SwedeSpeed - Volvo Performance Forum banner

Sixtoes1313's Vr resto-mod

9K views 23 replies 13 participants last post by  sixtoes1313 
#1 ·
Figured I'd start a thread separate to my intro thread and keep going with the updates! :) It's been almost 3 weeks since I bought my 75k mile VR, and figured now's as good a time as any to bring her back to full glory. I had a vacation to Vermont planned on feb 17, and set that as my deadline for current plans to be finished.
Started out with the most important thing for a road trip- MUSIC-GROM bluetooth install, and sub setup.
http://www.ipdusa.com/products/9600...b-adapter-kit-with-bluetooth-s60-s80-v70-xc70
Ran across this and it fit the bill perfectly for what I wanted- Pandora internet radio. My saving grace at work all day, and perfect to keep from changing cd's 1000 times on a trip.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Volvo-Stereo-Radio-Add-an-Aftermarket-Amp-Cable-/200978853216
Also had one of these from my s80 sub install along with all the audio, so figured why not add it while I'm in there?
Let the interior removal begin! -Disconnect the battery! I planned to mount the amp hidden in the spare tire well, along with the wiring for to the battery.

This is what I came up with. My old art series amp fit perfectly mounted to the underside of the front cargo access door. Can't beat the sound of quality "vintage" amps. They really dont make them like they used to. Used some monster cable routed to the access doors hinge bolt for a ground. I sanded the area to promote ground conductivity, and used some dielectric grease to prevent corrosion. Routing the 12v positive to the battery with a proper fuse block is self explanitory.

From that point you just need to run the RCA cables and amp switched 12v+ to the head unit up front!
I ran the rca's under the rear seat towards the passenger side.



Front and rear sill trim panels need to be removed to route the wiring. Took pictures of the panels to give a better idea where the clips are for removal. USE CARE and finess. Brute force and no proper trim tools strongly risks breaking the plastic.



Snake the rca's through the B pillar carpeting and then just tuck it in with the other wiring keeping in mind any points of contact can cause issues later.
The passenger footwell trim panel and trim that runs down the lower portion of the center console will also need to be removed. I used this guide replace the cabin filter while your in there. Mine had recently been done with a volvo charcoal filter! :thumbup: Just pull back the carpet at the front and route the cables around towards the head unit. At this point I was ready to start the GROM install and head unit portion of the sub wiring. REMOVE the head unit and associated panels. There are several good how-to's I used on the forum to not damage anything.


At this point you'll be following the instructions per the GROM manual, and the rca conversion wiring. Unplug both the 6 and 8 pin connectors from the head unit and insert the "inline" wiring harnesses. The subwoofer goes inline to the 6 pin connector and splits it off into 2 sets of RCA outputs and a power wire for the amp


I tucked those into the radio cavity, and routed the wiring down towards the passenger heat vent to meet my rca cables I just routed up. Viola! FIN! sub wiring is done
The GROM harness goes inline to the 8 pin connector and is a bit more complex, but overall simple. I mounted the GROM "brain box" in a flat spot under the HVAC box behind the footwell trim in the center of the dash using some double sided tape. The blutooth sensor I routed to sit right behind dash to the left of the radio

you can vaguely see the spot I tucked it up into and double sided taped into place
As for the blutooth microphone, I ran the wire through the dash (had to remove the drivers footwell trim panel, pop down the drivers A pillar trim, and drivers fuse access panel)



mounted the mic in the black part of the windshield via the provided mount. All wiring was tucked in and hidden into the trim panels. Once you've routed all the components you'll have to tap into a constant 12v source (directions of a good factory spot are provided) and secure the ground wire to the GROM. I used a bolt under the radio that grounds into the dash support structure

As a matter of convenience I wanted a close phone holder. using the factory storage cubby and some angled metal I fabbed a simple bracket and secured a universal phone holder to the cubby. I also drilled a hole in the rear of the cubby for the GROM's USB port wiring.


Will have a proper picture of the finished setup once I dig out my old camera instead of using my iphone for everything.
That's it for the tech side of mods! The GROM took a bit of trouble shooting, but once I learned how to use it, it was a breeze. I did some tuning with the sub and got it all dialed in before re installing all the panels and making everything pretty.
 
See less See more
1 19
#2 ·
Looks good, interested to see the sub setup on the VR.
 
#3 ·
Next section: mechanical maintenance and mods before the trip.
I have a friend who lived locally and has an 07 s60r. He bought an OBX 3" catless downpipe, and snabb turbo inlet conversion for his year ago and never got around to installing them. Needless to say, they made their way into my trunk. I was bored one night, so decided to have at it. GOALS: improved throttle respose, and healthier noise level. While I'm in here, I planned to remove the resonator as it appears to be hitting the driveshaft a bit.
Started off by removing the stock downpipe and resonator. Had to torch the bolts off the resonator/converter, but after soaking the turbo downpipe bolts a few days with penetrate oil, they came out easily


Turbo appear to be in good condition, no oil residue, and no shaft play


Here's the shiney fancy looking 3" obx pipe
I do not plan to run a cat, they do not check for them during the emission inspections in MD, and I've already passed the one time state safety inspection where they actually look for them. So the only thing left was fooling the computer

I've run hogged out anti-foulers in the past to trick the computer, but this time I decided to get a little fancier. Found a nice Stainless 90* o2 spacer on ebay for about $16 shipped so I bought it ahead of time.








Downpipe install was painless aside from the driver side hanger being a but too long. The sawzall fixed that right up in short order though. the pipe fits great with no other mods needed. All exhaust parts were reinstalled using copious amounts of high heat anti seize. Took some trial and error on clocking the secondary o2 spacer correctly to give adequate clearance but not bad. I added a hose clamp/self tapping screw to secure the o2 wiring. This left resonator delete pipe fabrication.

Used what I had laying around. An appropriate diameter exhaust pipe, and the old resonator which I scavenged the flange from.

Used a pipe expander the fit the pipe snugly into the stock wire wheeled flange before test fitting. I expanded the rear of the pipe so it slid over the factory cat back firmly.

I positioned everything in place, checked all clearances, tailpipe height ect, and tack welded the two sides. From this point I disconnected the flange and dropped the exhaust for access to the top of the pipe. Mig'd a bead around both ends then used exhaust sealant to provide corrosion protection. I also sprayed the entire exhaust with kimballs products veloplex lubircating wax which seems to burn onto the exhaust and forms a nice moisture free cocoon. ( all their stuff is AWESOME!)



Had to add some washers on the factory bolts that were used to hold the exhaust brace and heat insulation as the brace was also removed.
RESULT: FANTASTIC. Sound is exactly what I wanted from the car without the cost or drone of a cat back. It's best described as it lets you know something is there, but doesn't really sound like an aftermarket exhaust. Has a nice roar when in the power band, but very quiet when cruising or idling. No cat and resonator really lets you hear the turbo through the pipe with the windows down especially when in a tunnel or the like. I get the classic pop/backfire between gears now also. Sounds clips at a later time
 
#4 ·
Onto the non fun maintenance!


The lower torque mount was tearing so a stock rubber type replacement was used. Simple unbolt/reinstall part
The upper torque mount wasn't bad but I replaced it with an IPD poly mount for the hell of it. Heeding some warning of vibration issues in the review section, I installed some washers to effectively lengthen the through rod and prevent the stamped steel arms from clamping onto the poly directly. Worked fine. Vibration with the MT is slightly increased at idle, but not noticeable when driving at any speed. The engine showed increased feel when releasing the clutch as is didnt have to rock before putting the power to the ground. A nice upgrade for a nice price.

I installed IPD's subframe bushing braces for the hell of it also. I just like adding cool blurple parts to the car where noone can see :p

Car seems notably more tied together over bumps.

Cleaned up all the pirate calipers (RRRRRRRRRRRRR!) and installed some xc90 anti ping bolts. I used extra loc tite, and torqued to 50nm as specified

Last but not least I had some bump steer, and the car is 10 years old so worn control arm bushings was expected. I removed both front lower control arms using standard procedure and ordered bushings at the time of my IPD bulk order


Not awful by any means....but they simply wont do

The rears are pretty easy to do if you have a generic balljoint press. (you dont need a $700 snap on kit but it helps) I took measurements/notes of how far the old bushings were pressed into the arms, and the orientation before removal. If this makes you uncomfortable, just buy new arms and bolt them in
The fronts on the other hand were a PITA :angryfire::facepalm: I didnt have the correct reciever to use my press on them so I made a makeshift one out of some exhaust tubing. This would have worked if I had a thicker walled pipe, but it ended up crumpling under pressure


Back to the drawing board. Losing hope, and leaving for vacation in less then 24hours meant I had to do something. I ended up heating the bushings with a torch (not glowing red, just enough to soften them up) and knocking the old ones out with an air hammer and chisel bit. I had the correct cups/receivers to press the new ones in (once again minding spacing and orientation of old bushings)

Presto- chango- done! Bolted them back in and torqued to factory specs.
For looks preference I installed a full set of OEM mudflaps which involved drilling out around 18 pop rivets, on the fenders/bumper and installing the new flaps with rivets in the same spots. I added two extras on the fronts as there were supplied holes.
That wrapped everything up for the trip. Car was flawless on the way up, all through the snow and ice, and all the way back. Averaged 25mpg on the highway, and 18 around town in the snow. Next update: stage 0 tune up, timing belt,water pump, and pcv system refresh in the summer. My girlfriend and I had a fantastic time, and she's glad we had the car. You can see the 30% tint I had done shortly after registering it also




Heres a crappy iphone video of the exhaust mods!
 
#6 ·
Awesome and detailed thread. Keep us updated !
 
#8 ·
Well done man. The VR looks great, glad to see you start working on it immediately.
 
#9 ·
Great work! Pretty similar to my VR at the moment. Love the atacama by the way.
 
#11 ·
Wow, didn't expect to see one of those old PPI amps. Brings back memories from my old days of messing with stereo equipment.
 
#12 ·
Need some info on the shifter cables for the M66. I have a crunchiness into several gears, and classic rattle into 5th. While installing my snabb turbo inlet pipe I noticed one shifter cable plastic lining is broken. From the research I've seen there was a cable update during 05-06. As I'll be ordering new cables what all is different in the new setup? Is there any info on the updates parts PN's? Also is a shifter base bushing upgrade worth the money? Thanks
 
#14 ·
Alright.... the cable part number is 30711171. I just ordered it from Tasca. $126. Really not that bad. The new style is the pin and bushing type. I'm assuming you'll need the new "intermediate lever," which is what the cable connects to because it's also different. It's also the part TWM replaces as a "short shifter." I've already got one with the pin and bushing type (which is how I broke my cable in the first place), so I didn't need that part. The TWM short shifter is significantly cheaper than the OEM intermediate lever, and I loved the upgrade. Your choice though.
 
#15 ·
There are two shift cables correct? (left-right and up-down?) I have the ball and socket style currently. The intermediate lever is what the cables connect to on the transmission correct? I suppose $200 for a weighted short shifter isn't a bad upgrade
 
#17 · (Edited)
I modified my shift cable for less than 20bux..
 
#18 ·
UPDATE. Did this stuff a while ago, but just getting around to writing it up.
SNABB turbo inlet pipe install: This also came with the aftermarket parts cache I bought from a local friend
Removed the stock airbox, and turbo inlet pipe. Pretty self explanatory. The only tricky part I thought was squeezing your hand back down the fire wall and getting the clamp at the turbo. My was clocked so that a stubby 1/4" ratchet and socket easily did the job



You'll be reusing this sensor so remove it from the stock intake, and remove the rubber grommet

The sensor has a large bevel that needs to be sanded down a bit to fit well into the snabb silicone pipe

Insert it, and clamp loosely until you figure out how it will need to be oriented.

Now the fun part. Actually re installing the thing. I had best luck by attaching the 90* elbow at the turbo, tightening the clamp around the backside like I found it, then building it piece by piece toward the airbox. That's opposed to assembling it out of the car. Reattach the smaller hoses on the provided barbs, and plug in the sensor. After you get everything fit in well, and check all clearances, do a final tightening on the clamps.

As noted in other turbo inlet pipe installs, I noticed small gains. Turbo might spool a hair faster, or it could be placebo factor. It provides a nice increase turbo noise thats audible from the cabin with windows down. Thats even through a stock airbox and paper filter. I'm not going to BS you. This bugger was aggravating to install. Not as bad as I thought it would be based on the tall tales I read on this forum, but still. Not fun. Just take your time, and it'll go in easy enough.
 
#19 ·
Always liked the volvo motorsport flag stickers that other members had in their cargo windows, so I had a friend make me up my own. I gave him measurements, and laid the graphics out myself. Through some silver IPD logo's on for good measure


I went ahead and ordered the replacement shifter cables for my car with the late model revised cable ends from my local dealer. They ended up being about $160 delievered. It's an X shaped cable, and only has one part number. Since I needed the newer style transmission mount for the cables I sprung for a TWM short shift kit, and their shifter mount bushings. To begin, I removed the airbox once again, and the center console. Their are write ups on the console removal ,so I'll skip ahead



I removed the trans end of the cables from their mounts, and ball ends

Then did the same on the shifter side. These just popped off with a V shaped trim removal tool.

Next I located where the cables came through the firewall. This was only view able from the bottom of the car.
From the inside of the vehicle, I removed the drivers footwell access panel, and pulled the carpeting back past the pedals
VIola!
You can clearly see the nuts holding the cables into the firewall. Once these were removed you could start to snake the cables through. You move pull them into the cabin to remove, then reverse proceedure for install

I had to remove the shifter assembly to get the cables out and have some wiggle room. Since I had to install the aluminum bushings this wasn't a big deal anyway. 4 bolts and she's out!

Here she is mid surgery. I ended up putting the lift 4 ft off the ground and switching from inside, to outside of the car to wiggle the cables out. you can also see I updated to the new style silver center caps!

Slowly but surely. I highly recommend having a friend aid you in installing these. It's a real PITA by yourself. The cable goes through some VERY tight turns as you get long straight metal part of the cables close to the firewall. That section will not bend, and you can break the cables

Finally after some cursing it was out! I wish I could say putting them back in was easier. Just reverse the removal and pay attention to how they were routed. Try not to force the cables as you can break the plastic sleeve and you'll be out of luck. There was alot of wiggling and small increments of movement working in and out of the car. Finally I worked them into the original routing. At this point I was ready for the new transmission hardware
I just followed the instructions provided by twm and it went in easy enough. I strongly recommend acquiring a proper roll pin punch set before you try and get your old rusty pin out. I put the max amount of weights provided by twm, as the stock shifter was still significantly heavier when down. I honestly think it could use a bit more weight on it to aid in shift smoothness, but it does the job well enough.

Time to remount the shifter assembly. You can see the comparison between metal bushings and old rubber ones. Mine weren't in bad shape and I can't say I notice much difference in how firmly the assembly is anchored to the floor. Most likely a waste of $ I would say.

Here the assembly with some fresh grease, all bolted back in, with the new cables attached. I forgot to snag a picture of the new cables attached to the TWM short shift, but you can surely imagine they looked normal. I love the feel of the short shift itself. It's a big difference in length of the stroke, and requires a bit more effort to change gears. Feels a lot sportier for sure. Worthwhile upgrade I think.

Here the iphone holder I rigged up during my audio install. Once again I was using my phone to take the pictures so, no display for you!
 
#20 ·

Ended up getting a vanity plate- VOLVSLO. I thought it was clever, and my civic plate was "SLOVIC" Tax refund came in, so I decided to splurge on some fun things for the VR
-Did some tinkering tonight as my order from VIVA came in today


Installed the braided stainless steel lines they just put on sale. Overall I've very impressed. Great quality, cable ends are well made, and they even have factory rubber bumpers on them which most aftermarket brake lines seem to be missing. Pretty straight forward install. Removed one line at a time, and reinstalled the SS one per corner. I kept the reservoir topped off and worked quickly as to not have air entrapment issues. Coaxed my boss into the car and bled/flushed all the lines with fresh DOT4. As per VIDA I bled from closest caliper to farther, and inner blead screw to outer.
-The lines did make a nice difference in braking. Firmer pedal and all.
-Next was installing the ULTRA chassis braces I've been reading about and finally decided to order



The went on easy enough. For the rear 8 point set, they provided me with some cheap looking hardware for the diff side of the brace because the washer on the factory hardware was too large to fit inside the brace. I removed the washer on the factory bolt, and reused them. The front 4 point brace involved loosening the rear cradle triangulation braces and moving them a bit so the brace would sit correctly, but certainly an easy install.
-The road test was surprising. As other people had said in their reviews, the car as a whole seems better tied together and more solid. I notice more oversteer even in moderate cornering as compared to understeer before. Well worth the money in my opinion. I will be fabricating some sort of rear strut tower brace for the VR platform in the future though.

Tomorrow the plan is the park the car for a while, and send the ECU to IPD for a stage 2 tune, and some sort of boost gauge install.
 
#21 ·
Looks good man!
 
#22 ·
For the GROM, how does having Sat radio or Nav change the install ? ( That might be a question for IPD, but figured while we were on the topic... )

Nice work !!
 
#24 ·
Sooo I'm strongly debating a phuzzy inter cooler setup. Sent my ecu to ipd today. For under 600 shipped it sounds like you can't go wrong. Opinions?
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top