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This Board is such a great resource for keeping my 'saved-from-the-wrecking-yard' Volvo alive. ($500 two years ago ...almost it's second 'birthday' for me!)
I am still dealing with some minor idle problems....but what's gonna kill this car is it's body. There was very little noticeble rust when I got it but I knew their was substantial problems which I mostly fixed in the tried and true screw, glue and rivet methods I've been developing (for those of us without welding and body shop facilities...)
My patching of the "rocker's" or beam panels beniegh side doors is gone to the extreme. I've patched maybe 6 or 8 holes and still it's visually not too bad.......but I'm getting worried that in a crash or eventually the body is too compromised by my galv. steel patches...(held on by rivits or sheet metal screws, and PL Premium adhesive....wonderful stuff which I've found to be much stronger than Epoxy..which has seemed to fail me as I've ripped off epoxy patches with my hands after a patch or two failed after our Salty road's winters..)
(I've priced a few body shops and they just looked at me and said we'd rather not waste your money as 1500 dollars is about our usual price....and they prefer insurance work and replacement parts for newer wrecks anyway..) Being that it'll pass inspection with my crude DIY glue, screw and glue jobs I am not gonna waste my money when I could get a newer 245 for 1500. But I want to keep this car and get a couple more years outta it. Is it easy for a DIYer to replace the rockers? (I've already patched the rear hatch rust holes....but I won't waste my money there... as my patches are unseen and holding up...) \
My other complaint..... well I had an expensive competent mechanic replace my rear bushings.... after the stop and go bumping sounds in rear just got two much and definitly it was the bushings needing replacement and since I don't have heavy tools nor a lift much more than standard jack I went to the local fav. mechanic of many and have returned twice for him to fix 'em as the "bump" sounds return after maybe two weeks after he's fixed 'em again. He's more or less thrown up his hands and given up and since he took three whole days to fix a bad U joint (and replace another 'bushing') and leaving me on my bicycle for awhile I've got the DIY bug as I can't seem to trust our local mechanics to get the job done reasonably. Why are these Bushings in the trailing arm area so difficult to fix? Other DIYers have done it here,... but why can't I get decent work done on this rig.... (I think I spent at least 300 bucks so far and don't expect a refund as it's about 50 percent better...but 100 percent is what's needed!)
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