Ok so im new here, and new to volvo's, i just bought my 97' 850 R sadan, and i wanted to kno some stuff about them such as how they take to mod's, and if it has a cd player or what? cuz it has a button for cd, but i have no clue where it is, or if it even has one.

 

I can't answer your mod's question, but Volvo's came wired for premium sound. Buyers could opt for a factory CD changer which was mounted in the trunk. I would assume the original buyer didn't opt for the changer. The head unit is set up for one, just doesn't have one installed.

 

If it has a CD player it's in the trunk mounted on the upper right as you face it. If it doesn't have one, the wiring is probably already there and the Alpines seem to work with the factory wiring. I have a white 97 850 R and have not modded it at all. Not sure if I'm going to do mods to it or my 95 T5R. What color did you get? How about some pictures and some details about the car? Like how many miles andother info. Make sure the timing belt has been changed within the last five years or 70K miles.

 

ok, thanks, im working on getting pic's of it, it is red w/ 150,000 miles, i bought it for 4,200 from a small dealer, and i stumbled across it in the back of the lot, he just got it, and i test drove it, and loved it, i was also wondering if u could hear ur turbo spool up decently loud, b/c mine is crazy loud.

 

The one in my T5R is really loud almost sounds like a siren, while I barely here the other two. I like the red 850 R's quite a bit. What color interior? Is yours the bright red or the kind of orangeish-red? Not sure they made the orangish in 97, but I know it was a very limited color in 96.

 

I have the sway leather, it like grayish, and its the red, it looks almost just like ur 850 cept its red, and it has the stock R rims on it, i like them. but yeah i was wondering about the mods b/c my friends dad owns a proformance shop, and can get me a full turbo kit for it for about 3k, along w/ ne thing else i would need for half price.

 

Oh, and the spoiler, and a couple other things are black thats about the only difference.

 

What's your power goals? The only things I would really look at if you're just looking for slightly more power would be exhaust and Chip//Boost controller and SAFC (fuel controller).

If you're looking for a lot more performance, you can swap for a larger turbo (The 18T)

 

i would like up around 350 whp and would not have money problems(hopefully)

 

1. Welcome

2. What is your power goal. I see 350WHP. This can be possible.

3. What is your budget?

4. STAGE ZERO FIRST. Click the link in my Signature. Not the one that says "MODS" but the other link. This is where you will find out what STAGE ZERO is and a boost gauge that reads ats least 25 In Hg and 25PSI.

5. Here are some ideas to get you to your goal.

a. Intercooler upgrade. ATECH and or make a custom FMIC system.
b. 3" mandrel bent downpipe to a 2.5" mandrel bent catback system with a free flowing muffler like a Magnaflow. On turbo cars the better flow that better performance.
c. Turbo upgrade. Get rid of that 15g and put in something like a 16T,18T,19T and or go into another turbo brand and get a Garrett GT3076R, Gt 2871R Turbo Kit, something around there. If you upgrade your turbo to a 16T or bigger then you want a 3" catback system not a 2.5" system.
d. QBM's cam timing tool
e. K&N panel filter and or EST's intake system or creating your own custom intake system.
f. Possibly a port and polish of your intake and exhaust manifolds and or having some custom intake and exhaust manifolds made. Log style manifolds.
g. ECU tuning. RICA / IPD / Upsolute / SpeedTuning USA / Inmotion. I would go with RICA and or IPD. Best tuning out there for our Volvo's unless you do custom tuning via a custom tuning shop and or via Stand Alone tuning system.

You want to do your upgrading in this order. Or you should.

1. STAGE ZERO. Boost gauge and any other gauges you may want. I highly suggest a Wideband 02 gauge if you want over 300Hp and an EGT gauge, oil pressure, trans temp, etc...

2. Dyno your car stock to see what you got to work with and get A/F ratios with this as well.

3. Do all the mods you want to do and dyno after each or after you have them all installed. See where you got to. This just keeps you knowing what is going on.

4. ECU tuning last. This is a big thing and why do ECU tuning before you have done all your mods you know. Because you will just have to go back and redo it.

 

^Let me ask you this, because I've been wondering about it for a whiel.

Chip v. Boost Controller and SAFC (air/fuel).

Would the latter be the better option (and really not that much more expensive)? My reasoning is that even though chip is more like standalone and can go w/ your power curve and what not, your car never goes into their shop, so they can't maximize the performance or whatever.

It seems to me that a boost controller/SAFC gets you more personal control and you don't need to pay 100 bucks per retune...

Am I wrong?

 

An ECU tune is much safer then using a MBC/SAFC. You can use a MBC but it isn't that safe as an ECU tune is. Also when your going as high as he wants to go an ECU tune and or a Stand Alone system is the only way to go.

Oh you may want to add bigger injectors into your car as well for 350WHP.

 

^Hm.......

So you're telling me it's the same so long as your boost doesn't spike...
So a technically, wouldn't a combo of EBC/SAFC get the same results? EBC is safer as to boost spike problems..

And yeah, ideally Standalone is best, but imo, is a chip really that much better if they aren't able to personally dyno/tune your car?

 

ok, thank u very much i appreciate it, and i dont really have a price max, as long i stay under 20k for the entire car.

 

In one word YES it is. And some places can and will dyno tune your car. Example is EPL. Also RICA will tune your ECU to the specs you give them. Like what mods you have done and also if you send them dyno sheets with A/F ratios they will tune your ECU to those as well.

 

That's a gigantic budget lol.

 

Man if I was going to put that much money into one of my cars my first step would be to convert it to a five speed. No way would I want all those mods and that much power with an automatic transmission.

 

That automatic can only hold about 300Hp. So your going to want to beef it up. Level 10 bullet proof automatic transmission is what you will want. Tranny cooler as well.

Also your going to want to beef up your internals.

Rods, Pistions, Studs. Oh you may want to move to NA cams. Yes you may think NA cams are not as good as your turbo cams. However they are better and many turbo owners swap cams to go to NA cams.

 

yeah, i know, well my dad says that if i can build a car for under 20k that will beat his 68' chevelle, and still be a daily driver, he will give me the 68' so imma get it, lol.

 

That was actully the first thing i was planning on doing was swaping in a 5 speed, i just need 2 find one.