Advice wanted: considering swapping...

esta · Post by **esta** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 5:22 pm

Hi all

I just wanted peoples general opinions really...

I upgraded my ES for a GT at the beginning of the year-for obvious reasons, mainly being that the GT will be worth more in the future (as well as it being in better condition than the ES was)

But just recently i have been wanting something even faster (despite being caught speeding-and someone told me i had a high IQ once

) and i REALLY do not want to ditch the 480-i just feel strangely attached to the 480 and the 480 family on the forum, and i dont want to let that go

So would it be worthwhile getting a turbo? I want as late a one as possible (airbags and full leather are a must) or would this just be a daft idea? Will the GT be worth more in the long run? I feel kinda bad cos i know how much the GT (with that lovely interior and wheels) is saught after, but i really fancy some thing turbocharged...

What are your thoughts and ideas on this???

Cheers, Esta

catgroom · Post by **catgroom** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 7:06 pm

Hi mate!Long time no speak!

I went along with the same way of thinking for some time.Yknow,that the GT and Celeb would be worth loads in future.No doubt they will.

I went with this approach-:To have the Turbo now,as its the here and now which mattered to me.

Unless you have enough for both,which if youre swapping you dont,go with what feelings drive you now.It appears that there are a fair few GT and Celebs about.Just keep an eye on the market and if you see the prices rising on the GT then buy one then.

Hope that makes sense to you and is of some help mate!

Happy New Year!

Steve

esta · Post by **esta** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 7:12 pm

Hey Steve

Actually yeah that is good advice...you only live once, and i would hate it if i never got to have a turbo...like you said, there are always GT's about should the prices start to rise.

I think the only thing i will be particular about is that the car goes to someone from the club, i dont want to loose touch with it like i did my ES (but i was in a hurry

At least if it stays with a club member i will be more likely to get it back should my financial situation change!)

Happy New Year to you to

pepper · Post by **pepper** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 8:42 pm

Esta if you do decide to sell the GT to get a turbo can you let us know, I know of someone who may be interested in it. Oh and he is a club member on here.

esta · Post by **esta** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 9:08 pm

Yeh sure, first port of call will be here, to ensure the best for her, i really want to avoid eBay and Autotrader lol. The only thing is it wont be too soon (in the next couple of months [want to make sure she is sound all over, full MOT etc etc]) so i dont know how useful it will be to your friend, but keep your eyes peeled in the FOR SALE section

Thanks for letting me know

lee · Post by **lee** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 12:32 pm

GT Turbo problem solved. These are few and far between though. More common over the water than here though.

Prices of 480 at the mo are so low GT, celeb turbo are all worth about the same but with mint low mileage one with a small premium but if i'm honest not worth it.

As for should you get a turbo the answer is not a standard one no. The performance difference is virtually nil. In fact when the 2ltr was developed it produced more power than the turbo and had to have the power stranggled. Most of this power is killed by the very poor flowing and restriced manifold. By changing this you easily free up 10-15bhp which would then make the bhp more than that of a turbo. If you were to remove the cat from the 2 ltr as we tried it goes rather much later.

So to round up mod the 2ltr or get a turbo and mod it. Either way to feel the buzz of the turbo it would need a min of a rich mod to make it feel proper.

Hope this helps

esta · Post by **esta** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 1:03 pm

Thanks Lee-i have actually considered a GT Turbo (i thought this would be the answer too) but like you said, they are all abroad, and i like to have a good look at a car before i purchase so its been a bit of a pain trying to find one! There was one on the forum, but i couldnt afford it, especially the travel! However, if it has been kept up to date, there was one near my parents (so i get them to check the AutoTrader weekly!)

As for the power difference between the Turbo and GT, i didnt realise the difference was so small! I could mod it, but then, would it be just as worthwhile keeping the GT and modding that (as far as finances are concerned). You say you removed the cat-how much more power did you get? And how did it affect emissions?

Thanks for your advice. I am pleased i asked, else i think i would have just jumped straight into the turbo swap!

lee · Post by **lee** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 2:43 pm

you can buy a decat from Ã‚Â£30 up. The other option is to get a spare 2ltr cat and smash the inner out and hey presto decat.

Power and emissions. Well i could actually say as we didn't dyno it nor did we run an emissions check but it did use a little more fuel. The revs ran out far quicker than standard approx 10 meters sooner so thats shows the difference. The best person to ask would be laserowl as his car was the one that was decatted.

A 4 into 1 manifold would be the way to free up some power from the engine. This would free up the exhaust 10x better than just a stainless exhaust and would cost too much.

You can also buy a cam for the 2ltr from catcams which again would give you better performance. I don't know why more people don't mod the 2ltr as its a dam good engine and in my eyes the best all rounder in the range. But I only drive turbos and would always stay loyal to the turbo. So a turbo driver who has had the luck to have owned every engine option and drive them (not around the block) to say that the 2ltr engine is by far the best engine in standard form speaks fr itself.

My current turbo i bulit up from parts i must say i finished the job took it out and thought what a pile of shit. Removed the ecu replaced with a remapped one and now prefer it to my T5.

I know i sound like i am on the fence on this one and honestly i am as they are both good but only dependent upon their state of tune. In standard form i would take the 2ltr of the turbo but for tunability there is possibly more for the turbo. but with the right tuning a 2ltr could possibly out do the turbo

lee

martinholmesuk · Post by **martinholmesuk** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 3:58 pm

a few things come from this.

You like the GT enough and rather not sell but you also want more go.

The 2lt 'could' be modded. I very much doubt it would be anything like a 480 turbo with a rich mod.

I never had a 2lt but I did own a 1.7 and that was quick, a 480 turbo blows it away and a 480 turbo with rich mod blows away a standard turbo.

if we are going to talk modding.

or make a gt turbo?

lee · Post by **lee** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 9:25 pm

GT turbo conversion now that would be a good one to have as there won't be another or not to my knoledge anyway

esta · Post by **esta** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 9:28 pm

i did ask once about the turbo conversion...

http://volvo480.dragons.org.uk/forum/vi ... hp?t=13038

this was also something i considered, i am a bit of a speed freak lol

lee · Post by **lee** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 9:59 pm

it is doable but its weather you take the job on yourself or pay someone else to do the job for you.

Pending on your time scale HOMDV can carry out the work. As they only operate fulltime once aweek saturdays to be exact.

esta · Post by **esta** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 10:03 pm

lee wrote:Pending on your time scale HOMDV can carry out the work. As they only operate fulltime once aweek saturdays to be exact.

I would prefere to do it myself, i had fun doing the top end rebuild on my XR, but sadly i couldnt do it without having another run around (to ensure there was no excuse for not turning up to work

)

lee · Post by **lee** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 10:11 pm

well if you are going to go own that route then my advice is this Get your doner vehicle now while they are cheap take the bits you need then use your xr or get a crappy little Ã‚Â£50 car and start the conversion

Otherwise be the first to prove that the 2ltr is a tunable engine.

esta · Post by **esta** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 10:17 pm

I would love to be the first

The only thing stopping me from the Ã‚Â£50 cheap car thing is my pride lol, tho a cheapo 480S would be sound just to get me from A to B.

lee · Post by **lee** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 10:20 pm

The only thing stopping me from the Ã‚Â£50 cheap car thing is my pride lol, tho a cheapo 480S would be sound just to get me from A to B.

pepper · Post by **pepper** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 10:22 pm

Ach if you're going to change the engine big style. then I reckon the only way to go would be to put a 2lt Turbo out of a Renault 21 in there, then that would be a flier!

Or if you want revs then you could use a 2.0 16v out of the renault 19/clio onwards series.

lee · Post by **lee** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 10:30 pm

The r21 turbo the french cowoth at the time and still dam fast now. I had a few outing in a 21 quadra which is the 4wd version of the 21 turbo for those that hadn't guessed what quadra stood for.

But to fit this engine there would be far to many issues to get round to make it worth your while. The clio engine on the other hand is an option which is regularly being choose from the volvo300mania club as they are cheap power and easy to get hold of. But it is a no standard 480 engine range so the resale value would be lower than that of an engine conversion from within the range

esta · Post by **esta** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 10:43 pm

I had forgotten about the Renault engines (my boyfriends mate was hoping to nick the engine from my car for his Renault 5...i had to inform him it was the 2l not the turbo

) but i have often wondered if any of the current 2l turbos used in Volvos would fit...?

lee · Post by **lee** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 10:46 pm

it all depends on how much messing around you wish to carry out. You have to ask yourself do you want a straight swop or welding cutting and generl shoehorning and standalone ecus and the like.