Upgrades and maintenance

Spring 2002 (change of ownership):

• Overhauled carburettor (at specialist shop; "Norsk Forgasserservice")
• Fully synthetic motor oil (5W40)
• Kenwood KDC-V6090 4x47W radio/CD unit, Sinus 16iL 6" speakers + separate treble units

Summer 2002:

• Turbo sway bars; 23 mm front, 21 mm rear (replaced the original 19 mm F/R)
• New brake lines left front, new brake fluid
• Replaced timing belt, belt tensioner and V-belts, distributor cap, rotor, cables and plugs
• Flushed the cooling system
• Cleaned the flame trap (well, turned out it was clean already, now it's ultra clean)

Spring 2003:

• Wagon rear springs (found at junkyard)
• Sachs Advantage rear gas shocks
• Two sets of Virgo 15" wheel rims (put Continental Premium Contact 195/60/15 on one set, the other one will have 185/65 winter tires)
• Installed 52 mm tach (found at junkyard)
• Rebuilt the driver's seat with seat covers + foam pulled from a passenger seat at the junkyard
• Antirust protection (performed by local body shop, "Hinna Karosseri")
• New brake pads front (Volvo original)

Summer 2003:

• Sachs Advantage front struts (by the local Volvo dealer "Bil-Forum", I'm not comfortable working around those spring compressors)
• Waxed the car for the third time this year... Oh, and polished the engine bay. Did that impress the dealer!

Still To Do-list (constantly growing...):

• Install central locking (Volvo's original kit acquired)
• Replace left headlight reflector (got a good, used one)
• Electric fan conversion (pulled one that "seems to fit" from an early '80's Buick at the junkyard).

  Decisions, decisions: The viscose coupling fan is close to indestructible. A 20 year old electric fan might not be. Worse: When an electrical fan fails, it dies instantly.

Wish list for the not-so-near future:

• Engine rebuild by Unitek, Sweden:
  • Ported and polished cylinder head, reworked intake
  • One Weber 36/36 DCD (or two Weber 45/45 DCOE carbs)  

    Update: Got an almost unused 36/36, still to be installed.

  • New cam? The jury is still out on that one. I like the pulling power from standstill the original T offers.
  • Adjustable cam gear
  • 2.5" exhaust and extractor header

  Everything aimed at max power in the lower to mid rev bands: This is a car for the street, not for the track.