Hey all,

As the subject line indicates, I am starting on my Volvo in the next month. My wife & I have owned it just under a year. Got it from a guy in an unincorporated "town" who had let it sit for a good 5 years. The engine still fires up without any hesitation. It overheats, the brakes are locked (but it rolls with *great* difficulty) & on & on. One important thing is that the frame is deteriorating &, I think, will likely need a lot of work (or I might need to find a body with a better frame).

So, what I am getting at here is: Where should I start? I havent *ever* restored a car before. I have a friend at work that was a mechanic & will help me do all the work. I have the car in indoor storage (I dont have a garage at home) & I managed to pick up an engine hoist cheap. I have been up under the car & I know the oil drain plug is rusted solidly to the oil pan. The oil pan appears to need to be replaced/reconditioned, as well. Any suggestions would be welcome.

I tried to search the archived forums for information before posting this, but could not submit a query that would retrieve anything resembling a FAQ for what I am asking about.

I found Volvoworld.com & I followed the RPR link from a different thread, so that will help in getting parts. I have an IPD catalog already. I found another site some time ago which was for a company based in the UK, but they never replied to any of my emails & I have since lost their web address.

I picked this car up for 400$, but I am thinking I should have offered him only 200 or 300. It has manual transimission, a B20e engine in it (fuel injected) & I am the third owner. It has *a lot* of rust. Example: I will have to get new hinges for the hood, which has come completely off the car; the front quarter panels are no longer attached to the frame near the ground level; rust falls off the car every time you shut the passenger doors.

We are looking to restore the car for driving & not paying a great deal of attention to originality. The car is white, with red seats & a black/woodgrain dash. My wife would prefer to make the car white with white interior all over.

I dont think I have missed anything, but if there is more information you need or want - let me know.

Thanks,
Clem