Some Volvo Thoughts: Door Seals, Insulation and A-Frame Bolts

Shrinking Door Seals on 1800's.
On 1800's, shrinking of the door openings seals is somewhat solvable by basically splicing a piece of another seal down at the bottom of the door where it's partially covered and held down by the aluminum strip at the bottom of the door opening.

I've also repaired the door seals by cutting out the bad sections on the one I'm using and super-gluing a good piece from another seal I am sacrificing. It works well. However, if the rubber is too old, it won't stick.

This leads into how to clean up old rubber parts like that before repairing. I put a lot of old rubber parts in the washing machine with a more-than-normal dose of detergent. If the rubber is not thoroughly dried out, it usually rejuvenates it. I also use laquer thin and steel wool to clean off the stubborn, imbedded dirt on the surface of the rubber. That works well, also.

Under Dash Insulation For 122's, 1800's, and 544's.
The 1800's and 122's had a mohair-type insulation under the dash that, over time, would start to fall apart and shed. On a '67 1800S, I used some 1/2" foam that was somewhat dense and had a backing on one side. I glued it with 3M adhesive spray (similar to a contact cement). Some other brands don't work as well and are not as permanent.

I would cut a piece of the foam for the ones I was to cover then spray the adhesive on both the foam and the metal area under the dash. After half a minute, I would stick the foam in place. I did this in several pieces, cutting to fit for each section. Up around the air intake area it took many smaller pieces but came out well.

After the pieces were in place and well glued in, I sprayed the foam with a semi-flat black paint which brought it to looking more original and covered some of the seams that could not be completely hidden. The foam helps to insulate the firewall area for temperature and sound.

A-Frame bolts on the 1800's and 122's
In my experiences with rebuilding areas on the 1800's and 122's, one I've discovered can be improved upon is, on reassembly, to use anti-seize compound on the lower A-Frame bolt. I cover the entire length of the bolt, except the head and threads on either end. This prevents it from rusting and becoming stuck in bushing sleeves and the tube that runs through the cross member on each side. It makes the job much easier if you ever have to take the A-Frames off again.