AcidicDavey's 98 V70 AWD - The not an R or T5 thread!

[AcidicDavey]

Right then folks, I got the coilovers finished on the car yesterday

The rears are fully wound down and the lowest point of the rear bumper is 20mm lower, that's it! The front is about 105mm lower!

...but the rear was sagging anyway. You will remember me mentioning in the past a very strange squidgy feeling from the rear end? During sudden directional changes it felt like the rear was going to fall over? Well, as it turns out the car had different nivos on the rear! One black and one blue! No wonder it handled so weirdly!

Too early to go into more detail in the handling department as I haven't fiddled with the rebound settings.
What I can say though is that I may have to consider raising the front end a touch as it is a bit too low perhaps. I went to go and collect some parts and I had great difficulty with the large speed humps, the cat catches (original), even the pavement outside my drive is scuffed lol

I'll post up some pics some time this week, needs a wash

I went and collected my repainted 'mystery' wheels today, look stunning . Can't wait to get them on, still waiting on the adaptors and I need to get tyres and wheel nuts too.

[Biff]

As I thought mate... Only way to level it out is get some fooler boots sorted.
Doubt you'll get the 105mm drop but I've not seen many v70's on coils that sit level.
Looking forward to seeing these wheels.

[RollingThunder]

Looking fwd to the pics Dave

And about these wheels... I reckon they're chromed 20inchers with spinners You're not posting pics cos you're too embarrassed lol

[martybelfastt5]

looking forward to these pictures come on already

[AcidicDavey]

Lets get to it shall we?

Side on before:
14-11-14 001 by AcidicDavey, on Flickr

Lowered:
02-12-14 001 by AcidicDavey, on Flickr

Front before:
14-11-14 002 by AcidicDavey, on Flickr

Lowered:
02-12-14 002 by AcidicDavey, on Flickr

Rear before:
14-11-14 003 by AcidicDavey, on Flickr

Lowered:
02-12-14 003 by AcidicDavey, on Flickr

Clearance before:
14-11-14 004 by AcidicDavey, on Flickr

Lowered:
02-12-14 004 by AcidicDavey, on Flickr

The new issue:
02-12-14 005 by AcidicDavey, on Flickr

The exhaust is scraping on the pavement when I turn left out of the drive:
02-12-14 006 by AcidicDavey, on Flickr

I'm going to have to raise the front a bit realistically, the rear is fully wound down!!!!

More pics:
02-12-14 007 by AcidicDavey, on Flickr

02-12-14 008 by AcidicDavey, on Flickr

02-12-14 009 by AcidicDavey, on Flickr

02-12-14 010 by AcidicDavey, on Flickr

Like a completely different car! Disappointed with how little the rear lowered, just 20mm as I said last time but obviously my old mismatched nivos were sagging! Don't forget (speaking to you Biff :p) the new rear shocks are already dramatically shorter than the nivos, which is the effect you have when using drop bolts, if they were any shorter or mounted lower they wouldn't reach the top mounts!

...the wheels will be revealed in due course

[AcidicDavey]

On Saturday I went up to Brum to buy some part worns for my new wheels. Vredestein Ultrac 215/35R18.
They seem to have better reviews than the Yoko Paradas on the car now, they aren't coping with hard driving in this colder weather shall I say, still controllable but the grip limit is a lot lower!

The hub centric adaptors arrived yesterday for them too, very happy with the service from Super Forma. Cracking service and great value, they were even able to supply the M12x1.75 bolts to fix them to the car although they aren't even listed on their site! Every other PCD adaptor sellers I found were more expensive and couldn't supply the right bolts!
Wheel Adaptors for 5x108 by AcidicDavey, on Flickr

Anyone want a broken Xbox? lol

Got the tyres fitted yesterday. Taken them to my usual fitters as they are dead careful. .....but when cleaning the wheels after fitting the tyres they managed to chip one of them somehow. He was honest enough to point it out and apologise, I really appreciate people's honesty so can't ask more than that. It is less than 1mm big on one of the spokes and I've touched it in with a cocktail stick and some old silver paint, no love lost

Want a pic?
Me New Wheels! by AcidicDavey, on Flickr

That's all you're getting
Just need to get wheel nuts now and as per usual, the ones I need have to be expensive, M14x1.5 with a rounded seat.

I am really enjoying driving the car now with its' new found athleticism.

There are 2 major issues though. One, the rear bumper (yes, it is really letting the side down, fed up with it now!). Two, the lack of a third pedal!
Apart from the bumper getting painted in February I'm desperate for a stickshift
It is really holding the car back, vibrations at idle in gear, 4 long gears and also a slight transmission rattle when you first lightly apply the throttle at city speeds.

Please Santa, bring me a manual conversion

[t5 pete]

Wow looks great yep the front needs to be a little higher as for the wheels are they the p3 ones that look like comets but dont look like comets and are 18" not 17"

[AcidicDavey]

Cheers Pete.

It doesn't need to be higher at the front....it needs to be lower at the back lol. I will have to raise it

Nah, the wheels aren't Volvos (hence the PCD adaptors), they VAG.
They are a lot like comets though which is probably why I love them as I love comets, I've had 3 sets on this one car!

[martybelfastt5]

mmmm porsche twists?

[RollingThunder]

Spoiler alert - I've seen the wheels before they were taken off the donor...

[AcidicDavey]

You smart buggers have got it so it would be cruel to keep it secret now so enough of the guessing games

Yes, Porsche 996 Turbo Twist IIs aka Hollowspokes! ...just like the ones RT has posted albeit a bit more sedate!

I've been trying to get a set of 4 front alloys for ages (as the rears are 11 inchers!) and was lucky enough to spot a set of 4 8J wheels on eBay a month ago and obviously I had to have them. As I've said for months, once the car is on coilovers it is time for my dream wheels, and that is exactly what I'm doing...

Some people won't 'get it', or may be even like them but I love 'em, most elegant 5 spoke design I can think of.
Porsche Turbo Twist IIs! 004 by AcidicDavey, on Flickr

As I say, a lot like Comets (yes I have a random one...)
Porsche Turbo Twist IIs! 008 by AcidicDavey, on Flickr

Porsche Turbo Twist IIs! 009 by AcidicDavey, on Flickr

They are going to stick out 19mm more than the Props so we might have some 'issues', we'll deal with that if we have too.

More pics here if you like...

[Jamest5r]

Different..... Me likes

[t5 pete]

Awesome looking wheels

[martybelfastt5]

lovely wheel and as you say resemble comets,columbas,ixion,odysseus will look smart

[AcidicDavey]

Cheers you 3, can't wait to get the buggers on!

[AcidicDavey]

Well as you may have seen in this post, I got the wheels on the car on Christmas Eve, my present to the car

Couple of pics or so.
24-12-14 Propus 002 by AcidicDavey, on Flickr

24-12-14 Twists 002 by AcidicDavey, on Flickr

Useless friend has to take useless photo...
24-12-14 Twists 004 by AcidicDavey, on Flickr

24-12-14 005 by AcidicDavey, on Flickr

24-12-14 006 by AcidicDavey, on Flickr

I'm really pleased with the results, both the physical difference and the dynamics. The ride is honestly so much better and the car feels less twitchy on rutted roads, I guess it has something to do with the fact I've raised the front springs a bit! But lower profile tyres on 18s and I've made the rebound stiffer but it is much more comfortable?

I do have some slight rubbing issues but nothing too bad, not split the arch liners just melted them at the lip on the fronts lol

Here's a pic of the adaptors installed, front and rear. I torqued them to the spec the wheels are meant to be tightened up to, 110nm, presumed that would be the right thing to do... not lost one yet, zero wobbles or vibrations too.
_MG_1983 by AcidicDavey, on Flickr

_MG_1987 by AcidicDavey, on Flickr

Also, here is a pic of the splitter. On 20/12 something in the road struck it and it flexing caused a bit of the smeared filler over it to chip off!
A bit pissed off that the chap who fitted it screwed it on the smeared filler over it, surely it should have been tiger sealed on or similar and screwed on underneath only so this would never happen, as I say, pissed! Could have been worse though I guess, at least it didn't smash.
For now I'll just touch it in with a brush so it is not so in your face and get that 'flap' refinished and painted, that crack in the finish on the left has been there for years! It doesn't scrape anymore, not even getting in and out of the drive!
Damaged Spoiler by AcidicDavey, on Flickr

It'll get redone with the rear bumper and a couple of other little bits in February .

The pot is being added to now for a manual conversion, need to do more research but thinking a Focus ST M66 gearbox and a Quaife Diff, if we're going to do it we may aswell do it properly . The ££££ty autobox and an open diff absolutely ruins this car and what I want it to be! The auto is handy in the snow though as I found out on Boxing Day almost getting stuck on a hill between Bridgnorth and Ludlow, passed around 10 stuck cars going up one hill, well proud

Also, before I go, meet Thanatos the other week as he was buying my old Sill Protector Bars.
21-12-14 002 by AcidicDavey, on Flickr

21-12-14 003 by AcidicDavey, on Flickr

21-12-14 006 by AcidicDavey, on Flickr

[stribo]

Great pics, the car's a real credit to you.

[AndysR]

Looks well, credit to you. With the gritters out and about that little missing bit of filler will be the least of your worries come spring time you'll be needing to have the front of car repainted.. I hate this time of year for that

What's happening to the old wheels

[AcidicDavey]

Cheers you two .
To be honest, the paint on this car is fairly poor currently, I don't mean it is all dinged up just heavily swirled and hazy. A lot of people just say I'm too critical and the car looks fine, room for improvement I say Plan to buy a DA polisher soon and having a go at trying to shine the old bitch up some more.

The old wheels will be sold, with or without the tyres. I will be removing the tyres in a week or so

[Jim S70R]

Wheels look lovely, nice upgrade!!