I swore I wasn't going to mod this one as it is minty and I just wanted to drive it for a while. Yeah..that lasted all of 3 weeks. This is just a moderate build thread (I say this now) to track maintenance and show a few modifications I'm making to the S60.
A little back-story: I got into Volvos with my first two cars (a pair of 2001 S40s). In going to meets in those cars, I really got to know the S60R and it quickly became my short term goal to own one, with my long term goal being a 911 Turbo. After the S40s, I couldn't justify a car payment as I was in the middle of my college program, so I moved into the 5cyl family with the '99 C70 HPT auto. At the same time I owned a '91 245 for hauling my life around, and a year after owning the coupe I sold both and moved into my '98 T5m I bought from Tom Long, a step closer toward the S60R. As I wanted a 6MT S60R the '98 kept me happy for a bit but ultimately wasn't what I had my eye on. I had it for a little over a year, in 5 different states, including SoCal where it shared a garage with my '82 242. Here are a few pictures of my history with these cars:
S40 #2 (I don't have any good pictures of the first one):
![190134_10150105451195836_1972712_n_zps94]()
'99 C70:
![IMAG0358-1.jpg]()
'98 S70:
![1015355_10151417535920836_362794778_o_zp]()
![639DD166-9056-47B1-8263-440B9FAC1053-524]()
'82 242
![KGrHqVHJEQFHhY8-cmgBRo6FBuW60_3_zpsf3f2e]()
Upon taking a new position in a rotational Management Development program with my corporation, I decided it was time. I sold off both the 242 and the S70 and picked up my one owner 2005 S60R 6MT Titanium Grey on Nordkap with 55k on the clock and a fat stack of dealer serviced records from a moderator on SwedeSpeed from Connecticut. My girlfriend and I flew out to CT, picked it up and drove it back to Cleveland where I am stationed for my first rotation.
The car came with 17" and 18" Pegs (winters on the 17s, summers on the 18s), a rear TME sway bar and all around TME lowering springs. I don't have a shot when I picked it up so the boring shot of my first day at the new office:
![DA76C671-4809-45D5-A15C-2B93AA3F4AE4_zps]()
The first week I had it, I ended up hitting some black ice as I was maneuvering around a parked car, slid it sideways and took out a fire hydrant. Luckily Mike (Scumcity) was there to help me out. I ended up damaging the front bumper beyond repair, core support, mounting tabs on the right headlight, cracking both intercoolers, puncturing the radiator, and damaging the AC condenser, among other miscelaneous bits. Fortunately I didn't crack or bend any wheels and the suspension was fine. Mike was kind enough to give me his homeless librarian ex-wife's XC90 to get to and from work in while the car got repaired.
![753B6F64-BD5F-431A-82FB-0129AB41484E_zps]()
![09193F79-54C5-4DB0-AEC5-F7027894E415_zps]()
![5D2095ED-82F8-4F3C-A92E-65A0D8C6F8AD_zps]()
I finally got the car back a few weeks later and my body shop guy did an IMACULATE job. Once I had it back I really got to learn how the car drives in the snow and it is great when you are familiar with it. Mind you, this is my first AWD car, so it took a bit of getting used to. Boy is it fun to drive in the snow.
![4F552E5A-8730-4A34-B3B3-1683322AA502_zps]()
About the end of February through mid March 2014, I started getting an intermittent Chassis System Service Required light pop on pointing toward the 4C suspension. I checked everything out and it all seemed fine, and oddly enough after it started to warm up the light went away and hasn't come back since.
![31D2A597-96D7-4BD0-A10B-FBC42BF04CB7_zps]()
Since I had a brand new bumper installed, I didn't want to drill into it for a front plate so I ended up going another route. I found these guys who make tow hook plate hangers and decided to give them a try. I'd been researching for a bit to find the right one but ended up going with a Rho Plate. These hangers are pretty top notch in quality, come with full aluminum brackets and hardware, and offer 15 different mounting locations on the bracket to get it to fit your specific application perfectly. http://www.rhoplate.com/
I know it looked crooked, I straightened it after this.
![1E8862DF-2F9E-486D-9F94-EC743F9EFA0D_zps]()
As the snow started to clear up I removed and sold the 17" Pegs and threw on the 18s for the time being, and then had it tinted.
![17C599BB-D452-4CFF-A299-1EEC9DD421C8_zps]()
The mod bug started to really bite hard around mid April so I picked up an OBX DP and got new tires on the Capellas in preparation for Carlisle. I was honestly blown away at how the OBX really woke this car up. The previous owner had the center resonator removed already, and the OBX really sounds and performs great on an otherwise stock car. I'd highly recommend doing a DP first and foremost. I picked up an eBay rear O2 spacer to fool the ECU and it works completely fine.
I had to take it to an exhaust shop the first day to have them realign it because it was pressing up on the tunnel where the DP meets the catback and causing all sorts of vibrations. The guy got it up on a lift, heated the catback pipe and bent it down and straight, and threw some weld on a few pinholes on the rest of the system. He didn't even charge me, just told me to take off and that he was happy to do it. All in all, it was about $200 for everything and I can't complain. I will be taking it back to the same shop eventually to get a high flow cat welded in because the smell bothers me quite a bit in the cabin, but other than that it's fine.
How it sat after the wheels and DP install. I needed 5mm spacers to clear my brakes with the Capellas, and ended up going with 20mm rear and 15mm front from NovusTech (more on this later), but only installed the 20mm spacers in the rear as the front is pretty good cosmetically and mechanically with the 5mm ones.
![54ABF5AD-D203-4E3B-98EF-AC0FB04DBAE3_zps]()
Last update for this first post, Carlisle![:D]()
This was my first Carlisle and it sure was awesome. It was great to finally meet a ton of you guys, have a few beers (I'm being modest), and check out the scene. I left Cleveland around 4am to drive down to Neubar's house and meet up with him, Gary and his ladyfriend, Brian (Brickerator), JJ who rode oh yeah! in my car and didn't even offer me a handy, and Chase and his father.
As we were cruising up to Maryland to meet up with AJ, John, and a few other guys, Gary called me and told me that my right rear wheel seemed to be wobbling. We pulled off to check it out and noticed a few lugs were loose. I NEVER forget to tighten lugs because I lost a wheel once in my Silver S40 for that exact reason so this was strange to me. I retorqued them and hit the road (after causing a major traffic jam on the interstate, of course).
![7fwxnV1_zps7632e437.jpg]()
Yes Gary, I stole your pictures, sue me. Meeting up with the other guys in MD and a quick shot of the NoVa caravan.
![rAiBkz4_zps81cb0f1f.jpg]()
![h8YazN3_zps9513d7a4.jpg]()
Finally made it to the meet, washed and waxed the cars and settled in to hang out. I ended up grabbing a new set of Nordkap floormats from Art, 2 front 4C struts, OEM Load bars, bike rails, a Thule Fairing, and Ski/Snowboard attachments all from Connor, and had it tuned by Stevo.
Having this car tuned by Steve was an experience in itself. I spoke with him a great bit Friday night and his knowledge of programming and ME7 systems is immense. I won't go into too much detail on what he's doing because I don't know if he wants it all shared but long story short, he developed a way to live tune on the road, adjusting everything as we went. I know a lot of guys do this with custom EMSs but I was surprised how easy he made it look with just the stock ME7 platform. The car is an absolute monster and I can't thank him enough for the work he did for me. I'd highly recommend him for ME7 tuning to anyone looking for a tune.
Heading out to do some tuning (photocred: Canasian Photography)
![10294249_10152130436511966_8130202294067]()
![10246351_10152130436491966_4631321158904]()
Sunday rolled along and we were still trying to figure out what was wrong with my wheels. Ben and I pulled them off and figured out that NovusTech (who I previously hadn't had issues with) send me 65.1 hub side, 63.4 wheel side spacers with hub rings to 65.1 which were the shittiest of rings and cracked upon installing, which in turn kept the wheel from sitting perfectly straight on the hub. We took off the rings, reinstalled the wheels with the now 63.4 wheel side spacers (for my 65.1 CB Capellas) and all was okay. I still have some vibration at the moment, and when I asked for a refund since I ordered 65.1 CB spacers, the guy said yeah sure, no problem...then decided to jerk me around for about 2 weeks until he finally sent the money back. I ordered MST spacers on Tuesday (went 20mm rear, 5mm front) with extended lugs front and rear and paid $175 shipped. Much better service so far for a very reputable custom spacer. I'll post up how they are when they arrive.
One last shot as it sat at Carlisle because I love this one (photocred: Canasian Photography International)
![10406460_10152130393641966_1406128763548]()
It's currently sitting now at 65k miles, that's about it for now. More to come soon enough![:ph34r:]()
A little back-story: I got into Volvos with my first two cars (a pair of 2001 S40s). In going to meets in those cars, I really got to know the S60R and it quickly became my short term goal to own one, with my long term goal being a 911 Turbo. After the S40s, I couldn't justify a car payment as I was in the middle of my college program, so I moved into the 5cyl family with the '99 C70 HPT auto. At the same time I owned a '91 245 for hauling my life around, and a year after owning the coupe I sold both and moved into my '98 T5m I bought from Tom Long, a step closer toward the S60R. As I wanted a 6MT S60R the '98 kept me happy for a bit but ultimately wasn't what I had my eye on. I had it for a little over a year, in 5 different states, including SoCal where it shared a garage with my '82 242. Here are a few pictures of my history with these cars:
S40 #2 (I don't have any good pictures of the first one):
'99 C70:
'98 S70:
'82 242
Upon taking a new position in a rotational Management Development program with my corporation, I decided it was time. I sold off both the 242 and the S70 and picked up my one owner 2005 S60R 6MT Titanium Grey on Nordkap with 55k on the clock and a fat stack of dealer serviced records from a moderator on SwedeSpeed from Connecticut. My girlfriend and I flew out to CT, picked it up and drove it back to Cleveland where I am stationed for my first rotation.
The car came with 17" and 18" Pegs (winters on the 17s, summers on the 18s), a rear TME sway bar and all around TME lowering springs. I don't have a shot when I picked it up so the boring shot of my first day at the new office:
The first week I had it, I ended up hitting some black ice as I was maneuvering around a parked car, slid it sideways and took out a fire hydrant. Luckily Mike (Scumcity) was there to help me out. I ended up damaging the front bumper beyond repair, core support, mounting tabs on the right headlight, cracking both intercoolers, puncturing the radiator, and damaging the AC condenser, among other miscelaneous bits. Fortunately I didn't crack or bend any wheels and the suspension was fine. Mike was kind enough to give me his homeless librarian ex-wife's XC90 to get to and from work in while the car got repaired.
I finally got the car back a few weeks later and my body shop guy did an IMACULATE job. Once I had it back I really got to learn how the car drives in the snow and it is great when you are familiar with it. Mind you, this is my first AWD car, so it took a bit of getting used to. Boy is it fun to drive in the snow.
About the end of February through mid March 2014, I started getting an intermittent Chassis System Service Required light pop on pointing toward the 4C suspension. I checked everything out and it all seemed fine, and oddly enough after it started to warm up the light went away and hasn't come back since.
Since I had a brand new bumper installed, I didn't want to drill into it for a front plate so I ended up going another route. I found these guys who make tow hook plate hangers and decided to give them a try. I'd been researching for a bit to find the right one but ended up going with a Rho Plate. These hangers are pretty top notch in quality, come with full aluminum brackets and hardware, and offer 15 different mounting locations on the bracket to get it to fit your specific application perfectly. http://www.rhoplate.com/
I know it looked crooked, I straightened it after this.
As the snow started to clear up I removed and sold the 17" Pegs and threw on the 18s for the time being, and then had it tinted.
The mod bug started to really bite hard around mid April so I picked up an OBX DP and got new tires on the Capellas in preparation for Carlisle. I was honestly blown away at how the OBX really woke this car up. The previous owner had the center resonator removed already, and the OBX really sounds and performs great on an otherwise stock car. I'd highly recommend doing a DP first and foremost. I picked up an eBay rear O2 spacer to fool the ECU and it works completely fine.
I had to take it to an exhaust shop the first day to have them realign it because it was pressing up on the tunnel where the DP meets the catback and causing all sorts of vibrations. The guy got it up on a lift, heated the catback pipe and bent it down and straight, and threw some weld on a few pinholes on the rest of the system. He didn't even charge me, just told me to take off and that he was happy to do it. All in all, it was about $200 for everything and I can't complain. I will be taking it back to the same shop eventually to get a high flow cat welded in because the smell bothers me quite a bit in the cabin, but other than that it's fine.
How it sat after the wheels and DP install. I needed 5mm spacers to clear my brakes with the Capellas, and ended up going with 20mm rear and 15mm front from NovusTech (more on this later), but only installed the 20mm spacers in the rear as the front is pretty good cosmetically and mechanically with the 5mm ones.
Last update for this first post, Carlisle
This was my first Carlisle and it sure was awesome. It was great to finally meet a ton of you guys, have a few beers (I'm being modest), and check out the scene. I left Cleveland around 4am to drive down to Neubar's house and meet up with him, Gary and his ladyfriend, Brian (Brickerator), JJ who rode oh yeah! in my car and didn't even offer me a handy, and Chase and his father.As we were cruising up to Maryland to meet up with AJ, John, and a few other guys, Gary called me and told me that my right rear wheel seemed to be wobbling. We pulled off to check it out and noticed a few lugs were loose. I NEVER forget to tighten lugs because I lost a wheel once in my Silver S40 for that exact reason so this was strange to me. I retorqued them and hit the road (after causing a major traffic jam on the interstate, of course).
Yes Gary, I stole your pictures, sue me. Meeting up with the other guys in MD and a quick shot of the NoVa caravan.
Finally made it to the meet, washed and waxed the cars and settled in to hang out. I ended up grabbing a new set of Nordkap floormats from Art, 2 front 4C struts, OEM Load bars, bike rails, a Thule Fairing, and Ski/Snowboard attachments all from Connor, and had it tuned by Stevo.
Having this car tuned by Steve was an experience in itself. I spoke with him a great bit Friday night and his knowledge of programming and ME7 systems is immense. I won't go into too much detail on what he's doing because I don't know if he wants it all shared but long story short, he developed a way to live tune on the road, adjusting everything as we went. I know a lot of guys do this with custom EMSs but I was surprised how easy he made it look with just the stock ME7 platform. The car is an absolute monster and I can't thank him enough for the work he did for me. I'd highly recommend him for ME7 tuning to anyone looking for a tune.
Heading out to do some tuning (photocred: Canasian Photography)
Sunday rolled along and we were still trying to figure out what was wrong with my wheels. Ben and I pulled them off and figured out that NovusTech (who I previously hadn't had issues with) send me 65.1 hub side, 63.4 wheel side spacers with hub rings to 65.1 which were the shittiest of rings and cracked upon installing, which in turn kept the wheel from sitting perfectly straight on the hub. We took off the rings, reinstalled the wheels with the now 63.4 wheel side spacers (for my 65.1 CB Capellas) and all was okay. I still have some vibration at the moment, and when I asked for a refund since I ordered 65.1 CB spacers, the guy said yeah sure, no problem...then decided to jerk me around for about 2 weeks until he finally sent the money back. I ordered MST spacers on Tuesday (went 20mm rear, 5mm front) with extended lugs front and rear and paid $175 shipped. Much better service so far for a very reputable custom spacer. I'll post up how they are when they arrive.
One last shot as it sat at Carlisle because I love this one (photocred: Canasian Photography International)
It's currently sitting now at 65k miles, that's about it for now. More to come soon enough
