I'm not sure if this is the place but I'm wondering if anyone has a sun visor for a 444? The outside one that goes over the windshield. Paint doesn't matter ..just a complete "baseball cap". While I'm here... I have a vacuum wiper unit and am wondering about how well these work in winter conditions or if anyone has converted to Electric?

Christopher V2 Georger

Hello again. I've posted some new pictures on my site as of this week http://www.georger.com/stage_1_v2.htm. Take a look. I'm looking for some measurements to make sure the geometry is correct.
I'm doing a little work on my 444 and one of the things is to place a 140 front cross member and all associates connections onto my 1957 444. Now is the time to bolt up the pieces and I'm having a hard time making everything look right. I would like to ask if someone could go to their 140 car and measure where the cront center link is in relation to the front lip of the cross member. I'm looking for the:
1) distance from the front leading edge of the crossmember (center of car) to the center steering link (center of the bar).
2) the distance from the ground to the center of the center link
3) Distance from the ground to the front center leading edge of the cross member.
4) distance between frame connection points (steering box and idler arm)or outermost edges of these two items.
5) Distance from lowest point of the steering box to the ground and from the idler arm (pitman arm?) to the ground.

Thanks

Christopher V2

Thanks for all the insight. I haven't been on the Scandcar site before and couldn't find the cap. BUT..... Does anybody have a 140 in their driveway?? I need some measurements.


Christopher V2

go to the scandcar site, click on the PV section and then click the link for the "original sixties sunvisor". comes in three different colors!

-e

I did this in a 444 which I converted to B18, 12V, d-type OD, back in (jeez!) 1976!

I got a 12volt 544 wiper motor and bracket. The car is in Cazadero, CA and I'm in NYC so I can't show you pix or go look at it to refresh my memory, and this was some time ago. I do remember that I had to cut the mounting bracket (I think I used the 544 bracket - it has the proper holes for rubber isolation grommets etc., and will bolt up to the body same as 444 bracket) to allow for the unfettered movement of the the wiper arm linkage rods.
More importantly, as the 12volt motor is now mounted in a different position re: the rest position for a 444 - I had to modify the crank/clamp with the 2 pivots that bolts onto the motor. I may have had to grind off and braze them back in this new relationship. It worked very well.

This is all necessary because of the difffernt wiping methods:

444 - from the center out in opposite directions, flat glass, driven on outboard side of windshield - much longer linkage arms -
544 - they wave together in same direction - driver's side from outboard side, passenger's side from near center.

Thus the linkage rods have to move differently, and the necessity to change the relationship of the pivot points on the motor crank. Get the motor mounted, attach the arms to the wipers, and you'll see how you have to alter the crank.

I believe that I mounted a 12v 544 wiper switch in the hole under the 444 heater control where the vacuum switch had been - or I may just have let it dangle under the dash in the center near the motor.

I hope this is clear if not ask me questions and I'll try and clarify.

Funny that you ask this question. One of the POs of my 1953 must have installed the 6 volt electric windshield wiper from an "L" PV444. It's only single speed and relatively fast, but I can pull the knob once just for a single sweep. The outside wiper arms are identical to those on an early Amazon and are still available from aftermarket suppliers. Mine sweep from the inside outwards, so still function like the vacuum wipers. I suspect the early 6 volt 544 may have changed the wiper arm design, so the arm posts may not mate with the body holes, although you could likely convert to the 544 system with some cosmetic surgery.

The "L" wiper switch is a pull variety and is chrome. I bought the proper vacuum knob on eBay just in case I want to make my dash look 100% authentic.

As you see on my avatar, I have the external sun visor. Although I've now removed it, I plan to install this on my second "ES".
--
Cam a.k.a. CVOLVO.COM

Cam,

I'm rewiring a '59 544 for a guy, and it has electric wipers. However, there's an electric pull switch under the center of the dash that has that white knob. Is that where the knob would normally mount for the vacuum wipers? I suspect someone added that to run the blower motor to defog the rear window (I understand this was an option), but the wiring is too far gone for me to tell what the heck it once did.

So, where does the control mount for vacuum wipers?

If this link is still active, it shows where the vacuum wiper switch is located on a 444 dash, directly below the heating controls.

http://www.darak.no/PV/images/diverse/1958-accessories-US/side-17-72-640d.jpg

Notice this is a US market image - gauges in English

I thought you'd like to see my dash since the electric wiper switch is in the same position and because it's chrome, it doesn't look out of place. Notice that I do have a cream pull switch where the cigarette lighter used to be (at right horn ring). This lights up the "extraljus" on my front bumper. The push button below the wiper switch is for my electric windshield washers - all the modern conveniences!

I just remembered, the external sunvisor was called a "gangster cap".
--
Cam a.k.a. CVOLVO.COM

Looks like the fuel gauge says BENSIN, but I don't have my cheaters on.

You're telling me that there was am import 444 that had a speedo inferring that the beast (B4, B14) would get somewhere near 150mph?! methinks you jest.

Danny: This is an actual Swedish model, privately imported into Canada in 1992. Consequently, the instruments are all in Swedish, including the odometer, which reads in kilometers per hour. That's very convenient since, as you must know, Canada uses metric measurements. Volvo odometers have always exceeded their actual capabilities and I could never dream of getting this car to ~ 94 mph. In actual fact, with the original 44 hp B4B and the sluggish 3 speed, 80 kph (~50 mph) is about all that I'm going to get out of this underpowered beast. TThe first PV444's that were sold in the USA had the twin SU B14A, designed for the P1900. Ironically, my B4B uses a single Carter WO down draft carburetor, identical to a WWII jeep and an Autolite distributor.
--
Cam a.k.a. CVOLVO.COM

I misunderstood. Your link was to an import dash. I was looking at the one incorporated in your post. Nicer looking than mine ever was.

The original B4B was sluggish allright, but not that sluggish!
I think your motor needs a tune up, as 65-70 mph should be no problem.

“I have a vacuum wiper unit and am wondering about how well these work in winter conditions”

I hope to be able to let you know in about 3-5 months time from now (probably the vapour lock problems will be gone when it starts freezing... :-)

When converting to electric you will need the complete setup from the 444 L or LS, as you can’t use anything of the vacuum type system (with the possible exception of wiper blades and arms). Only this (last) version of the PV444 (1957) with the B16 had the electric wipers standard (and of course all 544s, but they were different).

You might be able to install a non original electric wiper motor into the hardware of the vacuum system, but in that case the problem is that the trigger on most wiper motors makes a circular movement, which is of no use as you will notice when studying the vacuum wiper assembly.

An alternative solution might be the wiper system from a Morris Minor series II (1948-56), a car which I happen to have as well and used daily for 10 winters (1993-2003). This car has a split screen as well, but 12V electrics and the wheelboxes are appr. 6” nearer to each other when compared to the PV444. But that could possibly be solved by making (or having made) a longer cable. Though it is a one speed system, it is effective and has never given me any troubles in all those years. Only in very heavy snow they have a hard job to keep the glass clean completely (a “baseball cap” may well be of help here...).

I don't know if he still has it, but Shayne had a visor that fit my 444 nicely during a quick test fit. shayne@ipdusa.com

Best,

Cameron
Rose City

Nope, sorry. The Racing Rabbi bought that from me last year.
Thanks,
shayne.

The Racing Rabbi????? Whatta handle! Is he Orthodox?? Heck, I would convert for a nickname like that!!!!

Navy Commander, Jewish Chaplain, Volvo character... he's the guy who built my 1800's cold air box for me. Based in the Annapolis area at the moment, I believe.

8^)

I'll assume you've been keeping up on the post below about the wierd knob on ebay... and my opinion about vacuum wipers.

My experience with vacuum wipers is that they stop whenever you step on the gas, and go like the dickens when you let off the gas... especially at high rpms.

I don't know about converting to electric ones... whether or not you could fit a normal wiper setup out of any other 444 or not...

One definite possibility though... Have you seen the wiper setup on many old British cars? Basically, a motor which is usually mounted under the hood with a small gearbox which turns a crank... said crank is attached to one end of a cable so it pulls the cable back and forth. At the spot where each wiper is, there is a gear that engages with little teeth that are exposed on the aformentioned cable.... cable goes back and forth, moves the gear back and forth, and in the end, moves the wipers back and forth.

Of course, some cars have both wipers going the same direction... some have them going opposite directions, which I assume is how it is on a split windshield 444. To get them going the way you would need, you have the wiper gear at one wiper engage the cable gear on the bottom, and the other wiper gear is 'upside down' such that the cable engages at the top, so you can have both wipers park towards the outside, and wipe towards the middle. Thats how its set up on my Jaguar, and seems to work OK.

Of course, as with many British car ideas, it's a silly one. But very versatile, and adaptable to just about anything I would think...cables being flexible. I have a couple spare wiper motors with attached cables... I have no idea what they are out of though, so I wouldn't know what sort of wiper gear boxes you'd need, but if you are interested...let me know. They were free to me, and they would be free to anyone that might be able to use one.

-Matt
--
-Matt '70 145s, '65 1800s, '66 122s wagon, others inc. '53 XK120 FHC

scandcar.com sells the baseball cap. As for the wiper motor i've only used the electric one and it works well in the winter but if I had the time...upgrade to a 2 speed, the 1 speed is a pain when its misting out.

good luck.
-erik