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MyNameIdeasWereTaken AWD C30 Progression Thread

288174 Views 865 Replies 113 Participants Last post by  MyNameIdeasWereTaken
2008 Volvo C30 T5 "Belle"


Phase 1:
V2.0 Cosmic White / Laser Blue Metallic
FWD M66​
272whp
345ftlbs of torque
0-60mph: 4.925 seconds
Phase 2:
V2.0 Cosmic White / Laser Blue Metallic
AWD M66​
266whp
331ftlbs of torque​
Stock Options:
Bi-Xenon headlights (DRLs disabled)
Fog lights
Dynamic Stability Traction Control
Cruise Control
Rain Sensing Windshield
Brushed Aluminum Interior Trim
Power/Memory Driver Seat
Dynaudio
"Illumination"
Sport Pedals
Carbon Fiber B-Pillars
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
Sunglasses Holder
Rubber Floor Mats
Rear Bumper Reflectors
Auto-dimming Mirror with Compass
R-Design Gauges
Rear Mudflaps
Stock Options:
Bi-Xenon headlights (DRLs disabled)
Fog lights
Dynamic Stability Traction Control
Cruise Control
R-Design Interior Trim
"Illumination"
Sport Pedals
Carbon Fiber B-Pillars
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
Rear Bumper Reflectors
Auto-dimming Mirror with Compass
R-Design Gauges
Rear Mudflaps
Exterior Cosmetic Modifications:
Exterior Cosmetic Modifications:
Interior Cosmetic Modifications:
Interior Cosmetic Modifications:
Audio & Electronics:
3 Way 12V Splitter
Garmin GPS
Cobra Radar Detector
Kinivo Bluetooth Aux Unit
Glowshift Boost/Vacuum Gauge
Glowshift Volt Meter
Battery Relocation
(see more info here)
Eyourlife LED Light Bar (see more info here)
Black Box G1W Dash Cam
Quad Fog Lights
Audio & Electronics:
Performance & Handling:
H&R Coilovers
Elevate Rear Sway Bar
Massive Adjustable Rear Camber Arms
Forge Recirculation Valve
Elevate Turbo Control valve
IPD HD Coilpacks
Custom Short Ram Intake
Elevate Intake Plenum
Do88 Intercooler
Elevate Intercooler Hardpipe Kit
Elevate Silicone Hose Set
Elevate Non-Resonated Cat Back Exhaust
Manzo Catless 3" Downpipe
Newman Camshafts
Custom Shark Tune
Stainless Steel Brake lines
Eurosport Tuning Front Strut Bar
TheBelgian Half Cage
(see more info on rear brace here)
Meyle HD Endlinks
Mazda 3 Torque Mount with WhiteLine Kit
Greddy RS type BOV
Fumoto Oil Drain Valve
Porsche 70mm Throttle Body
(see more info here)
Hotchkis RSB Brackets
Mishimoto Aluminum Coolant Reservoir
(see more info here)
Wilwood 6 Piston 320mm Front Brakes
TheBelgian 320mm Rear Brakes
(see more info here)
drjonez Race Mode switch (see more info here)
KYB Adjustable Shocks
Clutch Shock Load Limiter Delete
(see more info here)
Performance & Handling:
AWD Conversion (see a video here)
H&R Coilovers
Elevate Rear Sway Bar
Massive Adjustable Rear Camber Arms
Forge Recirculation Valve
IPD HD Coilpacks
Custom Short Ram Intake
Elevate Intake Plenum
Evolve Intercooler
Elevate Intercooler Hardpipe Kit
Elevate Silicone Hose Set
Custom Non-Resonated 3" Exhaust
Custom Catless 3" Downpipe
Custom Shark Tune
Stainless Steel Brake lines
Eurosport Tuning Front Strut Bar
Custom Rear Upper Stabilizer Bar
Honda Pilot Endlinks
Damond Torque Mount
Greddy RS type BOV
Fumoto Oil Drain Valve
Porsche 70mm Throttle Body
(see more info here)
Hotchkis RSB Brackets
Mishimoto Aluminum Coolant Reservoir
Volvo 320mm Front Brakes
TheBelgian 320mm Rear Brakes
(see more info here)
KYB Adjustable Shocks
Clutch Shock Load Limiter Delete
(see more info here)
Awards & Features:
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521 - 540 of 866 Posts
Twice, my hood has popped while driving. My car used to give a warning on the display screen when the hood was popped or the electrical plug was disconnected, but it doesn't anymore!

I thoroughly examined the cable and there's nothing apparently wrong, no snagging on anything, and still has proper resistance when pulling it to released the hood.

It was really freaky having it pop while driving on the highway. One big bump and I fear the latch may have given; the whole hood was bouncing violently.

I'm not about to spend the money for a latch replacement, so I drilled some holes and installed hood pins. Function over form, but it fits the theme of the rice.
I ordered a set of flush AeroCatch pins, but to install them in a meaningful location would greatly sacrifice the structural integrity of the hood since such a large hole would have to be cut on both sides.

The hood does not budge when popped with the pins in place. This makes me feel a lot more comfortable...

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Engine torque mount

Hello everybody,

After reading few interesting things, Ive decided to come on this forum to ask some advices. I have a c30 t5 manual gearbox r design 2008, 120k miles, I really want to do some small mods to improve the driving feeling and stuff but keep it stock (no stage). I read that an engine torque mount could be interesting and that's why I would like some opinions and experiences from you if you change it. Is it really an improvement ?
Elevate, viva performance, or others ?
I drive it as a dayli car so I dont want a lot of vibrations.

Thanks for your reply. :)
Hello everybody,

After reading few interesting things, Ive decided to come on this forum to ask some advices. I have a c30 t5 manual gearbox r design 2008, 120k miles, I really want to do some small mods to improve the driving feeling and stuff but keep it stock (no stage). I read that an engine torque mount could be interesting and that's why I would like some opinions and experiences from you if you change it. Is it really an improvement ?
Elevate, viva performance, or others ?
I drive it as a dayli car so I dont want a lot of vibrations.

Thanks for your reply. :)
An upgraded torque mount makes a very nice improvement. If you go with the right mount, the added vibration will be very slight and almost welcome since it makes you feel more connected with the car. It will definitely help with the feel of power delivery and allow you to get off the line slightly quicker since the engine/transmission will not rock as much and better deliver the torque to the wheels.

There are a bunch of mounts on the market and I've tried a handful of them. But hands down, the best mount I've used has been the Ford efocus mount. It gives a performance-level improvement with minimal vibration, a great lifespan, and the cheapest price.

The Elevate mount was good on my S40, but the vibration was a little more harsh until it was fully broken in. I had the early version of the bushing, which ended up cracking pre-maturely. Supposedly this has since been fixed.
The Elevate mount was also good on my C30, but I personally don't think it's worth the price tag.
On the C30, I'm currently using a Whiteline bushing insert for the stock Mazda 3 mount. It has been satisfactory, but its nothing I'm excited over.
On the V50, I have the Powerflex bushing insert for the stock Volvo mount. This has been surprisingly good, but not quite as firm as I was hoping. Though there's almost no added vibration from it.
I also tried the Chinese knock off version of the efocus mount which was complete crap. It looks the same and deceptively enough, the name of the mount is Ford's part number. Make sure you're getting a genuine Ford part.
My first genuine efocus mount did crack after a long while of hard driving, but that's to be expected with any mount and time. Ford's part# CM5Z-6068-A.

Other subtle things to drastically improve the driving feel of your car will be an upgraded rear sway bar. Elevate makes a really nice one and there are a bunch of options for the Focus ST and the Mazda 3. I had the iPd bar, but it was barely any larger than stock and it really didn't make a huge improvement. The Elevate bar has been my preference on both the C30 and V50.

A rear upper brace (also called a rear strut bar or "TheBelgian" bar) is one of the best upgrades I've done to the car. It completely eliminates the unpredictable body flex through corners and makes a much needed improvement to the hatchback. TheBelgian on C30Crew used to make these, but has since sold the design to Elevate. Elevate has a fixed version and a removable version. I had the original fixed Belgian bar, so I cannot comment on how the removable bar feels.
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An upgraded torque mount makes a very nice improvement. If you go with the right mount, the added vibration will be very slight and almost welcome since it makes you feel more connected with the car. It will definitely help with the feel of power delivery and allow you to get off the line slightly quicker since the engine/transmission will not rock as much and better deliver the torque to the wheels.

There are a bunch of mounts on the market and I've tried a handful of them. But hands down, the best mount I've used has been the Ford efocus mount. It gives a performance-level improvement with minimal vibration, a great lifespan, and the cheapest price.

The Elevate mount was good on my S40, but the vibration was a little more harsh until it was fully broken in. I had the early version of the bushing, which ended up cracking pre-maturely. Supposedly this has since been fixed.
The Elevate mount was also good on my C30, but I personally don't think it's worth the price tag.
On the C30, I'm currently using a Whiteline bushing insert for the stock Mazda 3 mount. It has been satisfactory, but its nothing I'm excited over.
On the V50, I have the Powerflex bushing insert for the stock Volvo mount. This has been surprisingly good, but not quite as firm as I was hoping. Though there's almost no added vibration from it.
I also tried the Chinese knock off version of the efocus mount which was complete crap. It looks the same and deceptively enough, the name of the mount is Ford's part number. Make sure you're getting a genuine Ford part.
My first genuine efocus mount did crack after a long while of hard driving, but that's to be expected with any mount and time. Ford's part# CM5Z-6068-A.

Other subtle things to drastically improve the driving feel of your car will be an upgraded rear sway bar. Elevate makes a really nice one and there are a bunch of options for the Focus ST and the Mazda 3. I had the iPd bar, but it was barely any larger than stock and it really didn't make a huge improvement. The Elevate bar has been my preference on both the C30 and V50.

A rear upper brace (also called a rear strut bar or "TheBelgian" bar) is one of the best upgrades I've done to the car. It completely eliminates the unpredictable body flex through corners and makes a much needed improvement to the hatchback. TheBelgian on C30Crew used to make these, but has since sold the design to Elevate. Elevate has a fixed version and a removable version. I had the original fixed Belgian bar, so I cannot comment on how the removable bar feels.
Thanks for your reply, it's now a bit more clear and you seem to know a lot ahaha :)
I still have to see what I can afford! But the engine mount sounds good!
Still got to get around to throwing in the eFocus mount, at $50 why not.

MNIWT, I got a question about the pedal spacer you put in. Could you do a super lazy pedal spacer and simply put a nut behind each of the 3 screws that holds the pedal on to space it out a bit?
MNIWT, I got a question about the pedal spacer you put in. Could you do a super lazy pedal spacer and simply put a nut behind each of the 3 screws that holds the pedal on to space it out a bit?
Yep, I actually did this about a year ago in an attempt to test something new. Completely forgot to update this thread about it... But a few washers and it's still very rigid while bumping it out nicely.
Yep, I actually did this about a year ago in an attempt to test something new. Completely forgot to update this thread about it... But a few washers and it's still very rigid while bumping it out nicely.
Nice! I think for mine I will try just a nut first and then bump from there. I will call this the Ace Hardware pedal spacer
Did you end up dropping the brake cooling duct idea then?

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
Did you end up dropping the brake cooling duct idea then?
I still have future plans for cooling ducts. They would be going through the upper grilles either way, since the intercooler end tanks block the lower grilles.
Ditched the outdated 4 point Sabelts for updated 5 point camlock G-Forces.

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Michael - did you ever get to the bottom of your clutch issues? Looking back I don't see any recent references to it.

Nice tweaks to what you have going. Liking the new lower lighting & seat harnesses.

I'm also curious if you have had any shifting issues with reverse - I have noticed mine doesn't want to engage on first try as of the last week or so - I only have about 120K, so I wouldn't expect a cable failure yet. Not seeing anything obvious with the cables/linkage. I can't find the bulletin on cable adjustment to check that aspect though...
Dude! The bottom one looks like a GTR! Nice!

I always wonder what upgrading the car like this does to your insurance liability wise - you know, couple sprained neck claims from turning so many heads. Lol

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Michael - did you ever get to the bottom of your clutch issues? Looking back I don't see any recent references to it.

I'm also curious if you have had any shifting issues with reverse - I have noticed mine doesn't want to engage on first try as of the last week or so - I only have about 120K, so I wouldn't expect a cable failure yet. Not seeing anything obvious with the cables/linkage. I can't find the bulletin on cable adjustment to check that aspect though...
Nope, every time I think I've fixed it, the problem comes back. I've honestly just learned to live with it... If I'm driving an extensive distance of no gear changes, I'll pop it in neutral and pump the clutch a few times. When competing in events, I'll basically double clutch so as to build up pressure for a predictable engagement point.
Hopefully soon, I'll have the time to swap in a P2R stock clutch, switch to a single mass flywheel, and replace the slave cylinder again.

Even at 345ftlbs at the wheels, my stock C30 clutch has never had a problem with handling that power (until recently at 190k miles). I know the P2R clutch is an upgrade for the P1, plus it's cheap. So that's my reasoning for not going with something aftermarket and better.

A few times, I have had issues engaging reverse or first after being parked on a hill. Blipping the throttle allows it to slide right in, so I've assumed it's just the gears not being lined up perfectly. This happens pretty frequently in my truck where it's much more prominent since the stick is connected right to the transmission.

I'm not sure about how to adjust the shift cables on these cars, but it probably has to do with tweaking the horseshoe levers on the transmission itself.
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Dude! The bottom one looks like a GTR! Nice!

I always wonder what upgrading the car like this does to your insurance liability wise - you know, couple sprained neck claims from turning so many heads. Lol
Haha, thanks!
I actually had a guy follow me into a parking lot after making a U turn upon seeing my car. He said he thought it was an R34 coming up the street, until I passed by. Then he had no idea what this hatchback was, but he knew he wanted one.

I guess I kind of see it, with the big grille openings. Not what I'm going for, but I'll never complain about being mistaken for an R34. :p
Haha, thanks!
I actually had a guy follow me into a parking lot after making a U turn upon seeing my car. He said he thought it was an R34 coming up the street, until I passed by. Then he had no idea what this hatchback was, but he knew he wanted one.

I guess I kind of see it, with the big grille openings. Not what I'm going for, but I'll never complain about being mistaken for an R34. :p
Yeah, your C30 is certainly the Godzihrra of the clan :thumbup:
As you may have heard, a friend of mine now has the world's first AWD C30.

Unlike the Polestar Concept, which thought it was a V50,
Or other DIY attempts, which used standalone ECUs,
His is a true C30 running an AWD setup (from an S40 donor) with no error codes.

Details about this will be coming to C30Crew soon, but it was a beast to see in person.

I'm shopping for a donor right now, as I plan to convert my C30 within the next year. If anyone finds a wrecked M66 AWD P1, let me know! :D

http://instagr.am/p/Bh6obdmlZc9/
As you may have heard, a friend of mine now has the world's first AWD C30.

Unlike the Polestar Concept, which thought it was a V50,
Or other DIY attempts, which used standalone ECUs,
His is a true C30 running an AWD setup (from an S40 donor) with no error codes.

Details about this will be coming to C30Crew soon, but it was a beast to see in person.

I'm shopping for a donor right now, as I plan to convert my C30 within the next year. If anyone finds a wrecked M66 AWD P1, let me know! :D

http://instagr.am/p/Bh6obdmlZc9/
I watched the video like 8 times. That is truly awesome.
As you may have heard, a friend of mine now has the world's first AWD C30.

Unlike the Polestar Concept, which thought it was a V50,
Or other DIY attempts, which used standalone ECUs,
His is a true C30 running an AWD setup (from an S40 donor) with no error codes.

Details about this will be coming to C30Crew soon, but it was a beast to see in person.

I'm shopping for a donor right now, as I plan to convert my C30 within the next year. If anyone finds a wrecked M66 AWD P1, let me know! :D

http://instagr.am/p/Bh6obdmlZc9/
Oh Snap, I'd be very interested in details!

I'm doing the same right now. Gas tank and rear end are in. Engine is out, waiting on Viva's SMF + P2R clutch kit to get here. I'm also doing a Auto > manual swap at the same time. I don't think I can keep any of my C30 ecm, dim, etc because I'm upgrading to heated seats and replacing the stereo for the 6cd changer at the same time, but I'm definitely interested in knowing how it was done with the original computers.
An upgraded torque mount makes a very nice improvement. If you go with the right mount, the added vibration will be very slight and almost welcome since it makes you feel more connected with the car. It will definitely help with the feel of power delivery and allow you to get off the line slightly quicker since the engine/transmission will not rock as much and better deliver the torque to the wheels.

There are a bunch of mounts on the market and I've tried a handful of them. But hands down, the best mount I've used has been the Ford efocus mount. It gives a performance-level improvement with minimal vibration, a great lifespan, and the cheapest price.

The Elevate mount was good on my S40, but the vibration was a little more harsh until it was fully broken in. I had the early version of the bushing, which ended up cracking pre-maturely. Supposedly this has since been fixed.
The Elevate mount was also good on my C30, but I personally don't think it's worth the price tag.
On the C30, I'm currently using a Whiteline bushing insert for the stock Mazda 3 mount. It has been satisfactory, but its nothing I'm excited over.
On the V50, I have the Powerflex bushing insert for the stock Volvo mount. This has been surprisingly good, but not quite as firm as I was hoping. Though there's almost no added vibration from it.
I also tried the Chinese knock off version of the efocus mount which was complete crap. It looks the same and deceptively enough, the name of the mount is Ford's part number. Make sure you're getting a genuine Ford part.
My first genuine efocus mount did crack after a long while of hard driving, but that's to be expected with any mount and time. Ford's part# CM5Z-6068-A.

Other subtle things to drastically improve the driving feel of your car will be an upgraded rear sway bar. Elevate makes a really nice one and there are a bunch of options for the Focus ST and the Mazda 3. I had the iPd bar, but it was barely any larger than stock and it really didn't make a huge improvement. The Elevate bar has been my preference on both the C30 and V50.

A rear upper brace (also called a rear strut bar or "TheBelgian" bar) is one of the best upgrades I've done to the car. It completely eliminates the unpredictable body flex through corners and makes a much needed improvement to the hatchback. TheBelgian on C30Crew used to make these, but has since sold the design to Elevate. Elevate has a fixed version and a removable version. I had the original fixed Belgian bar, so I cannot comment on how the removable bar feels.
Quick update : I've just installed a new engine torque mount for my c30. It's really better. I can feel the improvement on hard accelerations and shifting. Thanks a lot! Next step would be a kpax exhaust...
Have a nice day :)
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