93 240 Pickup Project Ruby

[lookforjoe]

This needs a separate thread - I've been posting it in my 740 pickup thread & a separate thread for the 4 round light conversion.
I'll be registering & using the wagon whilst I do the V8 conversion on the 740 pickup, that way I'll still have a haul vehicle of sorts.

Got it running by emptying the tank, removing & flushing the injectors

Put Hydras on it for now

Degreased & cleaned the engine bay

Moving on to odds & ends I can do in short periods of time
Door pocket repair

SEM Camel paint

nose panels & fenders from a 83 245, so I can install the 4 rounds

Momo Cobra wheel

Cleaned & painted an early console

Removed the door frame trim from the '83, repainted it & installed on the '93

Since I had to remove the mirror for this, I repainted that as well

Things to do:
Install >86 valance
Install 4 round headlamp set. Rewire. Add additional headlamp relay.
Install >82 bumpers
Early gate hinges
Door Handles
Change Air, Oil & Fuel filters
Fix Fuel Gauge
Fix Temp Gauge
Install Tach
Install Momo hub & wheel
Remove front seats & re-upholster, replace seat heater grids
Install IPD sway bars
Install Lesjofors overload rear springs
Replace F&R pads, rotors, parking brake setup
Replace Brake booster
Install new AC condenser, Accumulator. Check AC lines & compressor

 

[lookforjoe]

Started on figuring out the >82 bumper install. Make more sense to me for a pickup
Rather than modify the 93 bumper shocks to fit the early bumper, I'm using the bumper shocks from my Bertone X1/9 & adding a spacing bracket.
Same OD & mount hole, Volvo outer grommet & bracket transfer

Set back against the Fiat plate, the bumper is set too far back

Needs to sit a little further out - like this should work better, I'll getting the one piece early trim. I want some aluminum showing

I have to make an adaptor anyway, So I'll just make it 1.25"

Got the valance & headlamp supports cleaned up & painted, I'll get these on & work on the headlamp conversion alongside the bumper fitment

 

[towerymt]

Looking forward to seeing the (rapid) progress. I'd like to own (or build) a 245 pickup. Will it be similar to the 745, rear hatch that opens?

 

[lookforjoe]

Looking forward to seeing the (rapid) progress. I'd like to own (or build) a 245 pickup. Will it be similar to the 745, rear hatch that opens?

Yes, it will. I've found examples of 240 pickups, however like the 700/900's, they all have a welded cab. I want a functional midgate, gives much more storage, and makes for great conversations

 

[Crustacean Wagon]

Very stoked to follow this. Looking great so far

I really liked how that front bumper looked tucked...

 

[lookforjoe]

Very stoked to follow this. Looking great so far

I really liked how that front bumper looked tucked...

Thank you.
The problem with having it that tucked, is that any impact at all would send it into the valance. Also, there would be no aluminum visible along the top when the trim molding is put in place. Maybe I'll end up going somewhere in between.

 

[andyb5]

Great start so far, excited to see how this project shapes up!

 

[Crustacean Wagon]

Thank you.
The problem with having it that tucked, is that any impact at all would send it into the valance. Also, there would be no aluminum visible along the top when the trim molding is put in place. Maybe I'll end up going somewhere in between.

Yeah the trim is fairly wide on those right?

I tucked both bumpers on my 87, using the "right" one in the front and the frame and skin from an 83 in the back, and rear trim from 83 as it's much skinnier than the 86+ stuff. No trim on the front bc i too will be going early front end before toooo long and dont want to get new clips yet, all the ones still in my valence and fenders snap when you touch them

 

[lookforjoe]

Yeah the trim is fairly wide on those right?

I tucked both bumpers on my 87, using the "right" one in the front and the frame and skin from an 83 in the back, and rear trim from 83 as it's much skinnier than the 86+ stuff. No trim on the front bc i too will be going early front end before toooo long and dont want to get new clips yet, all the ones still in my valence and fenders snap when you touch them

Nice. When you say early, you mean 83 specifically in the front? That one year is different than 84- 85, which of course is different from 86 on. If I remember correctly, the 83 trim is the same as 84-85. It's just the bumper bar and cover was set back more than 84-85

 

[Crustacean Wagon]

Nice. When you say early, you mean 83 specifically in the front? That one year is different than 84- 85, which of course is different from 86 on. If I remember correctly, the 83 trim is the same as 84-85. It's just the bumper bar and cover was set back more than 84-85

Ive got a tucked 87 bumper setup in the front without trim, and unchanged 83 bumper in the rear i *think*
Its been a minute since i looked at it but will post some pics soon

And by early i mean cowl and fender swap for coffin/flathood fitment. The only rust on my car is around the cowl, strangely enough. Allegedly it was a portland oregon car before coming to boston in 07ish, then off the road from 2013 til this past spring when i finished my b230ft and lh2.4 swap

 

[lookforjoe]

Test ftted the early valance, and the headlamps

Upper tie plate not fitted. I'll clean up & paint the buckets before final assembly

Late side marker aligns just fine with early bezel. It's the same size as the chrome of the bezel. The earlier marker was taller, dropping down to the lower grille portion of the bezel. I will have to fabricate a mount for the markers, the ears that normally retain them are part of the late headlamp assembly

Late grille is too wide of course, however it looks like I can make a clean cut on either side
The EU version early grille came in a version without chrome vertical ends, so that will look OK I think

Last vertical slat aligns with the bezel edge, so that will become the outside edge of the grille.

Visually along these lines (t8fanning's pic), chrome slats top & bottom, no edges

 

[DET17]

Looks like fun! Will Ruby be getting a flat hood? I've always loved the look of the 4 rounds... very BWMish.

 

[lookforjoe]

Looks like fun! Will Ruby be getting a flat hood? I've always loved the look of the 4 rounds... very BWMish.

No flat hood - that would involve modifying the cowl, same as using a coffin hood. I'm really not interested in that. The late hood already looks better than the coffin hood anyway. With just the slight bump out.

 

[towerymt]

Agree the cowl swap is needed for it to look right...but the early hood will fit & clear the cowl without any extreme offset forward to clear the cowl.

I went back in time and edited this old post in my project thread to put the photos there so as to not clog up this thread with photos of something you're not planning to do (hood was steel, from an early car, the single-washer-nozzle variety. Car is '87 244)

 

[John242Ti]

A friend's '86 244DL... With a '76 front end, plus a bunch of weird stuff. Including a backward Nordica stripe, so it's called "Acidiron".

 

[corivus]

This is off to a great start, and knowing your handy work it should look pretty amazing. Hoping this gets completed soon so you can also enjoy the fun that is v8 700/900 cars!

 

[pinguin]

No flat hood - that would involve modifying the cowl, same as using a coffin hood. I'm really not interested in that. The late hood already looks better than the coffin Hood anyway. With just the slight bump out.

There are times I almost prefer the late hood to the flat hood.

 

[lookforjoe]

There are times I almost prefer the late hood to the flat hood.

I'm undecided. I'll have to see how it plays out.

Cut the grille down after repairing the bezel pins. No upper tie plate, so everything is wonky. I don't have a clear path for reconciling the grille with the bezels and the hood bump out. I'll have to see how it goes when I have the bumper on to get the overall feel. At a glance it's OK, but the details aren't right.

I used home table lamp switch knobs to repair the broken posts on the bezels. Cut off the screw heads after threading them into the knobs

Archie likes to help

A modified tie plate to go from later fender to early valance is necessary

I'll trim & weld these together to get a smooth transition, probably weld to the fender rather than the tie plate, see what works best

Separated the late upper tie plate from the late headlamp supports. All the mount holes for the early install are already present - Volvo superseded the early part to the later one, so I was hopeful I wouldn't have to drill any extra holes & that is indeed the case

Cut the marker supports from the headlamp frames. Have to figure out a suitable way of securing them to the early headlamp housing

Cleaned up a white hood to match the 740.

I have access to a white coffin hood if I can't make the late grille work with the 4 rounds to my satisfaction. I may use a flathood if one becomes available, Thanks to towerymt's pics I can see it doesn't look so bad at the cowl when the snow caps are there to distract from the transition step

EDIT - ordered the Wagonmeister snow caps

 

[Finnish240]

I made a bit similiar job on my '90, but I changed the fenders on late model ones and used the quads

 

[lookforjoe]

I made a bit similiar job on my '90, but I changed the fenders on late model ones and used the quads

Did you cut the bezels to keep the grille alignment with the hood bump? Looks good in the pic.