JAK 74W

[MCHUDD]

Hi James.
Come on mate . Lets see the R sport.
Cheers Mark.

[foggyjames]

To be fair, the bigger problem is the frame - the B14 bonnet has a brace right where the engine sits, while the B19 version has a frame like a mk2/3 bonnet. I've got a bit of a busy night on, but I'll get round to it soon!

cheers

James

[volvodspec]

there's a MY77 343 here in holland with a B200 under the standard bonnet and it clears it. i still believe it's only a styling issue (just like the 343/345 DLS/GLS frontspoiler), the bulge is borrowed from the 363CS prototype

easy fixes mate, ditch the standard 343's brace and use one off a 340/360 on the std mounting point of the bulge bonnet. only a small bracket requiered that you bolt under 2 bolts of the front wing as bottom hinge, just make sure this is at exactly the same distance from the turning point as the upper pivot on the bonnet or it won't close..
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b192/ ... Medium.jpg

the bonnet lock is also off position, again easy solvable, i've placed 2 rivet nut's on the location of the 343's original bonnet lock:
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b192/ ... 0Large.jpg

[foggyjames]

Maybe ditching the standard brace is enough, but I suspect you'd also have the cut out that section of the frame, too. Do you know exactly what he did?

I didn't have to move the lock on my 1981 car.

cheers

James

[Hell Driver]

So it might be possible to use the original 343 bonnet with some alteration to the bracing on the underside (I have a spare 340 bonnet lying about!). Interesting idea, as I was trying to keep the car looking like a standard early 343. Although I do quite like the idea of the bulge bonnet, it all depends on Foggy having enough to sell one

[foggyjames]

To be honest, I didn't think it was remotely possible, based on how bad the fit was on my car. If it can be made to work, I'd go with that - I think I actually prefer the flat bonnet, cool/rare as the bulged one is. Nothing says "my car is faster than yours" more than a bonnet bulge.

cheers

James

[Hell Driver]

Not much done since my last post other than another push with the dismantling most of the interior of the parts car. This is now in the garage.

I was about to get the front struts off so I could rob the front coil springs to swap to the 340 1.7 which has just failed the M.O.T. on a broken coil spring (The struts on the parts car are intended for the Mk1 with some new lower stiffer springs). Only problem was that once they are off the car it's stuck in the garage without a spare pair to move it with. Decided on new standard springs for the 340 as they were only £28 each (I don't won't to be changing them again!)

So the next job is transmission and engine out, followed by loosening all the suspension bolts while it's over the pit to aid removal one outside again.

Ultimately the car will be stripped to a shell. If I need a lot of body parts to cut off (and they are solid) to repair the Mk 1 then it will be cut up and scrapped. Nothing useful however will scrapped. I'll save the rear wings and any other good parts.

I've saved all the interior and fittings, although some of it is in poor condition. With it being an older 360 some of the bits are getting hard to find now. When you spend a bit of time messing around with these older 300's you forget just how few of these there are knocking about. To get some of the trim parts you'd need to buy a whole car on ebay or something , they just don't come up in the scrapyards now. It's all F and G reg many doors.

I'd better stop thinking about it or I'll be tempted to start restoring this one

[Hell Driver]

Is there a prize for the slowest 300 project ?

Due to summer holidays, work and stuff like keeping other 300's on the road, this project is going painfully slowly.

Thanks to Theo I now have a set of nice chrome door handles to go on the Mk1 which I picked up over the summer while on holiday in lovely Dorset and Cornwall. Also, a weekends caravaning in Anglesey resulted in some nice suspension upgrades from Dai as well. On the trip to Norfolk unfortunately I could not manage to tie in with any 300 related parts

We did a total of 1891 miles this summer with the caravan (towed of course by the 340). Glad to say that the trips went perfectly without any mechanical problems (apart from the loss of a coolant filler lid ). I must say we passed quite a number of broken down 4X4's and relatively newer cars towing caravans, even Volvo's . (not that I gloat over such things ). In all those miles we only saw 1 other 300, a red one parked in some services on the M1 just south of Sheffield.

Today I have been mostly removing the transmission and rear suspension/axle and fuel tank from a 360 GLT I found in a local yard some months ago. They have very kindly kept it for me while I get everything I want off it.

I do have the stuff off the GLS yet to take off, but you can't have enough spares (well you probably can actually ) and some of those parts may turn out to be worn/broken.

[volvosneverdie]

Nice. Sounds like a big summer you've had. Glad this threads back at the top dude.

[foggyjames]

Good to see you're still cracking on with it! That reminds me...do you have a timescale for wanting "that engine" we talked about...?

cheers

James

[MCHUDD]

Hi Helldriver.
Have you any plans for the chrome trim that goes on top of
the front and rear bumpers of the GLS.
Cheers Mark.

[Hell Driver]

The front bumper went to a new home via James (although it did have a slight dent in it). I still have the rear as a spare for my GLS, are you in need of one?

James, yes, I should have time to sort something out soon, now I have the parts off the GLT I can leave the gold 360 as a rolling shell and get it out of the way to start more work on the MK1. I just need to do a bit of shuffling of cars/parts to make space for stuff!

[MCHUDD]

Hi Helldriver.
Its not the bumper i need , just the chrome that goes on top of it.
Not shure even how to take it of.
I want it to do a bumper upgrade on the 345.
Cheers Mark.

[SteveP]

Is there a prize for the slowest 300 project ?

I have to say I don't think you'd win There's some progress going on here

Good work on the drivetrain spares - look forward to seeing this go into the Mk1

[Hell Driver]

I have a choice of two drives trains for this project,

1st I have the Gold (ex foggy) 360 GLS spares car which was manufactured in 1984 (DVLA info) @125,000 miles
2nd there is the drive train from the 360 GLT I got from the scrap yard this week, made in 1987 (DVLA info) @60,000 miles

After some searching on the forum I've come up with a post from volvodspec which gives all the available diff ratios for years/gearboxes.

Any ideas if I'm correct in calculating the ones I have are:

1) b19a '84 = 3,36:1

2) b200e, glt ('85) = 3,64:1

and if so which would be best suited to the 2.3 turbo project.

Neither cars were/are running so I'm making the assumption that both work OK!
I'm inclined to use the gearbox from the much lower mileage GLT, but what advantages/disadvantages are there with the two diff ratios? As far as I can tell the diffs are interchangeable.