Two into one will go.

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Peter Butler
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Two into one will go.

Post by Peter Butler » Wed Sep 01, 2021 11:53 pm

Part 1... The donor vehicle.

To begin with I must admit I have a passion for Volvo estates. During the past 35 years or so I have had a whole string of them including several 240 series, a 340 hatchback, (which managed to right-off a van and still drive home) a 'Torslanda' and more recently, two V70's. It is the latter which are the subject of this story.
My recent acquisition of a 1999 V70 gave me the option of swapping many serviceable parts from it (the donor) to my preferred 1997 V70, which I have owned for about six years. These two are the same model, the second series being introduced in 2000. This model is the first series of the V70's and a 'Classic' in its own right (according to my nearest Volvo agents). It is fitted with all of the 'toys' of its period and is a real pleasure to drive. It is a five cylinder, 2.5 litre, auto estate with huge carrying capacity, which I find essential for transporting my models to shows. The donor, although newer, was not up to the standard of my 1997 car and so I undertook an upcycling operation to have the best of both.
The first thing to do was to strip out all of the interior trim, seating, centre console, door cards, central locking door lock, carpets, steering wheel, etc. for transfer. Some of the trim had been damaged by previous removal so in some areas my original had to be colour matched. Several of the clips holding trim in place had to be replaced, which is where my nearest Volvo dealership came in very handy; although being about 35 miles away, the storeman lives just 3 miles away, so free delivery!
In order to carry out this operation I watched lots of youtube videos, (some of them about Volvos!) and learned a huge amount of useful tips about how not to set off air bags etc.... Also, finding out where all of the concealed screws are located when removing dash panels, which are certainly not obvious.
The most interesting part is the wiring harness, which must be similar to the Space Shuttle.
However, here are pictures of the donor car in its stripped down state and shows the seats from my 1997 car place inside for storage until I decide their fate.....
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The absence of alloy wheels is due to the fact they are currently being sandblasted and powder coated.
Update (Part 2) to follow.
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Re: Two into one will go.

Post by ge_rik » Sat Sep 04, 2021 5:41 pm

Intriguing!

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Re: Two into one will go.

Post by Peter Butler » Sun Sep 05, 2021 10:45 pm

Part 2.... The recipient.

All of the interior is installed with seats, trim, carpets, steering wheel, centre console etc. and replacement of the door lock and wiper arm from the donor car.
I am delighted with the transformation and currently working on re-spraying some of the body panels which showed where the lacquer had started to peel.
The alloy wheels have been sandblasted and powder coated and are ready for collection.
This is the smart new look interior.....
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And the cavernous carrying space.....

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It is the most practical car for me and I love it!
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Re: Two into one will go.

Post by Andrew » Mon Sep 06, 2021 8:24 pm

That's very smart indeed - intriguing to see what Forum-members do that isn't train-related too...

I have a soft spot for Volvos, having happy memories of being driven around Dorset country lanes in Volvos belonging to my cool (to me!) youngest uncle on family holidays in the early 80s - we'd have the windows wound down and the music blaring loud from the tape deck, or would it have been an eight track? Looking back I realise that his music of choice was, in fact, The Carpenters, so perhaps not quite so Rock'n'Roll as I thought!!!

And, to prove nothing's ever really off topic, I recall an editorial in a railway magazine, by Ian Allan, I think (so possibly Model Railway Constructor?) in which he joked that, come armageddon, the only things that would remain would be LGB track and Volvo headlights, the latter still shining brightly...

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Re: Two into one will go.

Post by Peter Butler » Mon Sep 06, 2021 9:54 pm

Oh no it won't......
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Oh yes it will.....
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This is why I love my car, all of the boxes full of 'Rocket' models, display stands, lighting, accessories etc. even the table! Not many cars are capable of that and still have room to spare......
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Re: Two into one will go.

Post by Lonsdaler » Mon Sep 06, 2021 11:08 pm

I think you would probably have room for my car in there!
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Re: Two into one will go.

Post by Peter Butler » Mon Sep 06, 2021 11:46 pm

As long as your car suits your needs and you are happy with it that's all that matters.
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Re: Two into one will go.

Post by philipy » Tue Sep 07, 2021 6:27 am

Peter Butler wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 9:54 pm
This is why I love my car, all of the boxes full of 'Rocket' models, display stands, lighting, accessories etc. even the table! Not many cars are capable of that and still have room to spare......
As you said in another post, as long as you are happy.....

It all comes down to planning and design. I used to get my original 16ft P4 layout, plus legs, lighting, electrics, crowd barriers and stock into a Ford Sierra. The boards by themselves were originally sized to go into a Ford Escort!
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Re: Two into one will go.

Post by Andrew » Tue Sep 07, 2021 8:37 am

Lonsdaler wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 11:08 pm I think you would probably have room for my car in there!
My black Vauxhall Zafira seems to be parked behind your car - very kind of you to have cleaned it for me though! I don't do exhibiting, but it's handy for taking things to the tip and getting teenage daughters to university - they manage to completely fill it, of course...

Our car's pretty old, and beginning to feel/sound it, but it's been reliable and owes us nothing, as the saying goes, so we'll keep hold of it until it falls to bits. We're half wondering whether to go electric next time...

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Re: Two into one will go.

Post by philipy » Tue Sep 07, 2021 8:44 am

Andrew wrote: Tue Sep 07, 2021 8:37 am it's handy for taking things to the tip and getting teenage daughters to university
Or the other way round??? :D
Andrew wrote: Tue Sep 07, 2021 8:37 am We're half wondering whether to go electric next time...
We have literally just bitten that particular bullet... current delivery date is said to be 4th October....!
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Re: Two into one will go.

Post by Peter Butler » Tue Sep 07, 2021 11:00 am

I hadn't expected this thread to go in this direction, but now it has been mentioned I will put my cards on the table.
I suppose I must be a traditionalist (AKA Dinosaur!) but my thoughts on electric cars are such that I am far from convinced they will 'save the planet'.
The production process causes much pollution, battery performance is restricted (and decreases with every charge), manufacturer's performance results don't take into account use of lights, heaters and wipers etc., battery life is comparatively short and replacement expensive (causing further pollution), huge amounts of increased electricity generation will be required (causing more pollution), construction of new power stations to meet demand will cause pollution, potentially thousands of re-charging stations will be essential and will need to be huge car parks at strategic points (probably occupying rural land), where limited charge points are available long waiting time will be expected (despite fast charging), etc. etc.....
I would like to hear the benefits to individuals who have decided it is the way forward for them.
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Re: Two into one will go.

Post by Lonsdaler » Tue Sep 07, 2021 11:16 am

Peter Butler wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 11:46 pm As long as your car suits your needs and you are happy with it that's all that matters.
Indeed Peter,
It suits my needs, whilst providing the most fun I've had driving since I owned a 2CV :D
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Re: Two into one will go.

Post by Andrew » Tue Sep 07, 2021 11:17 am

Peter Butler wrote: Tue Sep 07, 2021 11:00 am I would like to hear the benefits to individuals who have decided it is the way forward for them.
I think much of what you mention is why I'm only "half wondering"! I'd like to "do the right thing" environmentally, but it's hard to work out what that is, and whether carbon emmissions in particular are reduced. If they are, but it's at the cost of increased nuclear power, I need to do some soul searching on that, too...

On the plus side, we've got a drive (so easy to charge, and night-time tarrifs are low, I'm told), could sign up to an all-renewables electricity supplier, running costs could/should be lower (depending on the reality of battery life - improving all the time?), and much of the (relatively lttle) driving we do should be "in range". As an additional consideration, my wife doesn't like driving our big chunky car to the point she doesn't do it at all, and if we go electric, it's likely that we'll get a much smaller vehicle.

In reality, when the time comes I suspect we'll put off the decision with a "stop gap" small petrol car, them assess again when the position on the benefits of electric cars are clearer and the technology a little further on...

Andrew.

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Re: Two into one will go.

Post by ge_rik » Tue Sep 07, 2021 12:48 pm

Taking the thread in a different direction, I've just taken mum out for fish and chips, sitting in the car at a local beauty spot.

It put us both in mind of when we used to do that sixty odd years ago. I well remember the first car we had with a heater! An Austin A30! Prior to that we had a Commer van (reg MRT 91) in which dad installed some back seats made from the cushions of an old sofa. Despite having no reverse gear (it had stripped) and a propensity to boil when it encountered a hill, we went off camping in North Wales from East Anglia. I well remember us camping in a field near Portmadoc and being astonished to find a narrow gauge steam train passing by.

My love affair with narrow gauge railways was born!

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Re: Two into one will go.

Post by ge_rik » Tue Sep 07, 2021 12:52 pm

PS I couldn't get a bottle of Tizer today, so we had to make do with Irn Bru.
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Re: Two into one will go.

Post by philipy » Tue Sep 07, 2021 1:50 pm

Well I've ummed and ahhed for a long time, before we finally bit the bullet a month ago. I'll admit that much of the final decision was gut feeeling rather than pounds, shillings and pence.
Although I take Peter's points about the relative effects of environmental factors of all sorts, most of them are unquantifiable in real day-to-day terms and therefore I ignore them since I can do nothing about them. What is certain is that the sales of new petrol and diesel cars will be banned in the not too distant future and therefore there will be no option but to go electric, so the only decision to be faced is when to make the jump? Do it now or wait until the last minute? As time goes by and more and more people switch, the price of petrol and diesel will inevitably rise as the market shrinks and petrol stations reduce the number of pumps and replace them with chargers ( BP & Shell are already going down that route).
In my mind there is little point in going to one of the various flavours of hybrid, the major factor is range. My car has (will have) a theoretical range of 282miles on a full battery. The reviews suggest a real figure of around 250-260, and as Peter rightly says that does depend on the weather ( literally) reducing in the cold, and also dependant on the use of heaters, air con, etc. We mostly use the car for relatively local journeys but when we go to visit my son and grandaughter that is a round trip of just over 200miles, so that is covered whatever the weather! Earlier electric vehicles and most hybrids had limited ranges of around 100 or less on battery, so unless use is only limited to a 30 mile commute and the local shops, they were pretty useless.
I have installed a 7.4kWh home charger unit which will charge the battery from 0%-100% in about 10 hours at a cost of £8-96, can a Volvo Estate do 250 miles for less than 10 quid? In reality, it is rare that it will be completely drained ( it is recommended to keep the charge between 20%-80%), so it will top up overnight for most situations and i can program the charger to use off-peak leccy and how much charge I want to put in. A public fast charger will do 80% in between 30 & 45 mins depending on the start level. We are planning a trip to Scotland in October and I anticipate a stop halfway-ish to top up, have some sandwiches, use the facilities and walk the dog - should all dovetail nicely.
The public charge network is growing very fast now and unbelievably some of them are even free to use! The attached graphic is from a website called "Zap-Map and shows all the current public charge points in the UK ( you need to zoom in a looong way to be able to read it) and most of them have multiple connections and they recorded 109 new charge point locations last 30 days alone. As of today there are 10,928 connections in 3057 locations across the country. Those that aren't free, cost anything up to about 40 pence per kWh ( compared to my 14.3p for domestic) but even that will give me around 250 miles for £25.
Add to all that, the fact that there is £0 tax and it only requires one service per year and there is far less to go wrong without an engine. I must admit that without thinking, I was initially surprised and put off that there is no such thing as a 'manual' option. I've never really liked automatics, but, thinking about it, it's exactly the same as turning the knob on a battery ( or trackpower) loco! I'm very far from being a boy-racer but it does 0-62 in a fraction under 8 seconds, so plenty of power when needed and it is soooo smooth to drive. Peter mentioned battery service life, mine has a 7 year 100,000mile warranty.
The final tipping point in the decision, which probably won't apply to most of you, concerns the financing. I still have a chunk of cash in the tax free part of my pension pot. That tax advantage disappears in a couple of years time, so by taking it out now I save a big chunk of future tax and the car is effectively virtually free!

As you might have guessed, I'm sold ( or bought really I suppose!), but of course others may have a different view.
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Re: Two into one will go.

Post by pandsrowe » Wed Sep 08, 2021 9:24 am

Whilst the arguments over the pros and cons of electric cars will continue to rage for years l feel, hardly anyone ever mentions their cost to purchase. I recently went to look at the Nissan Micra as a replacement for my wife's aging Mitsubishi Colt, that starts at around £14250 which I think is expensive enough. Whilst in the showroom I looked at the electric Leaf just out of interest, it is of similar size to the Micra but it starts at an eye watering £25950! Needless to say l won't be buying one, in fact I think I'll just keep the Colt going and save myself a lot of cash.
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Re: Two into one will go.

Post by ge_rik » Wed Sep 08, 2021 4:41 pm

Like the very first digital watches; which were ridiculously expensive; I said at the time I would wait until they dropped in price before getting one. By the time I actually bought my first digital watch, they were giving them away free at petrol stations if you bought four or more gallons of fuel.

I'll wait until electric cars drop in price before I get one ........ Mind you, I somehow doubt they will be giving electric cars away with purchases of petrol ..... Unless, of course, the price of petrol is raised to £10k a litre........ that might incentivise us maybe?

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Re: Two into one will go.

Post by Peter Butler » Wed Sep 08, 2021 5:26 pm

Certainly, to me, the cost of buying an electric car would be prohibitive, but my main point is one of the inevitability of enforcement to go electric. I have read somewhere that a study shows an electric car would take approximately ten years or 100,000 miles to offset its carbon footprint, so, taking into account the sourcing and preparation of special minerals required, production of the vehicle, the infrastructure necessary to charge it etc. I remain sceptical of the benefits. True it is early days and improvements are always around the corner, but I am happy to run my gas guzzler!
I'm sure Philip, and others already committed to go electric, have the necessary off-road space to use a trailing charge cable without causing a hazard. But, what about the huge number of households whose properties front directly onto public pavements, as found in so many industrial housing areas of the early 20th century? Where can those households take advantage of off-peak charging? BTW, I believe off-peak electricity is (was?) called 'Economy Seven' which gives reduced cost at night but is off-set by increased charges during the day. (That certainly used to be the case).
ps I have never had a digital watch either .
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Re: Two into one will go.

Post by philipy » Wed Sep 08, 2021 6:34 pm

Peter Butler wrote: Wed Sep 08, 2021 5:26 pm
ps I have never had a digital watch either .
Nor have I, and as I've said before, I don't even have a mobile phone!
Philip

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