Project V50: Installing Rally Armor Mudflaps

I'll let this following video give all the details on our latest modification:

Rally Armor mudflaps offer sufficient protection while also adding to that rugged off road look.

Project V50, Spare Wheel

We frequently take road trips on spirited driving roads and visit rural places with limited cell service. The last thing I want is to be stranded with a flat. Even though Volvo includes a full size spare in the trunk, the donut is only half width.

This means that you can only drive 45mph on the spare and must drive extra cautiously through the turns.

To allow myself to continue driving as normal when on my spare, I have replaced the donut with an actual wheel and tire. Of course, to keep with the theme of ProjectV50, this spare has been mounted to the roof basket. The following video briefly shows the process of building a bracket for the roof.

Project V50, New Shoes & Installing Wheel Spacers

Christmas came early with the purchase of new wheels and tires for the V50!

The following video shows off these new wheels and provides instruction for installing wheel spacers and hubcentric rings.

What Brakes to Buy?

Choosing new brakes can be a very daunting challenge. It is a moderately expensive purchase and your decision will be on the car for many miles. So how do you decide which brakes are best?

First, you must determine the application of the car. Is it being used for sporty driving, racing, or just a commuter?

Second, you should acknowledge the area you live in. Do you see frequent rain? Do your roads get salted in winter?

Third, consider cosmetics. To most people, brakes stop the car and serve no other purpose. But once you start paying attention, you'll acknowledge and admire brakes the same as you do nice wheels. Do you want your brakes to look cool?

Lastly, and most importantly, is your budget. Upgrading brakes can easily break the bank, but there are many replacement options for pads and rotors that won't hurt your wallet.

Check out my latest article on FCP Euro, comparing ALL of the replacement brake options for Volvos: Volvo Brake Options from FCP Euro.

Volvo Wheel Bearing Lock Brace

You would think that when a mechanical problem became so frequent, that it required a special part to be developed, an extended warranty/recall would be set in place to fix the issue for other cars.
Unfortunately, the rare problem with P1 Volvo hub bearings separating from the spindle is a responsibility of the owner to get fixed.

My recent article on FCP Euro goes into detail about the problems that can occur and how to install Volvo's bracket to prevent the issue from occurring: How to Install a Volvo Wheel Bearing Lock Brace (P1)

You can also watch the following video for additional information:

Project V50, Installing Hella Lights

The recent modification on our V50 has been the installation of roof-mounted Hella lights. With two wide angle fogs and three distant spots, these things illuminate everything within a 180° field of view.

The following video shows our installation process with all wires being completely hidden.

Elevate Front Mount Intercooler Installation and Review

An upgraded intercooler is an absolute must if you live in a moderately warm climate. Especially if you begin tuning your car, adding more power and higher boost levels.

Elevate makes an excellent upgraded intercooler for the P1 T5 engine.  You can read my installation guide on FCP Euro: Elevate Volvo P1 Intercooler Installation and Review, and my full review on FCP Euro: Elevate Intercooler Review For P1 Volvos (C30, C70, S40, V50).

Elevate Upper Intake Manifold Installation and Review

An upgraded manifold is not a necessity, but if you are looking to squeeze every last horsepower out of your engine, then it will be a requirement.

Elevate makes an excellent upgraded manifold for the P1 T5 engine.  You can read my full review and installation guide on FCP Euro: Elevate Intake Manifold Installation and Review.

Peg Leg

I was browsing through the junkyard and came across a Volvo S70. Not an unusual sight in the automotive grave yard these days... The S70 was built from 1998-2000, so many have been crashed, broken, or neglected.

But something about this S70 caught my eye.

It looked mostly stock. After prying open the rusted hood, I could tell it was stock. However, the seats had been snatched up by the vultures, as had three of the four wheels. The remaining tire was flat with a screw going straight through the tread.

But this remaining wheel was no ordinary alloy rim. It was a factory 18"x8" Volvo Pegasus wheel, the same wheels that came standard on the S60 and V70 Rs.

I quickly picked up the wheel and hauled it to the parts counter.

"How much for the wheel?" I asked.

The cashier responded, "$35," as she reached for a power drill. It was standard procedure at this junkyard to drill through the sidewall of tires.

I waved my hands to stop her, showing exactly where the screw had puncture the tread. Acknowledging that this tire was already damaged, she shrugged and sat the drill down.

Handing over $35 cash, I went straight to the local franchise tire shop. They popped off the tire, inspected it for any damage, then determined it was fixable and still road worthy. After patching the hole and rebalancing the wheel, they sent me on my way for no charge.

This Pegasus wheel, often called a "Peg" in the Volvo community, required repainting, but it would be the perfect full size spare.

Some slight modifications in my trunk and this Peg became the perfect addition in my C30. A full size spare means that if I get a flat while on a long distance trip, I am not limited to the 55mph donut. The 18" diameter is also large enough to sufficiently clear my big brake kit.

Only once have I needed to use this Peg leg, and it didn't look half bad on my C30!

Mishimoto Mustang Coolant Reservoir in a Volvo

I have finally finished up my aluminum coolant reservoir project.

There are a few good options for the MkII Focus RS that are directly compatible with P1 Volvos, but shipping and taxes from Europe bring it to over $300! A steep price to pay for a plug and play unit.


After some research, I discovered that the 2015 Mustang (more mustang parts for my car!) uses a similar inlet/outlet setup on the coolant tank. Mishimoto makes one of the best tank for the money, plus they have a lifetime warranty on their products.

Along with this tank, I also had to purchase a Mustang reservoir cap part# DG9Z8100A 

Unfortunately, a lot of modifying would be required to fit this larger tank in the stock location of P1 Volvo engine bays... 
Prior to purchasing the Mustang tank, also tried Mishimoto's product for the WRX, but the inlet/outlets were not the correct diameter and the tank was also 2/3rds the size of stock Volvo reservoir.

In the end, I built a bracket for the reservoir to sit in place of where my battery used to be.  The plumbing had to be rerouted, but it has been functioning properly without any issues. Now I will never have to worry about this reservoir cracking!

P1 Volvo Steering Wheel Removal

Remove the steering wheel? But why? That's kind of a crucial component...

Many Volvo owners may wish to upgrade to a different steering wheel in their car.
Volvo actually offered four different steering wheel options for P1 Volvos.
1. Vinyl steering wheel, nothing fancy.

2. Leather steering wheel, moderately basic.

3. Sport/R-design steering wheel, beefier grips and an aluminum insert, available in dark grey or beige.
4. Wood and leather steering wheel, for the fancy people.

There are also a few aftermarket options, such as the custom RedLine Goods steering wheel in my S40...

...and the custom Elevate alcantara steering wheel in my C30.

The initial steps of steering wheel removal are also required in the event that you wish to replace the air bag or add cruise control or radio control buttons.

The following video shows the removal process.

You may also read my latest article on FCP Euro: P1 Volvo Steering Wheel Replacement.

Hood Removal... Bonnet Removal for those in the UK

Rarely would the typical automobile owner find themselves in a situation that required removing the hood of their car. Unless you were replacing the hood or correcting panel gap spacing, the hood should be perfectly fine where it sits.

But for the rare instances when you do need to remove a random part on your P1 Volvo, I have likely got a how-to video for it! The following YouTube clip shows the surprisingly simple process of hood removal.

If you would rather learn by skimming through a textual tutorial, you may also read my latest article on FCP Euro: P1 Volvo Hood Removal and Alignment.

Key Fob Battery Replacemet

When the key fob battery is nearing the end of its life, you may notice that the signal range dramatically decreases. If the battery goes completely flat, the messages screen in the car will display "Remote Battery Voltage Low."

This first video shows the battery replacement process for 2004.5-2007 P1 Volvo key fobs.

This second videos shows the battery replacement process for 2008-2013 P1 Volvo key fobs.

You may also read my latest article on FCP Euro: P1 Volvo Key Fobs, Battery Replacement & Features, for additional information on what all those fob buttons do!

Project V50, 1 John 1:5

In our county, we pay an ad valorem tax at the purchase time of the vehicle. Tag renewal only costs $20 per year with no requirement of emissions or inspections; a pretty sweet deal for those who enjoy modifying their car beyond "legal" requirements.

Our custom vanity plate, "1John1:5" comes from the book of 1 John. "This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all."
Coming from the section titled "Walk in the Light," it will be an ironic addition to this car once we finish wiring up the Hella rally lights.

The following video shows the installation of these plates with an excerpt from 1 John.

Project V50, Roof Basket

The first cosmetic modification to our V50 has been the addition of a roof basket. It might not be to everyone's taste, but it will definitely be put to full use on this car.

Please enjoy the following video, which shows the installation of this $60 CraigsList find.