LocostUSA.com

April 6-7, 2019

Minor and slow progress as of late.. Pic of the red 1963 inner door structure is to show where the POR 15 went on before reassembly, and also to show the funky-monkey way Volvo made their "Jensen" (early) 1800 doors.. Overly complex and way too many parts on these early doors (the yellow boxed area unbolts).. it must have taken them forever to make these cars! I know this sounds counter-intuitive, but this is just the reason I wanted to save this inner door.. Volvo used them on only the earliest of the 1800s, and it was that relative rarity that had me thinking I should try to keep it.. I've never been accused of being a purist, and once dressed out, no one but me will know about this door's structure, but having done it this way just seemed the right thing to do..

Second time into the steering box... back in 2016/2017 I bought a steering box rebuild kit, really just for the new seals; I mistakenly thought I did not need to swap in the new bronze bushings.. truth is, the steering feeling was 'ok,' and relatively tight, but it was virtually bottomed out on its adjuster. Here we are in 2019, and since I had a little time and had the bushings in hand, I decided to pull the box and go ahead and install the bushings as I should have done a few years back.. In my OCD brain, I now know this 1800 OEM steering box is as good as they get.. I've got lots of adjustment range back in the box, and while it didn't really bother me before, I think maybe now the steering is even tighter than it was.. At very least this has bought me the ability to adjust on it if needed..

School spring break is next week.. the goal is to get the door on, the fender patch burned in, and a center console fabbed up.. then late April, find an appropriate body shop to make her pretty again..

**Volvo-guy tip on OEM steering box: the old bushings must be pulled/driven from the center out (you cannot just drive them both out in one direction as there's an internal lip that won't allow it).. also, the new bushings must be pressed in, and then reamed-to-fit your OEM shaft.. result is a nice, snug fit.. it is amazing how little the shaft difference seems/feels between the old and new bushings, but putting the new bushings in has given me all of my steering box adjustment back.. worth the time and effort, and these rebuild kits are cheap..

--ccrunner

_________________
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

Did you have to buy a reamer design just for the job, looks like it would have to be pretty long. Or send it out to a machine shop?
Davew

Awhile back I found a local machinist that loves side jobs, and this was one of them.. I do not know how he went about reaming it out, but he's got every tool under the sun, and he didn't blink when I told him what the job was.. so great to know someone that can do the things that I cannot, or more often, has access to the tools that I don't..

--ccrunner

_________________
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

This is from this build log, October 12, 2018....

"...Originally I fabbed in a 13" 1200 cfm fan, and it could barely keep up.. So after a bit of research, I landed where many restomod/street rod guys end up, and that's with the somewhat infamous "Taurus" fan (Dorman part # 620-101).. This little gem is a 2-speed unit that turns at about 1800 cfm (9.2 amps) on low, and 3000 cfm (28 amps) on high..

I currently have it wired in to run on/off on the low speed (1800 cfm) side, but next spring I'll go back and wire in a PWM (variable speed controller) into the high speed side... There will be no more nervous-hot temps ..."

========================

-April 2019-

Last August (2018) I had some overheating concerns on a long trip, so now is the time to chase the issue down and fix it once and for all... I had to pull the radiator to install the new PWM's temp sensor, so it was a bit of work.. Came together nicely.. I haven't really had a chance to tax the system yet as it's only just getting hot here (we'll get to 97 later today- the hottest we've been so far this year), but the little driving I've already done indicates that this system works as it should.. we'll see


--ccrunner

_________________
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

April 15-21, 2019 (Spring Break)

Our home sale is inching forward, so the pressure is on to get this car into the body shop before the move in about 5 weeks..

The re-skinned door went on fine and generally fits well, but the gap on the rear edge up near the door handle is too wide, and the entire leading edge up against the front fender is too tight.. A bit of gap work is needed, and was pretty much expected... grind/fit/tack..grind/fit/tack.. tedious, but important..

--ccrunner

_________________
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

Trimming and burning in the fender patch...

Down to the lower section of the wrinkled fender... Best in this case to just cut out the bad area and burn in a patch (this OEM Volvo sheetmetal is THICK!).. I did the best I could, knowing that the closer I get this to right, the easier the job will be for the body man to do the finish work.. The N600 project taught me that in this life I will not become a body man, so my work here is done ..

Off to get some quotes.. I took it to a few local shops, and we've all come to the same conclusion: Paint the entire car. This is not my first choice, but it does seem to be the best choice.. she's got issues in the obvious areas, but a little nick here, several chips up on the nose, those pesky holes up on the front fenders left from the prior rear view mirrors, my desire to rework the rear panel and fab in a recessed plate, and this, and that, and on, and on.. Seems that since she's going in the booth anyway, and we're spending not a small amount of money to do it, let's take the opportunity to 'do it right'..

Lisa is cool with it, so a full paint job it is.. She'll stay red (I love this color on this car).. Over the next 2-ish weeks I'm going to do all I can to remove all of the trim and rough her in the way I want her (rear panel mods/ sand out the jambs/ close the fender mirror holes/ etc).. She goes in the first week in May, and I should have her back by mid June.. In the interim, I'm working on new chrome and new front/rear glass.. Seems the old girl is getting a complete makeover

As my wife said, "Hey, let's move and restore your car AT THE SAME TIME".. she's a peach

--ccrunner

_________________
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

I would be looking for a different body shop. Any good body shop can color match that paint. Red is one of the easy colors, being non-metallic. You should be able to just paint the door and front fender. Davew

Yeah, but red also the color most prone to fade. In a year or three, the repainted panels might wind up an entirely different "red."

TRX and Dave.. Valid points for sure that were discussed with the painters.. Each warned me there was slight risk getting a perfect match, but more importantly, each wondered about the fade/wear being uniform on the car over time.. Other than the timing of this being absolutely awful (our pending move), it seems right to make the mods I want and go ahead and pony up to get the whole car shot.. I don't want to 'over-restore' this daily driver, and a show car is not in the plan, but since I dinged her up, it seems a good time to bring her back just as I'd like..

Volvo made a few goofs with these early cars, and one of them was not having drain holes for water to escape from the rear edge of the trunk lip. They rectified this later in the run, so it's up to the owners of the early bodies to deal with this poor design on their own. Because of the repaint, I'm taking this opportunity to weld in a pair of drain nipples into the low outer corners.

I'm also 'de-badging' the V-O-L-V-O from the rear panel.. Super subjective, but I just don't like it.. I'm also planning to graft in a shallow license plate divot/wedge that I'm hoping will look model/make/year/era appropriate.. Volvo got a lot right with this body, but I've never liked the way the rear plate just bolts on like an afterthought.. again, subjective, but I'm trying to get things to flow a little better at the rear.. Volvo actually had a recessed plate design on the prototype, but it didn't make it into production (cost? complexity?.. don't know)..

Finally, I'm debating a rear bumper redesign, and relocating the exhaust tip(s) to poke out through the lower valance (again, following the lead of the prototype).. just don't know.. I'm running out of time, so it's sink or swim on this- soon!

--ccrunner

_________________
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

I've not been getting updates on this build so I'm a few months behind. Good to find you again - your work is amazing.
And the Berkeley is incredible.
Hope you reach June in one piece.
I'm going to be holidaying in the States in June, based in Las Vegas, and visiting friends in Los Angeles and San Francisco... so I'll be thinking of you.
Good luck. 'MangPong'.

Since I do not have to do the work I vote for a frenched in license plate. 2nd option one of the narrow license plate frames, with built in plate lites. Love this build
Davew

So are you thinking about something like this for the license plate holder? This is from a post by Darreld Hutchins‎ in the Classic Volvo Restomod group on FB

I'm with you Dave on the recessed plate.. I'm going to do it!

Good to hear from you again MangPong ... I don't know if you've ever been over here, but if not, be forewarned that Vegas can be BRUTALLY hot in the summer (and this is coming from a guy that currently lives where it's over 100 degrees all summer )... Lots to see and do there, just brace yourself for the heat... We go over from time to time and like to go out to "Fremont Street" at night.. this is the older section of Vegas, and it draws all the freaks at night- very much a people-watching experience.. You can't go wrong in Vegas.. too much to do in one trip- have fun

===============

May 5, 2019

A few shots of the latest tasks... the first few are just to show the car stripped for paint... A few of the driver's door as I'm taking this time to rework the shut lines.. they were too tight, so a bit of trimming, tacking, grinding were in order.. better now.. Also, didn't take any pics of it, but I've fitted a twin 'Talbot' style mirror onto the passenger door..

The last pic shows the rear panel before I do some surgery to it (details upcoming).. I've tried to leave this body alone, but my instincts tell me that this particular part of the car can in fact be improved.. I read somewhere that the only reason the prototype's recessed rear license plate, cowhorn bumpers (rear), and through-panel exhaust were ditched was cost.. It just so happens that I'm independently wealthy (with time ), so I'm going to take the time and effort to bring it back to as it was on the literal 1800 drawing board, before the lawyers and accountants became involved..

--ccrunner

_________________
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

Hi 'CC' - many thanks for the advice. I've visited the States many times, and also briefly lived & worked there... so I'm fearing the worst - and then it shouldn't be so bad... I presently survive in SEAsia so I'm used to the heat although I expect the tropical humidity will be replaced by much drier conditions - lots of 'lanolin' might help...
I've booked at El Cortez, because I came across a very funny review online... so I want to ask: Are the freaks just fascinating, or should I be worried...
Thanks again.

Hey MangPong.. the Fremont street freaks are just street performers trying to get some of those tourism dollars that flow through Vegas.. they're just trying to make a buck

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

Early May, 2019

It is not for the timid to take an already beautiful body and have the audacity to think you can improve upon it.. I'm not sure if I'm making a mistake doing this, but like everything else I've owned, I'm building it to my liking, and I'm just hopeful it does in fact turn out to my liking.. In my mind's eye these mods work.. we'll see if it translates to metal.. On with the cutting

First up is the license plate recess.. I got a generic pre-made recess box off of ebay and sliced it down to match my 1800's curves.. an extra step I took was to border the edges with 1/4" rod to help make the edges a bit more rounded.. there's barely a sharp edge on this car, and I didn't want this feature to contrast with the rest of the car by having abrupt 90 degree edges.. Also, I didn't want the 'box' section to have a bottom as I think it will look better if it just sort of 'melts' back into the 1800 body shape..

--ccrunner

_________________
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