Ok here it goes! I have a '96 850R! First Volvo I've owned! Wondering what would mods can be done with the stock setup to make more power but not be exspensive! I was looking at a 3" turbo back system! Also K&N filter! Boost upgrades/ posabilities been reading around I'm gonna hook up a pressure guage to see what the car is running at now! As far as I know it's stock! 160k miles! T-belt svc is getting done next week! No leaks and no smoke out exhaust! Any info on this would be great! Thanks for your time!!

 

Welcome, check out ipdusa.com and fcpgroton.com for performance/maintenance parts.

Your best bang would be a remapped ECU. Check out iPD, BSR, Inmotion, RICA, EuroSport Tuning, SpeedTuning, UpSolute for ECU upgrades.

FCPGroton for silicone intercooler hoses, ebay for silicone vacuum lines. All you need has been answered a bunch but if you have any questions and haven't found an answer, ask!

I'm in palm beach, are you close? Post some pics of your R dood. You sound excited!

 

I would start with an ECU upgrade. The exhaust and that should give a pretty good jump in HP.

 

Also check out this post.
https://volvoforums.com/forum/volvo-...s-thread-7325/

 

I have pics in a photo gallery on here! Couldn't figure out how to post on the page yet! I'm in naples!

 

How'd I know ur in naples, it's too good to be true a fellow boosted volvo-ite lives close.

I'll check the photo gallery, that ish better be clean as ur name states lol.

Upload your pics to photobucket, then hover over said saved pic, click "direct link" in the drop-down menu...go to volvoforums, click the "insert image" icon (looks like twin pyramids) paste said pic there. Done.

Update: car looks good, probably a garaged car since 96-97 unlike mine, I want your paint!

 

Bang for your buck...ECU

 

+1 for the ECU.
I would highly recommond a set of iPd's sway bars and sport springs be put towards the top of the list.

Also This is a Volvo, nothing is cheap. Lol.

 

Stage 0 before you do any performance upgrades.

 

Well I got board at work today and decided to do my timing belt! Thought it would have been tougher!

VMAX: yes apparently at one point in it's life a Volvo lover decided that since they had paint problems to begin with, he decided to strip the car and scuff it and coat it with euro clear! And has been keeping it waxed ever since! The rear seats are damn near perfect and the front seat the lowers are cracking! The only other thing is someone decided to "spray paint" the head liner! That will be one of my weekend projects coming up! Along with the dash repair, got to look at the tread again about the dash repair! I wish it still had the stock wheels!!

 

You were bored so you did your timing belt?? EXPERT!

Sometimes you luck out on a used car purchase, sometimes you don't. In this case, you did depending how much you paid and how many miles are on that thing.

Check out volvospeed.com for a set of wheels.

I'm glad you're excited, what did you drive before?

 

I've had many different cars. But 2005 F-150 FX4 supercrew! Only had one vehicle but with the child enrolled into school, needed a second vehicle. Wanted a vehicle that is classy yet fun! Didn't want to have to reseal the engine every 20k miles on a BMW! Came accross some volvos and did some research! The 850s caught my eye! Didn't think I would find an R in as good shape or for the $$$. It has 158k on it! As far as getting boared at work......... I'm a professional tech, 12 years exp. So work was slow so I decided to tackle it! My other choice for a car was if I could find one a Mazda 323 GTX but those are real hard to find!
I will checkout for those wheels thanks!

 

Hope you find the wheels. I found a set with newer tires on them for $500. The down side was I had to take the car so after taking the wheels off of it I sold the car for $500.

 

Which company has the best ECU upgrade. In your opinion. For a t5r?

 

iPd is great for preformance parts. I have never done any so I really don't know. As long as they work and last longer than a year I don't know what the difference would be. Gilber picked one up from somewhere that he likes.

 

Had the iPd Stage I ECU on my 850R when I bought it over a year ago, iPd said it was tuned in '07, 2 owners before I picked up the car in December of '09. I never had a single problem with the tune and it ran really strong. Currently running iPd's Stage III+ manual tune. Installed about a month/1,700miles ago. This tune is also rock solid.

Also heard really good things about RiCA's and Speed Tuning's, tunes as well.

 

welcome to the forum. Check this Forum out, and Volvospeed.

Take it easy -- go through the Stage 0. Make sure you cover your bases. Do the PVC, poke around some systems, run a compression test. Stage 0, did I say that? Then move up in life.

 

Cool thanks for the advice. I was wondering what is the stock setting on the 96 850R ECU for boost. Cant find any info in it. I hooked up a pressure gage and drove it. Seemed to stick around 4psi and then at higher RPM got to about 6psi. It spiked once durring a shift to 8psi. Trying to figure out base line. AKA Stage 0...... Fuel filter is replaced, T-belt done, new stock air filter (for now), and plugs and wires are next.

EDIT: I also forgot what are the best plugs to use, regular Bosch or NGK? Where is the best place to hook up for a boost gage? I used the Vaccum block on the intake just after the throttle body. Thanks again for your help.

 

850 R stock boost is 12 psi. Use OEM Volvo plugs.

Hook up the boost gauge at the line where the stock boost gauge line feeds.

 

Boxpin's car runs like a MF , go check his youtube race ! thats one fast wagon !