I just recently purchase my first car - Volvo 850r. It runs great only has 132k but I really want to chip it and put some more performance parts in it.


If I chip it, should I upgrade the intake and muffler ? And if I do that will it mess up anything as far as tuning ?


What else are simple things I can do to it to get some more power under the hood ?


And suspension suggestions on what I should swap out the struts with ? I might replace all the bearings and realign if after i get new struts and brakes.

 

Man, you sound like a kid in a candy store. All of those questions point back to you... How much more power do YOU want, how much stiffer suspension would YOU like, how much money do YOU want to waste spending/replacing parts that are not in need of replacement (bearings???).

Mods cost money and it sounds like you have some to blow.

You can swing by www.SwedeSpeed.com and www.TurboBricks.com. You can search key works like "turbo upgrade", "Cat Back exhaust", "lowering springs", etc. There are a few guys here that have their mods listed in their signatures. From what I have seen, it doesn't do much good to try to mod past 310 HP, due to tracksion issues and motor stress limits.

 

Fastest and easiest upgrade for some quick power would be in my eyes..

OBX exhaust (turbo back) depending on where you live with shipping you looking around $400

Rear o2 Canceler $30

Intake system (Ipd or EST) $189 or $179

and most importantly

ARD tune (white tune) $175

so for around $800 you have a good start that you will be pleased with.

once you get tired of that you can do much more but id start with that..

 

Thank you guys, what should I be looking to replace at 132k miles. Its been taken good care of and fluids. But I know at sometime I will need to start replacing parts. Suggestions on now and I need new brakes. Suggestions on good pads and calipers ? And should I look into a bigger brake kite ? Did volvo do a good job on brake size ? Money is an issue but I would rather buy the good stuff then ****ty stuff.

 

The OEM brakes are pretty good. Big brake kits can run you into some pretty large dollars..

 

Thats what I saw around 2 grand. The passenger side upper strut makes some noise when going over a bump. The pervious owner said it was the plastic shroud that was causing the noise. Belstin struts run about 440 for the front. Is that something I should invest in ?

 

If I were you, I'd double check the records and make sure that the PO took care of the routine things like the PCV and timing belt and tune-up kit, etc. If not, then you should look up on here or other Volvo sites what should be checked off the maintenance list prior to any upgrades.

 

Yeah, I do the pcv regardless, throw a catch can in there. Defiantly do a stage 0, go copper plugs gapped at .025 rather than the platinum

 

Like has been mentioned, Stage 0 is the very first thing to do on the car.

 

This is where you start.

After that is done then we can talk.

My 'Bang for your Buck' list:

1. Swaybars - You will notice rolling out of your driveway.
2. Exhaust - Turbo back if possible - Huge diff
3. A Tune - get rid of the fuel cut-off and enjoy more boost.

From there you can add more as time goes by. These are just the things that pay off the most.

 

Thanks guys. I will replace the PCV. And work on exhaust. Suggestions on what to chip to use to chip it. Should I upgrade the intake and anything else if I do that so I don't screw up the motor ?

 

Just check your docs to see when the previous owner did the maintenance. You may not need to replace your PCV if he just did it. A mechanic told me that I would need to replace my timing belt because it was past the 130K range. But the PO replaced it at 120K. No need to replace something because we say it should be replaced. You'll want to see if these items below are in good shape before you venture into "chip" territory.

1. Spark plugs, cap/rotor, plug wires (tune-up kit)
2. PCV
3. Oil cooler lines
4. Clean intercooler/IC plumbing
5. Hoses - vacuum and/or radiator
6. Air filter - replace w/ K & N or short ram intake
7. clean injectors or replace later with upgraded injectors (this will dictate which ECU tune you end up getting)
8. Fuel pumps

These are the main components you'll want to review and educate yourself on prior to your upgrades. Once you've gone through them, then you can go with the list of go-fast stuff the people mentioned earlier. ARD seems to be the tune to go with these days, but there are a few other places you can look into as well. Just take your time and research.

 

Thank you !

 

Stage 0 is a must and go from there! I bought mine with 155k miles. I'm running 14psi and I'm on stock tune with many mods. It feels great! Hope you like yours I love mine! Congrats, goodluck!