag.

Plan is to wait for that to cure, spray paint some spare graffiti paint over the top to give the stone chip something to adhere to, stone chip it then rustoleum. Function over form!

[CaptainBoom]

Looking good!  I have fond memories of my parents 340 with the Variomatic CVT rubber band transmission.  Usually it was sat in traffic with the hazards on and us waiting for the AA as it was a tad unreliable.  I was a nice car though, with mad blue and white check door cards.  It was great until my brother threw up all over the back seat, lost it's shine a bit then!

This looks really good - and I'm glad it's been saved.  The wheels suit it IMO.  Excellent work on sourcing a radiator!

[SmokinWaffle]

  On 04/10/2021 at 19:56, CaptainBoom said:

This looks really good - and I'm glad it's been saved.  The wheels suit it IMO.  Excellent work on sourcing a radiator!

Expand  

Thank you! Appreciate the kind comments! 

Looked dry when I got home so I did some rough masking tape and spray paint with the closest can of spare graffiti paint I had. At least I'll know if I've missed a spot when I put the Stonechip on!

And as soon as I was done the sky changed colour and it started spitting on and off which was nice. Left it for 20 minutes or so and it set touch dry ish (graffiti paint is very forgiving) then I covered it back up with the bag and closed the door as I think it's going to rain a fair bit this evening.

Not the neatest - but it's just to give the Stonechip something to stick to - and I'm having fun so that's all that matters!

[Jikovron]

  On 06/10/2021 at 20:06, SmokinWaffle said:

 

 I'm having fun so that's all that matters!

Expand  

[SmokinWaffle]

Busy weekend!

Started by masking up the yellow-ness to get it stonechipped along the sill:

First coat:

 

Not got a picture - but I got a workbench and my garage sorted a bit too so nice to have a space to actually work and organise - really helps with motivation.

While the first coat was drying I got the old radiator out:

Looks like a big gaping fish:

Old vs new - you can tell the old one was very much past it's best. On closer inspection there were some hairline cracks along the inlets too - so it wouldn't have lasted much longer even if repaired with some abuse.

New one in:

Much better:

Did 3 coats of stone chip in all:

Also did the other side under the car if anyone is wondering - same for the welding at the back - that was awkward so didn't take any pictures.

Unmasked:

 

 

I only did it to the sill line for looks - so next step was to mask the bit I did after it was dry a few hours later and bust out the Rustoleum:

Finished product after 3 coats or so:

Not perfect, and the gloss rustoleum really does stand out but when the door is closed it's not really visible - and this isn't meant to be a perfect car. Really happy with the progress made given this was started at 10:30AM or so and finished at 14:00ish.

I then ran it up to temp with just water to make sure all is as it should be - with zero leaks and it was - I also cleaned up the contacts on the thermal switch on the rad.

After doing that, drained it again, filled up back up with actual coolant, repeated, all good. Slight worry when I could only get 5.5L of coolant in it and it takes 7 - but then I spoke to a few people and I realised I didn't drain the block - so that'll be why.

Gets up to temp, fan cuts in as it should - no drama. Heaters nice and hot. The real test will be when it's moving!

Annoyingly - I've misplaced the V5 so I might have to stomach £25 to get another - really annoying as I had it literal days ago and it's just vanished. BX Mot runs out in 2 weeks.

Ready to drive - just need to get the V5 so I can tax the bloody thing. Picture in the evening after doing all the coolant and before I called it a day - really happy with the progress and proud of what I've achieved - I'm actually starting to enjoy working on cars and my confidence has increased dramatically. 

Soon, first actual run somewhere for pleasure...

[danthecapriman]

Looks bloody great! 
Nice job on the radiator, I had to do the same on my old one after some utter twat put a screwdriver through the old one. Nothing wrong with it apart from that either.

[bunglebus]

  On 17/10/2021 at 22:23, SmokinWaffle said:

need to get the V5 so I can tax the bloody thing

Expand  

Can't you tax it online?

[BeEP]

  On 18/10/2021 at 07:27, bunglebus said:

Can't you tax it online?

Expand  

Not without the reference number from the V5!

[SmokinWaffle]

  On 18/10/2021 at 07:27, bunglebus said:

Can't you tax it online?

Expand  

 

  On 18/10/2021 at 08:11, BeEP said:

Not without the reference number from the V5!

Expand  

Yep! 

At least I can say I've lost it and I live at the same address I need it sent to - which is automated so shouldn't take too long. Did it for a car I sold recently and it took I think a week? 

Still, a very annoying thing to be stopped dead by given the amount of work done and I was excited to get going! 

[sierraman]

  On 22/09/2021 at 01:03, Austat said:

What's the brown car in the corner? I recognise the Ital from the Ebay tat thread.

Expand  

If I’m right in thinking that’s just the bottom of the hill at New Whittington? Is the breakers that faced the roundabout at Dunston still there? Name is right at top of my tongue but can’t quite recall it. Once went there to pull a radiator out of a Sierra with my old man. 

[Jikovron]

Aye thats my house , a crap car landmark haha, BB autos are still there but they're one of the more humourless outfits these days! 

[sierraman]

  On 18/10/2021 at 13:37, Jikovron said:

Aye thats my house , a crap car landmark haha, BB autos are still there but they're one of the more humourless outfits these days! 

Expand  

There used to be a big thick set guy with a beard that worked there. Whit is an occasional haunt of mine, I use the test station on the Station Road industrial estate. 

Don’t know if you remember but on the industrial estate down the side of where Guy Salmons there used to be an old seventies White US flat front tractor unit sat derelict at the side of the units? 

[Jikovron]

They all looked like angry generic build older men so might have been before my time living here.

 

Hopefully it was one of these sorts ideally,  but I think that's probably gone a while back unless somehow I've missed it! 

[sierraman]

  On 18/10/2021 at 13:54, Jikovron said:

They all looked like angry generic build older men so might have been before my time living here.

 

Hopefully it was one of these sorts ideally,  but I think that's probably gone a while back unless somehow I've missed it! 

Expand  

That’s right, was definitely there in round about 2004. Went for a quote on a respray on a car and it was sat there. As you say long gone no doubt. Some useful businesses on that little industrial park at Whit, used the tyre place and the engineering shop years ago to weld a cast manifold for us that was on there. Test station is good as well.