Volvo C304 4x4 Build/Restoration - WR002

[geckoadventure]

19 November 2017

Todays task drill out the headlight locking tab as the top half of the clip has been broken off due to rust etc.


The right headlight now hangs properly on the ring, The left will not as there is not enought lip for it to grab onto. Moew issues sigh.


Then help arrives and I get assistance from the boat builder who drops in for lunch in tacking in the indicator plates




I make up new headlight locking clips and put in a rivnut. The workshop can weld these in next week.


Hometime almost the headlights look like they will work eventually.


I mount the air cond blower but it will not bolt to the newly painted brackets damn.


Home time and 8.03pm I head home 190k to go. I don't get far 40k in one hour the traffic is crap and i'm exhausted I pull over for a 3 hour sleep and eventually crawl in home at 1.30am

[nivaman]

We will fight them on the beaches, we will never surrender

[geckoadventure]

Saturday 25 November 2017

Assist the boat builder looking at a Volvo 4 hours away from home so no work on my Volvo.

He makes the offer and he is the proud owner of the worst Volvo I have evr seen. Bent up front of the chassis. Cabin smashed up 3 inches shorter on the right side. Smashed in rear of the cabin where the czrgo rammed the Cabin and oh yeah its running Toyota BJ40 Axles

Sunday 26 November 2017

Todays task drill out the headlight locking tab as the top half of the clip has been broken off due to rust etc.



Then the boat builder turns up and helps me by welding in the indicator fillers then grinding them down.




The headlight rims are almost ready


The headlights finally are bolted in I still need one more clip on each to finish them.


Side view


The two workers for the day

[geckoadventure]

Friday 1 December 2017

Public holiday so up 4am and reach IPOH 190K away 22 hours later as I have the pocket rocket 1.5litre Suzuki Swift while Adam borrows my Isuzu to collect his "Volvo" and will drop by when he has collected it some 8 hours later. Later I realise I have left my mobile phone at home so I head back to wonderful Kuala Lumpur 7pm.

They have not got back to KL with the Volvo till late due to the traffic hell which is public holidays. So it becomes a bar session instead. The Volvo is outside my house on the trailer.

Saturday 2 December 2017

I head to Penang with Adam in the Isuzu towing his Volvo.


Unload time at the boat factory.


We rebuild the fuel tank for the Volvo it will be tig welded during the week.


Then it's time for Kuala Lumpur 365k away and return the trailer and hit the bar before 12.00am. Then the crap starts. We have to repack all the trailers wheel bearings there goes over an hour. Then the lights fail on the trailer and we blow a fuse in the Isuzu more lost time. Then a fast 10k test on the trailer makes the wheel bearings hot. So it's a slow trip back to KL we arrive in the time at 1:53am to be told bar closing lol. I sleep in on the Sunday morning no Volvo work.

[geckoadventure]

Saturday 9 December 2017

Long Weekend again - I'm up and on the road 5am and miss the traffic the 190k zips by fast on 140kph

The new tank (3mm 5053 alloy) is delivered to me from Penang all TIG'd up we have to cut 22mm out of the filler to make it fit without hitting the pullout step.


Air cond pipe is recut and recrimped with 6" removed.


The indicator holes are welded closed and body filled and sanded down by the boat builder/




The Centre Console is progressing


Then it was dinner time and I crawled out of a bar with the boat builder at 2am lol.

Sunday 10 December 2017

The body filled parts are undercoated and top coated.


Mr Brown supervises the operation.


At the end of the day I have the headlights mounted with one clip in each still required to be obtained. The speaker panels are in the powder coating shop.


The fuel tank is bolted back in, just the tank protector to go.


16-20 December Holiday on Lake Kenyir - we lived on the Boat factory junk boat and camped on it and cooked etc on it - the perfect holiday. My boat well the boat factory still to install the 2JZ 2220hp engine and the JET unit. It's booked to be finished by mid February as wife has demanded a trip away together in it.

Part 1

The drone followed us during our trip - it missed the 3 hour night cruise however.



Part 2

[geckoadventure]

23 December 2017

Up 4am and on the road to avoid the traffic. 7am I'm sitting having breakfast 190k has whizzed past with the help of ZZTOP and BLONDIE.

The speaker panels are back and I test fit them. Still have to get the smoked Perspex and the LED light for the gecko fitted.


I finish 8.30pm and find a hotel - really expensive like 4 times the rate I normally pay.

Sunday 24 December 2017

I get some help and we fit the 50" LED light then we realise the bottom panel needs to be remade with some more reinforcing it drops 5mm in the middle. Rats!


The speaker panel is bolted down with 1 rivnut to replace.


It's 3pm time to head back to KL for XMAS dinner. Mr Brown will not let me pat him as I leave. 6pm I’m sitting back in KL getting cleaned up for XMAS dinner.

[geckoadventure]

30 December 2017

5am on the road head off to Ipoh again actually the drive is getting to me. This is bad damn motor bike groups thousands of them heading north on their 150cc scooters then it rains making it even worse and I need new front tires. The mighty little Isuzu since I have started 2 years ago reassembling the Volvo has done 98,000 killer meters

I work on the roof panels by lunchtime I have carved one out. Meantime Brett comes in and starts making the bracket for the wiper motor. He has also made the left side of the air cond ducting only the right to do and made the new top for the blower. I realise I have also left my phone at home again.

I start on the rear panels also and get long ways then realise I need to fix up the design a little.
7pm home time back to KL I cannot be bothered with the excessive overnight rates for a holiday weekend. I end up in the bar with my mates and it’s a long night.

31 December 2017

6am I wake up late and just step on it to IPOH the 190k goes past not so nice I need new front tires and it gets dicey rapidly after 120kph in the rain.

The right roof panel is done.


The finished wiper motor. Just need the arms and the wipers completed.


I toil away all day and get the rear panels ready and then realise I need a little redesign on the top portion. Doing big panels by myself is not easy on the guillotine.


Final pics of the year before I head home.

[geckoadventure]

6 January 2018

I wake up late 6am I'm on the road and I have a set of Volvo axles in the rear to deliver to Penang tonight.

9am at the workshop fed and ready to go.

Lunchtime it’s down to get new front tires and a visit to the bolt shop for 150 rivnuts to fit the rear panels.

Bolt down the gearlever cover - it's marked ready for final cut and prep. The rear panels are now split into 3 parts a top 100mm piece (4"), the middle part (in the next pic) and the bottom piece.


8.30pm I finish up after spending 4+ hours making the top rear panel twice - first one ended up as an alloy template.

7 January 2018

Mornings work, make the middle panel.


Mid afternoon I have the bottom panel bolting down started but I need a double fold done to finish it.


The middle panel fits finally but needs the bottom panel and top panel bolted in to finish it.


I bolt in the centre console and slip the steering wheel on and the engine cover. Gear lever cover is cut and trimmed and the holes all drilled to test finally bolt down


It actually looks really good.






Time for home its 6pm

[Cameron]

Awesome progress mate!

[Smurf]

She is coming together nicely now, Finish line is getting closer.

[geckoadventure]

She is coming together nicely now, Finish line is getting closer.

Yup im getting there slowly. However I want it completely finished before I remove it from the shop do not want it in the shop after I take it out for things I have not completed.

[geckoadventure]

Part 1

The drone followed us during our trip - it missed the 3 hour night cruise however.



Part 2

[geckoadventure]

13 January 2018

The workshop is closed for the weekend so I elect to drive 365k up to the boat factory drop off Adam's Volvo Axles for his Volvo and help them strip my boat and collect the 2JZ-FSE and bring it down for mods it needs before we install it.

Takes me 4 hours to get to Butterworth (Penang) the traffic was hell.

So we only start work at 11.30am on the boat.

By 4pm we had the boat stripped with only the seat left to cut out.


7pm we finally offload the Volvo Axles onto a pallet then we run through my 2JZ engine sitting on the boat shop floor. The list is compiled and then its loaded onto the Isuzu for the drive back to KL. So after the previous incident with Volvo 2's engine and gearbox and the polis I decide to return home in the dead of night. 8.30pm I leave Butterworth after the fisrt 100k after the speed camera's are over I really step on it and reach KL at 11.15pm in time for a meal and a beer in the pub.

Sunday is a rest day.

[geckoadventure]

Saturday 20 January 2018

Sleep in 6:08am on the road. Traffic for the last 90k was hell trucks being arseholes. Had breakfast at 7:40am and then at the workshop at 8.30 to wait for it to be opened. I have the overhead console with me which I collected last night it looks ok maybe.

A quick fit trial shows it's not in good enough condition and needs to be remade with a different style so no welding is needed inside.


We bend up the top panel and the bottom panels. The bottom panel is trial fitted and looks ok.

I go out in the afternoon and collect new speakers and then spend hours preparing one speaker to fit the panel.

8.00pm decide its time for food and the hotel.

[geckoadventure]

Sunday 21 January 2018

8.45am start

The bottom panel is trial fitted and looks ok.


8pm I get assistance from the boat builder and we work on the speaker panels again. All 4 base plates are cut away to fit nicely. The 4" speaker holes are expanded for the 6" speakers and we trim a tab off and a test fit reveals they fit nicely. When finish they need to be stripped and re powder coated.

We test fit the chair. I already have bolted in the middle panel and spent the afternoon getting all the holes drilled some 80 rivnuts and been drilled and installed incpuding redrilling the speaker rivnuts from 4mm to 5mm.




Then its time for a dash review and we set the drivers seat in then start the dash panel layout design.

However its 8.15pm and its really time for home.

Dinner before I leave Ipoh at 9.30pm for the 190k drive home. It's a 2 hour drive home.

Friday night - weekend is a bust. I wake up on monday with diaroeeha from dinner sigh then wednesday afternoon I'm down with the flu from the office. Any plans for the weekend on the volvo have gone out the window.

[geckoadventure]

Wednesday 31 January 2018

Public Holiday

4.08am I'm on the road and miss the holiday traffic. 1 hour 20 minutes later i'm at breakfast then the workshop at 8.30am. There is 3 of us working on the Volvo. One on the console. One on the air cond ducting and me I first convert the speakers from 4" to 6" holes.

I have assistance Raj the new guy and Brett the owner.

I pull the starter motor so it can be converted to 12v. OMG I realise the SUMP has to be removed to pull the starter.

So I drain the oil and pull the sump off. Then pull the starter motor.



The passenger side of the ducting is ready.


and the middle piping is almost finished.


Then it's time for home at 6.00pm I have the 190k drive to go as I have to look after the cats as wife is in IPOH visiting her mum.

[geckoadventure]

Thursday 1 February 2018

Another public holiday 5.30am I'm on the road I sleep in. I drive fast for the 190k - not saying how fast but the Isuzu spends most of the time on the wrong side of 150kph.The 190K whizzes by to the dulced sounds of Creedence.

Quick Breakfast and at the workshop 7:55am it's a workday in IPOH. Oh crap yesterdays worker Raj has dissappeared.

It's decided the 24v starter and alternator are to be removed and dropped down to 12v. So it's sump off damn to get the starter out else its engine out. We decide sump also needs to be trimmed and that prompts it being remade to chop the remaining sump wing and then fix it up so it can have the 2.5 litres we have

chopped out.
The sump will be remade Friday.

I scoot the Starter down to the nice sparky shop. They say come back 5pm it will be ready converted to 12V.


The sump before it gets chopped (already chopped for front prop shaft) and hacked into its new shape.


Time for home at 6pm 2.5 hours later I arrive home damn traffic was horrible

[geckoadventure]

Saturday 3 February 2018

Sleep in, way in I hit the road at 6:08am and hit the 6am saturday traffic the trip is hell 190k takes me an hour and, 40 minutes.

Some idiot in a showpony V8 Landcruiser really gets up my nose pass then pull in and slow down then I have to pass over and over. He decides to try and flash pass me at 160kph on a long uphill as a truck pulls out in front of me and we slow rapidly to 80kph. Pissed I let him pass, I pull up beside him at 160k on the downhill and goad him into racing me. He cannot resist I slam the brakes on at 160k and he races past the speed camera at 160k then flash flash then he decides to slow down I pass him with a BIRD salute lol 13k later it's the IPOH turnoff.

Fast breakfast then its 8.30am at the workshop

First install the radiator back in with its new metric pressure cap welded on last night in Kuala Lumpur at 8pm. Check everything and trim hoses etc to stop any rubbing.

They have remade the sump to retain the 2.5 litres lost when cutting the sump wings off and spend the morning welding the new bottom to the top.

I re-fit the second air compressor after the workshop destroyed the previous one and leave it for them to re-wire.

I have to pull the 12v and 24v alternator today and then take the starter down for conversion.

I get the 12v alternator and brackets stripped off. Then pull the 24v alternator. Down to the auto sparky shop. Get a 12v replacement for the 24v alternator. They convert the old pulley to the new alternator I wait an hour for this to happen.

Meantime I go find cotton canvas for inside the Volvo cabin and oil for the engine. 5pm I return to the workshop and the compressor has been wired in and sump is sand blasted ready to paint.

I collect the powder coated items and fit the door lock covers.




Meantime Raj has built the removeable drivers dash panel template (access to clutch and brake fluid) ready for them to now make the swingaway instrument panel.


Tomorrows work fit these.


Compressors all fitted and wired in again.


The sump is completed and sandblasted and now ready to be painted Monday.

[geckoadventure]

Saturday 10 February 2018

God is it Saturday already can I sleep in for 4 more hours - its 4am - No then sleep in on the road eventually 6.08am. Stuff it I floor it and arrive in IPOH 190k away in 1 hour 15 minutes the speedo rarely under 160kph.

Some idiot really annoys me this time in a BMW for miles guess these idiot don't like being passed by a beaten up Isuzu pickup. I eventually get him back with him getting a speed camera ticket at over 160kph in the pitch black the double flash lights up the morning darkness lol. He stops annoying me.

Breakfast and arrive at the factory 8am ready for work. Funny no Mr Brown at the gate. He's on the trailer shaking. I thought he had been poisoned jump the gate and find he is Caught by his collar on the metal grill he is frantic. He is all over me when I free him.

I work on stuff outside the cabin while Raj finishes the air cond ducting mounting points and drivers vents.

I try and get the windscreen trimmed to make it fit. It's a bust they need to be remade as tempered glass cannot be trimmed.

Raj starts on the flip up instrument cluster to on top of the dash cover he has just made.

I manage to finish the top panel it all lines up and bolts fit perfectly.

[geckoadventure]

Sunday 11 February 2018



By lunchtime I have the middle panel fitted and it is almost finished just the window trimming to go.










By evening I have all the rear panels fitted nicely and have 1 hole to weld up and 2 holes to relocate to avoid the speaker panels.

Cleaned up the panels look ace well worth the effort.


I fit the wifes seat to see how it will look.


Home time - next weekend is CNY so no work on the Volvo I have been confined to KL

[1bad4x]

Build is looking great.
I know your pain all to well with some drivers, never trapped one into a speed camera. I really do like that.
Best one I had was on way back from ski trip. in newish (best ones imho) Mini Cooper passed a holden ute. who was sitting round 105k.
I blasted by, he obviously took offence to this so decided to tailgate me at some decent speeds until I took a 35k corner at god knows how fast was all eyes on road not speedo.
glanced rearview on exit to see him dip into the ditch, barley holding it together… didn’t see him after that, my guess the rest of his trip was in a pile of his own faeces..

[wjw]

As usual, still following... Great to see progress

[Cameron]

Looks like good progress being made mate!
hope the momentum keeps up and you can get driving and enjoying this beast!

[geckoadventure]

Looks like good progress being made mate!
hope the momentum keeps up and you can get driving and enjoying this beast!

Very little left to do only overhead console to be remade and fitted then all the powdercoating can be done after a final fit check and adjustments. They told me thursday night they had completed the foldup dash pod for the tacho and speedo and warning lights.

i have started the clutch and brake fluid filling exercise. However someone has put foot on clutch and the master cylinder is stuck in the in position. I need to remove and put ait in it to free it up. Fixed all the pipe leaks for clutch. The brakes however, sigh the professionally flared piping joints are leaking like mad and have to be reflared sigh. It's all part of the build process 2 steps forward 1 step backwards.

However all lessons leanred here are being avoided for Volvo 2,

I have a kayak fishing get together on 31/3/2017 weekend and Volvo is expected to be present with Kayak on roof.

[Cameron]

that's a pain! hopefully you get to the bottom of that fairly quickly.
I always have terrible luck with clutch master/slave cylinders if they've been sittign around a while. always start leaking pretty soon after fitting.

[nivaman]

You have more patience than me.

[geckoadventure]

Saturday 24 February 2018

Wake up late really late 5:50am on the road. Make it to breakfast 190k away at 7:10am. In the workshop at 8.30am. THey have redone the complete roof lining and created a new front top panel and finished the dash pod.

We go get a new UHF radio and some interior lights and organise new battery for the Volvo.

I spent the day getting a template cut made for the UHF radio while Raj does the top panel and a visit from a friend who was a little stunned by the amount of custom work to the Volvo.







I fill the engine with oil and head out for much needed food and accommodation. No leaks cool all ok.

Sunday 25 February 2018


Workshop 8.30am and see the puddle of oil on the floor - cry sob nooooooooooooooooo!!!. Its done the landrover thing and marked it's territory.

So my days work is decided. Drain the oil. Kitty litter on the oil slick. Then when all cleared undo the sump - 2. hour to remove the sump. Find the leaks and leave it for welding.



TRy to find the hinges for the engine cover cannot spend hours looking for bolts/hinges and still they are missing I know they are around I stripped them back to bare brass.

Finally 8pm comes around and its time for home. There is next weekend.

[geckoadventure]

Saturday 3 March 2018

Alarm goes off 4am I sleep through it eventually I'm on the road 5:20am 190k to go. Its all soon a memory as 1:30minutes later I'm sitting at breakfast.

Then it 8.30am to the workshop for the 9.00am open up.

They have finished the front console and the centre window wiring channel. The goal today is to get everything cleanedup and down to the powder coating factory next door.


The sump is finished and is ready. I leak test it later in the day and it fails again. It will be fixed next week.

I strip the gearlever panel and make the plate ready for powdercoating. The engine cover is restripped then taken to the powder coating factory immediately for processsing.

The other dash panels are given final welding and making sure evedrything fits perfectly and final sanding.

We order a sheet of alloy to remake the windows templates it eventually arrives and I get help from the boat factory boss and we cut out new templates.


They make a list of stuff to be made during the week as they are putting 3 workers on it:
Fire extinguisher holders - 2
Relocate batteries to give me a dirty straps bin.
Make new winch wiring due to the battery relocation.
and a lot more.

I try to fit the new clutch master cylinder but it fails as it's the wrong one it sits 30 degrees to the left sigh and it needs a new one again.
We fail to get everything ready or powdercoating as they have not made the top centre console.

Sound proofing is ordered from the new stereo shop.

Soon its 6pm and its time for home I have a birthday dinner to attend to and My Orphangae kayaking training program starts tomorrow so I only have 1 day a weekend now on the Volvo.

There is so little left to do once all the panels are bolted in.

[geckoadventure]

Saturday 10 March 2018

Alarm goes off 4am I sleep through it eventually I'm on the road 5:40am 190k to go. It rains for the first 100k the michellin's hang on as I sit on the wrong side of 140kph. It's all soon a memory as 1:20minutes later I'm sitting at breakfast.

Then it 7.55am at the workshop for the 8.00am open up Mr Brown lets me know I'm early.

The goal today is to get everything cleanedup and down to the powder coating factory next door. Then whatever else we can do.

Ranjin finishes up the final fit of the service hatches release levers while I find the the engine cover hinges and then work on the cutting out of the hinge holes in the rear panel.


The overhead console has been simplified and the light panel is completed


By lunchtime I have cut out the hinge cut and it all fits nicely in the rear panel.


We spend the afternoon sanding and cleaning the panels 5:20pm they are all in the powder coating factory next door and Mr Brown escorts me there.


Then its onto the clutch we cannot get another one which has the bolts vertical so we cut off the new old clutch mount and prepare a new one. However, the pedal and brake master cylinder assembly must all be removed first.






Mr Brown is guarding the Volvo


The batteries are all fitted just need wiring in and I now have a straps box.


Then it's hometime after cleaning the workshop and leave IPOH headed for KL. I hit the start of the highway at 130kph and floor it all the way back to KL for a nice uiet beer and a meal.

Tomorrow is the Orphanage Kids Kayak training

Close yes it's really close to being finished.

[Cameron]

I can only imagine how excited you are, coz I'm sitting at my desk here just fizzing.

come a long way since 2010! I remember watching the vids on your youtube channel avidly and was super excited when you bought this thing!