| 1961 PV544 Project - Update 15 |
In this article, a few "little" things that you run into... I drove Volvo PV544s through university and beyond and I can honestly say that I can't recall noticing, or caring about the placement of the steering wheel / steering wheel angle. The stock wheel is quite large in diameter as you'll see below. When seated, the wheel is a few inches right of the centre of the seat and it isn't exactly at right angles to arm placement. Given the size of the stock wheel, this placement, while noticeable once pointed out, could be tolerated. However, when you drop the diameter of the wheel by a few inches, the bad placement is super noticeable and awkward. More below. The other item to deal with is oil filter intrusion. More below on that also. |
Below: In this photo of a stock wheel / dash, the left dotted line marks the centre of the seat. While the wheel is in the centre of the gauge panel more or less. it is still not in front of the driver. Given the size of the stock wheel, moving it to the left wouldn't work as your hands would be too close to the door panel and window crank.  |
Below: The chalk line relates to the centre of the seat. Our plan, despite not lining up with the centre of the gauges, is to move the column notch over to the chalk line and use the stock Volvo column hanger to suspend our new column.  |
Below: This is the approximate final position of the column although it wil go up slighty once the notch is moved.  |
Below: Similarly, the column will exit left of where it went through the firewall originally.  |
Below: On the firewall side. |
Below: The larger picture  |
Below: The "target". That is, the joint at the steering rack noted by the arrow.  |
Below: The arrow points to the location of the oil filter. Even a shorty filter would intrude into the space required for steering connections.  |
Below: A Canton adpater will allow for remote placement of the filter (to be determined after placement of a few more items).  |
Resources Next: Let There Be Heat |