Open to Breathe

I have always found it humorous that car manufacturers design cars with fake grilles.  If air is not passing through it, why make it look like a vent?

The C30 has two fake grilles which surround the fog lights.  While these make sense as covers for the light housings, I wanted to make them functional vents for added cooling.

Using nothing but a dremel tool, I carefully cut out the plastic between the grilles.

Custom fog grilles

Unlike the S40, the C30 had solid plastic behind the fake grilles.  Using a drill, I was able to remove that plastic panel to expose the ends of the front mounted intercooler.

Not only is this a cosmetic upgrade, but more air now passes along side the intercooler and oil pan.  Added ventilation and cooling is always a benefit, especially on a turbo'd car.

Maker Motorsports C30 Diffuser

As the co-founder of Maker Motorsports, we are always excited to see when customers creatively use our products in unique ways.  I myself have always attempted to make something that is different from what others have.

On my old S40, I took our standard S40 diffuser fins and mounted them on an additional bumper trim piece.  This was then bolted to my factory bumper, to give a clean aftermarket appearance.

Maker Motorsports S40 rear diffuser

On my new car, rather than just using the three fins included in the C30 package, I opted for a four fin set up. 

Maker Motorsports C30 rear diffuser

The standard T5 dual exhaust cutouts were widened to adapt my quad exhaust tips.

 

Quad exhaust tips

For anyone interested in purchasing their own diffuser fin set, they can be purchased online through the Maker Motorsports ebay store.

A Milestone and a Small Mark

Earlier this month, I passed the 100,000 mile mark. Of course, hitting 100k miles is pretty common for cars nowadays.  Even 200k miles is well within the life expectancy of a "modern" car.  But that doesn't make it any less special.

Immediately following this kodak moment, I mounted my Volvo Heritage Club badges.

Volvo Heritage Club Badges

The Volvo Heritage Club has replaced the traditional Volvo High Mileage Club.  While they continue to give badges for each major milestone, they now reward Volvo owners for their loyalty to the brand.  Because my family has owned at least one Volvo for the last ten years, we were able to apply for the "Ten Years" badge.


As I embark on a journey to reach 200k miles, I added a small tick mark to the top of my steering wheel.

Steering wheel marker

Originally used in race cars, the tick mark is visible in the driver's peripheral vision, making them aware of when the steering wheel is straight.  Some might consider this "modification" to be ricey, but it truly does make a difference during autocross events and even for daily driving.

Kinivo Bluetooth Aux Review

My 2008 C30 has one major advantage over my old 2004 S40, and that is the auxiliary input.  But let's face it... It's 2015 and no one uses aux inputs anymore; it's all about bluetooth now.

Though bluetooth was not an option for my model year, there are solutions.  After a little bit of research, I pulled the trigger on a Kinivo Bluetooth Aux unit.

The small little orb plugs into the 12 volt socket and aux in, then automatically connects to my phone and plays music and phone calls through the car's speaker.

Kinivo unit mounted to the center air vent

Of course, my installation was a little more involved since I prefer to hide all of my wiring.  The power was run to my 3-way splitter, while the aux-in was removed from the center console and hidden beneath the dash.

Factory aux in disconnected

As with any aftermarket handsfree device, phone calls sound like I'm yelling in a closet.  But I bought this for the music and I could not be more pleased.  The sound quality is just as clear as a normal auxiliary cable.  Two little buttons on the top of the device make changing tracks and answering phone calls easy; my phone never has to leave my pocket.

I have yet to discover something I do not like about this device.  For the price, the Kinivo is a must have item for any car that lacks factory bluetooth.

Feeling Blue in the New Year

As with most modifications to my C30, I am building it to be a little "race car" that pleases my boy-racer taste.  A lot of people will dislike the most recent alteration, but it is my car, not a crowd pleaser.

On New Year's day, I spent nearly 15 hours vinyl wrapping the java brown trim.  Admittedly, it's not perfect, but rarely does a vinyl wrapped car go without a few flaws.

Cosmic White and Bright Blue Metallic

 The Bright Blue Metallic vinyl is a product by Avery.  Up close, the metallic flake perfectly compliments the metallic flake in the Cosmic White paint.

Bright Blue Metallic and Cosmic White Metallic

Vinyl wrap is not just about changing the car's color or hiding imperfections in the paint.  It's about changing the style of the car for something completely unique; the subtle details are what cleanly finish off a wrap job.

Blue stripe continued into engine bay

Along with the wrapped trim, mirror caps, and stripe, I also painted my brake calipers to match.  These were finished off with white VOLVO decals placed along the faces.

Painted brake calipers to match

In my eagerness to share my work, I took pictures on a rainy / overcast day.  With the light reflecting off of the clouds, all angles were highlighted, making the vinyl look more turquoise than blue.  Below is a low quality iPhone picture, but it more accurately captures the dynamic color combination on a sunny day.

Colors on a sunny day