Hanging the doors

Ladies and Gentlemen: The Doors!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qRJIBtbc2c 
Fantastic music to listen to while hanging the doors of your car !

Today I started with  the doors; Fitting them back in the Volvo. Normally it's a job for two persons but when you have an engine crane or a roof in the shed with a strong beam it can easily be done alone.

Fit the rubber door seals before you fit the doors in the car. That way you won't damage the paint. I used a wooden kitchen piece and some silicone spray to fit the seals in the rails. I think because of all the primers and paint the space in the rails was a bit more narrow then original and it took me almost an hour per door to fit the rubber. Always start with the 90 degree corner, that way you can't go wrong.

Fitting the rubber door seal

Fitting the rubber door seal with a wooden tool

The window channel in the vent window was in desperate need of some new  felt

New felt fitted in the window channel

To protect the paint I used some foam from an old mattress overlay and a towel. Try to find the balance point of the door before you let it hang on the rope.

Door hanging  - engine crane not only for engines. Btw, This is a good argument to convince your girlfriend  you really need an engine crane, it's multi purpose ;)

Try to hang the door hinges as close to the body bolt holes as possible. protect the body/paint with some rags before you start. Fitting the first bolt can be a bit difficult, always start with the top hinge. I also put a rag between the lower door hinge and the body when fitting the first two bolts in the top hinge, the door will move and scratch the body before you know.

Protecting the fresh paint when fitting the door

After fitting the first two bolts in the lower hinge I lowered the crane a bit in order to see if the door stayed in the same horizontal position. Then I fitted the other 4 bolts and removed the rope so the door could be closed carefully. The trick is to tighten the bolts just enough so the door won't move by it's own weight but can be moved by you. When you think it's in the right position tighten the bolts and install the lock door stop on the body. Now it's a matter of fine tuning. I also fitted the chrome trims back on the door and noticed it was impossible to get them in line with the trims on the body. I've heard that a lot of 122S were new delivered while the trims were not absolutely in line. It still looks great and gives the Volvo it's unique character.

Bringing the door "back in line"

Stainless steel Trims

With the door back on the car you can start with fitting all the door parts. You need to do this in a certain order ( I learned this the hard way @#$%^#* ). Start with the chrome door handle, then put back the lock mechanism, after that the inner lock operating handle with the long metal piece (don't forget to put a piece of foam between the body and the long handle). Connect them all to the actual door lock, fit the two pulleys and window handle sprocket, fit the chain/cable on the pulleys and sprocket, put some tension on the cable with the lower cable spanner, fit the inner door window channel, the vertical window channel with the stainless steel, put back the big window and connect it to the cable. Now you can install the small ventilation window, start with the rubber nose in the corner.

The next three pics were taken before the paint job but they give a nice look inside the door of a Volvo 122S

Lock mechanism inside the door of the Volvo 122S

Lower pulley window mechanism with cable tensioner

Stuff inside a Volvo 122S door

A look inside the door of a Volvo Amazon

Now it's a matter of fitting the door cover, the chrome handles which are secured by the small springs and the metal inner top which has to "click" in place before you can put in the 4 screws. The easiest way to to this is with a lowered window.

One door ready

Door Volvo Amazon outside

After fitting all the door parts I had to loosen the hinge bolts a bit for the final "hanging". Luckily this 122S has only two doors...