New Owner here - with questions!

[AllHailKingVolvo]

Originally Posted by jonnyf90

Welcome!
You didn't by any chance buy this from someone near Wimbledon? Swear I saw this parked up near Southfields last year!

Cheers

I know that chap, Dave is his name-he has a couple of limos (a 740 and 960) and a 940 saloon in matt black. I bought my spare wheel off him a couple of weeks ago, lovely bloke but not sure I’d take the same Gothic approach with car decor...different strokes and all that!

[TomSaintJames]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

If the car came from Wimbledon, they're probably sat in Tobermorys workshop awaiting fitment to Great Uncle Bulgarias glasses to wipe the condensation away when he drinks his morning coffee!

This is precisely where they are!

In seriousness the wiper blades, and maybe the arms too (can't remember now) are in the arm rest/cubby box so I don't know if the wipers work or not.

It may have been in Wimbledon at some point, although I bought it from Penrith, just north of the Lake District!

Great info again Dave, thanks! Things to think on. How simple are front and rear springs and shocks to replace for someone who has never worked with suspension before? As the coilovers have only done around 200 miles so nothing should be siezed at least.

[Laird Scooby]

Reading between the lines Tom, i'd say the wipers probably do work but the blades are damaged/worn/missing rubbers so were removed to prevent them scratching the headlamp glass.

The rear springs and shocks should be a simple spanner job Tom, the fronts are a bit more involved as the struts need to come off and a coil spring compressor is needed.

That said, i don't know how/where the coil-overs are fitted on yours and it's not a conversion i'm familiar with. As such i can't offer any advice on removing those bits.

[TomSaintJames]

So I didn't end up having any time to work on the Volvo today, inbetween doing some DIY in the bathroom and changing the discs and pads on the AX which incidentally took 4 bloody hours! I resorted to cutting both pad retention pegs on the drivers side caliper, snapping them off to get the old pads out and drilling the bolt holes through the caliper... The passenger side took 10 minutes!?!

I did however take a little video of the engine just after I started it up, you can hear a the interior fan a little bit, but also the tappety/rattly noise at times, they certainly don't sound like a 'normal' petrol IMO.

[Laird Scooby]

Where's the video then Tom?

[rwdkev]

Originally Posted by TomSaintJames

Quite definitely a live axle then going by those pictures.

As it's a 740 it will definitely have a live axle.

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

It looks too early to have the multi-link to be honest.

Yes, IRS I (coil springs/steel sub-frame) did not appear until the introduction 760 mk2 facelift in the autumn of '87 and then it was for 760 and later 960 saloons only. The 760/960 estates soldiered on with live axle until the updated IRS II (transverse leaf spring/aluminium sub-frame) was introduced on the 960 mk2 facelift in autumn '94. From then it was fitted to both 960 saloons and estates. All 740's, 940's and 760 mk1 have live axle, regardless of being saloon or estate.

[Laird Scooby]

Indeed you're right Kev but it could have easily been a 740 saloon facelift as the donor vehicle with IRS seeing as it was in effect a "cut'n'shut" before registration so they could have retro-fitted a pre-facelift front so it matched the rest of the fleet.

To show what i mean :





Correct me if i'm wrong but that front end is early 740 and the back end is 740 saloon facelift?

While finding those images, i found some weird ones including a 244DL based hearse with Mk2 Granada tail lights :



Just to illustrate that with body conversions, things aren't always as they seem or how you might imagine they are. Logic suggests the 745 would be the donor vehicle for the hearse but it could just as easily be the 744, especially if the 744 was cheaper than the 745 in the first place.

Also don't forget that whatever registration is on it now, it could be either a "cherished plate" from the undertakers whose fleet it was part of, an age-related plate issued by the DVLA based on when it was first registered after the hearse conversion or it might be age-related to the VIN which would be a year, maybe 2 years older than the finished conversion date.
Then there's the possibility it's a "cherished plate" from a previous owner after it spent time transporting people on their final journeys or possibly the original plate it was issued with from the DVLA pre-conversion.

In other words, with something like a hearse, stretched limo or whatever else that isn't a standard manufacturers body plan, nothing can be taken for granted!

[ksmi]

Originally Posted by GreenBrick

If you don't stick a sign in the back window saying "No dead bodies left in this vehicle overnight" I will come and find you, er.. and ask again nicely. ;-)

Morning Bricky, That is a lot funnier than some of the stuff on 'Joke of the Day' page, I had a good laugh,Thank You!!!

Regards,Keith.

[TomSaintJames]

Originally Posted by ksmi

Morning Bricky, That is a lot funnier than some of the stuff on 'Joke of the Day' page, I had a good laugh,Thank You!!!

Regards,Keith.

This tickled me also!

I now have working rear lights, except the drivers side brake light which seems to now be intermittent rather than just not working - details to follow.

[volvo always]

Originally Posted by TomSaintJames

This tickled me also!

I now have working rear lights, except the drivers side brake light which seems to now be intermittent rather than just not working - details to follow.

I would have to have a coffin aboard as well, with a fake body and have the lid fall off in a busy area and dressed in black get out and say "the lid is always coming off"

James