HA, you're gonna have to pry it from my cold dead hands. Barring any unforseen events, I'm most likely never going to sell this car. It being the first car I bought for my own money free and clear, it means a lot to me.
Hey jag! It's been a year since your last update. What's the status of the Volvo. It's a cool project, I'd love to see where it's at.
I actually reminded myself of this yesterday when I saw a black slammed 850 wagon with some black wheels and this played out sticker on the back window: Then I saw 2 ghetto ass motherfuckers in it. I was scratching my head after that.
Whoah buddy this is ancient stuff. Just like any other project with zero funding behind it, it's slow going. I did get some stuff accomplished though: New engine mounts: <table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/AqrgAu1hPTnhxpkc9Dqi-w"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3rie6RNw548/R_hZXWlAD-I/AAAAAAAAA_g/lWNUBCN2bNU/s800/PICT0903.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/abuchka/242TheSagaContinues">242: The Saga Continues</a></td></tr></table> Shaved drip rails: <table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/tiNSDWrazz6gM0__QmbZew"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3rie6RNw548/SHbQvP0p-aI/AAAAAAAABKY/7ZSNTYXaBUg/s800/IMG_1749.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/abuchka/242TheSagaContinues">242: The Saga Continues</a></td></tr></table> New terbo (Holset HX50, 65mm inducer): <table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/fXEPGOYwn7rkQMCu88f3Dw"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3rie6RNw548/R_7DnPuarZI/AAAAAAAABAg/KeWMu-p5TcI/s800/PICT0909.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/abuchka/242TheSagaContinues">242: The Saga Continues</a></td></tr></table> Started making mini tubs, shock turrets and 4 link mounts: <table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/VGTfI4x_KDjNAr_uWKSRMw"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3rie6RNw548/SH_28Qbb3bI/AAAAAAAABMg/tsxqCFycEq4/s800/IMG_1789.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/abuchka/242TheSagaContinues">242: The Saga Continues</a></td></tr></table> Lots of other little odds and ends going on. Also my brother now has a car, I'll make a new thread about that one.
Things are heating up in a good way. Got feisty with the angle grinder: Firewall getting moved back 6 inches, crank pulley is now directly above the steering rack. I guess for better weight distribution or some garbage. Mostly did it for the hell of it. Tacked in half of the new (not ugly this time) motor mounts: Finished making the rear sheet metal and most of the wheel tubs: Tacked together the trans mount: Gonna button up the trans mount and put some more tubing and plate on it tomorrow. Also the firewall should be going back in as well if I can get around to it.
Tacked in the firewall 6" back Have to put a notch in the top of the firewall or I'll never get the 5th plug or coil out. Started buttoning up the tubs. Welded in the transmission tunnel, fabricated and tacked in the raised driveshaft tunnel. Tossed in the dash for shits. It's all working out pretty well. Got a box of 1.5" mild steel sch40 elbows and a 6 ft length of pipe to make the header. Just waiting for the flange on the head to get here in the mail. Rear shocks show up on monday along with the DOM for the trailing arms.
I was back in MA for the holidays. Just got back to sweden today. My brother will continue the build while I'm here. Rear shocks came in the mail: Fox racing 2" threaded body emulsion shocks with 8.5" of travel. For $200 a pop it's a bargain for a shock that comes with all the coilover hardware, uniballs on both ends and are fully rebuildable.
Originally they are intended for off-road applications but they are really easy to rebuild and revalve to almost any spec. Helps that they are very competitively priced.
So are you designing the 4 link? Don't know if you need it but here's a 4-link calculator. New Version of my 4-link Analyzer & Request for Help - Pirate4x4.Com Bulletin Board Top link is newest version.
Sweet lurker. I've seen that before but not a version that new. Unfortunately it doesn't look like it will do 4 links with a panhard bar. I've been spending a lot of time in the machine shop at school, making the intake manifold. Shitty cell phone pics are all I have: 110mm, 3mm wall aluminum tubing (about 4" .120 wall) with a cheater angle cut into it in three pieces. Welded the 11.5 degree pieces together, then welded them to the long piece of tubing. I'm not very good at welding aluminum and these were the first welds I did that day. Hacked the tube in half lengthwise and tacked the massaged pieces to the "base plate" where the runners will go to form the side walls of the plenum. That tapered piece is rolled from 3mm sheet then welded together. It will act as a transition from the 110mm plenum to the 70mm throttle body. Start filling in the gaps Tacked in the top and bottom pieces, then I clamped the whole thing in the horizontal band saw and chopped off the excess 4" tubing to make a flat surface to weld the cone to. Plenum all welded up. I think the welds came out pretty damn good for a lackey amateur like myself Showing off the penetration The shop at school had no tubing in the right size for runners so I have to buy some, then I have to turn a die to press velocity stacks into the runners. Also going back today to turn a new throttle spool for the throttle body and a bunch of other crap. Should be fun.
Thanks man! I honestly can't give an estimate on money spent. It's all been spread out over such a long time and I've bought and sold so much stuff related to the project over time that it's impossible to keep track of. As of now I would say I probably have somewhere in the neighborhood of $2500 - 3000 tied up in it. That's not counting the hundreds and hundreds of hours I've spent working. Now for update: My second favorite tool in action, the lathe. Used the blank I cut out of the flange for the throttle body to turn a new throttle spool. The hole in the middle of the aluminum slug was too big originally so i milled and turned a steel plug that I press-fitted into the center. Fly-cutting down the side profile of the throttle body flange. Old bracket on the right and new spool on the left. I installed an M6 socket head cap screw to act as a stop on the idle screw. I also milled a slight profile on one side to make it easier to adjust the idle screw later. Welding 3mm sheet to 15mm plate i really tough. But I managed in any case. Plenum basically done. Just need some velcity stacks, any tips?
Wow stickied. I've gotta step up my game now. Karl is home in MA working on the car itself. He made some progress on the rear shock turrets: The top is getting a piece of 1/8" plate with some tabs for the shock mount. The sides of the turrets will get partially plated with 1/8" as well just for insurance. All the rear tubing of the cage will tie into those two shock turrets in an attempt to transfer as much load as possible into the cage.
Been really really busy with school and renovating my apartment. I did manage to get away for a few hours today and make a couple of adjustment screws for the throttle cable: The throttle cable is just a generic rear brake cable for a bike with cantilever brakes. Took a couple of M8 socket head cap screws. Bored out a section to 6mm diameter so the cable end had something to seat in, then I drilled the bolt all the way through with a 2.5mm drill. Clamped it in the mill and slotted it lengthwise with a 2mm endmill. Also slotted a nut in the same way. I did this so I can still easily remove the cable from the adjuster while it's attached to the intake manifold. I made two because it's a good thing to have laying around.
The car is coming along slowly but surely. Rear suspension is going together: This pile of parts cost a lot more money than you might think Trailing arms all tacked up. Made from 1 1/4" .120 wall DOM tubing. Right about ride height. Those wheels are 18x8 That's with about 2" left to go before the axle tubes hit the frame rails. If i put it on the bump stops when the car is rolling it should sit about there.
