Volvo 940 GLE Caravan Project - Underway!

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Fred
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Re: Volvo 940 GLE Caravan Project - Underway!

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Bought drill bits and tried to be funny: https://twitter.com/FredCookeNZ/status/ ... 6063903744
Crane hooked to caravan: https://twitter.com/FredCookeNZ/status/ ... 1573465089
Caravan wheel stand: https://twitter.com/FredCookeNZ/status/ ... 9732427776
Crane lifting caravan: https://twitter.com/FredCookeNZ/status/ ... 2481080320
Self levitating caravan undersides: https://twitter.com/FredCookeNZ/status/ ... 4000316419
What lies above the gask tank: https://twitter.com/FredCookeNZ/status/ ... 2111092736
12.9kg of stuff removed, all up: https://twitter.com/FredCookeNZ/status/ ... 6336223232
Minor disaster! Ooops: https://twitter.com/FredCookeNZ/status/ ... 0275805185
Plate spun around and made a hole: https://twitter.com/FredCookeNZ/status/ ... 7296956417
Cutting oil rinsed off: https://twitter.com/FredCookeNZ/status/ ... 8713910272
Wet zinc primer: https://twitter.com/FredCookeNZ/status/ ... 1920933889
Dry zinc primer: https://twitter.com/FredCookeNZ/status/ ... 6716191745

Dimensions of the thing:

3480mm from edge of firewall to back of bumper
780mm draw bar ball centre to edge of firewall
2440mm axle centre to edge of firewall
3220mm draw bar ball centre to axle centre (derived)
1040mm axle centre to back of bumper (derived)

Approx centre of mass of stuff removed, 500mm fwd of axle, thus approx 15% over draw bar, 85% over axle, ~2kg off ball, ~11kg off axle.

Next up:

0) EDIT Install floor reinforcement plates
1) Lighten dash, loom out, air con out, etc.
1.5) EDIT Seal up all gaping holes in front of caravan post loom removal!
2) Soften sharp edges, cover with hose or whatever.
3) Wire tail lights, take connector from back, connect to front.
4) Reinstall some plastic trim (B pillar covers).
5) Remove remaining brackets (drill and cut).
6) Attempt dry ice removal of remaining tar.
7) Pull hitch off, drill more holes, bevel corners, clean fasteners, grease and reinstall.
8) Reattempt change of class, if fail, give up and register as Volvo 940 Caravan with new plate! VINZ or AA, probably.
9) WOF! :-D
10) Buy trailer ball lock and/or wheel clamp.
11) Park on street somewhere nearby.

Another thing I've noticed is that the front doors don't close 100% perfectly anymore, something I'll have to consider when re-engineering the sills, draw bar, firewall, and floor. Not important right now, and not too bad, either.

Goal for this is to be out of the driveway, or capable of legally being out of the driveway, by the end of the month, to make way for the Stagea to live inside for a while :-) Or perhaps bring the hotel home for some engine love. Or a Volvo in out of the wet wild streets.
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Re: Volvo 940 GLE Caravan Project - Underway!

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Totally forgot one of the important things from the 11 item long list: Install the floor reinforcement plates!

Probably should have been number 1, and that's how it worked out this afternoon, too.

Probably got home around 2:40pm or so, was all done by 4pm.

Undid nuts, cleaned floor, slipped plate over, greased contact patches and thread, reapplied nuts, and drilled out to 4.9mm: https://twitter.com/FredCookeNZ/status/ ... 6960779264

Left side riveted: https://twitter.com/FredCookeNZ/status/ ... 1706974209
Right side riveted: https://twitter.com/FredCookeNZ/status/ ... 9933011968
Lock nuts installed: https://twitter.com/FredCookeNZ/status/ ... 3709289476
Overview: https://twitter.com/FredCookeNZ/status/ ... 8192009216

Cleaned up, put tools away, profit.
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Re: Volvo 940 GLE Caravan Project - Underway!

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Removed the last of the brackets, 3 left, but not ever going to take those out, until the floor goes all together!

Cut off 5 brackets: https://twitter.com/FredCookeNZ/status/ ... 2376485889
And drilled 3 out: https://twitter.com/FredCookeNZ/status/ ... 0100595712

And swept out all the dust an grinding dust and drill swarf and crap. And moved it, and hosed down the drive underneath so as not to end up with rust stains. And moved it back. So now it's clean and tidy and empty aside from junk in the back.

Tomorrow will be dash and wiring day, I think (1 & 3). And probably tidy up the business end of the A-frame (7). And other chores, too.
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Re: Volvo 940 GLE Caravan Project - Underway!

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Item 7 completed:

Drilled drainage and extra chain hole: https://twitter.com/FredCookeNZ/status/ ... 5838799872
Diced corners off at 45 degrees: https://twitter.com/FredCookeNZ/status/ ... 4543846400 (and gave it a bit of a wire brush)
Reattached coating everything in a thin layer of waterproof synth grease as anti-rust: https://twitter.com/FredCookeNZ/status/ ... 4201198593

Started on the dash removal, but need to research how to disconnect the vents/wiring from behind it, as it doesn't want to move right now.
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Re: Volvo 940 GLE Caravan Project - Underway!

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Got a fair bit done this evening! Item 1, lighten dash, remove aircon etc, mostly complete!

Tweet, tweet.

Dash fell out: https://twitter.com/FredCookeNZ/status/ ... 4489894912
Ditto: https://twitter.com/FredCookeNZ/status/ ... 5018177537
Dash on ground: https://twitter.com/FredCookeNZ/status/ ... 6840974338
Much stuff under dash: https://twitter.com/FredCookeNZ/status/ ... 0894786564
Dash loom weighed most: https://twitter.com/FredCookeNZ/status/ ... 7491804160
Quality EZK ignition wiring: https://twitter.com/FredCookeNZ/status/ ... 2482545668
Modded bracket: https://twitter.com/FredCookeNZ/status/ ... 2056220672
Bare internal firewall: https://twitter.com/FredCookeNZ/status/ ... 7788386304
Heater/aircon unit: https://twitter.com/FredCookeNZ/status/ ... 6112579585
Inside bare dash: https://twitter.com/FredCookeNZ/status/ ... 9069413376
Contemplating style vs pragmatism: https://twitter.com/FredCookeNZ/status/ ... 6443368452

Left to do:

1) Weigh everything I ripped out
2) Seal up all holes (1.5 in above list, now)
3) Reinstall bare dash with glovebox
4) Throw away or organise for storage, all things removed

The tail light wiring should be a piece of cake, hopefully! The looms all break down with big high quality interior connectors at convenient spots. Just need to sort out the pinning of them and hook it all up, run the wire out the front, and mount the connector somewhere.

The steering column bracket had nice edge covers to save hands exploring the dash from being sliced to ribbons. Those will end up on the front edges where the saber saw had its way with the steel sheet.

Those are tomorrow's jobs. And if they go well/quickly, I will fill the 240 with fuel from a drum in the garage, and take it for a ride to a VINZ shop for some fun n games. Drum roll, please! :-D If not tomorrow, Thursday, for sure. Friday will be a day of sorting storage and finding stuff to sell off.
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Re: Volvo 940 GLE Caravan Project - Underway!

Post by Fred »

Stumbled upon this on twitter poking around for Volvo caravan things:

Image



I think it's fake, but it reminds me a lot of this thread... and it looks pretty cool :-)

Adding to the earlier post with all the other pics.
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Re: Volvo 940 GLE Caravan Project - Underway!

Post by Fred »

Huge day, mostly on this thing!
Phew!

Still to come:
  1. Tail light wiring
  2. Sort registration/plate out
  3. WOF time! EDIT: Monday!
  4. Plug holes
  5. Plastic trim
IE, gaping holes and plastic trim can wait! Tomorrow I sort out the wiring, fill up the 240, and take this thing for a ride to VINZ.

Fred.
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Re: Volvo 940 GLE Caravan Project - Underway!

Post by Fred »

Another productive day, though not that much done, it filled out the whole day in the end, 7 hours all up from "kick off" to "touch down".
Monday: WOF time! :-D

Then maybe:
  • Plug all of the holes so it doesn't leak.
  • Black out the floor pan, too, so it's discrete.
  • Reinstall the dash and trim pieces.
  • Look at security devices, wheel clamps, ball locks.
  • Find somewhere safe to park it that isn't this driveway.
Then back to other chores. Phase one complete! :-D

I guess I have to upload and direct link this photo, too good not to:

Image



And for comparison:

Image



One costs 500 bucks, the other 5000 bucks. :-)

Fred.
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Re: Volvo 940 GLE Caravan Project - Underway!

Post by Fred »

Took it for a bit of a photo shoot because my driveway was blocked after returning WITH A NEW WOF. :-)

Results:

Latched up behind the 240 wagon, this is my view while underway: https://twitter.com/FredCookeNZ/status/ ... 6289105920
Down by the ocean, Auckland harbour, just below the bridge: https://twitter.com/FredCookeNZ/status/ ... 7579071488

I took some more serious photos with a real camera, but am yet to upload.

Biggest chore I have to do: Figure out where to park it that's safe.

Biggest chore today, trying to find out where to buy blades! :-/

Fred.
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Re: Volvo 940 GLE Caravan Project - Underway!

Post by Fred »

Scored these for her today: https://twitter.com/FredCookeNZ/status/ ... 6665911297

And witnessed a serious accident involving a 940 wagon and a hedge: https://twitter.com/FredCookeNZ/status/ ... 4443671552

No injuries, or so I hear.
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