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 Post subject: Re: A Sexy Volvo...
PostPosted: September 11, 2018, 2:48 pm 
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Location: Guadalupe, CA
Summer 2018

In order to wire up the door solenoids, I had to pull the doors off to drill a hole in the doors leading edge to snake the wiring through (impossible to do with the door on the car).. I took this opportunity to install new door 'stops,' which are also designed to hold the door open (which they don't do very well). I also spent some time getting the door and fender chrome to better match up..

It is interesting to note how 'thick' the door is on this car.. not a bad thing, just an unusually bulky design..

--ccrunner


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1972 Honda N600 Restomod "ccrunner's N600 VFR800 repower"

1963 Volvo P1800 Restomod
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16309

1959 Berkeley SE492 Restomod...
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19397

"ccrunner's 1960 MGA coupe Restomod" found on MGExp.com


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 Post subject: Re: A Sexy Volvo...
PostPosted: September 13, 2018, 11:15 am 
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A recall pic of the back seat.. there are a few little areas back here I'm not happy with, but in the next 6 months or so I'll go back and chase them down and adjust to my liking..

Also a pic of my now dead Milwaukee drill.. a little sad as it was my dad's, and he's been gone now for a dozen years.. I have no idea how long he had it.. As the years go by, I have less and less of him and his things, but even so, I made myself throw it away :(

--ccrunner


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Dean

1972 Honda N600 Restomod "ccrunner's N600 VFR800 repower"

1963 Volvo P1800 Restomod
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16309

1959 Berkeley SE492 Restomod...
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19397

"ccrunner's 1960 MGA coupe Restomod" found on MGExp.com


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 Post subject: Re: A Sexy Volvo...
PostPosted: September 13, 2018, 11:29 am 
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Preventative repair..

It was July 22, 2018 when I decided I'd better do some preventative maintenance as I was getting the car ready to take up to Reno (400 miles one way, over 100 degrees virtually the whole trip) in a few weeks for a car show.. It was the middle of summer, and daily temps here will find your car's weakness.. I wanted to be sure I'd done all I could to not break down, so I decided that although the alternator was working perfectly, it was in fact making a lot of noise, as they do when the bearings are nearing their end, so I swapped it out for a new one..

Surely this was a smart thing to do, but at this point I wish I had known I that it would not be the alternator that would plague me; I was giving attention to the wrong component entirely :roll: .. more on that in a bit...

ccrunner


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Dean

1972 Honda N600 Restomod "ccrunner's N600 VFR800 repower"

1963 Volvo P1800 Restomod
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16309

1959 Berkeley SE492 Restomod...
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19397

"ccrunner's 1960 MGA coupe Restomod" found on MGExp.com


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 Post subject: Re: A Sexy Volvo...
PostPosted: September 13, 2018, 11:33 am 
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Speaking of Heat...

This little motor runs hot (as turbo motors will), and before the Reno road trip, I thought it best to insulate the underside of the hood to protect the paint.. Pretty straightforward stuff.. it also helps clean up the look a bit..

--ccrunner


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Dean

1972 Honda N600 Restomod "ccrunner's N600 VFR800 repower"

1963 Volvo P1800 Restomod
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16309

1959 Berkeley SE492 Restomod...
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19397

"ccrunner's 1960 MGA coupe Restomod" found on MGExp.com


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 Post subject: Re: A Sexy Volvo...
PostPosted: September 13, 2018, 11:54 am 
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Location: Guadalupe, CA
I'm Just So Sad :(

July 2018

I don't have the words... We knew our sweetie dog CC was old, and we knew she was near her end... ...we knew..

We tried to take a trip in early June that for various reasons didn't go well.. no one had a good time.. sometimes it just goes that way..

We decided to rent a cabin in July in Big Bear and take the dogs; it would make up for the 'bad' trip in June.. Big Bear is just a few hours from our home.. the girls invited a few friends, and between all of the people (a butt in every seat), and all of the gear, the bikes, etc, etc, we didn't have room for the big dog, CC. I told Lisa I could shift the load, and make a space for her to ride in the bed- if the family gets to go, she gets to go- how could we even think of leaving her behind?

We gave pause to having her ride in the back because it's so hot here.. She's done this many times before, and it's not that far.. the kids can even leave the rear sliding window open and tend to her; give her water.. It was going fine until about 15 minutes outside of Big Bear.. it quickly became obvious that CC was struggling.. Jesus what have we done??

I'm so sad.. The vet said this is far more common than people realize.. that once heat stroke sets in, particularly in older dogs, it's often something their elderly bodies simply can't cope with..

They told us not to blame ourselves, but damn it, that's all I can do.. The vet did their best, and for a time it seemed like she'd be ok, but she was simply suffering too much.. The head vet said if she was his, he'd put her down; it's almost a certainty she won't come back, and she's had a long life..

I'm so, so sorry CC.. You were THE best dog, and I miss you so terribly.. I will never again relegate a family member to the back of a truck.. God I miss you baby :cry:


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Dean

1972 Honda N600 Restomod "ccrunner's N600 VFR800 repower"

1963 Volvo P1800 Restomod
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16309

1959 Berkeley SE492 Restomod...
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19397

"ccrunner's 1960 MGA coupe Restomod" found on MGExp.com


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 Post subject: Re: A Sexy Volvo...
PostPosted: September 14, 2018, 6:11 am 
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Awwwww mannnnnn... That's sad...
Godspeed, CC.

I think I understand your screen name now. CC liked to run, did she?

Peace, Love...
JDK

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Quinn the Slotus:Ford 302 Powered, Mallock-Inspired, Tube Frame, Hillclimb Special
"Gonzo and friends: Last night must have been quite a night. Camelot moments, mechanical marvels, Rustoleum launches, flying squirrels, fru-fru tea cuppers, V8 envy, Ensure catch cans -- and it wasn't even a full moon." -- SeattleTom


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 Post subject: Re: A Sexy Volvo...
PostPosted: September 20, 2018, 10:43 am 
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Thank you Gonzo :wink:

--------------------

Late summer, 2018

Kick panels..

I've made a pretty big effort so far in burying/hiding the stereo bits, but the front component speakers need to be exposed on some level to deliver the sound I want.. If I bury them behind vinyl with perforated holes, I'm worried I'll lose my highs, so here's the direction I took...

I used good old fashioned speaker grills (ugly :( ), and covered them with speaker material (fabric that is 'invisible' to sound waves).. Not sure about my color choice on these (found the off-white a tough match, so I went with grey to tie into the carpet and other small grey bits).. Anyway, I then flush-recessed the now covered speaker grills into the kick panels to make them look like they belong..

--ccrunner


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Dean

1972 Honda N600 Restomod "ccrunner's N600 VFR800 repower"

1963 Volvo P1800 Restomod
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16309

1959 Berkeley SE492 Restomod...
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19397

"ccrunner's 1960 MGA coupe Restomod" found on MGExp.com


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 Post subject: Re: A Sexy Volvo...
PostPosted: September 20, 2018, 11:03 am 
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Kick panel mistakes were made..

So here are the last few picks of this.. In general I like how they turned out aesthetically (LOVE the OEM fish scale vinyl :lol: ), but aurally they're not good enough.. I made a mistake in trying to keep the tweeter portlet so small, and it has ended up masking the high notes I was so worried about.. They sound ok, but it hurts the highs enough that I need to go back for a redo..

So as of this point (late September 2018), I've gathered a pair of generic 4" speaker covers to cover and swap in (red circle) where the tiny tweeter ports reside currently.. While it will make the speakers more noticeable than I wanted, it will also keep the tweeters on-axis for the driver, something that I think is even more important than a stealthy look..

For what it's worth, for last last month and a half (early Aug-late Sept) I've been daily driving the car to work with the stereo completely wired up (with the kick panels out for better sound)... I'm so, so please with how this audio system has pulled together :D ...I'm not an audiophile like some people, but I do appreciate a good, clean, powerful system, and I think I've pulled it off with my available resources.. I'm still fussing with kick panels and hiding the head unit, but in the meantime, whether it's jamming to REM, or listening to one of my podcasts, I'm really enjoying the how much the sound is adding to the driving experience..

--ccrunner


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Dean

1972 Honda N600 Restomod "ccrunner's N600 VFR800 repower"

1963 Volvo P1800 Restomod
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16309

1959 Berkeley SE492 Restomod...
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19397

"ccrunner's 1960 MGA coupe Restomod" found on MGExp.com


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 Post subject: Re: A Sexy Volvo...
PostPosted: September 20, 2018, 11:26 am 
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The Speakers Behind Those Kick Panels..

Guess I should have put this part first :roll: .. A few pages ago in this build I explained that I wanted the speakers to be recessed into the kick panels to make them less obvious and intrusive into this classic car interior. (It would be ideal if I could hide the speakers entirely, but it's not coming together that way)..

So I had to make a pair of speaker 'barrels' for lack of a better term.. these serve to push the mids into the kick panel, and help to aim them at the driver to put them on-axis (the pics are deceiving- the barrels ending up being just a few inches deep once formed and cut down to fit) .. Not the most interesting part of the build, but it is part of the puzzle, so here they are.. Also, I got the tweets on-axis by making their mounts out of thin gauge sheet metal and aiming them up at the driver's ears..

All of this to be covered by the aforementioned kick panels..

--ccrunner


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Dean

1972 Honda N600 Restomod "ccrunner's N600 VFR800 repower"

1963 Volvo P1800 Restomod
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16309

1959 Berkeley SE492 Restomod...
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19397

"ccrunner's 1960 MGA coupe Restomod" found on MGExp.com


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 Post subject: Re: A Sexy Volvo...
PostPosted: September 20, 2018, 11:37 am 
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Late Summer 2018

Loose ends on the headliner..

This is another failed experiment that requires a redo.. I wanted to eliminate the OEM headliner frame in an effort to gain an inch or so of headroom, but I don't like how this has come together. I've applied the headliner material directly to the roof, and it leaves too many unfinish-looking edges and lumps and bumps.. it looks amateurish, and it won't do..

I took the headliner frame (pic) and cleaned it up and painted it.. Next, over this fall/winter I'll get new headliner material and put it back together as Volvo designed..

Imagine, sometimes doing it the 'right' way is in fact the right way :D

--ccrunner


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Dean

1972 Honda N600 Restomod "ccrunner's N600 VFR800 repower"

1963 Volvo P1800 Restomod
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16309

1959 Berkeley SE492 Restomod...
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19397

"ccrunner's 1960 MGA coupe Restomod" found on MGExp.com


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 Post subject: Re: A Sexy Volvo...
PostPosted: September 26, 2018, 12:15 pm 
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Location: Guadalupe, CA
It's HOT! Here :shock:

So I live in Bakersfield, Ca.. this is one of those central California desert cities where its best to get gas and food and get back in your car and keep going to whatever better place than here that it is that you're headed :P .. It's an ok place to live if you like your temps over 100 degrees for 3 to 4 months a year. I shouldn't complain- everywhere has it's own thing, and you've got to live somewhere, but tomorrow (Sept 27) it will be 101, again, and it's gotten old :evil: ..

Ok, rant over.. The reason I mention the high temps is that every year I try to make it to a big car show called 'Hot August Nights' in Reno, Nevada (yet another wicked-hot place).. Now, you would think I'd be smart enough to realize that a show with 'HOT' right in the name might be a little tough on getting a classic car to and from the event- turns out I'm not very smart, and every year I'm surprised yet again that it's 100+ degrees all the way there and back (about 800 mile round trip)..

I was ready this year though! My little sweetie Volvo had air conditioning :D - until it didn't :BH: ...I was almost to Auntie's just outside of Sacramento, where I was to drop off my youngest daughter for a visit while I continued onto Reno for the car show.. With no warning, the AC abruptly quit blowing cold, and simultaneously, the sound of 20 angry hedgehogs started emanating from under the hood..

That little voice in my head started yelling obscenities.. Ok, actually it wasn't the voice in my head, it was me spewing a stream of invectives in front of my daughter, which included words and references I was hoping she'd never be exposed to.. I was a long way from home, from the sound of it something very bad had happened, and I was pissed off...


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Dean

1972 Honda N600 Restomod "ccrunner's N600 VFR800 repower"

1963 Volvo P1800 Restomod
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16309

1959 Berkeley SE492 Restomod...
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19397

"ccrunner's 1960 MGA coupe Restomod" found on MGExp.com


Last edited by ccrunner on September 26, 2018, 1:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: A Sexy Volvo...
PostPosted: September 26, 2018, 1:24 pm 
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Location: Guadalupe, CA
So what went wrong?...

I was still about 3 hours from Reno, and on this particular motor, the AC compressor is buried deep up under the driver's side of the engine, tucked behind the crossmember; not easily accessible, and in no way a roadside repair.. I quickly turned off the AC from inside the car, but from the sound, it was obvious, whatever the damage, it was already done..

I pulled over, shut it off, and popped the hood. When I turned the AC off, most of the growling sounds had subsided, but not entirely.. with the motor off, I checked to see that the one serpentine belt was still in place, and still holding tension.. Looked ok.. at least good enough to make it to Auntie's in Rocklin.. Got back in the car and decided to push on.. worst case, I'd miss the show in Reno, and fix it on Auntie's driveway..

It took almost another hour to get to Rocklin as I was taking it easy and thinking that at any second more damage would reveal itself, but that didn't happen.. Other than being super hot inside the car (no AC will do that :roll: ), the car was running well!

In my mind I surmised that I had somehow grenaded the AC compressor, and that surely there were shards now spread thoughout the condensor and dryer at very least.. this was an expensive failure, but one that should be mostly contained(?), and would allow me to make the show after all- maybe..

Got to Auntie's, ate lunch and cooled off, and decided to roll the dice and continue on- it would be uncomfortable for sure, but if it broke the way I think it broke, I could still salvage the trip..

--ccrunner

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Dean

1972 Honda N600 Restomod "ccrunner's N600 VFR800 repower"

1963 Volvo P1800 Restomod
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16309

1959 Berkeley SE492 Restomod...
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19397

"ccrunner's 1960 MGA coupe Restomod" found on MGExp.com


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 Post subject: Re: A Sexy Volvo...
PostPosted: September 26, 2018, 1:51 pm 
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Location: Guadalupe, CA
Relax! Why So Stressed?

I took it pretty easy on the car heading up the hill to Reno, but so long as I left that AC off, all seemed well. I made it into Reno, got myself checked into my hotel, and despite being hot, my fears of the Volvo stranding me were melting away.. I had things to do and see!

All was well until the next morning when two unrelated and unexpected things happened.. The first was the noise the Volvo made at startup.. again with the pack of angry hedgehogs?!?! Only this time, the sound slowly faded away after about a minute of idling.. What is wrong with this car??

The other unexpected thing was my wife called me to tell me her brother had just died.. Suddenly the car problems were put into proper perspective.. We knew Kieth was sick, but doctors were truly hopeful, and he had only started his chemo a week before.. Seems as though a massive heart attack took him.. he was 56.

So what to do? I told Lisa I was now worried about getting the Volvo home, but I could leave it there and get home another way.. I'd do whatever she wanted.. She told me she'd get some info on a possible memorial/services and get back to me in a few hours, and that I should stay put and try to have a good time..

And so I did what she said.. I left the Volvo at the hotel (didn't want to put any more miles on it with it's issues), and I walked around looking at all there was to see..

Lisa called me back a few hours later, and told me she'd be fine, and that I should finish out the show and try to limp the Volvo back home.. she was of course sad, but said that me coming home wouldn't change anything.. I protested, but she dug in, and told me to stay in Reno.. I've been married for 27 years, and can now read my bride pretty well- she was sincere in wanting me to stay and just come home after the show., so I did..

**here are some pics of things I found interesting at the show.. Despite the sadness over losing Kieth, it was a good show with lots to see.. it served as a good distraction from losing a loved one :cry: .. I won't be preachy here, but I will say please don't smoke, and if you do, please stop..

--ccrunner


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Dean

1972 Honda N600 Restomod "ccrunner's N600 VFR800 repower"

1963 Volvo P1800 Restomod
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16309

1959 Berkeley SE492 Restomod...
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19397

"ccrunner's 1960 MGA coupe Restomod" found on MGExp.com


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 Post subject: Re: A Sexy Volvo...
PostPosted: September 26, 2018, 2:49 pm 
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Go Big and Get Home(!?)..

So show's over, and I think I've got a handle on the damage to the Volvo.. I took the serpentine belt off of the front of the motor to try and find the source of the growl.. It was just the previous week that I had replaced the alternator, so I spun the pulley on it, and it was fine... If you read this log regularly, you might remember that just a few months ago I replaced the AC compressor clutch bearing, as the old one was a bit noisy.. so I hand-spun the pulley on the AC compressor, and what do you know? the 'new' bearing is in very bad shape :shock: ; lots of play and slop- just sort of floating out on the end of the compressor shaft.. If I had taken the time to check this back in Rocklin a few days ago, I never would have continued on..

So there I was, about 400 miles from home, with a bearing failure waiting to disable the whole car. Maybe it was having been in Reno for the last few days (where gambling is a big deal) that lulled me into yet again rolling the dice, and thinking that I could limp this thing home.. If nothing else I'd have a story out of it, right?

**My mechanical, desperation-based logic was this (gotta get home to my wife and to work): Back near Sacrament a few days ago I surely grenaded (siezed) the AC compressor for some unknown reason.. In the brief time it took me to switch off the AC, I was dragging the belt/clutch bearing, causing the initial damage to the bearing... putting more miles on the car going on to Reno cause even more AC clutch bearing damage... knowing this, I can now carefully drive this thing for another 400 miles in 100 degree heat, keeping the revs down and not throwing the serpentine belt, allowing me to get it home under it's own power..

I'm obviously a genius, so what could go wrong? :wink:


--ccrunner


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Dean

1972 Honda N600 Restomod "ccrunner's N600 VFR800 repower"

1963 Volvo P1800 Restomod
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16309

1959 Berkeley SE492 Restomod...
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19397

"ccrunner's 1960 MGA coupe Restomod" found on MGExp.com


Last edited by ccrunner on September 26, 2018, 3:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: A Sexy Volvo...
PostPosted: September 26, 2018, 3:04 pm 
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ccrunner wrote:
Late Summer 2018

Loose ends on the headliner..

This is another failed experiment that requires a redo.. I wanted to eliminate the OEM headliner frame in an effort to gain an inch or so of headroom, but I don't like how this has come together. I've applied the headliner material directly to the roof, and it leaves too many unfinish-looking edges and lumps and bumps.. it looks amateurish, and it won't do..

I took the headliner frame (pic) and cleaned it up and painted it.. Next, over this fall/winter I'll get new headliner material and put it back together as Volvo designed..

Imagine, sometimes doing it the 'right' way is in fact the right way :D

--ccrunner


Sorry to hear about your Brother.

I had a similar thing on the Blue Ridge Parkway in my MGA years ago. Lost a front bearing on the generator. I had brought an old spare just in case, but it turned out that the spare's front casting was wrong for my application. I oiled things up as best I could using the dipstick dripping oil into the bearing area and loosened the V-belt as much as I dared. I slowly drove 100 miles to my destination where I found a rebuilt gen.

I just removed the headliner in my MGB GT. The underlying structure is very much like yours. In the GT, the headliner is a semi rigid panel that is supported on 3 sides by the structure just like yours and a snap-in panel to support at the rear. Those sheet metal structures have vinyl glued directly to the metal. The headliner just rests between the structures and the roof. Or do Volvos call it a hood? This method may give you more headroom and will give a better finish than what you had. I can get some pics if you are interested. But you can Google MGB GT headliner to see what I'm talking about quicker.

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