new car or invest some cash into what ive got

[graemewelch]

ive been looking at new cars but cant realy find anything that takes my fancy like the s60 did when i first saw it. so im kind of thinking should i get some coilovers maybe a decent diff and a garret turbo like daves and some custom mapping from shark.

[MIKESC70T5]

In my experience when I've started getting the itch for a new car, no matter what I do to the current one to put me off a new one, its short lived and I still end up with a new car lol. When you get out of your car, do you take a sneaky peak at it over your shoulder? If you don't then its time to move on.

[graemewelch]

all the time. im like a volvo perv. im only looking cause i know ive got a decent amount of coin coming my way. its suposed to be loss of earnings but ive got other ideas :-)

[smithy]

Keep the one you have mate its a good starting point and the are not many s60 t5s modded ether .

[Nealevo]

I'm with mike, once you start looking at new cars the feeling never really goes away, I'm looking at lotus carltons at the min and no matter how much I love my car as soon as a decent one comes up the Volvo will be sold.

Buy something that is fast straight out the box, instead of modding a normal car.

[LiamT4]

I'm with mike, once you start looking at new cars the feeling never really goes away, I'm looking at lotus carltons at the min and no matter how much I love my car as soon as a decent one comes up the Volvo will be sold.

Buy something that is fast straight out the box, instead of modding a normal car.

Although thats the way i think, i completly understand why people mod cars.

What i would say is that i would be scared to drive a lotus carlton.........if a wall can wreck my 540 i can't imagine what it would do to an 80s vauxhall.

[MIKESC70T5]

I'm with mike, once you start looking at new cars the feeling never really goes away, I'm looking at lotus carltons at the min and no matter how much I love my car as soon as a decent one comes up the Volvo will be sold.

Buy something that is fast straight out the box, instead of modding a normal car.

There was a beautiful one up at the Goodwood breakfast club the other weekend. One on piston heads at the moment, £35000 but very low mileage.

[MIKESC70T5]

Although thats the way i think, i completly understand why people mod cars.

What i would say is that i would be scared to drive a lotus carlton.........if a wall can wreck my 540 i can't imagine what it would do to an 80s vauxhall.

But what a way to go lol.

[smithy]

I'm with mike, once you start looking at new cars the feeling never really goes away, I'm looking at lotus carltons at the min and no matter how much I love my car as soon as a decent one comes up the Volvo will be sold.

Buy something that is fast straight out the box, instead of modding a normal car.

I really really like the lotus Carlton and its one of my all time favourite cars I wish .but I would still keep the r mate and that will only gain value and not cost a fortune if something goes wrong .

[graemewelch]

I'm with mike, once you start looking at new cars the feeling never really goes away, I'm looking at lotus carltons at the min and no matter how much I love my car as soon as a decent one comes up the Volvo will be sold.

Buy something that is fast straight out the box, instead of modding a normal car.

i always look. its just the way i am. after hrs and hrs of looking all i come back with is thats everything my volvo is. its top of range over 300bhp. 100% reliable paid for and owes me nowt. sometimes its better the devil you know. reason i window shop is i somtimes think is it worth it. spending money on a car thats only worth 4k. but if i bought a new car id end up in same position

[T5frankie]

i'm constantly window shopping, its very annoying,

[shepbomb]

I'm the same with window shopping and loved the 850 but my favourite car of the 90's came up

[t5 pete]

I'm with mike, once you start looking at new cars the feeling never really goes away, I'm looking at lotus carltons at the min and no matter how much I love my car as soon as a decent one comes up the Volvo will be sold.

Buy something that is fast straight out the box, instead of modding a normal car.

Very wise words

[graemewelch]

ive spent the last two years window shopping and still have the s60. value for money nothing else comes close.

[M-R-P]

You're not gonna be able to get a lot more from your car than you have now without making it unreliable mate so you can either tweak it and spend more time repairing it or go buy yourself a VXR8 :)

[smithy]

You're not gonna be able to get a lot more from your car than you have now without making it unreliable mate so you can either tweak it and spend more time repairing it or go buy yourself a VXR8 :)

Now that is a car I do like no bull electronics but 600 bhp to the rear wheels oh yes the ossys no how to build a car lol

[M-R-P]

Makes a dirty noise too.

And soooo much tuning potential.

[MIKESC70T5]

Does anyone remember that story about the Monaro going in for a service and the mechanic took it out for a blast at stupid speeds without the owner knowing, only later to find out the owner had a hidden camera videoing everything that went on lol.

[M-R-P]

Does anyone remember that story about the Monaro going in for a service and the mechanic took it out for a blast at stupid speeds without the owner knowing, only later to find out the owner had a hidden camera videoing everything that went on lol.

Tadaa....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vjBaEILiQM

[graemewelch]

haha bet that was funny when he tried to bluff his way out of it

[graemewelch]

You're not gonna be able to get a lot more from your car than you have now without making it unreliable mate so you can either tweak it and spend more time repairing it or go buy yourself a VXR8 :)

if anything i think itll make it more reliable. the kkk turbo is very week and we all know how good the gtx turbo is. if i was running 1.5 bar boost i think id gain stupid amounts of torque and maybe hit the magic 400bhp. im running 1.2 bar now and if go stg 2 that 1.4/1.4.5 bar so not much difference just better flowing. worst case sernario is id need to get the linners shimmed. but if that was the case then id see that as a opertunity to match inlet and outlet ports and remove cast marks and polished inlet ports

[MIKESC70T5]

if anything i think itll make it more reliable. the kkk turbo is very week and we all know how good the gtx turbo is. if i was running 1.5 bar boost i think id gain stupid amounts of torque and maybe hit the magic 400bhp. im running 1.2 bar now and if go stg 2 that 1.4/1.4.5 bar so not much difference just better flowing. worst case sernario is id need to get the linners shimmed. but if that was the case then id see that as a opertunity to match inlet and outlet ports and remove cast marks and polished inlet ports

400bhp going threw the front wheels !!!!!! sell the car and get something RWD if power is really important to you.

[S70T5Chris]

400bhp going threw the front wheels !!!!!! sell the car and get something RWD if power is really important to you.

You be surprised how well a proper LSD, suspension set up and proper tyres would cope with 400bhp through the front wheels, and work well. But you have to be ready to throw more money at those supporting mods, than getting the power in the first place!

[S70T5Chris]

if anything i think itll make it more reliable. the kkk turbo is very week and we all know how good the gtx turbo is. if i was running 1.5 bar boost i think id gain stupid amounts of torque and maybe hit the magic 400bhp. im running 1.2 bar now and if go stg 2 that 1.4/1.4.5 bar so not much difference just better flowing. worst case sernario is id need to get the linners shimmed. but if that was the case then id see that as a opertunity to match inlet and outlet ports and remove cast marks and polished inlet ports

Absolutely. If your aiming for 400bhp out of a GTX30, then you won't be running stupid boost, and there's no reason at all, assuming the build has been done properly, that the car won't be reliable. I'd never have a KKK again!

[MIKESC70T5]

You be surprised how well a proper LSD, suspension set up and proper tyres would cope with 400bhp through the front wheels, and work well. But you have to be ready to throw more money at those supporting mods, than getting the power in the first place!

Maybe so Chris but still not a great solution, steering and all that power at the same time can't be good. No car manufacturer makes a fwd 400 bhp car so that must say something.

[T5frankie]

just get an e55k mate 470bhp job done

[iancho]

I think you would always miss your Volvo mate, I don't even bother looking anymore as it only confuses me.... Like you said, better the Devil you Know...

[S70T5Chris]

Maybe so Chris but still not a great solution, steering and all that power at the same time can't be good. No car manufacturer makes a fwd 400 bhp car so that must say something.

But if Volvo's is your thing, what else are you to do? We could all go out and buy an SType R, amg, or M5, but that'd be boring!

[graemewelch]

Maybe so Chris but still not a great solution, steering and all that power at the same time can't be good. No car manufacturer makes a fwd 400 bhp car so that must say something.

spoken like a true m3 driver lol. its worth bearing in mind that my car has already been tuned to around the 349 bhp mark and handled this amount of power with no issues what so ever. so what is a extra 50 bhp going to do. its not as if im going to drive the car flat out everywear i go. chances are all that power would never be used except for the od 1/4 mile. for me its to say i can and have done this because i can. lets face if i bought a big merc or bmw with huge power how much am i looking at when i gose wrong compared to my tried and trusted t5 thats more than up to the job.

[T5frankie]

spoken like a true m3 driver lol. its worth bearing in mind that my car has already been tuned to around the 349 bhp mark and handled this amount of power with no issues what so ever. so what is a extra 50 bhp going to do. its not as if im going to drive the car flat out everywear i go. chances are all that power would never be used except for the od 1/4 mile. for me its to say i can and have done this because i can. lets face if i bought a big merc or bmw with huge power how much am i looking at when i gose wrong compared to my tried and trusted t5 thats more than up to the job.

love to know how many of these rwd lovers would drive a 3-400bhp motor without traction control, which you don't need in a fwd car,

[smithy]

love to know how many of these rwd lovers would drive a 3-400bhp motor without traction control, which you don't need in a fwd car,

I don't have traction control and I had alot of torque and it drove fine

[Wobbly Dave]

What do you want to do with the car? For road use - what you already have is more than plenty.

My car - my GTX is utterly pointless & damned expensive. Only time it vaguely makes any sense is on the quarter or on the track. Even on track days having a lot of power is fairly pointless - because there's no racing allowed - so it makes no difference.

[MIKESC70T5]

love to know how many of these rwd lovers would drive a 3-400bhp motor without traction control, which you don't need in a fwd car,

Mine can now be on, 50% on or completely off.

[MIKESC70T5]

What do you want to do with the car? For road use - what you already have is more than plenty.

My car - my GTX is utterly pointless & damned expensive. Only time it vaguely makes any sense is on the quarter or on the track. Even on track days having a lot of power is fairly pointless - because there's no racing allowed - so it makes no difference.

Which is why in my opinion, power is pointless without great handling if you want to use the car as a daily driver. I potter along to work in 6th gear, but can still overtake very easily just dropping a gear. If I'm bored go our for drive, not at speed, but down some twisty roads and really enjoy myself as I feel everything the car is doing and if I go over my limit, the car sorts me out. I've tried without the traction control on and I still felt like an expert as it was so easy to feel what the car was doing and I can correct it. I've had two modified fwd drive cars and can honestly say I didn't have the confidence a RWD car gives me when going for it. Im not bashing Volvos and not blowing smoke about my car. I just feel if you want a powerful, good handling car I will always from now on choose a RWD or 4wd car as a starting point.

[M-R-P]

RWD is a giggle - the work pickup I drive weighs 1.7T and has 349f/lb to the rear from a 3L HPT TDi and it's sooo much fun on wet roads :)

Pull something like that in a FWD and you'll probably die.

FWD is a point-n-squirt plaything, a FWD with good handling a larf but you spend a lot more time closer to the edge.

The chassis on a beemer is superbly balanced, I've been a passenger in a 3, 5 and 7 series and they feel great when they get thrown about.

I'd still have a supercharged Jag tho ;)

[T5frankie]

I don't have traction control and I had alot of torque and it drove fine

be a different story when its finished though on cold wet mornings

[T5frankie]

i can drive fwd car alot quicker than a rwd, cos of always having the nagging doubt i'll end up backwards in a hedge, i used to have a 420bhp rwd cosworth and was way too tail happy, i drive too quickly for a rwd car

[smithy]

be a different story when its finished though on cold wet mornings

That's why I don't drive like a loon in the dam weather mate only in the dry and on a track . If you remember I drove like miss daisy the first time I went in silverstone because it was wet .

[graemewelch]

the biggest problem with rwd drive for me is that i live on high ground. when most areas have a 1mm of snow we get a inch wear i am. bit of a contradiction i know as im looking at jaguar xj

[T5RatherAmusin]

grae, cant you do both- keep the ovlov, buy a 2nd fast car cheaper than your max budget and allow to have best of both?

[graemewelch]

to be honest at 350bhp if i go stage two with rica is quick enough and wouldnt warrant another car. having three cars is a nightmare been there befor. i just fancy treating myself after what been a s h i t 6 weeks and is probobly going to be another bad 6 months ahead. once things settle down a bit i can decied which option to go with. might end up that i can get my visa to oz quicker than i think then i might not bother doing either or i might mod the t5 a little more and take it to oz. at this moment in time my plans have been turned upside down so the plan of a new motor is just to cheer me up and sumit to look forward to.

[graemewelch]

What do you want to do with the car? For road use - what you already have is more than plenty.

My car - my GTX is utterly pointless & damned expensive. Only time it vaguely makes any sense is on the quarter or on the track. Even on track days having a lot of power is fairly pointless - because there's no racing allowed - so it makes no difference.

thats the main reason why im thinking about fitting a new turbo as i want to compete with yous lot on the 1/4 mile. no other reason. as a everyday driver i agree its quick enough as is

[danny-R]

After seeing yours in the flesh today id say keep it. Lovely motor and a proper sleeper

[T5RatherAmusin]

aye. get some wheels it deserves then :)

[graemewelch]

After seeing yours in the flesh today id say keep it. Lovely motor and a proper sleeper

cheers. tempted to keep and bolt a better turbo on it


aye. get some wheels it deserves then :)

ive got a set of nebs that are going to be refurbed

[T5RatherAmusin]

cheers. tempted to keep and bolt a better turbo on it



ive got a set of nebs that are going to be refurbed

proper ones or your old ones?

[graemewelch]

proper ones or your old ones?

proper ones. i plan to do them as you photoshoped them. dark middle silver outside. going to try an keep the outside as stock as possible and have some good plans for under the bonnet. i might be getting a big carried away at the minute. may be ive got to much spare time on my hands. 3.5" down pipe with 100cell cat 3" exhaust cat back. then the rest is a bit ssshhhh

[T5RatherAmusin]

if anything id go darker or same with the outer lip than the inside as itll visually make the wheels look smaller
or maybe the lip the colour of your car....
sounds good matey. no need being quite bout itall all tho :)

[graemewelch]

the main idea of silver on outside apart from liking the look of another set i saw done, but it also hides kirbing marks when the missus drives the car. but he may be getting banned. my rs rims last 2 days of her driving and one was kirbed. 2 weeks later they are all kirbed. good job i dont like them.

[T5RatherAmusin]

in black
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/18-RIM-RINGZ-in-Black-Red-White-Green-and-Silver-Protect-Alloy-UKDIST-/111129066368?pt=UK_CarParts_Acc_Wheels_tyres_Trims _Car_Rims_ET&hash=item19dfcefb80

[Wobbly Dave]

thats the main reason why im thinking about fitting a new turbo as i want to compete with yous lot on the 1/4 mile. no other reason. as a everyday driver i agree its quick enough as is

In that case - bring it on - I'd welcome the competition.

[graemewelch]

In that case - bring it on - I'd welcome the competition.

i fancy some trackday action to. seems a shame to have all mods done to the car and never get to use it to its full potental. might need to picck your brains when i start shoping for oil lines and stuff. im guessing most of the conversion will be the as what you done

[Wobbly Dave]

Yep - well I have a garage booked for Oulton Park in November & a spare driver slot. It would be good to have you along assume I can get Betsy working. If not I may need to borrow yours LOL. I have a thread on here somewhere if you wanted to book independantly?

Oulton Park is in Cheshire just off the M6.

[graemewelch]

ive not doubt youll have her sorted by then. id love to attend something like that. im just hoping ill be back on my feet by then and driving. im just starting to realise what i long recovery this is going to be, grrhh its driving me mad. if you didnt get you motor sorted id have no probs in you taking mine around the track. i can see this track 1/4 mile stuff becoming very addictive

[Wobbly Dave]

Do you have any more ops to do - is it mended yet?

[graemewelch]

Do you have any more ops to do - is it mended yet?

im still waiting to have a skin graft. at the minute im waiting for flesh growing over the wound. so it basicaly the same now as it was when i posted the pics a few weeks ago. i went to see plastics on friday and cause i cant bear the pain when they touch it ive got to see a pain management team befor theyll access it for skin graft, they rekon they need to touch it to see if its ready, (the doc i seen seemed to think i should put up with it. he even threatened to discharge me and make me change my own dressings. he was bang out of order and im considering making a complaint about it. saying i might as well loose my foot is somthing i dont need to hear). ive still cant move my toes and still none load bearing on crutches. im back at the hospital again on wed but thats the fracture clinic. then a week on fri i see the nurse at the plastic department again. i was hoping it would be a 6 week fix but im now starting to realise how bad my foot realy is. but im trying different drugs now to see if can control the nerve pain

[Wobbly Dave]

Am sorry to hear that. I am just praying it stays infection free & you get to keep the foot. Did the orthopods say anything about the viability?

[graemewelch]

the plastics nurse says the wound is very clean. which must be good. im getting very little feedback about the bones. hopfully i get to get some answers this wed. all i keep getting told is itll take time. guess main thing is im very carfull and take no silly risks that could end up with a infected foot. so far the nurse that come to the house have been doing a fantastic job