S40 (New) General : S40 classy upgrade thread

[johnnybguud]

I will be using this thread to post pictures of my car, what I have learned with it, my upgrade story and so on. If I have any questions I hope you guys can help me with it ^^

This is the most updated version of the car:

[johnnybguud]

Mechanical: £684
Alloys: (Oct 2016) C30 18'' £72
Suspension: (Feb 2017) JOM Coilovers and dampers £222
Polybushed Trailing arms in the front (Mar 2017) from a Focus ST £70
Spacers: (Mar 2017) 20mm front and 35mm back £65 + £150
Tyres: 205/40R18 (STRETCH) Pirelli front Dunlop rear £105

Aesthetic: £235
Carpets (Feb 2016) £18
New Numberplates (metal) (Oct 2016) £19
Locknuts (Oct 2016) - I had lost one, getting rusty now £10
LEDs for presence lights and numberplate (Oct 2016)
Front xenon lights: (Dec 2016) £34
Seats: (Mar 2017) all Cream Leather from a V50, driver's seat with memory £100
Removed lettering from the back (Apr 2017) £0
Front Fog lights: (Apr 2017) £40 lights + £14 module. changed the module but still don't work - is there an update needed?

(more details about each change below)

Total upgrade spending: £900

[dcw]

Looks good - although it also looks mighty tight around the wheel arches!

Front fog-lights need to have the software installed to make them work (I presume by "module" you mean the light switch unit?), so you need a Volvo main dealer or a good independent with the correct equipment. Either way the software has to be bought from Volvo, and then you may have a labour charge too.

I fitted fog lights to mine and local (and excellent) independent Hutton Brothers activated them for me - cost me about £40 all in, although they were doing other stuff for me at the same time.

David

[Tannaton]

I do think the S40 is a bit of a "sleeper" car - it doesn't take too many discreet mods to almost completely change its image.

[johnnybguud]

I bought my S40 back in October 2015 for £2000 . At the time I was aiming for this price on a two-litre diesel so the only two other cars I was considering were the Passat (which my Dad had driven a couple of years ago - I didn't like the electric hand brake) and the Saab 9-3 (I was advised against it due to the awful Fiat engine)

Insurance was steep as I was only 24 at the time so for a while I could not afford any upgrades.
The engine is a Ford/PSA 2.0 litres diesel with 100kW (136hp) and 320 Nm (240 ft-lb)
It had had two previous owners, the last being Volvo themselves and came with full upholstery interior, unfortunately the rear headrests were missing.
I believe it was a base model as it had no fogs in the front.

[johnnybguud]

It was October again, a new year (2016) and I started hanging out again with my car-loving budies. I reckoned it was time for an upgrade. The first upgrades anyone does to a car are Rims, Springs and Shocks, and I went in that order!

First the Alloys: My friend Pete found me these amazing C30 alloys just an hour away, 4 for £72 (I am not joking it was literally a pound an inch) and we decided to investigate



We got there and an old gentleman greets us and tells us he was advised to sell them because after Aluminium corrodes, the air escapes through the metal and the tyres run out of air (?) we agreed and bought them, of course, laughing on our way home.

The week after that we cracked on the alloys once again to get them cleaned and this is the result (before/after)

(before)


(After)


We learned as we went along, the process to rid the wheels of corrosion was:
1. Sanding (Using an electric sander as well)
2. Fine sanding
3. Using Brasso to polish
4. Water to rinse and a dry cloth to finish

We don't know how to Lacquer so we left it at that and I just make sure I wash my alloys once a month

[johnnybguud]

The next (logical) step was fitting the alloys in the car. A friend of ours does it for cheap so we cracked on:

(BEFORE)


(AFTER)

(****ty samsung quality from my mate's phone, I took the other photo with my Huawei P9 - effortlessly good photos)

Anyone can clearly see the problem now: It looks like a 4x4, the rear axle is even inwards!! COILOVER TIME!

[johnnybguud]

Originally Posted by dcw

Looks good - although it also looks mighty tight around the wheel arches!

Front fog-lights need to have the software installed to make them work (I presume by "module" you mean the light switch unit?), so you need a Volvo main dealer or a good independent with the correct equipment. Either way the software has to be bought from Volvo, and then you may have a labour charge too.

I fitted fog lights to mine and local (and excellent) independent Hutton Brothers activated them for me - cost me about £40 all in, although they were doing other stuff for me at the same time.

David

Thanks David ! ^^ yes the wheel arches have just about enough clearance to driveable

Thanks for the advice, I had read somewhere that a software update is needed and that confirms my worries. I'll try to find a dealer a little closer to my place^^

[johnnybguud]

Originally Posted by Tannaton

I do think the S40 is a bit of a "sleeper" car - it doesn't take too many discreet mods to almost completely change its image.

Totally agree with you. I am always surprised with how easy it is to mod it as well - it's like a Lego car!

[dcw]

Originally Posted by johnnybguud

Thanks David ! ^^ yes the wheel arches have just about enough clearance to driveable

Thanks for the advice, I had read somewhere that a software update is needed and that confirms my worries. I'll try to find a dealer a little closer to my place^^

Ha ha - probably advisable - it'd be a very expensive upgrade otherwise if you came all the way up here!!

Good luck with the on-going project - I agree with Tannaton and you that with a little effort you can make something good of a basic S40, as yours shows! I am slowly working on mine (as per the thread in the showroom). Don't know if you are interested but another easy upgrade is the auto dimming mirror - plenty on e-bay (just make sure you get the earlier one for our cars) and it's a straight plug & play...

David