BHX recommissioning thread - 1979 Volvo 343 DL

[S10NPH]

Here are a few pictures from today's action.

New grille badge:




Replacement NOS front stripes:




Replacement NOS rear stripes:



And a nice drive to the country:






The car looks so much better with mud-flaps!

[trabitom99]

It looks superb!

Cheers

Tom

[Hell Driver]

I like the period bumper stripes, really reminds me of the 70's when lots of the bigger volvos used to have them!

[S10NPH]

I like the period bumper stripes, really reminds me of the 70's when lots of the bigger volvos used to have them!

I wasn't sure about these, but they are an original accessory which the car has had from new, so I felt wrong getting rid of them. And having got used to them, the car looked a bit naked without them!


Quick question: the drivers' door handle has lost it's stiffness (pardon the innuendo), so it flops about and rattles when driving. How horrible a job is trying to repair the spring mechanism?

[MCHUDD]

Hi Sion.
I will have a look at a spare one i have and let you know whats involved.
Cheers Mark.

[macplaxton]

Quick question: the drivers' door handle has lost it's stiffness (pardon the innuendo), so it flops about and rattles when driving. How horrible a job is trying to repair the spring mechanism?

Change handle and swap over the lock barrel.

[S10NPH]

I take it that means it's a horrible job. I won't replace the whole handle, I want to keep it original.

Another question - what does the cold-hot heater lever actually connect to? I ask because the lever is extremely stiff, so much so that I'm afraid it may snap. I have tried to lubricate the lever itself with a little WD40, but that hasn't helped.

I would therefore like to lubricate whatever it connects to, but I'm really hoping that's not a dashboard out job! Whatever it moves sounds very physical. The book of lies is no help whatsoever. Any ideas?

[volvodspec]

that lever of the heater is connected to a cable that goes to the valve on top of the transmission tunnel; you can reach it at the passenger side. both the valve and the cable might need a bit of oil to lubricate. don't wait with this as eventually you can brake the plastic lever in the dashboard

as for the door handle, there really is no other option than taking it apart, it's probably a broken spring and that can be replaced from a donor. if it turns out to be the lever that's broken you can swap out the lock barrels, it's a 10sec job and nobody will know it's not original (make sure the donor is of a pre 1986 car as after that they came with the 1key system and those have bigger lock barrels).

[S10NPH]

Great, thank you, I will have a go over the weekend.

[macplaxton]

I won't replace the whole handle, I want to keep it original.

Hey, I know you love original...but there is a practical limit to this ideal. Dried up and cracked Michelin ZXs? - er no thanks.

Do you spend time drilling out the handle pivot rivets to get the springs off? (those wotists in the very foreground of pic 1) (In which case you have to drill 4 rivets out as you have to rob some replacement springs from somewhere.

Then you lose your original rivets and all the time you know there are non-original bolts hiding inside the door which no-one can see.


Or do you just find the correct handle for year and swap the lock barrel over?

I have tried to lubricate the lever itself with a little WD40

and the cable might need a bit of oil to lubricate.

WD40 is useless for a lot of things. Lubing a cable would be one of them. Go down the bicycle shop (should be plenty round your way ) and find something more lubey-like and more useful for cables.

[Hell Driver]

My old MK 1 was full or 'original' repair parts....some of them even dated back to the 1970's, like the old socks and paper towl stuffed in to the footwell/screen heater when the heater control broke...on/off was socks in for summer and out for winter The mechanical voltage regulator went haywire in the mid 90's and my Dad made an electronic one. The sills were repaired with teatime assorted biscuit tins in the late 80's and the downpipe was once fixed with a Tango can. (temparary repairs of course!). When the front panel (without headlamp wiper holes) finally rusted to nothing and I was forced to change it to stop the lights falling out,, the replacement one had the holes....as long as I kept the car going, that was all that mattered in those days!!!

Eventually you'll forget about the non-original bolts holding the springs in when some more pressing emergency occurs!

[S10NPH]

Thanks for putting up the pictures Rich, that's really helpful for me to see what's involved. I can cope with replacing bits you can't see with non-original ones, obviously. But I take your point that the door handle spring is difficult to refit and a replacement unit would be easier, but I'm hesitant to do so as apart from the spring my door handle and seal are in very good condition. I'll pop the door card off one day and have an exploration inside.

I have some proper lubricating oil which I will use.

I always like the stories you have about your old car Andy, you do keep promising to put up some more pictures......

[Hell Driver]

I know, need to scan some in!