Concerning Parts

With the new rear panel in place, my amazon is beginning to look a bit like a car again (well, from the back anyway). In a possibly over enthusiastic moment I offered up the rear reflectors and mounts. I also tried a rear light cluster.

As it has been such a long time since I began stripping the car, these parts took me a little while to unearth they were in need of a clean up. I have concluded that I need to get organised and a parts audit is in order . I have spent a day cataloging.

Over the years I have acquired quite a few Volvo spares, both new and used, which I have stashed away in the loft and other places, along with those parts that have been removed from my amazon. Some areas are remarkably well stocked, others are less so. I am also concerned about the condition of certain parts and whether they are serviceable. With this in mind I have created a spreadsheet to help me keep track and work out what I might be looking for.

Most of the parts I have so far removed have not been properly cleaned and so I have also decided that I need routinely and systematically clean, assess and refurbish as I remove. I have also begun to do this with the parts in storage, beginning with the light clusters and the reflector mounts.

I found these to be in pretty good condition and after a clean up with wire brushes and the now obligatory Fertan treatment, I have given them a coat of etch primer. I have also sprayed the rear of the reflectors with a top coat of Toyota silver (it's what I had to hand).

These are the kinds of tasks I can do when I don't have enough time to tackle the bigger jobs (like the bodywork) and so I am planning to keep a rolling program on the go. I have so far cleaned and polished the rear lights, throttle linkage, inlet manifold and heat shield, wiper arms, coil, washer bottle, expansion bottle.... Of course I realise that none of these tasks are urgent, but it all needs to be done before I can make it to the start line.

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