Volvo Station Wagon (Estate) 1/43rd Scale Die-Cast Collection

Gentle reader,

As you may have determined by following my blog posts, that when I get into something, I really get into it!

As you may recall, last year, I bought my first Volvo, a 2005 V50 T5. It has a 2.5 liter turbocharged five cylinder engine and a six-speed manual transmission. I showed it here:

The Robb Collections: Bought the ultimate SLEEPER car: Volvo V50 T5. Yes, a station wagon!  

Since I cannot afford, nor have the room for a fleet of real Volvo wagons, I chose the next best way to collect them in die-cast 1/43rd scale replicas.

Above and below was my final purchase for the collection. Yes, someone actually professionally raced a Volvo station wagon. The driver's name was Jan Lammers. See: Jan Lammers

That is a link to his homepage. He's a couple months older than me and from the Netherlands. The racer was made from an 850 station wagon. In "R" trim, it was turbocharged and all-wheel-drive. This model is from MiniChamps.

I will now show the domestic (non-racing) wagons in chronological age. Oldest first:

This a Volvo 220 wagon, sometimes called Amazon. It's from the 1960's. A friend in Richmond, Virginia had one in the early 1970's and it was my first exposure to Volvos. It was rear-wheel-drive. This model is from PremiumX.

Next, from the 1970's.

It is actually way more yellow in person than in these photos. It is a 145 model. It too is rear-wheel-drive. This model has no company or maker's name on it.

From the 1980's:

Looking lovely in gold metallic, this is a model 240. It too is rear-wheel-drive and also has no maker's name on it.

Now, a group shot of the three rear-wheel-drive models. The thing I have found about die-cast replicas, is "scale" seems to be loosely defined. Since all three of these are from different makers. chances are in real life they may very well be closer or farther apart in actual size.

Still, from right-to-left, you can see the progression and changes. Which was my intent in forming this collection.

Now, there are several other model numbers of Volvo wagons and different sizes as well. I did not bother to get all of them. Starting from the 1980's to early 1990's, the more recent and all are front-wheel-drive except the "R" model, the 850 T5-R:

Auto-Art makes a 1/18th scale one of these in the same pale yellow color. But it is way more than I want to spend. This one is an Atlas Editions Collection model.

Now a pair of photos comparing the street and race versions:

Again, these are from different makers, but there is no hiding that the racer is "slammed" as they call it. Lowering the center of gravity to help it corner faster is why they do that.

Again, a 1/18th scale version of this car was made, but hard and expensive to get. By the way, this car was raced in the BTCC: British Touring Car Championship. TCCs are held in various countries and very popular because they are made from street cars and the fans can clearly see that. Unlike NASCAR.

Next, one of the prettiest and sleekest wagons made, the early to mid-2000's V70.

Volvo changed the 850 name to V70 and the first V70's looked just like 850s. This is the next generation of V70s. Quite pretty. This is a 2000 version and made by MiniChamps.

Next, what I actually considered buying a real one of, but ended up buying the Capri, the Volvo V40. In the USA, it only came with an automatic transmission. 

This is a 1996 and also made by MiniChamps. I am not impressed with the quality of it, however. S40s and V40s had 1.8 liter four cylinder turbo engines as an option. 

Next, a replica of my 2005 V50. The V50 and it's sedan version; S40 replaced the old V40 and S40 with a slightly larger and heavier models starting in the USA in 2005. Larger, more powerful engines made up for the weight difference, however.

Close in color to mine. This one has the optional 17" wheels. Mine has seven spoke 16" wheels. It has a five cylinder turbo engine as I mentioned and is VERY quick and unfortunately likes to go fast. Thank goodness for cruise control! It has 2003 on the bottom and too was made by MiniChanps. It has a rear spoiler and roof rails, which mine does not.

Next a side-by-side comparison of the V40 and V50. I actually researched the specs on both to find out how different they really are as the V40 looks so much smaller than the V50. It is not by much. 

Now, is it me, or isn't the V50 a much better and more modern looking car than the V40?

Much snazzier rear end too. Check out the tall tail lights. Volvo invented those and many car makers have copied it. But Volvo was first!

The V70 progressed through time to a third iteration as seen below:

Still a nice looking car, but in my opinion, it isn't a sleek looking. Similarly, the mid-2000s Subaru Legacy wagon is very sleek, and the newer ones, well really most newer Japanese cars just aren't that attractive to me.

So, briefly Volvo stopped selling wagons in the USA, only sedans and SUVs. Of course, the V70 was available all-wheel-drive in two versions. The V70xc and later it was called XC70. These are raised up and black plastic clad wagons like Audi All-Road models and Subaru Outback models.

But the real one to seek out is the V70R. Like the 850 T5-R, they have five cylinder turbo engines and all-wheel-drive. They also top out at 300 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque! Fast, quick, nimble and unless you know cars and Volvos in particular, they are sleepers!

So, after a couple years with no wagons from Volvo, they came out with the V60 which replaces both the V50 AND V70. They come between the two in size.

The whole Volvo boxiness is completely gone with the latest models, as you can see. This was made by Motorart. No year given, but they sell them currently along with larger models.

Lastly, and although technically, not a wagon, the C30 which I lust after every time I see one. From the front, identical to the V50, it is smaller all around and of course, only has two doors. It was a tribute to what many consider the most beautiful Volvo ever made, the 1800ES. What the British call a "Shooting Brake" a two-door station wagon. The ES was just made from the P1800 sporty car. Most often associated with The Saint as played by Roger Moore in the 1960's.

And here it is. I also have a lovely one in 1/25th scale in a bronze color:

 As quick and fast as my V50 is, these have the same engine and are lighter. Can you spell fun?

Finally, this is a group shot from above of the whole collection. What, no 1800ES? Not yet, they too are dear and expensive!

That's it for now! Thanks for looking.

Scott

Installing the upgrade kit for Minimus 7 speakers Part 2

Gentle reader,

As promised in the first part of this post: The Robb Collections: Installing the upgrade kit for Minimus 7 speakers Part 1 . I have received the woofers I bought via ebay that were once in Optimus Pro LX-4 speakers. They are made of woven Kevlar which is the main bullet-stopping material in bullet proof vests and also is used in military helmets. Stronger than steel, but much lighter.

As you can see, above, they are the same frame as the paper-coned Minimus 7 woofers. So, they are an exact fit. Kevlar looks so much cooler, doesn't it?

Each magnet seems to be the same size. They were made in different countries. The M-7 has a bump on the bottom for some reason only the designer knows. Note that the LX-4 models have a hole clean through the middle. This is to vent the inside of the center cap. Perhaps it also cools the voice coil.

The bump is more obvious from the angle below.

Below, you can see it installed in the Minimus 7W speaker.

Above and below is my idea and result to hold all four pairs of speakers on one bracket. In case you haven't seen my listening room before. I bought two brackets designed to hold a small, say 13" conventional (CRT) TV. They mount to wall studs and thus provide a steady solution for speakers. I bought them originally to hold my BOSE 301 speakers that my loving wife bought me years ago with hopes I would get rid of the large (15" woofers) speakers I was using. At the time, the stereo was in the living room.

The upper photo is the right bracket and above is the left. Note that all four speakers are in the same order on both shelves. 

Oh, forgot to tell you, the original shelves are made of sheet steel, so they are not wide enough for more than two speakers. I acquired some 1/4" Lexan sheet which happened to be dark tinted. Lexan is a brand name of a poly-carbonate sheet that is often referred to as "bullet-proof-glass". Not when it's this thin, but it IS unbreakable.

Back to why I put both pairs in the same order. My thinking is that it keeps each pair the same distance apart. The room is too small to detect any shifting of the sound stage in either direction. 

I secured the Lexan sheets to the steel shelf with Blu-Tak a form of putty that is sticky, but doesn't leave residue or parts of itself. I also used four pieces of it under each speaker as you can just see through the Lexan.

These shelves are adjustable in many planes. Originally made for hospital rooms or a small bedroom TV, perhaps.

So, how do these vintage Radio Shack Minimus 7 speakers sound now that I have put so much money and effort in to them? VERY good! 

When I first tried them, stock, so to speak, I was unimpressed. I'd read about the ebay seller and his upgrade kit, so I decided to give it a try. I can't tell you exactly what difference the Kevlar woofers make, but rigid cones are what the better speaker makers seek, so Kevlar verses paper seems to accomplish that. 

Good luck trying to get a pair of these woofers. Optimus Pro LX-4 speakers have a cult following for their amazingly clean sound. The have the front mount version of the top-mounted Linaeum tweeters on the Optimus Pro LX-5II speakers next to the M-7s. 

In case you missed prior blogs, the left speakers are current model AR PS-215 speakers. They too have quite the following and have amazingly deep bass for 5" woofers. 

Next is the Minimus 11 die-cast speakers I upgraded with Dayton Audio ribbon tweeters and woofers from Parts Express.

Next, the aforementioned LX-5IIs which I also used the same woofers in. THEY have the full 360 degree Linaeum tweeters atop them. All have their unique sound and all are keepers!

Thanks for looking!

Scott

Installing the upgrade kit for Minimus 7 speakers Part 1

Gentle Reader,

It's been a while since I posted, but you, dear reader continue to read it. 174 page views yesterday! Thanks so much!

As you may have seen, I've been buying the better small speakers once made for and sold by Radio Shack. Frank quitely*, it ought to be called Cell-Phone Shack nowadays as they have wandered far from what they once were. But I digress...  *Frank Quitely was a character's name on a comedy radio show some decades ago. I used it instead of "quite frankly".

Here is part one (of 2.5) of the first ones I did:
The Robb Collections: Upgrading old diecast Realistic Minimus 11 speakers

Here is part 2.5:  

The Robb Collections: NOW finished: Upgrading old diecast Realistic Minimus 11 speakers Part 2.5

Here is the next ones I did:

The Robb Collections: Improving Radio Shacks vaunted Optimus Pro (Linaeum ribbon tweeter) LX5II speakers with Dayton Audio woofers.    

And here is where I introduced you to this version of the Radio Shack Minimus 7:

The Robb Collections: Some small but classy speakers have joined the system: Walnut Minimus 7W is their name. 

Now, there is a seller on ebay that has capitalized on the love many have of these tiny speakers. Here is one of the two kits that he sells, the other has "world-class...woofers":

Minimus 7 premium!!! upgrade kit for Optimus/Realistic speakers  

Since I was unimpressed by the sound of these in stock form, I bit and paid the $39.95 for the kit. I added some modern three-way binding banana terminal cups as well to replace the cheap spring speaker terminals.

Since you just saw them fully clothed in the intro-blog, I did not include a picture with the grille installed.

Front above, and rear, with said "spring terminals" as from the factory, below. Oh, and note the "keyhole" bracket for hanging them on the wall. WORST place to put speakers! They need to be some distance from the rear and side walls for the best sound and sound stage.

Directly below is the kit the ebay seller provides. The separate yellow capacitor is for the tweeter, the rest is for the woofer. He states that these speakers have no crossover part(s) for the woofer, but based upon my inspection of the factory crossover, it has an air-core coil for the woofer. Perhaps the more widespread die-cast metal models do not have this coil.

A little explanation: Tweeters, in this case the dome-shaped small driver at the top of the speaker baffle board, is for high frequencies. They will be destroyed if deeper sounds than they are designed to reproduce reach them. So a non-polarized capacitor is installed to block low frequencies. The woofer, is for lower sounds. To protect them from higher sounds, a crossover will contain one or more components, including a choke coil, to block the high frequencies. Speaker designers test their drivers and choose the size of the cabinets and more in order to get the best sound they can for the target price of the speakers. Thus, the simple crossover mounted on the inside of the rear terminal cup seen below.

The next two images are close-ups of the factory crossover.

Above is a comparison of the old and new terminal cups.

The new ones are from Parts Express, a company in Dayton, Ohio that specializes in speakers and audio for home, auto and professional. Below is the part number for these nice cups.

Step one after removing all the components, and by the way, most Minimus 7 speakers and their descendants are made from die-cast aluminum. So they differ in construction. Glue the board with the provided Gorilla Glue to the inside of the top of the cabinet. This prevents the woofer's magnet from hitting these components upon re-installation.

A great thing about these cups is that they are 1/16th of an inch bigger around than the hole from the factory. So, a little work with a file to enlarge the hole and it fits perfectly.

I have soldered one wire of the yellow capacitor AND the yellow wire of the rest of the crossover to the + terminal. I cut the wires off the old crossover and used the blue wire for the other wire on the yellow cap and the black wire for the ground side of the tweeter. That wire and the black wire of the rest of the crossover are soldered to the - terminal as seen above.

Above shows what I just described. I used some heat-shrink tubing to insulate the other wire so it won't short out if it touches anything metal inside the speaker. Above is NOT where the wires need to go!

Above shows where the wires need to be routed. You'll have to pull-split the red pair as the terminals on these woofers are on opposite sides. Also, I had to make a notch at 3 o-clock and 9 o-clock positions on the woofer's hole to clear these thick wires.

Above shows the factory filler on the left and on the right some polyfil-type filler. Since the new parts take up so much room inside, I feel that a more complete filling will trick the woofer into "thinking" there is more room behind it. 

Above and below are the new cups installed. The original screws are too small, so I used other ones that are bigger. 

So, those are the steps necessary to complete the upgrade on Minimus 7 speakers, specifically the wooden ones. 

But wait, there's more! In looking at various Radio Shack speakers on ebay, I came across ones with a cult following: Optimus Pro LX-4. They are, like these, made with a wooden cabinet and like BOSE's mdel 301 they are in a horizontal format rather than the usual vertical ones. 

Like their LX-5 models that I have, they also have Linaeum ribbon tweeters. Unlike the 360-degree dispersion of the top mounted tweeters, they have ribbons that fire forward only. 

Here is a link to a review about them: LX4 review

Why did I bring them up? They too have 4" woofers, however they are make of woven Kevlar. Kevlar is a brand name of Aramid fiber, which is what bullet-proof vests are made of. Well, someone had a pair for sale on ebay. I bought them and will install them once they arrive and give a complete review in Part 2.

Thanks for looking!

Scott

 

Some small but classy speakers have joined the system: Walnut Minimus 7W is their name.

Gentle reader,

 

To those that participate in the American tradition of Thanksgiving, I hope you had a nice one. We, both being "essential" employees, worked yesterday, so we celebrated Wednesday evening instead. And we had spiral sliced ham, not turkey. Although a coworker brought in the fixings to make turkey sandwiches for lunch....which was delicious.

 

As I do every year about now, I stopped my usual prowling of thrift stores for cool new items to enjoy and also ceased ebay actions. (Yes, I mean actions, not auctions. Covers buying AND selling.) Too many packages being moved around the world what with Christmas coming up. 

 

One of the last things I did buy on ebay is a pair of Radio Shack Minimus 7W speakers. I've always loved the look of walnut wood and these fit the bill, being nicely veneered with black walnut. Back in the day (1970's) my dad had KLH 17s and my first pair of speakers in 1975, were Dynaco A25s. Both sets were walnut with off-white grille cloths.

 

Anyway, I got these for less than $30 and they arrived safely. Frankly, I'm disappointed with their sound. I mean, look below, they look like they have nice components. Plus, unlike their metal encased mates, these woofers have rubber surrounds. Thus, they will never deteriorate. Also, note the bespoke woofer frame these and so many of their kin have rather than standard woofer's frames. They were made from 1984 to 1986 and retailed for $100 a pair. That's about $229 today. 

There has been much discussion on the Internet about all versions of these speakers, especially the all-metal one that were sold under various names. There have been kits created to replace the minimal crossover these have with better components. But it seems the ebay seller of these kits is not providing them anymore.

 

I can replace the dome tweeters with folded ribbon ones like I did in the Minimus 11s from Parts Express: the #1 source for audio, video & speaker building components they are on sale right now for $25 each, but if the crossovers are the problem, that will probably be the way I choose to go. No rush, other things to do in the mean time and it will make a nice winter project.

 

So here they are in the room, two views from my standing behind my wingback chair and more eye-level if sitting:

You can see how tiny they are!

Next are some other angles and compared to the LX5II speakers:

See how they used solid walnut pieces on the corners rather than trying to wrap the round edges with veneer?

Also, those cheap spring terminals will have to go and I'll remove the keyhole brackets for hanging them on a screw on the wall. The worst place to put speakers!

The Optimus Pro LX5II, also Radio Shack speakers, use 5" woofers, the Minimus 7s use 4" ones. No one seems to make replacement foam for the metal model's woofers. Too bad as there is much demand for these speakers and they sold very well when new.

Above, with the cloth covered grille attached, next to some books. They stand only 8" high. Still, I like them and plan to improve their sound.

Lastly, I moved the LX5II speakers aside and brought out the Cerwin-Vega beasts. I was listening to an extraordinary recording of Benjamin Britten conducting the English Chamber Orchestra and the LSO in performance of his: THE YOUNG PERSON'S GUIDE TO THE ORCHESTRA, SIMPLE SYMPHONY and VARIATIONS ON A THEME OF FRANK BRIDGE. Yesterday I listened to it on the boombox I made at work*, again in the car on the way home and then on the LX5II speakers. So I had a very good idea how it sounds. Then I hooked up the CVs and had a listen. No matter HOW good small speakers can sound and all mine sound excellent, you can't beat large speakers for bass! Anyway, this is a LONDON CD, 417 509-2. It came out early in the life of CDs, 1986. The original LPs were made in 1964, 1968 and 1969. I had never read up on Britten and did so while listening via the CVs. Quite an exceptional musical genius he was! A 20th Century Mozart. I checked through my LPs briefly and only found one LP so far of his music. I want MORE! This CD sounds incredible!

OK, so the above paragraph wasn't last. The Yamaha preamp I bought to replace the Adcom still continues to work great and I am very happy with it. My coworker/audio buddy took a look at the Adcom and found the source of the 60 Hertz hum. One of the RCA terminals outside (return or ground) terminal had broken and it would be difficult to repair. He found that running a wire from the ground terminal of the preamp (where you hook the ground wire from your turntable) to the ground on the power amp, the hum is gone. He says it's a "ground loop". Prior to him looking at it for me, I found that hooking a jumper from the Adcom's ground terminal to any of the six RCA output external terminals also stops the hum. So, I'm going to make a custom (bespoke) jumper to accompany the Adcom when I start back up with ebay after the new year. The next steward should be OK with that and it will no longer be sitting next to this desk. Looking at me sadly.... Just kidding! It has served me well, but as I said, I needed a preamp with a subsonic filter. The Yamaha has this as well as the option of using a moving coil turntable cartridge.

Thanks for looking and have a safe and enjoyable day.

Scott