What did you do to your Volvo today? Topic is solved

[scot850]

Well, I finally bit the bullet (probably less painful) and wheeled the R into the new garage to allow access from both sides to the dashboard.

So far pulled the wipers, wiper assembly cover plastic shroud and wiper motor to give access to the 4 mounting bolts.

Removed the center console, radio and ECC unit. Pulled the glove box liner and glovebox door as well as both dashboard undertrays. Forgot how the passenger side airbag cable disconnects. Fortunately I cut the cable out of one some time ago so I had a reminder. You have to squeeze both sides of the LH end of the connector (on the vertical sides) allows the connector to pull out.

Finally pulled all the dash top screws and 3 bolts under the passenger side airbag and removed the dashtop. Last thing for the day was to remove the speedo unit. It is one of the most annoying parts of the dash as Volvo in their infinite stupidity put a module on the top which makes it near impossible to remove due to the dash and the windshield. Found out how brittle the dash plastic is as the unit cracked the front surround on the speed bezel. Joy, more to repair!

I have also pulled the upper and lower clamshell covers for the steering column as well as the turn signals and the windshield wiper control switch.

All that is left is to pull the steering wheel and the driver's airbag, remove the multi-connector under the dash and then remove the 4 mounting bolts and the 2 screws on the inside. Hopefully an hours work and then pull the lower dash.

After that it is trying to build one good dash out of the 2 I have and re-install, before readying the car for the summer buy swapping the summer tires over for the 'slave' wheels on the car just now.

Neil.

[BlackBart]

RE: R's

I'm going to ask an impertinent question and risk the Fury of the Faithful, but tell me what really is the difference between a T-5 and an Rrrrr.

Is it +30 hp, cooler wheels and lower profile Michelin Sports? Nicer seats? Everyone seems to be having trouble keeping them up, or keeping them running. That's my reason for asking, as I don't really know that much about them. When they were new we all wanted one of course. But until the mid-90's the T5 was the quick one.

From what I recall, the sedan came out first. Volvo was known for the greatest wagons EVAR, so the intro of the 850 wagon was much anticipated. Volvo wanted to impress and make a splash with the auto press and sell cars, so the 850 turbo wagon was introduced in '94 with the high pressure turbo, great wheels, and Michelin Sports.

My '94 T5 was 225 hp new. It's "quick." Isn't the R about 30 more? These days it wouldn't be hard to urge an extra 30 hp out of a modern electronic-managed engine with some tweaks. I'd even say without pistons and valve train changes. Wheels are easy to change.

Is the suspension modified?... Sway bars, spring rates, height, bushings? Steering rack quicker? What are the differences?


Thank you, and I apologize for my appalling disrespect!

[bmdubya1198]

RE: R's

I'm going to ask an impertinent question and risk the Fury of the Faithful, but tell me what really is the difference between a T-5 and an Rrrrr.

Is it +30 hp, cooler wheels and lower profile Michelin Sports? Nicer seats? Everyone seems to be having trouble keeping them up, or keeping them running. That's my reason for asking, as I don't really know that much about them. When they were new we all wanted one of course. But until the mid-90's the T5 was the quick one.

From what I recall, the sedan came out first. Volvo was known for the greatest wagons EVAR, so the intro of the 850 wagon was much anticipated. Volvo wanted to impress and make a splash with the auto press and sell cars, so the 850 turbo wagon was introduced in '94 with the high pressure turbo, great wheels, and Michelin Sports.

My '94 T5 was 225 hp new. It's "quick." Isn't the R about 30 more? These days it wouldn't be hard to urge an extra 30 hp out of a modern electronic-managed engine with some tweaks. I'd even say without pistons and valve train changes. Wheels are easy to change.

Is the suspension modified?... Sway bars, spring rates, height, bushings? Steering rack quicker? What are the differences?


Thank you, and I apologize for my appalling disrespect!

How DARE you question the Rs! Heathen!



Compared to a T5 though, they're basically the same car. For the P80s at least, you get better wheels, interior, slightly more power, and a cool bumper cover. That's about it, aside from some small stuff. Obviously the V70R gets AWD, but not much more than that.
The suspension may be slightly tweaked, but I'm pretty sure just about any spring/sway bar on the R was very similar if not the same as they installed on most T5s.

As for the P2s, you got a little bit more, but as I've said before, I'd rather have a T5. Stronger engine, no AWD to leave a weak point, and no FourC suspension to give you problems. I've had an S60R, and while it was fun, it was underwhelming given the hype that surrounds them. I hear the FourC is great when it works, but I don't think that'll solve the fact that it's a heavy car that wasn't designed to be a corner carver.

[Sveedy]

I think that 30hp comes from the tune. And the faux wood trim.

[scot850]

R in last year had 261bhp supposedly. My 98 T5 wagon in Europe was a lot lighter and had a 250bhp engine and 5 speed stick. I loved that car at the time. I have often thought about selling the R and keeping an eye out for a T5.

North American T5's had the same output as the R if you believe Wikipedia in 98 at 237 bhp. In 99 the R increased to 250 bhp, but the 2.3 T5 stayed the same at 237bhp through to 2000. The 00 R went up again to 261 with the bigger T19 turbo.

For all the hassle and rare parts, I would go for a T5M if I could find one in a V70. For all the work that our friend bmdubya did to convert his R into a FWD car is probably the way to go as the parts at the back of the AWD continue to dry up.

As for my R breaking, the stuff that breaks mostly also breaks in the FWD cars too. It is only my car where it breaks in more and bigger ways as my car is 'special'!! I have for example never seen a lower dash break around the speedo unit or around the glove box like this one has. It just likes to continually twist the knife and piss me off!

Neil.

[bmdubya1198]

R in last year had 261bhp supposedly. My 98 T5 wagon in Europe was a lot lighter and had a 250bhp engine and 5 speed stick. I loved that car at the time. I have often thought about selling the R and keeping an eye out for a T5.

North American T5's had the same output as the R if you believe Wikipedia in 98 at 237 bhp. In 99 the R increased to 250 bhp, but the 2.3 T5 stayed the same at 237bhp through to 2000. The 00 R went up again to 261 with the bigger T19 turbo.

For all the hassle and rare parts, I would go for a T5M if I could find one in a V70. For all the work that our friend bmdubya did to convert his R into a FWD car is probably the way to go as the parts at the back of the AWD continue to dry up.

As for my R breaking, the stuff that breaks mostly also breaks in the FWD cars too. It is only my car where it breaks in more and bigger ways as my car is 'special'!! I have for example never seen a lower dash break around the speedo unit or around the glove box like this one has. It just likes to continually twist the knife and piss me off!

Neil.

I think your R has a permanent home in your garage, keeping you busy! It wouldn't be happy if you replaced it. lol

Parts availability was big motivation behind my FWD suspension swap, alongside cutting a little bit of weight. It was mostly experimental being that nobody had really posted about doing it, but it was a success. Others have followed suit!

[BlackBart]

How DARE you question the Rs! Heathen!

... and a cool bumper cover. That's about it,

Ohh, the BUMPER COVERS, how did I forget that!? Well there's an extra 10hp right there!

[BlackBart]

I was climbing a twisty pass on I-90 in my Red Sled 850 wagon, alongside a brand new P2 RRrrr wagon. It was dark blue. They were wide, low - not jacked up like the XC, big wheels, clean trim, AWD hidden underneath there somewhere, and 300 hp. OH AH OH THAT is the car to get, says I to myself! I looked into it - they were big dollars.

But over the years, I'm happy with what I have. And reading about the ishas hasn't helped.

[wizechatmgr]

R in last year had 261bhp supposedly. My 98 T5 wagon in Europe was a lot lighter and had a 250bhp engine and 5 speed stick. I loved that car at the time. I have often thought about selling the R and keeping an eye out for a T5.

North American T5's had the same output as the R if you believe Wikipedia in 98 at 237 bhp. In 99 the R increased to 250 bhp, but the 2.3 T5 stayed the same at 237bhp through to 2000. The 00 R went up again to 261 with the bigger T19 turbo.

For all the hassle and rare parts, I would go for a T5M if I could find one in a V70. For all the work that our friend bmdubya did to convert his R into a FWD car is probably the way to go as the parts at the back of the AWD continue to dry up.

As for my R breaking, the stuff that breaks mostly also breaks in the FWD cars too. It is only my car where it breaks in more and bigger ways as my car is 'special'!! I have for example never seen a lower dash break around the speedo unit or around the glove box like this one has. It just likes to continually twist the knife and piss me off!

Neil.

I think your R has a permanent home in your garage, keeping you busy! It wouldn't be happy if you replaced it. lol

Parts availability was big motivation behind my FWD suspension swap, alongside cutting a little bit of weight. It was mostly experimental being that nobody had really posted about doing it, but it was a success. Others have followed suit!

I'm not sure about the AWD R's but the '99 XC you can just rip out the prop shaft and now it's FWD.

[scot850]

Sure you can, but it still has that AWD rear suspension, dragging all that additional weight of the extra diff, V/C unit and rear axles and unless you remove it the angle gear too. You still have the same lack of availability on the rear bushes and the fuel pump, the saddle fuel tank and all that extra complexity of the evap system. The R is just an AWD so you can pull the prop-shaft if you need to.

Neil.