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Volvo 122S Build Thread: Scope-creep the Sequel

One of the first jobs I did back when this car was just getting EFI and a head swap was I wanted a fuel tank that didn't slosh. Now I know this is the way all 122 owners see if there is still fuel in the tank (quick yank on the steering wheel while driving...did the gauge come off empty? If it did, you're going to make the gas station. If not - sorry about that.) - but I just wanted a few more gallons of range, the ability to have a return line and while my tank wasn't rusty at all, I just didn't want to have it boiled out and fiddled with. So I built a tank.

First I had to get some 6061 sheet out of the T6 state so it would bend nice without cracking. I could have ordered 3003, but I'd have to get an entire sheet and that was stupid expensive - so 10 ga 6061 T6 was the order of the day.

End caps were going to be formed as I don't like to put seams in corners, so we're going to bash out end caps. I first mark up the sheet with a sharpie and when the pen marks burn off, it's been heated to around the right temperature.



The sheet is then clamped in a wooden hammer form. There is no way I can get this to shrink 10 ga by hand, so I form the puckers, then cut and weld them.



That gets me to here.



Sender mount made.



Sump with supply and return - could have gone with a little less heat with these welds. Return line has a tube attached so it empties into the main body of the tank.



Mocked up with frame and tank body.



Weld those parts on.





Tack the body together and add internal baffles.



All welded up.



I added some scatter shields on the front edge.



Added a filler neck and frame and tossed it in the trunk.



It's around 12 imperial gallons of volume.
 
If you ever become interested in making another gas tank, I would probably be interested!

Thanks - but I doubt that what I would want for a tank would have people lined up at the door. A new one is around $450 USD (so $600 in my world) - I used this as justification. Total materials were around $300 - time, well that's where the wheels fall off any attempt to make this rational. In fact, if I was doing another tank, I'd build it out of stainless and be done with it. As it stands I'll still have to coat this one to deal with modern fuels.
 
Next up us the IRS conversion. This was first pitched as an idea a long time ago and I spent a lot of time rolling around under various cars (often at the instigation of Matt Dupuis). The optimal set up would be something that was reasonably compact but that didn't have the issues of the common Jag/Vette set up and was a true double wishbone with SLA geometry. The narrower the better as I'm not into huge flared box arch extensions [well, actually I am into that look, but not on a 122]. The Toyota 8" centre section is a known winner with lots of parts and comes stock with a clutch type LSD. So off to the JY we go looking for a MK3 Supra.

I've heard some people criticize the MK3 with the usual claims from internet experts that the geometry is "not optimal". I've tried to engage in meaningful conversation regarding this criticism and found only opinions from cars that were dumped. No doubt, if you lower this suspension you'll get that "stanced" look the kids all like with nots of negative camber and it will handle like garbage...but I can see nothing inherently wrong with the design. In fact, lots I liked. The Supra MK3 is a heavy pig and more of a GT car than a nimble corner carver. That may colour opinions as well.

So after many, many failed attempts to find a good subframe from the local PYP's (they were usually pretty rust, shot, or both), I scored one on the Calgary Kijiji. The kid selling the IRS said I had to pull it, but he had a garage and "tools" so no problem. I figured if it was junk, at least the YYC boys are good company for the day. Matt and I went over and were met by buddy's Mother. She was barefoot wandering around her yard (it was fall, it wasn't warm out), the sketch was strong with this entire deal. She opens the garage and there sits a MK3 Supra (backed into the garage of course) but it's complete. We brought tools.

Mom was just wandering around the garage chatting away and Matt and I are working feverishly to just yank this thing and get out of this banjo playing in the background scene. I still have memories of rolling under the car to release the subframe and her dirty feet just hanging around. Son shows up and is yelling at his Mom about something. We are almost pulled in 20 minutes. They're astonished. He wants the brakes, shocks and the braided lines. I argued a little about the brakes. I asked why. He says [honest, not making this up] that he's going to get the car going again when he's back on his feet financially. I'm looking at Matt - we're kind of :roll: then ;-). Anyway, I paid this kid and we're hauling about 400 lbs of dirty subframe into the back of the truck. While no one is looking, I grabbed the drive line. Seemed like a reasonable thing to do at the time.

That gets me to here about 6 months later.



Note the new brakes (not using them either as it turns out). LOL.

Now this monstrosity is 61" from hub to hub - so that's not going to work and it's uglier than sin. I need it to be 55" from hub to hub. So after many other projects and more time, I made a jig to pick up the suspension points and facilitate moving the suspension in 3" per side.



Then I started to see if things would actually fit, like would the A-arms actually fit up inside the existing frame knotch?



Looks like it will go, but the spring perches will have to go to get clearance when the wheel is in bump and to allow for wider wheels in general.

There was no way these axles were going to work and I couldn't find a bolt on solution that was narrower.



So I sent the axles to Dutchman Axles and they cut me a nice new set.



Approved by The Boss.



I then took 6" out of the sway bar and welded it back together to make a mock up bar.



All of the suspension arms were then remade to incorporate adjustable links.









Some of this was tricker than others. Here's how I did the lateral links.









I cooled all this stuff post weld in the old sandbox.



Then got onto building the new subframe and modifying the chassis to accept these parts.
 
work looks great
where did you get the floor pans?

are you looking for the rear glass?

Floor pans are from Vintage Imports (they're the standard Swedish repro's and pretty good).

I've got two spare rear windows since the tragic event. Still have to get new trim as all the ones that I have are in just "OK" shape.
 
Floor pans are from Vintage Imports (they're the standard Swedish repro's and pretty good).

I've got two spare rear windows since the tragic event. Still have to get new trim as all the ones that I have are in just "OK" shape.

snap a picture of what you think is OK shape

how much did the floor boards run you
 
snap a picture of what you think is OK shape

how much did the floor boards run you

New rear window trim is now available. I'm replacing the gutter trim and most of the rest as well, so no reason to not go new.

The pans were around $190 per side when I got them in the summer. I didn't want to pull the trigger on these parts as they are pricey, but when I saw the condition of the originals (which were about as good as any I ever see) I saw no economy in just POR-15 and prayers for no rust.
 
I thought I'd share how I built the reverse jig...I'd probably still do it this way, but stay tuned as there are several iterations yet to come in this story.

The idea was to reference the differential mount (it's not going to change) and then build a frame around the suspension pick-up points that could be collapsed. So I started out like this...



You can see the mount pick up point locators (the 1" square tubes with the round tube on the tops) and the angle iron provides the "rails".



Here it is all done. Now it can slide to any dimension that I wanted.



Things that escaped my iron clad logic :lol::grrr: included the fact that the factory frame holes are oval to allow for suspension adjustment. No eye-rolls please, I did build plates that inserted into these slotted holes and gave a single registered location. It's just that the factory frame wasn't exactly a Swiss watch as far as precision goes.

From there I tried out a few ideas for how to get the new frame to connect up...hmmm, that's not going to work.






So we're back to the drawing board (this all happened in 2013 by the way).

Some super high tech drawings were produced to work out the tight points...and I started in earnest to build the frame.



The back plane was the only part of the original subframe that survived. I could have fabricated the entire thing, but the engineering of this part just wasn't worth the trouble.



Some interior reinforcement was needed and mounts fabricated.



Yup, that rail looks like it will work.



Some other brackets joined the party and we've got something like a subframe.



It even fits in the intended location.



I still haven't taken that pinion rubber stop off the car!



Even that front arm is going to clear the frame...nice.



Time to remove the trunk floor.



I removed the spring perches and just seam welded up the plate (optimism at it's best).



Should have tidied it up before I welded it...I do know better.



Started making mount brackets. There will be a cross member, but in the mean time, this looks about right.



Clears everything nicely.



It took ages for me to actually commit to removing the entire rear trunk panel. Commitment issues?



Needs must - you can see how I'm messing with the time line in this photo as the ugly speaker holes on the parcel shelf are still there. Out comes the seat back.



You can see that I've sound proofed the car. Taking this stuff off is a horrible job. You don't need to cover the entire interior - so I won't be making this mistake twice! Weeks later and much varsol and it was all gone.

Wait...what's this? Isn't this the frame rail that we just welded up with part of the spare wheel well? Yup. It had to go to get wheel clearance and the coil over...yes, they have to go somewhere, needed space.



New frame rails from 2 X 3" 120 wall tube. Adding structure to take the forces and weight of the new rear end. Probably not needed, but while we're there, might as well.



Caps for pretty.





Here's the wheel well reinforcement. Whoa - TIG'd the hell out of that :lol:. I watch my heat a lot more now.



With those new rails mocked up, I created some fake shocks for mock up parts.



At full bump, the tire gains enough camber to warrant the mini tub that I have already shown.



Set up a few angles and try to work out how to mount the coil overs. [For the record - this post covers one year - I had a few other projects to do.]



And that's a good place to stop for this post. Let's call this version 1.0 of this installation.

 
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