850 T5 - Turbo Tool Shed
Discussion
So where to start with this one..
I used to be heavily involved in cars business wise and up until recently I haven't really had any interest in them since I changed my line of work about 5 years ago. Mid last year I started looking for a dull as dishwater estate to park along side my daily. My other half and I both drive Alfas which makes us proper petrol heads right?!
Anyway I was after an estate to pull my Brian James and to do tip / building merchant runs due to an on-going house project, it will also be used every year for the run to LM with my mates. I looked at TDI vags and a few other marques but having had a V40 1.9 D a few years ago I really wanted another Volvo.
Cut a long story short my friend linked me to an ad for the 850 which in all honesty I hadn't considered as an option due to age. Anyway, the price was sub £350 so well within budget (it actually ended up costing a grand total of £75 once I sold some bits it came with!) it had FSH, towbar and once I took it for a drive I knew it was a car I needed in my life - I was shocked at the performance, the 5cyl sound and the old school addictive turbo lag
Exterior wise is a little rough, but mechanically it felt sweet so I shook the chaps hand and away we went. This thread will document the journey to date and unplanned changes yet to come, I've started from zero knowledge on these cars so I am learning as I go, the members on VPCUK have been extremely helpful so far, any other input always appreciated!
**Oct 2015**
So, engine is healthy having tested it, going to repair all the broken bits, service everything then start some upgrades to get some more boooost out of the old girl.
It already has a absaloute (sp?) map but I don't really like the delivery (although there may be an underlying TCS issue there). I need a decat down pipe and cat back, a bigger turbo and some other supporting bits and pieces before having a live engine calibration. Have picked up some titans which have then been refurbed, going to chuck on some eibachs and fresh dampers. Also looking for an R front bumper (imaginative...)
Here it is in its slightly ghetto boxy glory.
**Nov 2015**
Managed to make some progress with the shed over the last few days.
First job was to swap out the discoloured and cracked headlight. None of the washers or wipers for the headlights work either and were in pretty bad condition so I've pulled the whole lot out for the time being, kind of in two minds however as its a classic volvo feature so may reinstate in the future.
Took a long day on the car and managed to get the front shocks, wishbones, eibachs and track rod ends fitted to hopefully improve the super lose steering. All standard bits, aside from the springs, not interested in poly'ing or stiffening things really - it's not worth it frankly; nice compliant ride with plenty of shove it what I am after
Most frustrating thing is that in a past life I had a fully equipped workshop with a ramp, working on the floor makes everything just that little bit harder - hey ho!
Also did the cam & aux belt, water pump and thermostat (to solve the dipping temp on the road) as well as fluids and a few other bits and pieces.
Engine generally speaking is nice and dry, no leaks either side, although underneath someone has bodged some silicon the Turbo oil return pipe so that will need tidying.
Belts are a pleasure compared to the F4R Renault engine, its a 4hr job even for the experienced, only thing that had me scratching my head was that the new aux belt was about 6" longer than the original but after some quick research online it appears they changed the belt routing which explained the extra length.
Happy with the progress so far, more updates to follow - it has a lot of work ahead of it this week moving some other cars around so I'm pleased I've managed to get the long overdue service bits done.
**Dec 2015**
So today I took the car out to do its first job for me moving one of the cars (well just a shell actually...)
Before heading out I replaced the plates as the old ones looked very tired. In the process however it uncovered some huge rust patches on the plate mounts on the tailgate, so I'll need to find a replacement at some point.
Pulled the trailer a treat, sometimes forgot it was there!
Whole trip has uncovered a few issues; there's a major steering wobble above 90 so need to look into that and the tailgate is a bit loose so I need to adjust the latch position.
Something else that I was aware of but has become clearer with some load behind her is that the power / boost curve oscillates through the RPM range. It boosts, takes off, then backs off, then repeats throughout the entire rev range.
My view is either the map is too aggressive and the ECU is cutting back due to knock or AFR or there is a sensor / actuator issue that causes the hesitation? It's quite a smooth oscillation so I don't think its a fuel cut, good thing when its 'boosting' its bloody quick
**Jan 2016**
Not a huge update; I've been slowly sourcing some parts for the project over the last couple of weeks and been doing a bit of reading about to proceed modifying it for more output.
So continuing with the boring modifications as promised the first thing I needed was a downpipe -the new ones were all around £600 which seemed crazy money. Luckily a 'GWE' part came up for sale so I bought it and it arrived yesterday, is in great condition so happy with that purchase. I also bought the common exhaust 'R' manifold upgrade as I found one for £50 on the web:
Now looking at exhausts, choice seems pretty limited off the shelf, so maybe a ferrita will do.
The downpipe also came with a 'angled' exhaust housing for the turbo, I guess for compatibility with later cars but also possibly for a slightly higher output? Anyway it appears the stock 15g is not compatible with the housing, but that wasn't a major concern as I had intended to swap the turbo anyway, again a 16T came up on here for sale at a good price so I've picked that up as well, those bits should arrive next week. My train of thought is that in the future if I wanted to move to a larger turbo like a 18 or 19 the same housing should be useable.
Right, back to the odd engine behaviour in my earlier post. I swapped out the mapped ecu with the stock one that came with the car and the behaviour immediately stopped, that's not to say that there isn't an underlying issue with the car when its generating more beans, but it was a step in the right direction. I'm going to look at vac lines and the actuator on the turbo when I swap it - I think you can buy the actuators separately? Maybe an uprated aftermarket part might be worth looking at? I guess more reading required...
**May 2016**
Quick update. The Volvo has been busy doing all sorts of Volvo-esq things for me, moving bathrooms, transporting pallets, generally making itself useful
It sits nicely on the springs now they have settled:
So on with the maintenance and upgrades.
Hopefully by the end of the week the 16T exhaust, downpipe, turbo, manifold and injectors will be fitted. I'm hoping to get an ECU off a friend with a map for the job already done.
Also replaced all vac lines, Turbo oil & water pipes following some advice. Most of the vac lines from the TCV were all shot to bits so I am hoping that is the route cause of the surging turbo pressure issue detailed earlier in the thread.
Looking forward to the run out to Le Mans with the car this year, hoping it will be fast and reliable
**May 2016**
So the car went to Charlwood Automotive near Gatwick for the exhaust / turbo / manifold fitting. It looked like a horrible job to do on the driveway so I was happy to pay - fully recommend their services. Exhaust note is far improved, could possibly have been a bit louder but it keeps it subtle which is a positive. Car is still stock ECU & Injector wise so no real difference in the drive, possibly picks up a bit better.
Last weeks job list consisted of PCV replacement, it had been done a year ago or so, but for peace of mind I decided to do it again:
Whilst it was apart I replaced the intercooler hoses with some Samco jobs. I would have rather they have been black but the price was good so blue it was! They have a dump valve T which I've blanked as I really don't like the sound a dump valve makes. Also changed the PAS pump as it was getting very loud!
Fitted new brakes all round and handbrake shoes on the rear - stonking 45% offer on at ECP so couldn't pass the saving!
Cleaned up the mudflaps with some stain black paint, came out really well!
Body work wise I dropped a tidy rear bumper, R front bumper and the spoiler off with a friend for painting, should be collecting today or tmrw and fitting before Thursday morning for the trip to LM. Looking forward to not having a cloud of lacquer peel behind the car on the motoway
Need to do something about the roof mouldings, currently researching the best option, any suggestions would be useful:
Finally my favourite upgrade:
Fear not this is just a temporary bit of fun for LM
So, left to do this week is fit the painted panels, fit the white injectors once they are back from being serviced, fit the ECU with the correct calibration and then go out and make sure the stock clutch is ok at least for now...
I understand the stock clutch may be approaching its limit at this spec (280-290hp ATF) so we will have to see. I also believe my car might be a dual mass type flywheel type so I think a solid flywheel and R clutch upgrade in the future may be required, especially as I would like to add another 50hp or so at a later date.
Super excited about the drive out to France with the car this week - as long as there is a regular supply of fuel available!!
**June 2016**
Next update...
Power wise I had a set of white Volvo injectors serviced by Mr Injector UK (excellent service I should add) and then fitted the ECU with the correct calibration for the turbo & injector combo.
First off it was not boosting as high as I was expecting but after checking the wastegate actuator calibration against the following chart adjustments were made and the boost sits where expected - close to the end of the gauge indication.
Performance is quite frankly awesome -I'm over the moon with the in gear delivery, super smooth and very quick! Its probably knocking on 300hp at the moment, I won't be rolling roading it - I'm not chasing figures
Youtube vid of 3rd & 4th - https://youtu.be/PeICzfIbSS4
The Lambda light is currently on and Solus suggests the following faults, they don't entirely make 100% sense due to the spec of the car.
After some digging I noted I had not reconnected the PCV nipple thing - that does not appear to have corrected the light however - but it may not be self clearing. I'll get the car down to a friend for knowledgeable code reading once I have a chance.
Then the return of the painted panels. The spoiler came out a treat, I refurbished the brackets as well as they were very rusty:
Front bumper - needed a few crack repairing, but again came out a treat:
Its really transformed the look of the car!
Rear bumper - this was a total b@stard to get off as the two main captive nuts on the rear brackets spun, i'll let the pictures do the talking... the old bumper had to come off in many parts....
Does anyone know what the black pads that where gaffer taped under the bumper are? You can see them in the above image on the left hand side. I am thinking they are something to do with impact detection but have not been able to find a conclusive answer...
Replaced these knackered brackets.
Gave it a wash and added stickers for LM trip:
With the other cars in the group Rapid Fit BTCC Mondeo and an M3. Volvo was the kit bus and was properly loaded up as you can just about make out in the pics below.
The trip to LM was awesome, as always. If you like racing, beers, BBQ and spending time with mates without any women around you NEED to go. Quick vids, they don't come close to capturing the sound and atmosphere to be fair.
https://youtu.be/wAYlON9Tnak
https://youtu.be/Ex4s_CRVIC4
In terms of future plans during the trip back the car developed a misfire under full load and I'm suspecting that the plugs are not enjoying the new stress being placed on them. I've thought back and with all the work I've done on the car I cannot actually remember changing them so that's on the list. Need to solve the lamba light at some point. Would like to realign the rear bumper as its sagging on the brackets I fitted and is getting a bit melty near the tailpipe. Larger front brakes are also in the pipe line as well as some replacement doors for the passenger side to remove the key scratch that runs across them. Then, just in case, I have a larger turbo and some steel rods in the garage - maybe for later in the year
Have got a lot on over the next few weeks with Holidays and house renovations so might have to throttle back working on the car for now. Thanks for reading and thanks to Ettienne for all his technical support so far!
I used to be heavily involved in cars business wise and up until recently I haven't really had any interest in them since I changed my line of work about 5 years ago. Mid last year I started looking for a dull as dishwater estate to park along side my daily. My other half and I both drive Alfas which makes us proper petrol heads right?!
Anyway I was after an estate to pull my Brian James and to do tip / building merchant runs due to an on-going house project, it will also be used every year for the run to LM with my mates. I looked at TDI vags and a few other marques but having had a V40 1.9 D a few years ago I really wanted another Volvo.
Cut a long story short my friend linked me to an ad for the 850 which in all honesty I hadn't considered as an option due to age. Anyway, the price was sub £350 so well within budget (it actually ended up costing a grand total of £75 once I sold some bits it came with!) it had FSH, towbar and once I took it for a drive I knew it was a car I needed in my life - I was shocked at the performance, the 5cyl sound and the old school addictive turbo lag
Exterior wise is a little rough, but mechanically it felt sweet so I shook the chaps hand and away we went. This thread will document the journey to date and unplanned changes yet to come, I've started from zero knowledge on these cars so I am learning as I go, the members on VPCUK have been extremely helpful so far, any other input always appreciated!
**Oct 2015**
So, engine is healthy having tested it, going to repair all the broken bits, service everything then start some upgrades to get some more boooost out of the old girl.
It already has a absaloute (sp?) map but I don't really like the delivery (although there may be an underlying TCS issue there). I need a decat down pipe and cat back, a bigger turbo and some other supporting bits and pieces before having a live engine calibration. Have picked up some titans which have then been refurbed, going to chuck on some eibachs and fresh dampers. Also looking for an R front bumper (imaginative...)
Here it is in its slightly ghetto boxy glory.
**Nov 2015**
Managed to make some progress with the shed over the last few days.
First job was to swap out the discoloured and cracked headlight. None of the washers or wipers for the headlights work either and were in pretty bad condition so I've pulled the whole lot out for the time being, kind of in two minds however as its a classic volvo feature so may reinstate in the future.
Took a long day on the car and managed to get the front shocks, wishbones, eibachs and track rod ends fitted to hopefully improve the super lose steering. All standard bits, aside from the springs, not interested in poly'ing or stiffening things really - it's not worth it frankly; nice compliant ride with plenty of shove it what I am after
Most frustrating thing is that in a past life I had a fully equipped workshop with a ramp, working on the floor makes everything just that little bit harder - hey ho!
Also did the cam & aux belt, water pump and thermostat (to solve the dipping temp on the road) as well as fluids and a few other bits and pieces.
Engine generally speaking is nice and dry, no leaks either side, although underneath someone has bodged some silicon the Turbo oil return pipe so that will need tidying.
Belts are a pleasure compared to the F4R Renault engine, its a 4hr job even for the experienced, only thing that had me scratching my head was that the new aux belt was about 6" longer than the original but after some quick research online it appears they changed the belt routing which explained the extra length.
Happy with the progress so far, more updates to follow - it has a lot of work ahead of it this week moving some other cars around so I'm pleased I've managed to get the long overdue service bits done.
**Dec 2015**
So today I took the car out to do its first job for me moving one of the cars (well just a shell actually...)
Before heading out I replaced the plates as the old ones looked very tired. In the process however it uncovered some huge rust patches on the plate mounts on the tailgate, so I'll need to find a replacement at some point.
Pulled the trailer a treat, sometimes forgot it was there!
Whole trip has uncovered a few issues; there's a major steering wobble above 90 so need to look into that and the tailgate is a bit loose so I need to adjust the latch position.
Something else that I was aware of but has become clearer with some load behind her is that the power / boost curve oscillates through the RPM range. It boosts, takes off, then backs off, then repeats throughout the entire rev range.
My view is either the map is too aggressive and the ECU is cutting back due to knock or AFR or there is a sensor / actuator issue that causes the hesitation? It's quite a smooth oscillation so I don't think its a fuel cut, good thing when its 'boosting' its bloody quick
**Jan 2016**
Not a huge update; I've been slowly sourcing some parts for the project over the last couple of weeks and been doing a bit of reading about to proceed modifying it for more output.
So continuing with the boring modifications as promised the first thing I needed was a downpipe -the new ones were all around £600 which seemed crazy money. Luckily a 'GWE' part came up for sale so I bought it and it arrived yesterday, is in great condition so happy with that purchase. I also bought the common exhaust 'R' manifold upgrade as I found one for £50 on the web:
Now looking at exhausts, choice seems pretty limited off the shelf, so maybe a ferrita will do.
The downpipe also came with a 'angled' exhaust housing for the turbo, I guess for compatibility with later cars but also possibly for a slightly higher output? Anyway it appears the stock 15g is not compatible with the housing, but that wasn't a major concern as I had intended to swap the turbo anyway, again a 16T came up on here for sale at a good price so I've picked that up as well, those bits should arrive next week. My train of thought is that in the future if I wanted to move to a larger turbo like a 18 or 19 the same housing should be useable.
Right, back to the odd engine behaviour in my earlier post. I swapped out the mapped ecu with the stock one that came with the car and the behaviour immediately stopped, that's not to say that there isn't an underlying issue with the car when its generating more beans, but it was a step in the right direction. I'm going to look at vac lines and the actuator on the turbo when I swap it - I think you can buy the actuators separately? Maybe an uprated aftermarket part might be worth looking at? I guess more reading required...
**May 2016**
Quick update. The Volvo has been busy doing all sorts of Volvo-esq things for me, moving bathrooms, transporting pallets, generally making itself useful
It sits nicely on the springs now they have settled:
So on with the maintenance and upgrades.
Hopefully by the end of the week the 16T exhaust, downpipe, turbo, manifold and injectors will be fitted. I'm hoping to get an ECU off a friend with a map for the job already done.
Also replaced all vac lines, Turbo oil & water pipes following some advice. Most of the vac lines from the TCV were all shot to bits so I am hoping that is the route cause of the surging turbo pressure issue detailed earlier in the thread.
Looking forward to the run out to Le Mans with the car this year, hoping it will be fast and reliable
**May 2016**
So the car went to Charlwood Automotive near Gatwick for the exhaust / turbo / manifold fitting. It looked like a horrible job to do on the driveway so I was happy to pay - fully recommend their services. Exhaust note is far improved, could possibly have been a bit louder but it keeps it subtle which is a positive. Car is still stock ECU & Injector wise so no real difference in the drive, possibly picks up a bit better.
Last weeks job list consisted of PCV replacement, it had been done a year ago or so, but for peace of mind I decided to do it again:
Whilst it was apart I replaced the intercooler hoses with some Samco jobs. I would have rather they have been black but the price was good so blue it was! They have a dump valve T which I've blanked as I really don't like the sound a dump valve makes. Also changed the PAS pump as it was getting very loud!
Fitted new brakes all round and handbrake shoes on the rear - stonking 45% offer on at ECP so couldn't pass the saving!
Cleaned up the mudflaps with some stain black paint, came out really well!
Body work wise I dropped a tidy rear bumper, R front bumper and the spoiler off with a friend for painting, should be collecting today or tmrw and fitting before Thursday morning for the trip to LM. Looking forward to not having a cloud of lacquer peel behind the car on the motoway
Need to do something about the roof mouldings, currently researching the best option, any suggestions would be useful:
Finally my favourite upgrade:
Fear not this is just a temporary bit of fun for LM
So, left to do this week is fit the painted panels, fit the white injectors once they are back from being serviced, fit the ECU with the correct calibration and then go out and make sure the stock clutch is ok at least for now...
I understand the stock clutch may be approaching its limit at this spec (280-290hp ATF) so we will have to see. I also believe my car might be a dual mass type flywheel type so I think a solid flywheel and R clutch upgrade in the future may be required, especially as I would like to add another 50hp or so at a later date.
Super excited about the drive out to France with the car this week - as long as there is a regular supply of fuel available!!
**June 2016**
Next update...
Power wise I had a set of white Volvo injectors serviced by Mr Injector UK (excellent service I should add) and then fitted the ECU with the correct calibration for the turbo & injector combo.
First off it was not boosting as high as I was expecting but after checking the wastegate actuator calibration against the following chart adjustments were made and the boost sits where expected - close to the end of the gauge indication.
Performance is quite frankly awesome -I'm over the moon with the in gear delivery, super smooth and very quick! Its probably knocking on 300hp at the moment, I won't be rolling roading it - I'm not chasing figures
Youtube vid of 3rd & 4th - https://youtu.be/PeICzfIbSS4
The Lambda light is currently on and Solus suggests the following faults, they don't entirely make 100% sense due to the spec of the car.
After some digging I noted I had not reconnected the PCV nipple thing - that does not appear to have corrected the light however - but it may not be self clearing. I'll get the car down to a friend for knowledgeable code reading once I have a chance.
Then the return of the painted panels. The spoiler came out a treat, I refurbished the brackets as well as they were very rusty:
Front bumper - needed a few crack repairing, but again came out a treat:
Its really transformed the look of the car!
Rear bumper - this was a total b@stard to get off as the two main captive nuts on the rear brackets spun, i'll let the pictures do the talking... the old bumper had to come off in many parts....
Does anyone know what the black pads that where gaffer taped under the bumper are? You can see them in the above image on the left hand side. I am thinking they are something to do with impact detection but have not been able to find a conclusive answer...
Replaced these knackered brackets.
Gave it a wash and added stickers for LM trip:
With the other cars in the group Rapid Fit BTCC Mondeo and an M3. Volvo was the kit bus and was properly loaded up as you can just about make out in the pics below.
The trip to LM was awesome, as always. If you like racing, beers, BBQ and spending time with mates without any women around you NEED to go. Quick vids, they don't come close to capturing the sound and atmosphere to be fair.
https://youtu.be/wAYlON9Tnak
https://youtu.be/Ex4s_CRVIC4
In terms of future plans during the trip back the car developed a misfire under full load and I'm suspecting that the plugs are not enjoying the new stress being placed on them. I've thought back and with all the work I've done on the car I cannot actually remember changing them so that's on the list. Need to solve the lamba light at some point. Would like to realign the rear bumper as its sagging on the brackets I fitted and is getting a bit melty near the tailpipe. Larger front brakes are also in the pipe line as well as some replacement doors for the passenger side to remove the key scratch that runs across them. Then, just in case, I have a larger turbo and some steel rods in the garage - maybe for later in the year
Have got a lot on over the next few weeks with Holidays and house renovations so might have to throttle back working on the car for now. Thanks for reading and thanks to Ettienne for all his technical support so far!
Edited by pingponged on Wednesday 22 June 23:23
Looks great! A very similar project to when I had mine earlier in the year, I just decided to move it on before getting to do the wheels and a few other bits.
I walked past your car on the way in to LM on Thursday, I was chatting to Dave in the M3 whilst you were crawling in traffic. Shame I didn't know you had this when I had mine as it was stored in a garage round the corner from your house!
I have a thread on VPCUK (I think) if you are interested.
I walked past your car on the way in to LM on Thursday, I was chatting to Dave in the M3 whilst you were crawling in traffic. Shame I didn't know you had this when I had mine as it was stored in a garage round the corner from your house!
I have a thread on VPCUK (I think) if you are interested.
@ Darko. It's a fair question! The actual car pre work cost £75, spent around £2.5k on it so far in parts and paint for a reliable and practical 300hp! Most importantly having a project to get stuck into again is refreshing and I frankly just love this car, it puts the biggest smile on my face
Darko92 said:
Not to be a bore, I am genuinely curious;
But considering the money you've put into this, couldn't you have just gone for something a little bit better? In better nick?
Again, just curious. It is your money and your car.
I get asked the same questions about the Alfas - along the lines of "why have you stuck a beautiful stainless exhaust that cost £500 on a car that probably isn't worth £500". And then why did you stick a limited slip diff in it... etcBut considering the money you've put into this, couldn't you have just gone for something a little bit better? In better nick?
Again, just curious. It is your money and your car.
The answer is simple:
1) I enjoy doing the work and fiddling as much as the driving. So it is hobby + transport.
2) The car is pretty much perfect (I'm fairly obsessive) and owes me about £2500. What else would I prefer to be in for the money?
I could have thrown the £2500 at a "better condition" car, but if you are capable of doing the work yourself, you're much better off assuming the suspension etc is knackered and sticking the whole lot in the bin.
Darko92 said:
Not to be a bore, I am genuinely curious;
But considering the money you've put into this, couldn't you have just gone for something a little bit better? In better nick?
Again, just curious. It is your money and your car.
I cant speak for the OP (epic build by the way Tom But considering the money you've put into this, couldn't you have just gone for something a little bit better? In better nick?
Again, just curious. It is your money and your car.
), but always assume that any previous owner of a car is a moron, with less mechanical OCD than myself. So with that in mind, i tend to buy the cheaper/sheddier ones with multiple things wrong with them, safe in the knowledge that i can then replace the broken parts myself (saving labour costs) with upgraded shiny bits. For some of us, its the tinkering/bargain hunting/saving of sheds, that is just as much fun as the driving ...RXE - your dedication to Alfa's is impressive, id love a 159 Ti estate one day, but i do struggle to buy anything other than French s
t/BMW's these days 
Nice work OP. Almost the same as my old T5, love that 5 pot noise! I've been looking for another recently but seem to be very few about, so settled on a 540i instead.
I remember the OEM front strut brace was a highly recommended mod so might be worth thinking about if you haven't already. Can't say I felt a massive difference, but it can't hurt!
I remember the OEM front strut brace was a highly recommended mod so might be worth thinking about if you haven't already. Can't say I felt a massive difference, but it can't hurt!
Thanks for the comments. Its not to everyones taste that's for sure
I do happen to have just the strut brace you mention in the garage! I haven't got round to fitting it yet and, in all honesty, I have not bought the car for its razor sharp handling (although to be fair its not bad!) but I will put it on anyway!
In other news I've located a set of doors to replaced the keyed ones on the nearside, a front offside wing to get rid of the tiny patch of rust and a replacement headlight for the replacement headlight I fitted earlier in the year as it seems a stone has gone straight through it! To be expected with glass lights horizontal to the direction of travel I suppose haha!
Max M4X WW said:
Looks great! A very similar project ......
Hi Max, yes I saw your thread and judging by your 'garage' on here you don't keep cars for that long anyway - I have mates like that... Sir_Dave said:
I cant speak for the OP (epic build by the way Tom ), but always ...
Cheers Dave ), but always ...CarlosV8 said:
Nice work OP. Almost the same as my old T5, love that 5 pot noise! I've been looking for another recently but seem to be very few about, so settled on a 540i instead.
I remember the OEM front strut brace was a highly recommended mod so might be worth thinking about if you haven't already. Can't say I felt a massive difference, but it can't hurt!
The sound really is quite iconic, especially when matched with the turbo whistle - its so unrefined compared to modern cars! Mine is a manual as well which I think is pretty essential to enjoying the way it drives, I'd hate to have a sluggish auto kicking down etc.I remember the OEM front strut brace was a highly recommended mod so might be worth thinking about if you haven't already. Can't say I felt a massive difference, but it can't hurt!
I do happen to have just the strut brace you mention in the garage! I haven't got round to fitting it yet and, in all honesty, I have not bought the car for its razor sharp handling (although to be fair its not bad!) but I will put it on anyway!
In other news I've located a set of doors to replaced the keyed ones on the nearside, a front offside wing to get rid of the tiny patch of rust and a replacement headlight for the replacement headlight I fitted earlier in the year as it seems a stone has gone straight through it! To be expected with glass lights horizontal to the direction of travel I suppose haha!
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