Hey everyone! I just bought a '98 S70 T5 and am looking to do some work to it. A little back-story on myself and the car: I know a little bit about cars and can handle some basic work myself. I bought the car from a friend who owns a Volvo shop and its in excellent condition.

I'm wondering what you all would recommend as far as what the best upgrades would be to do. I'm open to both cosmetic and performance upgrades. Thinking about clear turn signals, Euro style side markers and HID headlights as far as looks go. No idea what to do for performance.

Any ideas on a $500 budget? $250 budget? $100 budget?

Thanks for any and all input!

 

$100 budget you can do the HID's...

$250 budget you could do E-code headlight lenses and clear e-code turn signals only.

$500 budget you could possibly do ABM Projectors and matching turn signals and HID's.

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$100 for performance not going to get you much of anything. A MBC and a boost gauge. I don't recommend using a MBC as it isn't as safe as an ECU upgrade is.

$250 you could do a EuroSportTuning (EST) and or IPD USA Short Ram Intake system.

$500 you could do a boost gauge, IPD USA and or EST Short Ram Intake system with some money left over for other things.

$500 could also get you up to STAGE ZERO.

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What it comes down to, what is your exact budget? We have to know it does make a difference. Nothing in the Volvo aftermarket world is cheap. So your budget either needs to be set and go from there or it needs to be expandable and or do one thing at a time and mod that way.

Common performance mods...

- Stage Zero (Do this first) :::Upwards of $500:::

Full stage 0 list:
Plugs
cap/rotor
oil/transflush
filter (oil)
Silicone hoses (the little vac lines)
samco hose kit or Stylin Motors Inc. (Turbo Models ONLY)
02 sensors
fuel pumps
clean injectors
clean IC/IC plumbing (Turbo Models ONLY)
Air filter
plug wires

- 3" mandrel bent downpipe :::$300-$1500:::

- 2.5" to 3" mandrel bent catback system with a free flowing Hi-flow CAT and free flowing straight through design muffler. :::$300-$1,000:::

- K&N panel filter and or one of the various short ram intakes available. :::$50-$200?:::

- ECU upgrade, this should be done last as it can take into account all the other mods done you your car. Also this can be the most expensive mod to do as well. There are cheaper ones, but you get what you pay for. IPD USA, BSR PPC and RICA are the three best Volvo ECU tuners on the market. SpeedTuning USA, Upsolute and Inmotion are three less expensive tunes and while they might provide the punch the other ones do they are not as researched as the first three. :::$325-$1,200:::

 

If you want to do a quick visual upgrade, get a mesh grille. I really like ipd's black sport mesh grille

 

Thanks for the input. I don't have an exact budget but will be doing things one at a time. I can probably swing about $200 every couple of months or so.

I live in Portland so IPD is right up the road and I'm planning on going to their garage sale this year.

What would be the first few things you guys would do with $200?

 

Is STAGE ZERO done?

 

Nope. Nothing has been done to it.

 

This is how I would do it if I lived that close to ipd and had a constant budget...

Stage Zero
ipd mesh grille
ECU upgrade

 

Do not do an ECU upgrade unless that is all you plan on doing engine wise. Only reason is, is if you decide to do other mods such as exhaust intake or further then that the ECU upgrade you purchased wont take into account all the new mods and take full advantage of them.

So do an ECU last if you plan engine (performance) upgrades.

 

Thanks guys! I'm going to do some of the simple cosmetic things pretty soon, and see if I can find anything at the IPD garage sale in a few weeks (benefits of living in Portland! )

Stage zero will be next, then who knows!!

 

What cosmetic things do you have in mind?

 

In my opinion, one of the cheapest cosmetic upgrades it to buy a new grille. I got the black mesh one from ipd and my car looks 10x better!!! There are also the eyelid kits. You could replace your headlights with HID's or the ones I want, the EST (EuroSport Tuning) black Projectors. Others have suggested replacing the original bumper with an R bumper from a V70. I'm currently looking at new rims...but they don't offer much in 15 inch...

 

Stealth bulbs in the rear turn signals, clear turn signals and stealth bulbs up front.

I'm also thinking of painting the volvo emblems on the quarter panels black (the car is black) as a cheap touch up til I put on the euro side marker lights.

Also some PIAA headlights or save up and do HID's...So many things that could be done, so little money, LOL!

First things first tho - Stealth bulbs! Cheap and easy: Just like my ex-girlfriend

 

Save up for HID's PIAA's can be bought yes but you could spend like $20 more and get HID's.

 

Where would you recommend getting HID's from? You just need the bulbs and ballasts correct? Do you have to change or modify the housing at all?

Sorry if thats dumb question!

 

Buy them from SharpHID.com and talk to John he will take care of you.

The kits come with everything you need. Bulbs, Ballasts, Wiring harnesses.

Yes you will mod the housings. You will have to cut a hole in the back of the LOW beam housing cap.

 

I'm thinking the 35w kit with 5000K bulbs for the lows...

Any thoughts?

 

That is what I have and love it.

 

How long/difficult is the install?

 

Is it difficult to install?

 

15-20 minutes per side and no.