Stealth Bulbs

Nothing clashes more than the bright amber glow of classic turn signal bulbs.  Even when they are inactive, the orange bulb still reflects off the housing leaving a bright orange spot in the middle of the lights.

Over the years, people have experimented with LED turn signal bulbs. Others have used niteshade smoke to black out the lenses.  However, nothing truly compares to the clean finished look of a stealth mirrored bulb.

On my car especially, I love how the mirrored bulb appears white with the rest of the taillight housing.

All the bulbs have now been replaced on my car, but I'm not done here!  Next on the list will be to finally take care of the chrome headlight rings.

Off to an Early Start

I'm not wasting any time with getting Belle up to my standards of perfection.

The night we got home, I swapped out all the halogen bulbs for LEDs.

LED fog lights and LED city light to compliment the factory HIDs

Projector LED reverse lights

As a car modifier, there is a definite bond between man and machine.  Time, blood, sweat, and tears all get invested when building up a car to be completely unique.  But it ultimately comes down to the little details which make a car feel like home.

Before selling my S40, I salvaged a few parts for Belle.  At my feet, I installed the aluminum foot rest and blue footwell LEDs.

For a familiar feel, I swapped over my custom Redline Goods steering wheel.

At my head, I traded the handle for the factory sunglasses holder.

Lastly, came the 18" x 7.5" Midir wheels.

Bringing Home Belle

Last Thursday, I took a 6:00AM flight to Trenton, NJ.  The first stop on my journey to pick up Belle.

Sunrise over Virginia

Once on the ground, another C30 owner picked me up and we hit the road for Oswego, NY.  It was a pleasure getting to see Lake Ontario, but the real pleasure sat in the middle of the parking lot.

Picking up Belle in Oswego, NY

Meet Belle!  She's a 2008 Volvo C30 T5, nearly fully loaded from the factory with a bunch of aftermarket parts.  Currently putting out 254hp to the wheels, she's a beast that's ready to be built up even more.  The previous owner took excellent care of her, making sure I was fully aware of all the minor defects.  

This car is definitely a suitable replacement for my S40 and I hope you'll follow along as Belle slowly transforms into the car of my dreams.

Spending the night with two other C30s

The End of an Era

The S40 is officially sold... Just shy of 4 years of ownership, we had a great run! I consider myself very blessed for getting to own that car; it introduced me to many great communities and people, while also providing a lot of fun at events and during my commute to school and work. Huge thanks to SwedeSpeed and C30Crew for teaching me how to do proper maintenance and inspiring me to modify my car. 

I sold the car just two days after listing it. Though it was sad to leave behind, I trust the new owner will be taking good care of him. 

But don't worry, I'll still be around! In 3 more days, I will be picking up my dream C30.  Stay tuned for the next progression blog!

2004.5 Volvo S40 "Sequel"
November 6th, 2010 - October 12, 2014

Before:

The day I bought the car

After:

Three days before selling the car

Below are some pictures I took three days ago, of the car in all its glory.

Appalachian Euro Rally

Slaying the dragon is always fun, especially when your car is set up right, but sometimes it's nice to kick back and enjoy the scenery.  On October 11th, a group of European cars will be doing just that!  

This year's Appalachian Euro Rally will be meeting up in Charlotte at 8AM, then hitting the mountain roads for a scenic drive to Asheville, North Carolina.  Volvos, Audis, BMWs... All European cars are invited!

Check out the facebook events page for more details.  

If you happen to be driving through North Carolina, keep your eyes pealed for our European convoy. All participants will be rocking these decals:

Appalachian Euro Rally badge