240 General: New (to me) 1980 Volvo 244

[360beast]

Originally Posted by Othen

Would lacquer work at fairly high temperatures?

Thays what I was thinking, but I think it would burn off.

[Othen]

Originally Posted by 360beast

Thays what I was thinking, but I think it would burn off.

This would seem to be the answer Luke, it is not expensive either:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/361700171792

I’m thinking the cam cover would look pretty smart in the black colour, and maybe the exhaust manifold in the white. Lacquer over both (and to protect the lettering). I’m wondering whether I could just key the blue paint, just take the paint off the lettering?

Both are quite easy to remove without disturbing many other components, so it would probably only be a day’s work once we get some nice weather.

Alan

[360beast]

Originally Posted by Othen

This would seem to be the answer Luke, it is not expensive either:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/361700171792

I’m thinking the cam cover would look pretty smart in the black colour, and maybe the exhaust manifold in the white. Lacquer over both (and to protect the lettering). I’m wondering whether I could just key the blue paint, just take the paint off the lettering?

Both are quite easy to remove without disturbing many other components, so it would probably only be a day’s work once we get some nice weather.

Alan

Nice one Alan, that's that sorted then!

I've got a rocker cover here that has been in a fire so the paint is cooked on it. You are more than welcome to the cover for free if you want to smarten it up rather than having the RB off the road for a couple of days.

[Othen]

Originally Posted by 360beast

Nice one Alan, that's that sorted then!

I've got a rocker cover here that has been in a fire so the paint is cooked on it. You are more than welcome to the cover for free if you want to smarten it up rather than having the RB off the road for a couple of days.

That is very kind Luke, I’ll say yes, that way I could get it looking nice on the bench before swapping it over. Would you put it to one side for me and I’ll collect it with the AW71?
Alan

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by 360beast

Can you do anything to protect the polished finish once it has been achieved Dave? I'd quite like to polish the letters on my 940 rocker cover but not if it only lasts a few months.

You can get VHT Lacquer Luke so not a problem. I'd suggest repainting the whole rocker cover after polishing it all (don't forget to degrease before painting) then sand (with very fine grade like 2000 or above) or use cutting compound to bring the letters back to bare shiny aluminium.

You could use a VHT primer then normal paint, if you do it that way it gives another option on the letters. You could put 2 or 3 coats of silver on the letters before doing a couple of top coats of black. Leave it a few days to harden off then again either sand or use cutting compound to reveal the silver then lacquer the whole thing.

This kind of answers Alans queries too.

[360beast]

Originally Posted by Othen

That is very kind Luke, I’ll say yes, that way I could get it looking nice on the bench before swapping it over. Would you put it to one side for me and I’ll collect it with the AW71?
Alan

I certainly can Alan, I'll put it on the shelf out of the way.

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

You can get VHT Lacquer Luke so not a problem. I'd suggest repainting the whole rocker cover after polishing it all (don't forget to degrease before painting) then sand (with very fine grade like 2000 or above) or use cutting compound to bring the letters back to bare shiny aluminium.

You could use a VHT primer then normal paint, if you do it that way it gives another option on the letters. You could put 2 or 3 coats of silver on the letters before doing a couple of top coats of black. Leave it a few days to harden off then again either sand or use cutting compound to reveal the silver then lacquer the whole thing.

This kind of answers Alans queries too.

That's an idea Dave, I think I'll try the polished letters first as I think it looks bang on but if if goes wrong then paint it is.

[Stephen Edwin]

Originally Posted by Othen

Readers may recall that the RB will qualify as an historic car, and therefore be exempt from VED, on 1 April this year (which will be nice). It became MoT exempt in October last year, its last MoT expired in January.

The DVLA (bless their cotton socks) wrote to me in January saying the tax would expire (I pay by monthly direct debit) at the end of February. I wondered how I would pay the tax for the final 2 months and wrote to DVLA to ask - without getting a sensible answer of course.

Well, the tax ran out, I kept using the RB - with a copy of my letter to DVLA in the glove box just in case the police stopped me (unlikely I know, but I would never knowingly break the law). I really didn't want to pay for another MoT as a matter of principle (I am absolutely certain the RB would pass with no problems) and I saw no reason why I should SORN the car for 2 months, but I didn't want to transgress.

Still confused by DVLA's lack of direction I thought I'd have a go at taxing the motor car again via DVLA's website - and much to my delight I found DVLA had a software fix for 40 year old cars that had not yet qualified for historic vehicle registration (but had not advertised that anywhere).

So, the answer is this (on the off chance that someone else should have to tax a car in the same unusual circumstances): wait for the old tax to expire (as mine did on 31 January), then fill in the tax application on the DVLA website as normal - an extra page will appear during the process saying words to the effect that 'DVLA recognised the car is over 40 years old and not liable for a MoT, so tick here if you promise your car has not been substantially modified and is roadworthy'... then pay the money (by monthly direct debit) and Robert is your mother's brother. Unfortunately I didn't take a screen shot of the extra page.

I was really impressed that the DVLA knew of the issue and had already fixed it, but I'd have been even happier if it had publicised it.

:-)

That is interesting and must be a relief to you.

And thank you re my mother's brother, although my name is not Balfour! .... although that attribution re Salisbury is apparently doubtful.

And a comrade might not be a likely nephew.

I digress and I will go back to bed.






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[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Othen

I was really impressed that the DVLA knew of the issue and had already fixed it, but I'd have been even happier if it had publicised it.

:-)

Publicise it?

Too much like common sense Alan, something the "Divvy-Laa-Laa" aren't noted for having!

I think they now rely on fora such as this and similar to do their publicising for them, you've amply demostrated how it happens ^^^^^

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

Publicise it?

Too much like common sense Alan, something the "Divvy-Laa-Laa" aren't noted for having!

I think they now rely on fora such as this and similar to do their publicising for them, you've amply demostrated how it happens ^^^^^

Yes indeed Dave. I did (much to my surprise) get a reply (from DVLA) to my letter asking how I should tax the RB in the intervening couple of months between being MoT exempt and tax exempt. It was a sort of proper letter as well, with someone's name at the bottom. Unfortunately it completely misconstrued the issue and didn't answer the question at all.

Not to worry, such is the nature of the DVLA :-)

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Othen

Yes indeed Dave. I did (much to my surprise) get a reply (from DVLA) to my letter asking how I should tax the RB in the intervening couple of months between being MoT exempt and tax exempt. It was a sort of proper letter as well, with someone's name at the bottom. Unfortunately it completely misconstrued the issue and didn't answer the question at all.

Not to worry, such is the nature of the DVLA :-)

It seems to be a comon thing these days Alan, i recently enquired about a product for mine with a particular concern on the fitting and the first reply i had was along the lines of "Send us the reg number and we'll find the right product".

I'd already ascertained it was the right product for the car, it was a detail about fitting i needed clarifying!

I then asked them to confirm how the product fits pointing out i already knew it was the correct fitment for mine and got a much better reply explaining exactly how the product is fitted and that my concern was largely irrelevant because the fitting didn't go near the part i thought it did. In fact the reply explained the fitting better than the instructions on the listing.

Problem solved, i sent a thank you message and ordered the item. The first response i got though seems to be an all-purpose response by people who don't understand simple questions and aren't prepared to try and understand the question, just mark it down as a "Cleared query" on their log-sheets.