DVS LT Vocus XR5 - 93% Volvo content

AshDVS · 2016-03-06T11:29:20+00:00

We'd been looking for a P1 platform car for a little while and the delayed sale of our V70 meant that the C30 we'd had our eye on didn't work out. So, we de...

AshDVS

It isnt but surely the bigger players in the volvo space would have something similar to offer.
The issue - a completely understandable one - is that no one is actively going to share the maps themselves, showing how they make their power.

We can do a couple of back-to-backs and load different maps into the Focus at the National Rally if you like and you'll see how they behave.

AshDVS

One of the other little projects I had happening in the background was to add LV Focus RS bonnet vents and since my bonnet was fairly rough, cutting holes in it wasnt too much of a worry as it needed painting anyway.

So, hole number 1 cut (last weekend) -

With holes cut and everything test fitted, the bonnet went off for paint in the week (along with the vents).
The Vocus actually looks pretty good without a bonnet -

And the bonnet came back and we re-fitted it this morning -

I still need to put some thought into bonnet pins, but it's actually more difficult than I'd expected with limited suitable flat space on the bonnet and a fairly complicated plastic-webbed radiator support to contend with.
Doable, for sure, but I'll address it later.

Philia_Bear

AshDVS;c-145278 wroteIt isnt but surely the bigger players in the volvo space would have something similar to offer.
The issue - a completely understandable one - is that no one is actively going to share the maps themselves, showing how they make their power.

We can do a couple of back-to-backs and load different maps into the Focus at the National Rally if you like and you'll see how they behave.

They don't
Most all of the Volvo tunes are overly aggressive **** with big numbers but mostly undrivable behavior

AshDVS

Thats common with the Focus options too and likely a reason why liner failure is more common in Focus circles.
The 'Performance+' (read: very mild tune), the 'DSCI' and 'Mod C' Dreamscience tunes are actually really driveable for normal commuting type drives.

AshDVS

In the 'last minute' things to do before the OzVolvo meet, I swapped over the RH skirt end (again) as the first one I'd had painted was missing a mounting tab and I could never get it to sit right.

Doing this at home, on the ground, with the current ride height is no fun.

Fitted some new wiper blades and one night this week I'll clean the under side of the bonnet and fit the heatproof sheet (sticky backed gold stuff, commonly used on racecar firewalls).
The original under bonnet liner cannot be used (due to holes in the bonnet for the vents).

There's a couple of other details I'd like to knock over too but we'll just see how I go for time.

AshDVS

My pre-OzVolvo meet stuff is done. There's a few things I'd have liked to have got done but I got some sort of funky stomach bug last week and that wrote-off Thursday, Friday and most of Saturday just gone.

I did get the heatproof sheet sections cut out and fitted to the underside of the bonnet where required and gave the newly painted bits and pieces are quick polish.
Save for a quick once over on Thursday night, it's good to go.

AshDVS

Not much to update here really.
The Vocus did 1800km over the OzVolvo National Rally weekend without any issues, returned pretty good fuel consumption numbers - even with the tune - and the ride quality was even pretty good.

No cruise control sucks a lot though.

The 1800kms over the weekend was a huge contrast to the typical 30kms here and there it normally gets - I think the longest continuous drive I'd ever done in it up to that point was 85kms!

Next up is to get some driveshafts built for it that can provide a reasonably long service life, at a low ride height.
I just have to get some genuine shafts to use as the starting point.

Here's a couple of pics taken on the way to Canberra

At Winton on the way up -

And at the service station near the Dog on the Tuckerbox (how awesome is the Rukus!?!) -

Ex850R

@pigdog

AshDVS

I've done almost nothing to the XR5 since my last update but will pull my finger out in February and get the remaining odds and ends done before it'll gets sold to make way for another Volvo project.

I really should post some pics too. I'll get to it, I promise.

carnut222

AshDVS
I've done almost nothing to the XR5 since my last update but will pull my finger out in February and get the remaining odds and ends done before it'll gets sold to make way for another Volvo project.
I really should post some pics too. I'll get to it, I promise.

Another Volvo project! Yay - do tell!

AshDVS

I dont have a starting point yet. As much as I'd like to have a car here already, it makes more sense for me to move the Focus on first.

I've been looking at a couple of additional projects for 850/C70/S70/V70 so it'll almost certainly be another P80 platform car.

Philia_Bear

AshDVS
I dont have a starting point yet. As much as I'd like to have a car here already, it makes more sense for me to move the Focus on first.
I've been looking at a couple of additional projects for 850/C70/S70/V70 so it'll almost certainly be another P80 platform car.

I have a p80 c70 convertible that could use some love that I would give to you for free

AshDVS

Thanks for the offer - it is super generous and very much appreciated.

My preference is an 850T5R (provided that its a yellow one) or a V70T5 (pre 99), but the Focus needs to find a home first.

I think I'd like to keep it for an extended period as well, rather than the primary goal being a platform to accelerate new parts development and test fitting/eval (for parts we resell). The Focus is great but I do miss the V70 that we had before it.

I've got a couple of little tasks to do on the Focus first and I'll have no time to get these done until mid-Feb so it'll patiently wait til then.

AshDVS

I've been dragging my feet for a little while on this and very preoccupied with other things, so the Vocus has largely sat in the corner gathering dust - so much so, that I needed to replace another battery in it. Two new batteries in four years.

Anyway, yesterday I had some more enthusiasm so got driveshafts replaced, gave it a service, dumped and replaced the transmission fluid and fitted a Turbosmart plumb back CBV.

With the front wheels off, its fairly clear I need to raise the ride height a little as tyres rub on the guard liners (at the top of suspension travel), but I'll get around to that another time.

AshDVS

With the arrival of the V70, I'm prepping the Vocus to find a new home.

I removed the LV Focus RS rear wing today and refitted the stock one. It looks so boring now. :(

AshDVS

Last night I replaced the RH engine mount and swapped out the alloy coolant reservoir for a new genuine Volvo one.

Tonight will be a de-tune - swap the factory ECU map back in so that the handset can be unpaired from the car, ready to find a new home.

Over the weekend, I'll swap the plenum out for the stock one, get a couple of wheels swapped over on it (still not 100% sure if I can re-use the factory wheels with the longer studs fitted to accommodate the Fifteen52 wheels).

rado

AshDVS Cracked/split coolant reservoirs are becoming a fairly common issue on P1 C30/S40/V50 and LS-LV Focus models now. Genuine Volvo ones aren't particularly expensive, but there's some other options out there. This one arrived yesterday which will got into the Vocus, They're alumnium, available in polished or powdercoated and use an off-the-shelf cap. They're available with a sight-glass too, though this one doesn't have one. We'll have these available via our website shortly. I might even be able to do some special pricing for the first 5 if we can facilitate a small GB. I sent @Philia_Bear an sms about 3 seconds after unpacking it. I'll swap it over when I do the timing belt, water pump, tensioners and RH engine mount at some point in the next month or so.

Were these made for the focus or is it a universal one ?

AshDVS

rado
https://ozvolvo.org/discussion/comment/113497#Comment_113497
Were these made for the focus or is it a universal one ?

They suit all P1 cars (C30/S40/V50) and LS-LV Focus.

If you're thinking what I'm already thinking, I'll check out if/how it might fit in a P80 and let you know. ;)

rado

I'm yet to find one specifically made for it ..

AshDVS

There isnt.... BUT... if this is close, I could also have some brackets laser cut so that you can make use of one.

If thats possible and you want to bend it yourself and paint/powdercoat it, they'd be very cheap.

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