Stepping into PV444 realm by T5 for Life

3 minute(s) of a 29 minute read

Here's an update, fellas. This is in honor of even more snow in NE and getting the bug to drive the car now...so it's more for my mental well-being than anything else, lol.

Installed new lock cylinders in the doors and trunk, as I didn't have any keys for the old ones and wouldn't be able to lock her up if we went anywhere. 

Also used that time to lube up all the door internals (window chain/cable/pulley, door latch mechanism, and all guides, etc.). 

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to stop the exterior door handle droop. It's not the springs in the door latch, but rather the mechanism itself is just so worn out. I'll probably get all new latch/lock mechanisms in due time. Also found out the passenger door isn't he original on the car, and the weatherstripping was preventing the door from closing all the way. I had to pull all that off and will probably just use cheaper foam stripping from Home Depot to seal the door.

Put new door mirrors on each side, something I thought was a little more period-appropriate and shaped properly for the car. Now I have to plug the holes drilled in the driver's door.

Put new badges on the trunk lid, thanks to VPAutoparts! 

Also re-finished the front grill insert in stainless steel spray and the B-16 Volvo iron mark in low-luster gold. Johan at VP also managed to find me a true "V" emblem for the 1957 PVs from someone in Sweden!!! I'm going to refinish that as well and pop that on soon.

Put a set of real vintage red teardrop lights with glass lenses on the rear quarters (replaced the plastic amber ones on there originally). They aren't original to the PVs themselves, but I figured these lights at least looked closer to what may have come from the factory at that time.

Installed a reverse light from a mid-60s VW Beetle (via a chrome motorcycle handlebar mount). I ran a separate switch for it to the underside of the dash. I wanted to find a vintage round one, but according to the PV accessories catalag, square or round were an option. I'm still looking at other options, though.

Lastly, put a new tach in it! It's a Sunpro vintage reproduction, but is brand new. I wanted to run something more vintage, but it was a crap shoot of finding one set up for a 4 cyl and actually still working. There were some nice Smith Warner tachs on ebay I followed, but the prices always went through the roof on the auctions, at least for the working ones.

Anyway...here are some pics:

Upcoming projects:

New seat belts up front and install rear ones somehow

New vent window seals...should be fun

Modern retro-looking radio so we have some tunage

New white walls