benzine
Part of things
Posts: 333
Club RR Member Number: 87
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Feb 11, 2011 17:37:12 GMT
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I'm a bit of a Volvo fan and I've wanted an amazon for a few years now. It's a '67 4 door with a borg-warner 3 speed autobox and B20 engine. I'm a huge manual gearbox fan but I've got other manual cars to fill my need, this project is one that my girlfriend can share the driving as she can't drive manuals, and she will help out from time to time, especially with the interior as she's flip hot with her sewing machine  The car in 1999 (found this photo in the fat envelope that came with it!)  This was bought as a stripped down restoration project, all the exterior trim was inside the car and it's only missing a couple of bits. It needs a fair amount of welding to the floor, there were layers of carpet and old bitumen sheet stuff that was acting as a water trap for years. The boot is shot and I need a new one, but surprisingly the wings, roof, arches, front panel and doors etc are pretty solid (not perfect but all sortable with minimal work) which was a bonus after the initial shock of lifting the rugs! I'm aiming to sort out the rot, make sure it's mechanically sound and while it's stripped like it is it would be daft not to paint it. Anyway, some pictures. I keep forgetting to take my good camera, so most of the pics are phone pics, I'll take my better camera along with me from now on...     Where the rear seats were (brown leather, good condition, forgot to take pics!) There are no rear seat belts but all the mounts are there so I'll be able to fit a set easily.  Now the rot: Lots of bitumen sheet stuff (not sure what it's called) chiseled away  Driver side passenger footwell, hard to tell from poor photos but under the bitumen was some sound surfaces, some surface rust and a couple of holes.  Passenger front footwell, worst part of the car. A previous owner did some wonderful bodges included fibreglassing, underseal and half-welded steel.  Here's the sheet of steel they used, I've just started to bend it back in this picture.  Bit of fibreglassing there:  Bending the steel sheet back further reveals the rot. This bodge confuses me, the sheet they've put in is about 25cm by 40cm, and it's welded down one side only. Good welding too, so why didn't they just... fix the rot?   Passenger side rear footwell, few holes there   Cutting back to good metal  Plenty of good metal left  More chopping, going to have to make up a new rail section here (and likewise on the driver side)  Found one pic with my good camera:  Out with the bad, in with the good. I wish I could use a beading/swage tool to make these bits but it's all 2mm steel so I've been making bits with a bench vice and hammers.   Feels good to get some new metal in there, sorry about dire photo quality , light was fading too, any more updates from now on will be top kvality.  I recon I've got a couple more weeks of welding left if I keep going at the same rate. |
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Last Edit: Jun 13, 2011 20:09:27 GMT by benzine
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Feb 11, 2011 21:20:41 GMT
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Looking good  Can't wait to see some proper pics of it.. |
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...proper medallion man chest wig motoring. |
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benzine
Part of things
Posts: 333
Club RR Member Number: 87
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Feb 12, 2011 21:25:02 GMT
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I've scanned a photo from 1999 that came with the car docs. I also did a scan and max resolution the scanner could do so you can get more detail. There are some other retros in shot, a 240 (with a bonnet that won't shut properly), a granada pickup? with some decals on, I'm guessing like the later P100 sierra based pickups, looks like P something, a nova? (or some vauxhall, not sure), a discovery, some renault? and i'm not sure what the car is behind the amazon but you can sort of make out it's plate. High res scan: img843.imageshack.us/img843/8725/121hr.jpg |
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Feb 12, 2011 21:37:34 GMT
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Looks like its gonna be a cracker when you've finished.
Benzine - that 'granada pick up' is a cortina based P100 !
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1965 Imp
1982 Golf GTi
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benzine
Part of things
Posts: 333
Club RR Member Number: 87
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Feb 12, 2011 21:59:19 GMT
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typical, I put cortina then changed it to granada ;D i fail @ fords |
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Last Edit: Feb 12, 2011 22:00:54 GMT by benzine
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benzine
Part of things
Posts: 333
Club RR Member Number: 87
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Feb 28, 2011 20:09:27 GMT
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90% of passenger side done, a few more little bits to weld before moving on to the drivers side. Then I've got two bits around the windscreen and a couple of bits on the wings. Rail tacked in   I made this ribbed section after getting prices for a new panel  Nearly done, gotta get rid of all that light surface rust  Collecting a windscreen and boot tomorrow! I'm not sure what to do engine wise. Currently has a B20 with single stromberg carb. Tempted to go diesel  or modernise the current engine with megajolt or even megasquirt (but keep it looking as standard as I can) I've no idea! Any engine suggestions? (would like to keep it volvo) |
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Feb 28, 2011 20:17:31 GMT
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T5?
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"No............I think I'll stick with the Maxi"
Arther Daley
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Mar 13, 2011 15:36:38 GMT
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Why not the classic but simple recipe? Fit a later cylinder head (I think that from 1972 they have the biggest valves available), take a few millimeters out of it, fit the "D" or "K" type camshaft (found in fuel injected B20 engines, D until 1973, K after 1974. D slightly more powerful but not very much of a difference), and the dual SU carb setup from the B20 Sport.
Reliable, economical and powerful enough when everything is like it should be. And simple.
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194? Willys Jeep MB 1965 Volvo 544 Special 1968 Opel Rekord 1975 Opel Kadett Estate 1985 Mercedes-Benz 230E 1985 Datsun 720 King Cab 4x4 diesel 1997 Volvo S70 2.5SE (ex. "Volvo544special65" - changed to more reader friendly username. ) |
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benzine
Part of things
Posts: 333
Club RR Member Number: 87
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Apr 24, 2011 18:45:44 GMT
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It's been a hectic month, moving carload after carload of stuff, and trailering cars, new workshop is worth it though, tiny bit bigger than previous lockup. I can actually walk around the car properly now Drivers side wing, replacing rot   Passenger side wing, the mounting bracket was borked.  Remake of the bracket part  After chiseling out golf balls of filler  Cut out the bad and halfway through the new bit  High tech bending  Getting there  New vs old  Tacked  Grinded  Smooth  The amazon arrives at it's new home    Regarding engine swaps, I'm going to keep the B20 engine and get that running and see how I get on with that first  Next on the list of things to do is more floor panel welding and headlight surround welding (eeeek) |
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Last Edit: Apr 24, 2011 18:55:51 GMT by benzine
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benzine
Part of things
Posts: 333
Club RR Member Number: 87
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Jun 13, 2011 21:10:32 GMT
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I've decided to go for an engine swap to a turbo diesel with mechanical injection. XUD9TE fitted the bill nicely, more or less the same BHP as the engine it's replacing with the option of upping it easily. I'm planning to have everything on display, I love the look of the fuel pump and the fuel lines. I'd quite like to make it look as if it's a period engine (a bit like this cosworth engine in a model T ford Link to piccy, almost a marine/canal boat engine feel to it (might sound weird but I've got the exact look I want in my head and I'm going for it ) More rot replacement     Underseal comes off very easily and it's done a pretty good job  Torque convertor on the B20  Dash out  Stripping engine bay   New engine: XUD9TE from a citroen   B20 and XUD  Paint removal   New drivers panel  To go here  The last of my volvos to bring over to new place  XUD flywheel  B20 auto flywheel  Replicating bolt pattern on to new flywheel   Gear ring taken from XUD flywheel and welded onto new flywheel  On the XUD, I made a 6mm spacer that fits underneath it to bring it in line with the starter teeth  Since that pic i've bolted on the torque convertor, just need to finish the bellhousing and I can get it trial fitted in the car and make some engine mounts New arrival - milling machine ^______^  A Herbert. A dirty Herbert.  I thought my pillar drill was big. Well it is really, it's very hard to lift on my own. The Herbert, from reading on the net, is 900kg. I'm still no entirely sure how I managed to load it on and off the trailer. To move it across the workshop I used a huge crowbar, took about an hour  Milling bellhousing nice and flat, then i'll replicate the borg warner gearbox bolt patterns in 10mm ally and weld that on.  I got the TK out the other day to start it up/blow out the cobwebs  Needs another MOT then hopefully a trip to scotland!  |
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funkyhunk
Part of things
Old Ford's R Us
Posts: 265
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OMG be careful mate! You've got the citroen engine backwards mate! Be careful or you'll go really fast backwards! Just kidding, great project It's fun to see more people taking care of these old volvo's. |
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benzine
Part of things
Posts: 333
Club RR Member Number: 87
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that's my petrol/diesel twin engined magic carpet project |
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Jun 14, 2011 11:26:33 GMT
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Nice work, especially on the bodywork Btw, seeing as you're having to sort out the bellhousing, is it not worth also fitting a later o/d equipped Volvo autobox, which would be a much better unit than the one originally fitted. Even when new, that BW35 autobox wasn't considered to be a great match to the B18/B20. |
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MrSpeedy
East Midlands
www.vintagediesels.co.uk
Posts: 4,786 
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Jun 14, 2011 12:17:44 GMT
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I've decided to go for an engine swap to a turbo diesel with mechanical injection. XUD9TE fitted the bill nicely, more or less the same BHP as the engine it's replacing with the option of upping it easily. I'm planning to have everything on display, I love the look of the fuel pump and the fuel lines. I'd quite like to make it look as if it's a period engine (a bit like this cosworth engine in a model T ford Link to piccy, almost a marine/canal boat engine feel to it (might sound weird but I've got the exact look I want in my head and I'm going for it ) Kinda like this ??   It's the nearest style of engine we've done to a car engine. Nice way to build them I think. All my engines have been built in a similar style, mostly because it's what I know |
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benzine
Part of things
Posts: 333
Club RR Member Number: 87
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Jun 14, 2011 12:18:54 GMT
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Nice work, especially on the bodywork Btw, seeing as you're having to sort out the bellhousing, is it not worth also fitting a later o/d equipped Volvo autobox, which would be a much better unit than the one originally fitted. Even when new, that BW35 autobox wasn't considered to be a great match to the B18/B20. Thanks ^_^ Yeah I looked briefly into other volvo auto boxes, there's a few reasons I stuck with the BW. It was free, no wiring, no need to do more fabrication in terms of mounts or modding the prop, speedo will carry on working as normal, and the colomn shift will still link straight up. The autobox from a 960 looks complicated (has it's own ecu?) but I'm not sure of auto boxes between the BW35 and the 960. If there's one that would be easy and cheap to install then i'm all ears for sure ^_^ Do you know what volvos had an o/d autobox? 200/700/900? Yeah that sort of thing, that kind of colour too, looks great I'd like to use copper coolant pipes if possible, i'm not sure what the injection lines are made of, if they could be replicated in copper too that would be awesome what's that lister engine going in? |
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Last Edit: Jun 14, 2011 12:23:57 GMT by benzine
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MrSpeedy
East Midlands
www.vintagediesels.co.uk
Posts: 4,786
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Jun 14, 2011 12:21:05 GMT
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No idea about auto box's tbh, but I'm sure someone will be along who does  |
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Jun 14, 2011 14:00:49 GMT
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Thanks ^_^ Yeah I looked briefly into other volvo auto boxes, there's a few reasons I stuck with the BW. It was free, no wiring, no need to do more fabrication in terms of mounts or modding the prop, speedo will carry on working as normal, and the colomn shift will still link straight up. The autobox from a 960 looks complicated (has it's own ecu?) but I'm not sure of auto boxes between the BW35 and the 960. If there's one that would be easy and cheap to install then i'm all ears for sure ^_^ Do you know what volvos had an o/d autobox? 200/700/900? I was thinking of something like the 200 series autobox. Worth asking on the Volvo OC forum, as it's been done before. Also here's some info on diff ratios in relation to diesel engined Amazons: www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=104657& fitting a later auto_+ o/d to a B18/B20: www.v1800reg.org/pages/AW70%20CONV.PDF |
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benzine
Part of things
Posts: 333
Club RR Member Number: 87
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Jun 14, 2011 16:40:07 GMT
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Thanks for the info, Paul. Looks like if I keep the BW35 it'll be cheap short term but in the long run it'll be a pain for long journeys and cost a lot more in derv if the diff ratio is 4+ and the top gear in the box is 1:1. Decision time...
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MrSpeedy
East Midlands
www.vintagediesels.co.uk
Posts: 4,786
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Jun 14, 2011 17:56:32 GMT
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Yeah that sort of thing, that kind of colour too, looks great I'd like to use copper coolant pipes if possible, i'm not sure what the injection lines are made of, if they could be replicated in copper too that would be awesome what's that lister engine going in? That engine is one we did over xmas. All the engines we do are for narrowboats (except theones for our own cars/trucks) The injection pipes are steel, painted black. I have only ever seen one engine with copper injection pipes and quite frankly I'm amazed they never broke. Injection pressures on these old engines runs around 170-185 atmospheres (approx 2500 psi), so it's not something I'd recommend. I've also seen a fair few chrome plated but this can also lead to fracture due to accelerated hardening of the pipes. Copper cooling pipes should be no problem tho. I used copper for my Sprintfire installation on the small bore pipes and Aluminium for the main pipes. |
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Jun 17, 2011 21:05:17 GMT
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I am really interested to see how you go on with this, I so nearly went xud in our amazon but went down the perkins montego lump as the clutch and other bits were similar size. Compared to the original 1.8 twin su...........it goes well, and we get 45 mpg min. Does need soundproofing and could do with taller gears, even with overdrive. we love it!
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Can't wait to see some proper pics of it..
or modernise the current engine with megajolt or even megasquirt (but keep it looking as standard as I can) I've no idea! Any engine suggestions? (would like to keep it volvo)
Next on the list of things to do is more floor panel welding and headlight surround welding (eeeek)
