The BoneWagon

[RollingThunder]

Not sure I've got a thread on my project car, so here it is!

I bought the Bonewagon from a VOC member as a project - its a 1998 V70R AWD auto in black. As advertised -



And as delivered!



Its got less than 110k miles up confirmed by previous MoTs, but no service history. HPI clear and is pretty tidy overall. The MoT had expired and it had a few issues, namely a lazy bonnet release, a high pitch buggered bearing sound from the cambelt end of the engine, handbrake parts removed from rear axle, propshaft removed, timing belt due, PCV blocked and chuffing like a steam engine, and generally in need of a service and much TLC. The price wanted kept tumbling as he really wanted it shifting, so I paid not much more than scrap value in the end.

It starts easily despite being parked up for many months, and apart from the noisy bearing, runs very smoothly. I originally bought it as a possible breaker - for parts for my V70 FWD of identical age, but I soon fell in love with it (prefer the black to the nautic blue of the V70 FWD) so the plan was revised somewhat - save Bonewagon and transfer the LPG system over to it, then sell HotRod which has 176k up now (and rising rapidly - its so good to drive!).

The project was on hold until very recently as we're fitting a new kitchen, so all efforts and time is being spent on that, howver due to a delay in getting the cabinets I have a weekend free - so have placed a rather large order with FRF, which arrived yesterday, the day after being placed (top service from FRF as usual!)



In the box we have a timing belt kit including the tensioner and water pump, handbrake shoes springs and fitting kit, PCV kit, thermostat, radiator hose clips, transmission line o-rings and retainer clips (2 sets - one for Bonewagon and one for HotRod), full set of filters - oil, air ,fuel, pollen plus sump drain plug gaskets, throttle body gasket, spark plugs, accelerator cable plus various other gaskets and seals! Not cheap even with our discount code!!! I've also ordered some Goodridge braided brake hoses and Police spec front brake pads. Oh, and some Silkolene bearing grease to strip down and service the propshaft. It was removed by the PO as he thought the gearbox had gone in usual AWD style, but he later found that it was the handbrake mechanism that had disintegrated and was causing the grating noises! A quick examination of one side revealed that the dust shield was rubbing against the brake disc, so that may be a very easy fix!

So this weekend I'll be doing the tranny flush on both cars and hopefully will also be able to remove the fake ally dash trim which I think looks bloody awful.



Luckily, I think I'll be able to swap it for a redwood trim set as another V70 owner thinks the redwood is tacky lol. If I get the time I'll do the PCV service - I want to clean the alloy bits before replacing them, so it'll take longer than the usual half day to do.

I've managed to get an AWD dual exit exhaust from a VPC member which is due next week - that'll make the rear end look better, can't beat a twin exit exhaust I've also spoken to a friend who owns a local bodyshop, so Bonewagon will have the bumpers and bonnet repainted, along with attention paid to the various minor scratches commensurate with its age.

I'll get some pics up once I get the various jobs done.

[expolicev70t5]

Looks nice in pics, I think black cars look good

[martybelfastt5]

love them in black look so good when clean that will make a great wagon!

[RollingThunder]

Not sure what to do about the wheels - do I keep the Comets on, or swap the Satellites over from my other V70 before I sell it ??? As much as I like the Satellites, those Comets are growing on me I have to admit!

Got the Jetex exhaust yesterday, courtesy of Rudeboy - thanks mate, it looks great

[RollingThunder]

I decided to write a quick to-do list for the BoneWagon... do you ever wish you hadn't done something?!!! lol


replace and adjust bonnet release cable - got parts
replace timing belt, idlers and tensioner - got parts
replace waterpump - got parts
investigate cam-end bearing noise (PAS pump, aircon pump, aux belt tensioner?)
replace radiator
check coolant hoses, replace hose clamps with mikalor
replace coolant
replace thermostat - got parts
replace PCV system - got parts
clean idle control valve
clean throttle body
replace vacuum hoses with fuel injection hose
replace engine & gearbox mounts
flush ATF, replace cooler line clips & o-rings - got parts
replace spark plugs, HT leads, distributor cap, rotor arm - got parts
replace pollen filter - done
replace air filter - done
replace engine oil & oil filter - got parts
replace turbo boost hoses?
fit RIP kit?
replace differential and viscous coupling oil
refurbish wheels
replace tyres - got parts
rebuild handbrake - rear drum mechanisms and handbrake shoes to be replaced - got parts
skim all brake discs
replace front brake pads with Police spec ones - got parts
replace brake hoses with braided ones - got parts
replace brake fluid
recharge aircon system
replace all wiper blades
replace and adjust accelerator cable - got parts
replace radio with SC-901 and Dolby processor - got parts
fit external DAB receiver and antenna - got antenna
replace aluminium trim with Birch wood effect panels
replace headlights & indicators with 'crystal' C70 ones - got parts
replace exhaust with dual exit jetex - got parts
replace battery with oversize one?
replace propshaft centre bearing - got parts
overhaul propshaft UJs - got parts
refit propshaft
check AWD system
check springs & dampers (and bushes etc)
fit iPD antiroll bars
replace foglamps with good and tint lenses yellow - got parts
get MoT !
to bodyshop for partial respray
tint rear windows
clean interior, de-bobble alacantra material, treat leather, clean carpets, clean headlining
fit LPG system

sell HotRod to pay for it !

[Tomcat]

Think that list is bigger than mine was, lol. Look forward to updates, I do love a black car.

[artfulflounder]

Should get all that done in a weekend.lol

[RollingThunder]

Should get all that done in a weekend.lol

If I had an uninterrupted 'long weekend' then maybe (I wish!!!), but as I can only grab an hour or so every couple of weekends its going to take a few months.

I've just sent one of my other projects off to a local garage to finish as I just don't have the time - its a Discovery Tdi (one of the last 500 made) which we are touring in come August/September... luckily its a mates rates job, as its going to take him four days solid work to get it ready for the MoT! (Discovery = rust lol)

Back to the BoneWagon, the colour theme is now down to black/red, black/orange and black/white... with black/white the current favourite. Still no further on the decision about which wheels to keep though - they both need a refurb so no advantage either way costwise.

[RollingThunder]

I bought a load cover and genuine dog guard for the BoneWagon and managed to get some time to fit them on Saturday. When I was fitting the dog guard I noticed that the rear passenger footwell was... bulging shall we say So I took a peek underneath. Sometimes its better not to know about something...



It looks like the car has come off a ramp, or has been jacked up in the wrong place. Its really made a mess of the floorpan. I don't think the subframe has been affected, but the strengtheners have def been toasted. This could explain why the car has done bugger all mileage over the last few years and has been passed on as a project a few times. Needless to say, this wasn't mentioned when I bought it! So I'll have to have a word with my friend who owns a bodyshop to see if its repairable, and how much it'll cost. To say I'm a bit miffed is putting it very very politely! If its going to write off the car then I'll seek legal advice obviously. In the meantime BoneWagon's future is in the balance

[Harvey]

That's not good news to find that

[RollingThunder]

I was absolutely fuming when I saw the extent of the damage. I'm sure it can be sorted, I've seen far worse damage being successfully repaired, its all a question of cost. My £500 project car has already had around £1k spent on it in parts - not fitted yet, but all ready to go on (see previous posts), so if I was to get another V70 AWD I could use them on that car, but I've really fallen for this old bus, which is when it gets very very dangerous to the health of my bank account ... My plans for it have pretty much been formed, its just time and money, so that was a major setback (to both most likely!).

I think the budget for the performance upgrades will have to be spent on that floorpan repair, and it might even eat up the paintwork budget too. First priority must be to get it safe, roadworthy and reliable, so it might be a bit of a dog for a year until I can afford to get the 'desirables' sorted out. I'm going to try and speak to the bodyshop later to see what the damage is going to be (sic). It might be that I do a lot of the dog work myself to help keep the bill down a bit - things like stripping the interior that can take hours, and maybe doing the rough panel beating too. It'll have to go on the alignment rig to check that the subframe mountings haven't been nudged of course. Poo poo poo poo poo

[RollingThunder]

Well some good news already! I emailed some pictures of the damage to two MoT testers that I know, and they've both got back to me just now and said they wouldn't fail the car on the basis of that damage alone - its not structural, and is not affecting the subframe mounts or seatbelt anchorages. They reckon that strip is not a structural reinforcement part as its too thin, its more likely to be a stiffener to prevent resonance and to give the footwells a more rigid feel

So, the BoneWagon will be saved after all! It means I can get all the mechanical bits sorted out in readiness for the MoT (PCV renewal and handbrake for example), then I can get it tested and drive it for a bit to see if there are any other major issues before taking it to the bodyshop for the dent and paintwork to be sorted - eventually!

Its like a cloud has lifted - feeling a huge sense of relief now!

[V70 Graham]

Glad to hear your good news.

[stribo]

Sounds like a lucky escape, but shows the importance of checking under a car when buying it as well.

[RollingThunder]

Indeed, usually I'm extremely thorough and pedantic, just that this time everything has been chaotic for several months, and I bought it off a VOC member who I trusted Still seriously miffed about it, but at least it isn't a show stopper.

[Boomy]

Indeed, usually I'm extremely thorough and pedantic, just that this time everything has been chaotic for several months, and I bought it off a VOC member who I trusted Still seriously miffed about it, but at least it isn't a show stopper.

As the seller, I see I'm even getting a slating on this forum, too.At least you haven't called me a dimwit on here yet given that you told everyone my welding skills and mechanical skills were "a couple of points below dimwit" on the VOC.That's some accusation given that I don't even know you and you would have no knowledge at all of my mechanical and welding experience.

Everyone is free to pop over to the VOC and have a read up.I won't have my name dragged through the mud and listen to suggestions of "legal action" over a car which I sold for the price I was offered for the seats and bumper.

I will post all our PM's if needs be.

I asked on the VOC how much to charge for the car, still sold it to you for less, answered all your Q's, offered to pay for a vehicle check, explained about every single issue I was aware of via well over a dozen PM's and in the original advert (the last owner told me of none of the issues and I paid a lot more for it) and I then dropped the price further for you so should she not be worthy of saving, you could break her and wouldn't have lost out.

You were delighted with the price, delighted with me and delighted once the car arrived.It was a perfectly working car with some faults and I listed all I knew.You could have still driven this car anywhere (it took me to hospital and back for weeks not long before I sold it), so let's not pretend that all the thousands you have decided to throw at it have been the difference between the life and death of this vehicle.

I listed items that many wouldn't have bothered to list as faults and I had no idea about the dent underneath.As mentioned on the VOC, maybe your car collector did it by driving over the bricks behind the wheels on my angled drive? They were in almost the exact same place when I came home (after leaving the keys etc outside for you to make collection easier).I also told you that I hate to mess people around and waste peoples time, so, as you were a Volvo fanatic and there was a chance in your care that this car would be brought back to its former glory, I refused other offers and let you have it for the price of a bumper and seats.

I then find out I am being called names, may face legal action and have gone from someone you couldn't thank enough via PM, to someone you are fuming at and no longer trust.

I'm a 1300+, 100% perfect feedback, ebay kind of guy who was told "you will never make a car dealer as you are too honest" when a Mitsubishi dealer came to collect my 4x4.Not once, not ever, in all my 44 years on this planet has someone had cause to moan about anything I have sold - untill now.

What a truly sad state of affairs.

[RollingThunder]

Your only contribution to the forum is this?

What a truly sad state of affairs.

Well thats something we finally agree on

Sorry fellas, this guy has been having a bit of a bicker over on VOC and is now following me over here. No doubt he's frantically trying to track me down on all the other forums too. Good luck with that one - I'm on various Volvo forums, LandRover forums, motorbike forums, general mechanics forums, current affairs forums, local forums... I wonder if he speaks Welsh?

I'd also warmly welcome you all over to my 'other' build thread on VOC - its pretty much the same as this one, but as I didn't cut/paste all the content there may be minor differences. I think many of you are also VOC members - sorry if you aren't, you'll need to log in as its under the Showroom area.

http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=215992 The rant starts at entry 50.

I'm not going to be pasting explanations or indeed replies to this chap all over the place as frankly I've got better things to do. All I'll say is that everything I've described has been accurate and I have not been libelous at any point*, so forum admins, no need to worry As you all know I'm a bit of a picture whore and have many many photos taken during the work to back up what has been said

On the upside, thats one less Christmas card to send out

* Did I mention I studied Business Law at uni?

[expolicev70t5]

That's good news, as I was looking forward to seeing further posts after seeing all the bits you had assembled for the project.

[RollingThunder]

Thanks, yes its going to be quite a recommissioning project!

I found the source of the engine noise too - its the aircon pump. It only makes a noise every now and then, and it made an appearance when I fired it up on Saturday. Its a bolt on fix so I'm ok with that - I knew it'd be something like that, just a shame its not the PAS pump which would be much easier to replace (no need to discharge the AC system first).

The other good news is that I've been released from kitchen fitting duties this coming weekend The missus is out with some workmates, so I'm allowed to 'play with the Volvo' Should be able to get started with some of the jobs at long last!

[RollingThunder]

Well I spent a bit of cash that I hadn't planned on spending quite so soon. Bought an 18T turbo from Claymore yesterday Got to smuggle that one into the garage somehow...

Hopefully the RIP and 960TB will mitigate any increase in lag - its not a huge upgrade really, but should help me reach 300bhp which is my notional target. With the associated increase in torque and AWD it'll be quite a sprightly drive