Intro from Malaysia - WR7002 - C304

[geckoadventure]

01 January 2021

Hi all after months of COVID and finally a couple of adventurous holidays (boat trip and a round Langkawi isand in 14 footers lol ) in the COVID breaks we were allowed to travel, a family tragedy (lost whole off December) and not doing much the brakes were started sometime in October.

New brackets were decided for the Volvo and some other mods to make them fit better. So new 12mm steel brackets were designed by an engineering shop along with twin callipers for the front discs.

New Callipers were purchased to match the existing ones. Then we waited.

The big ginger cat who has been my constant annoyance sitting on my keyboard and stealing my food etc went through chemo treatment for cancer and after losing 50% of his body weight lost the battle breaking my heart.

The new rear side windows were installed (compliance to make it not a commercial vehicle).

Hotpants the apprentice has been dropping in to visit us and learning new tricks on how to turn the customers and friends into bumbling idiots turning down all their requests for phone numbers dates etc.

The Africa 80 Series Landcruiser build progresses slowly in the back ground

July

Marked out the windows location after receiving the windows back from the factory. THen we discovered that they had not made the flange big enough so could not bolt them in had to glue them.




August
Then slowly each window hole was made carefully one at a time took about 60 minutes for each window to be cut in with a tight fit.


Before and


After


Then its the drivers side to be done






Making sure the windows are level.


Wah finished someone offers assistance to help bolt them all down.

Yes im getting fat I've put on 20kg since I stopped exercising with my heart problem lol.


At last only the new extra bolt holes to go.


Next is the fitting of the new bolt holes. Hotpants decides she wants to help.

Some outakes of Hotpants trying to put in RIVNUTS.
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Then it is time to drill more mounting points for the removable panels making sure all are lined up. I get some assistance.


Then they are all bolted in with stainless steel button head bolts.



October

Strip the brakes off to go to the engineering shop for the new calliper brackets to be made and source a new pair of front callipers to make it twins on each front wheel. The old brackets were 5mm thick and flexed when we were testing the brakes under close scrutiny.




Then it was the big workshop cleanup we moved Volvo 2 to its new location in the workshop ready to start work once Volvo 1 is completed.

[VinceAtReal4x4s]

Thanks for the updates. Ive been wondering what's going on. Do you think the doors will hold up structurally ok? Just curious how much they flex

[Jim Molloy]

I am curious as to why you chose the fixed windows in the rear as opposed to a slider type. I am not sure what the rear cabin section offers as far as ventilation for the passengers.

Keep up the great work!

Take care.

[geckoadventure]

Thanks for the updates. Ive been wondering what's going on. Do you think the doors will hold up structurally ok? Just curious how much they flex

We have been test driving it round the streets they appear to be ok. They are quite well made.

[geckoadventure]

I am curious as to why you chose the fixed windows in the rear as opposed to a slider type. I am not sure what the rear cabin section offers as far as ventilation for the passengers.

Keep up the great work!

Take care.

Top panels will be removed for passengers. Did not want sliding windows they will leak when doors are up at camp. Windows to meet local rules no side windows means commercial vehicle and company rego which causes huge six month inspection issues.

It's staying private ownership.

[Jim Molloy]

I understand now.
Thank you.
Keep up the great work. You inspire many.

[geckoadventure]

05 January 2021

Well I had a few days leave and did not want to travel far due to the growing COVID issue here and people running all over the place for a holiday. My JETBOAT boat is still in the shop getting new headgasket after the last Elephant hunting trip disaster.

So I decided time to paint the truck again the oil stains in the paint have become unbearable to look at.

I managed on Saturday to collect the new brake parts from the shop and we will begin assembly Monday morning.

Started with the doors easy to fix and sand and undercoat. Yes I'm doing outside in the workshop. The paint is real paint mixed and canned for me. The new colour is Desert Kakhi.

Then we ran over to the engineering shop to collect the Portals and brake components.








The top coat looks good a nice light green. Clear coat is a matt clear 2 pack and will dry nice and hard.








The monday I managed to get the painting done and we got the new rear brake brackets installed.
Tuesday I ran around getting parts for the brake assembly and unfortunately took all day and still could not find a "T" for the front brake hoses to connect too. Visited 4 hydraulic shops in Kuala Lumpur and I could find nothing. In IPOH they would have made them up for me. The Monday evening we watched a COVID raid on the building site across the road all the Bangladeshi workers lined up getting tested and put in the buses to be carted away. Hundreds of them.

The next weekend no work on Volvo wife grounded me with a COVID scare in the family so I was grounded. Then the workshop mekanic announced he had COVID lucky I did not see him on 1st-3rd and we were all told stay away for 2 weeks. SIgh.

It's now 19 January 2021 and I am unable to work on the Volvo our Malaysian govt has put a lockdown out for food only) on us since 11th Jan to 26th it will be longer for a radius 10k from home and we are not allowed to cross city boundaries so nothing open and there is a roadblock near the workshop I cannot get past.

My workpermit also expired on 11 January and HR took too long applying for new one so I am also stuck at home anyway while the new one is processed.

I do not know if the workshop is open and they are working on the Volvo or not.

Stay healthy everyone.

[Heinkeljb]

Life throwing obstacles in your way. Take life one day at a time and try to do what you can on that day. Trying to plan anything short to medium term at present is difficult, So many things are out of your control, like the Government imposing a lockdown. People near you catching this virus, I am sure they do their best to avoid it, but sometimes circumstances force your hand.

Keep the updates coming - I want the one that says "It's finished and we are using it as planned"! Then we will need some video of it in action.

John

[geckoadventure]

1 February 2021

I still have no news from the workshop whether they have put the front brakes on or not. The longer I wait the longer the delay in finishing Volvo 1 and starting Volvo 2 again and then starting on Volvo 3. I also have my troopy and the magnificient RED truck being sold Once Volvo 2 is ready.

I suspect this COVID thing is going to alter our lives for a long time to come.

We have no idea when we will be getting a vaccine shot or who from. We are now having higher infection rates now than before the current lockdown started and they are talking about removing the lockdown I have no idea why.

Now time for a bigger update.

Over the past 9 months or so I have been squirrelling loot away to the boat factory and I have finally reached 80% payment and they are ready to start building the hull duly christened Shanty 3. The boat is a 28 foot alloy which is being built to allow us to stay longer and in more comfort for our lake camping and elephant hunting expeditions. Its coming with Small galley and Toilet. The shanty hammock design remains as will being able to steer the boat from a hammock and hang in a hammock as we are travelling along.

Meantime Shanty 1 will be up for sale soon. Now i'm hunting down big screen navigation gear from Garmin I can get here as we cannot get the same touchscreen stuff available in USA. I will be doing all my own electrics etc in Marine wiring same as I have down in Shanty 1.

We are getting out on SHanty 1 as soon as the lockdown is lifted and we can travel for a 4 day Jungle camping trip to hunt our favourite animal the humble Asian Elephant and of course for me the Giant Snakehead.

After our perilous adventure at Langkawi Island we decided no more 14footer adventures it has to be in luxury on the 28footer.

I have also managed to score a huge discount (25%) on a new outboard (225hp) which was not moving as it was a reverse propellor unit from a matching pair which got split. It should power it along nicely and I still have the Toyota 1HDT engine i was going to use as the inboard now to be reassigned for use on Volvo 3.

[geckoadventure]

5 months of updates in one day lol.

7 February 2021

Painting prep continues much work has been done in the 3 days.

[geckoadventure]

11 February 2021

There is a lot of work done and tonnes to go.







However 2 coats of undercoat and 3 coats of top coat the colour looks good.


The front needs quite a few patchups.

[geckoadventure]

13 14 February 2021

Progress continues and the front cabin is all undercoated. THe roof still looks WW3 was fought on it but I'm not beating the panels out the character can stay. Doors are all undercoated. Some new surface rust killed and prepped.

[geckoadventure]

20 21 February 2021

Progress ii's the rear doors prep and painting - the taping takes the longest.

















THen close inspection of the service hatch panels show the crease marks from the folding press I have to sand and put body filler in and redo the paint job sigh. However, the end result is it looks much better. Almost professional.

[geckoadventure]

27 28 February 2021


The rear gets undercoated and painted in about an hour. It looks really cool.





The frame gets undercoated.



My new Volvo T-shirts arrive Hotpants drew it up from a pic they look cool.

[geckoadventure]

5 6 7 March 2021

After working long hours in the office due to stupid issues - Banking SOftware sigh I elect to take the next 5 Fridays oss work as Im forced to use the days I carried over from 2020. We still cannot travel out of the state and I celebrate 1 year of working at home and the 5th is my birthday. Only better birthday would be to drive it.





































By Sunday night all the big panels on the rear are painted good progress.