1971 Volvo 1800E Restoration: Mud Flaps

This weekend was spent installing rear mud flaps on the Volvo. I'd been sitting on the parts for about a week, slowly gathering up the courage to drill the necessary holes into the rear fenders. Having seen a few photos of the 1800s with mud flaps on the web, I was determined to give my Volvo the same treatment as nothing shouts "retro" like mud flaps! The original mud flaps were missing from my car because they were a dealer installed accessory at the time of purchase and I guess the original owner was too cheap to spring for the $1.49 each back in the 70's.

Before Mud Flaps:

As with any other project, I always emphasize safety first. Installing mud flaps involves jacking-up the rear-end. Hence, the front-end should be secured with parking blocks, bricks, or a cat. Any species would do. They are a universal fit. I used my neighbor's cat in this case. Aside from the stainless steel mounting brackets and the original Volvo mud flaps which I secured from Mike Dudek at iRoll Motors Inc. for $16.95 each (inflation), the only other tools necessary to get the job done were a jack, power drill, brand new stainless steel screws, nuts, and washers from the neighborhood ACE Hardware store, and this handy little bubble level (pictured below) that was included with the mounting hardware from some wall shelves that I bought from Pottery Barn. I thought they were cool, so I kept them thinking they might come in handy someday. Mike Dudek is a nice guy to work with by the way ... very helpful. I will continue to give him my money.

Improvised Parking Block:

Bubble Level:

Afixing the bubble level to the mounting bracket with some tape, I used it to center the position of the bracket to the inside of the rear fender, so that the brackets don't get attached cock-eyed. There is a difference between the driver and passenger-side mounting brackets, so care has to be taken to make sure that each is mounted onto the appropriate fender. Pictured below is the driver-side rear bracket with the mud flap already attached.

Rear Driver-Side Mud Flap:

According to the official Volvo P1800 Mud Flap Installation Instructions, the bracket is installed at a distance of 56mm (2.2 inches) from the base. In reality, this should only be used as a "loose" guide as the actual placement is at whatever height that the mounting bracket can successfully come in contact with both sides of the wheel well at the same time! Once the positioning is determined ... start drilling. Here are some before-and-after photos of the Volvo after mud flap installation. All I need now are some bell-bottom jeans and avaiator sunglasses to complete the "retro" look.