Find out why Rob Marshall has cut a huge hole in his Volvo’s door skin.
(part 3)
The need to complete my Volvo 460 Turbo manual – reputedly the last series one in the UK – seemed to be going well, although the bill for mechanical parts alone was just under £700, eclipsing the £550 purchase price. A further £700 wouldn’t buy much professional bodyshop labour, so I decided to complete most of the repairs at home.
Hotpoint meets Volvo
In my experience, more corrosion always lurks beyond what’s visible, and G392 VYO was no exception. A small hole, just ahead of the rear wheelarch, led to the discovery of corrosion in the outer sill that extended halfway along each rear door. The plastic sill covers ensured that the rot could fester, while remaining hidden from curious MOT testers.
While the inner sill diagrams were in perfect condition, part of the inner sill, connecting with the rear chassis leg, crumbled after being probed with a screwdriver, as did the section of inner wheelarch ahead of the tyre.
Fortunately, these areas could be repaired by making templates from cardboard, prior to transferring the measurements onto metal sheet of the same thickness as that used by Volvo. In this case, a scrap washing machine donated its outer casing to the cause, saving the cost of ordering steel sheet. Unfortunately, the outer sill ends and sections of the outer wheelarch were trickier to fabricate. Frantic telephoning unearthed new-old stock aftermarket repair panels at an accident repair supplier, although they had only a nearside sill and offside wheelarch. Fortunately, I managed to adapt a section of the sill skin to fit it to the opposite side of the car after the other welding had been completed.
Difficult to access
A tougher problem was addressing the corroded driver’s side inner wheelarch that had rotted out along its bottom edge, which is spot-welded to the inner rear wing. Not only was the repair difficult to
access, but also allowing too much heat into the area would blister the rear wing’s paintwork. Fortunately, using the remains of a universal inner wheelarch repair panel from my scrap metal bin, a suitable repair was made, prior to the area being made watertight with seam-sealer.
The offside rear front door had a nasty rust patch just below its centre rubbing strip, caused presumably by water being trapped behind the trim. As it had received no remedial treatment for a number of years, the corrosion had eaten through the door skin completely. While I could have replaced the door, the spare one that came with the car was painted red. I figured that it would be cheaper and easier to repair the existing panel and respray the lower half. A nasty crease and several rust spots afflicted the bottom of the driver’s door, all of which were dealt with at the same time.
Apart from being rusty, the front wings had sustained several minor car park wounds. Fortunately, the car’s vendor included his hoard of spare parts with the sale, including two front wings that required minimal preparation work, prior to receiving several coats of high-build primer.
Before the rear wheelarch, sill edges, front wings, and lower front and rear offside doors were painted, all welded repairs were seam-sealed and coated with stonechip paint to replicate the factory finish. To keep costs down, I applied the primer and water-based base coat at home, prior to entrusting the car to a local body repair shop to apply the 2K lacquer. The car was collected and returned for £100 all-in.
Almost there…
While there were some broken parts that could be replaced from the spares pile, including both door mirrors and the torn driver’s side doorcard, I had amassed a large list of extra parts to find. The sill covers were dented, the electric mirrors’ switches were broken, the undertray was cracked, the front bumper trim was scraped and various minor interior parts were either damaged, or missing. The front door courtesy lamps switches were absent, as was the main relay, which was causing a minor power drain. Fortunately, these parts and more – including a complete front bumper – were liberated from a scrap 440 Mk1 hatchback, which was a lucky find in a Staffordshire scrapyard.
With work almost complete, any surface rust under the car was removed, prior to the underside receiving three litres of underseal and the box-sections being pressure-injected with four litres of cavity wax. Wax was sprayed inside the outer rear wings, to inhibit rust in those traditional Volvo 400-series weak spots. Finally, the centre and back box exhaust pipes were replaced with typeapproved parts, which were clearance bargains from Germany.
Other than receiving minor notices on underseal-covered brake pipes and handbrake adjustment, the 460 sailed through its MOT. While it drove nicely, its handling was slightly wayward and the tendency to spin its front wheel under hard acceleration was becoming annoying. Although the old Dunlop tyres were still legal, the rubber had become hard and unyielding. A set of Bridgestone Turanza T005s has since transformed the car.
Due to it hosting family-oriented events, I joined the Volvo Enthusiasts Club, where the 460 won runner-up in the 400 series category and 2018’s Best Restoration at the annual national meeting. I am sure that the latter award was down to the judges appreciating the DIY nature of this renovation (maybe it was the pity vote?) rather than my car being in better condition than the professionally-rebuilt P1800s that surrounded it, but the accolade was appreciated greatly nevertheless.
Overall, the cost of bringing the car back to reasonable condition would not be worthwhile for a disposable banger. Including its purchase price, the 460 owes me a shade under £2000 – around £500 over budget. Whether, or not, this is good value is debateable, considering the same sum could buy a newer and more desirable car. However, in the context of the rapidly rising values of high performance and rare retro classics, some people might consider it to be a bargain.