Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Rick]

Looking very healthy, I really like the detail differences of the 444 over the 544.

RJ
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[norustplease]

Fairly complete mechanically now. I had to fabricate a new throttle linkage with an internal cross shaft that took a weekend of experimentation to get things more or less right, and have also fitted a new choke cable (old one too short).
I coupled up the battery last weekend and tried cranking, (without fuel) mainly to ensure that the engine was still free. It rotated fine, but quite slowly, and I suspect that I may have to review the earthing. I think that the original earth strap from the battery was straight onto the engine, but I have bolted it to the bulkhead this time around. Alas, it doesn't seem to be enough and a couple of postings on the Volvo forums suggest that it is quite critical with the 6volt Volvos.
I also painted some of the interior metalwork on the dash and will probably go around the rest of the insides when the temperature goes up next.
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1953 Citroen Traction
1964 Volvo PV544
1957 Austin A55 Mk 1
Boring Tucson SUV

[D4B]

I believe there will be one of these PV544 in this weeks Great Continental Railway Journeys, reference to it can be found here at 29 mins in:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03x12nk/Great_Continental_Railway_Journeys_Series_2_Reversions_Copenhagen_to_Oslo_Part_1/

Found it here in Part 2 at 9 minutes in:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03x1211/Great_Continental_Railway_Journeys_Series_2_Reversions_Copenhagen_to_Oslo_Part_2/

[norustplease]

Nice one. I have watched quite a few of these, but must have missed this one.
_________________
1953 Citroen Traction
1964 Volvo PV544
1957 Austin A55 Mk 1
Boring Tucson SUV

[norustplease]

Managed to get through quite a bit of work on the PV recently, although I haven't had time to post, so here is a summary of where we are with things.

I completed the nearside cill welding after putting it off for several weeks. Inevitably, the finger sized small hole turned into something more drastic when I started grinding and I ended up with a new slab of steel welded into the unseen horizontal section of the cill. It was borderline, as to whether I gave up at that point and bought a complete new cill, but the rest appeared quite sound and so I will save this for another day. The finished product is solid and presentable , and if I can get the car running well this summer and funds permit, then it might be a project for next winter.

Internally, I have ripped out the old rotten headlining, painted all of the exposed metalwork, fitted some new sound deadening in the roof, and then hung a new headlining. To be honest, I was dreading this, but it proved fairly straightforward, if messy at the outset with signs of previous occupants in the void above. I have also swapped the existing seats for the slightly later ones, which don't quite match, and I have stored the originals against the day (again) when funds permit me to buy some new. For the moment my recovered door cards and rear quarter panels, together with decent seats and new headlining, give the car quite a lift.

Back to greasy bits again, I have now overhauled the front brakes and am about to start on the rears. Since these latter weren't seized, I am hopeful that things won't be quite so rusted up as the front ones, which required a total stripdown with the help of a pint or more of Plus Gas. At the same time I managed to change shock absorbers and drop links and finished off painting the entire inside of each front wheelarch with black Waxoyl.

In terms of actually getting the brute working, although I have turned the engine over on the starter, it is very sluggish and I haven't attempted a startup yet. The battery is new, and even with the help of multiple earths, things don't improve. The engine's previous owner ran it in a 12v PV and although thought it likely that it had started life in a 6V car, he couldn't be certain. I suspect, therefore, that it may be a 12v unit trying to do its job on half voltage. Unfortunately it isn't clear from the markings which it might be ( which I understand is a problem with Bosch components).

Anyway, I am going to pull the old one off the B4B that is sat in storage at the moment and see if that is likely to fit, if not, then its time to pull out the wallet and fork out for a reconditioned 6v unit.

Happy Easter to everyone, and here's hoping for some better weather in the weeks to come.
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1953 Citroen Traction
1964 Volvo PV544
1957 Austin A55 Mk 1
Boring Tucson SUV

[Fredrik]

Hi !
I am a new member here and saw your interesting PV project.

The all time nices Volvo PV: 444ES-53 (last year with split rear window) in Maroon (incredibly problematic for the Volvo owners at the time)

(appologise for the terrible spelling but i am Dyslexic & from Sweden originally & i don't seem to be able to paste text here after written and spell-checed in Word as i would do normally )

Anyhow i have not been able to resits to bring with me two 444 PV's here to Brighton: one upprated and one original ... so if you need some referances photos or something checked i am very happy to help.

the only thing on yours that is a bit wrong is the front grill as you probbely know? - it should be made-up of four horizontal aluminium 'bars' instead of the chrome 'frame' of the later post -57 models .. (it too looks nice but somewhat not so post-war too me)

Keep the good work up and please feel free to contact me & hope to meet in the future

Cheers Fredrik

PS: can't work out how to attach photos or links here..?

[norustplease]

Few of the survivors that I have seen, seem to have the original grille and as you rightly point out, mine has a grille from a later model, possibly a 56, or thereabouts. There is evidence of minor front end shunt ( twisted bumper irons) so maybe the original grille suffered in a collision and the owner of the day chose to fit a more modern version.
Not sure what you meant by the maroon colour being problematic to owners of the day? Can you elaborate please.
Look forwards to seeing some photos. You need to upload these to photobucket and then copy and paste in the link.
_________________
1953 Citroen Traction
1964 Volvo PV544
1957 Austin A55 Mk 1
Boring Tucson SUV

[norustplease]

After a break of a couple of weeks, due to other pressures, I finally got down to it again.
First the brakes. The rears were, as I suspected, in vastly better condition than the fronts, and after swinging on the hub puller, I managed to coax off the drums, clean them out and replace the cylinders. The pipes along the axle had seized in their unions, however, and being steel, sheared off, so I spent some time fabricating new pipes and installing, before the whole lot went back together.
The following weekend I had a bit of a mop up, checking that things were tightened up properly, plugging wires into sensors, etc, and then lo and behold, my 6v starter motor turned up.
You will remember that the old one was very sluggish and could well have been 12v, in fact my enquiries led to the fact that it was almost impossible to tell, even from the BOSCH serial numbers, one from t'other.
This however, was the right one.
I swapped it, relocated the battery earth from the bulkhead to one of the bellhousing bolts and tried the starter. It turned briskly, much to my relief.

Now seemed like the time to go for a startup.

First, I filled the radiator, water poured from the thermostat housing and I let it drain and then remade the joint with silicone gasket.

I dug out my coffee jar and flexible hose, filled it up with petrol and connected it to the pump, checked all of the ignition circuitry, gave a quick squirt of easy start into the air intakes and turned the key. It fired on the starting spray immediately, but after that nothing. I checked the fuel line, but it was dry, as was the glass dome on the pump.

I had been told by Mats, the guy who sold me the engine that the pump was u/s and that the donor car had an electric pump. I had treated it to an overhaul kit, but there seemed very little movement when turning the engine over and I wasn't altogether surprised that it failed to work.
So what now? I was keen for some kind of start-up, so I disconnected the fuel line from the delivery side of the pump, inserted a small funnel and poured in petrol from the jar, until it backed up, showing that the float chambers were full.
I retired to the drivers seat, pulled out the choke and turned the key, and after barely two revolutions she fired and ran. I was amazed. A quick blip to clear the plugs and she settled into a fast idle.
I was chuffed to bits, the only issue appeared to be a slight blow on the exhaust flange, nothing at all. No smoke, no funny noises, and a dream of an easy start.
After a couple more refills and brief runs, I retired to consider my next move.
I decided to follow Mats example and fit an electric pump. An easy prime for a car that probably sits long enough between runs for its system to dry out. However, 6 volt pumps are not very easy to find in the UK, although stateside there appear to be a lot of 6v classics that use them.
I have however found one and ordered it, so watch this space for the next step. I'll bleed the brakes whilst I'm waiting for it to show up.
_________________
1953 Citroen Traction
1964 Volvo PV544
1957 Austin A55 Mk 1
Boring Tucson SUV

[Rick]

Can't beat a first fire-up session eh!!?? thanks for the update. Someone locally wants a PV and has made noises about mine, not sure I'll be selling it though!

RJ
_________________
Rick - Admin
Home:https://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk
Videos:https://www.youtube.com/user/oldclassiccarRJ/videos
OCC & classic car merchandise (Austin, Ford ++):
https://www.redbubble.com/people/OldClassicCar/shop

[norustplease]

Yours is a cracker, probably a much more practical daily than mine will be, with its larger windows and more up to date spec.
Give me first shout if you ever want to sell.
_________________
1953 Citroen Traction
1964 Volvo PV544
1957 Austin A55 Mk 1
Boring Tucson SUV

[Rick]

[norustplease]

Spent yesterday plumbing in and wiring up an electric fuel pump under the boot floor. It took quite a lot of pondering to come up with a suitable terminal on the fuse board that was only live when the ignition was on, but I got there in the end.
Then a few litres in the tank and switch on.
I had fitted a glass filter under the bonnet , and was suspicious at the minimal rate that fuel seemed to be entering it. A quick look under the car showed a couple of pinholes in the rear section of the main pipe, spraying fuel merrily over the floor pan.
Obviously not up to the vigorous pressure of the pump.
Game over for another startup, and a new metal fuel line will be purchased.
So Bank Holiday is a day for other things on the car, mainly electrics, which I can sit in the sun and do.
_________________
1953 Citroen Traction
1964 Volvo PV544
1957 Austin A55 Mk 1
Boring Tucson SUV

[Rick]

Was the old mechanical pump on its last legs?

RJ
_________________
Rick - Admin
Home:https://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk
Videos:https://www.youtube.com/user/oldclassiccarRJ/videos
OCC & classic car merchandise (Austin, Ford ++):
https://www.redbubble.com/people/OldClassicCar/shop

[norustplease]

I couldn't persuade it to pump, even with an overhaul kit in place. The chap whom I bought the engine from had used it in a daily driver (an early 540, I think) and commented that he too had used an electric because the pump was u/s. Maybe too much wear on the cam lobe. Otherwise the engine seems in decent fettle.
_________________
1953 Citroen Traction
1964 Volvo PV544
1957 Austin A55 Mk 1
Boring Tucson SUV

[Rick]

There's a smart looking 444 reviewed in this week's CCW, in the cars for sale section.

RJ
_________________
Rick - Admin
Home:https://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk
Videos:https://www.youtube.com/user/oldclassiccarRJ/videos
OCC & classic car merchandise (Austin, Ford ++):
https://www.redbubble.com/people/OldClassicCar/shop