My first Volvo! A long wanted 145!

[Tattyoldvan]

Good man, nice to see its got the better of the moggy resto, Can't wait to see it around, really must pull my finger out and get on with the 240.

Definately gone to the best home around.
I knew it was pretty solid for its age but actually its even better than i thought, so good you dont have to fix others bodges. and where the hell did you get a wing from, jealous!

All the best Dave

[WPR678B]

Thanks for the comments and i'm glad you consider me to be a good home for it
It is really nice to work on a previously untouched (well nearly) car and it really helps when you can see what things are supposed to look like even if they are rusty and holed. The structure is new to me after years of Minors so its a refreshing change and a new challenge!
I got a passengers side wing from a wanted ad on here
I won't be using it though as it has serious surface rust issues and will take loads of work to get it up to standard so i have spent time on the original instead as i know it to be a good fit and it would have been such a shame to have scrapped it!
Below are some pictures of the repairs done and i know i haven't cut the light hole back in yet (although i have left the bottom edge of the original slot as a datum for when i do!) as tattyoldvan said about filling them in and using the sidelights as indicators so i thought i would have a look to see what it would roughly look like!

[eternal optimist]

Neat repairs on the wing - as you say, always better to keep as much original metal as you can to ensure the fit. For what it's worth, my vote would go to putting the indicators back where they should be and keeping it original

[WPR678B]

I think that i will put the original indicators back on as that was one of the reasons i wanted an early model in the first place.
I just wanted to have a look at the appearance without and i think it looks a lot cleaner, but not the right direction for what i am hoping to do with this one!
I wanted an early 145 as i grew up with one and wanted this one to be as identical as possible! Pictured below is the one my Dad owned for many years and the one i have so many fond memories of!

[eternal optimist]

That's a great picture. Just like the one I used to have - the more I read this thread the more I miss mine.

[WPR678B]

I have waited years to justify getting one, but now i have i am pleased i did! My Dad had a 121 Amazon estate before the 145 (pictured below with me "fixing" it at an early age!) and a 1972 145 after the white one pictured got beyond repair.
Sadly he didn't have it long and that car put him off Volvo's so he never got another after it. Can't seem to find any pictures of it at the moment either....

[Tattyoldvan]

i think it looks awesome with out the bulbous indicators, but i can understand differences in taste. as its a wet week hope your polishing up the bumpers and giving the rubbers some love with some warm linseed oil!

[WPR678B]

I also like the look without the indicators as they have always looked like an afterthought, but will stick with them for posterity if nothing else!!
As for the bumpers, no playtime again the saturday just gone which is why i got some time in thursday repairing the wing. Back to work today after 2 weeks off so hopefully back to the normallity of saturdays being "cars" days soon!

[WPR678B]

Well its been a while, so i thought i had better do an update!!
Not a lot has been happening due to various family commitments, but some progress has been made today and the saturday before last.
I have now managed to complete the rear wheel arch and spare wheel well on the passengers side. I didn't notice until i reviewed the pictures this evening that the section of 240 arch that i have used is different to the original 140 shape so i will be re-visiting that soon. Thats the trouble with having one side of the car tight against the wall is you can't see it to compare!
I bought and used an aftermarket panel from a well known UK supplier of repair panels but am sorry to say that the panel is far from the original shape and style and needed loads of work to get to a useable profile. I am still not happy with the end result but the chioce of repair sections is somewhat limited to say the least!!
I started to cut out the rot and scrape off the underseal on the drivers side rear corner but that was as far as i got today!
Pictures below......

[Tattyoldvan]

any more progress, want to see it driving around the area soon!