Technical Features
 Project 854R: Part I - Volan Resurrection
By By:George Achorn
Nov 3, 2001, 22:56

Despite its "Arrest-Me-Red" color and less-then-conservative trunk-mounted spoiler, Project 854R was definitely in need of a very key exterior improvement. One of the most siginificant visual modifications that can be performed on a car is a set of attractive alloy wheels.

Our particular R sedan left us wanting, having been delivered riding on T-5 spec 16-inch "turbo fan" wheels, while its large 205 55 16 Dunlop D60 tires began to rub under sharp turning. This was attributed to the larger 50-series tires and our low-sitting R's factory Sport suspension, and would have to go.

Large 17-inch wheels & tires came standard on the R, and a return to this aggressive wheelsize was decided upon, though we wanted to maintain the classy and upscale look that the Volvo has. Rather than sourcing some large aftermarket alloys, we chose a decidedly different approach that would make our R quite unique by refinishing the Volans in a different finish than the anthracite grey finish that they came with from the factory.

In our possession happened to be four of the the original 17-inch Volan alloy wheels that the car had originally rolled out of the factory on, albeit in a much more degraded condition. The outer lips had been virtually chewed off of each wheel, while two of the wheels showed signs of bending and one had a slight crack at the base of one of the wheel's spokes.



850Rs and T-5Rs without their original alloys are not uncommon. The Volan and Titan alloys found on these cars were made of somewhat soft alloy and were prone to bending and easily curbed. Further, traditional Volvo owners moving on from cars like 240s with their steel wheels were quite acclimated to driving their cars like tanks. Driving the newer R models in a similar fashion made quick work of the larger and more temperamental 17-inch alloys.

Our R was no different. At some point, the car's original owner had become fed up with the severely scraped and damaged wheels and removed them. Though quite attractive, it would appear they just weren't conducive to the needs of the car's first owner. However, this was no longer the case and a yearning to return to the Volans grew stronger with each 850R image we found while surfing the web.

A quick call to the Wheel Collision Center (WCC) in Bath, PA answered several questions. The outlook for future use of the Volans was good. We loaded them into the R's expansive trunk and hit the road for Pennsylvania.

Once there, the staff at WCC made a closer inspection of the Volans. All were reparable with the exception of the cracked alloy. With the crack located at the base of a spoke, WCC advised that while a repair was possible, the wheel would never be up to the strength tolerances of another never-cracked Volan.

With only three wheels, we were forced to find another. Sourcing a perfectly new wheel seemed somewhat wasteful. We'd have to pay the price of a brand new wheel, just to strip the finish and refinish it to match our vision. Fortunately WCC was able to source a similarly curbed Volan from their vast network of used wheel sources for a much more affordable price that would also need refinishing and thus could be finished like our other three soon-to-be custom Volans.



Once repaired, the set of four alloys was finished in a bright silver shade. While the boy-racer types may think we've detracted from the hardcore look of the 850R with its dark anthracite wheels, we believe we've simply refined the look and actually made it look more European.


In later research, we found that Volvo actually sold some European market 850Rs with silver finished Volan alloys. Perhaps there are no new ideas, yet we are very happy with the result and are quite confident that, at least in the United States, our R's wheels are quite unique.

The Wheel Collision Center took about five working days to complete our wheels. During the week that we waited, we searched for an affordable set of tires that would match the stock 205 45 17 sizing. The result was that this is a fairly unique tire size.


A call to Discount Tire Direct revealed three main choices. Aside from the original-equipment Pirellis, two other choices from Yokohoma were also available. Yokohoma's A520 and new Parada tires would fit the bill and were significantly lower in price.

We chose the Parada. With a deep rain channel right down the center of the tire, this aggressive tread pattern looks great on the car and provides excellent handling. Luckily for us, the tires arrived the day before our return to WCC to pick up the Volans.

Returning to Bath, PA, we had WCC mount and balance the Paradas. When mounting such low-profile tires, some shops can damage the alloys and we were confident that WCC knew what they were doing.

With the newly finished Volans back on the car, the result was jaw-dropping. Our somewhat boreing looking 850 visually became a real monster. We've maintained the look of the R, though we feel we've refined the look just a bit. The car now draws plenty of attention, with compact car owners constantly asking us at stop lights just what kind of alloys they are. They all seem disappointed when they find out the Volans are OEM Volvo wheels and thus won't fit their cars.



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