pnwgeek Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 I'm not really sure where else to put this, but because I'm coming from a Volvo background, this seemed like the best place to start. I've owned Volvos most of my adult life. Various 240s, an 850 or two and a non-running 740. I think I'm up to 14 or 15 now? I'd have to go back through the list and verify, but it's not important. However, because there's virtually NO aftermarket for the 240, the enthusiasts have had to make their own. You want a set of coilovers? Make them. Short shifter? Cut and weld. Better engine mounts? Get some angle iron... You get the idea. Some of the more enterprising enthusiasts have made a side business out of creating parts for them (see http://trianglesunlimited.com). So there's a very strong DIY feel to the community. So I come here because I'm looking to get into a Legacy, and I don't see anywhere near as much of that. Granted, the aftermarket support is HUGE, so there's not so much of a need. However, when I see people bashing coilover brands and talking about shelling out upwards of $1500 for a set - when I was ready to fabricate my own for my '83 245 for under $150, it gets me wondering where the...well to put it bluntly, cheapasses are? I suppose part of the volvo community - at least around the older RWD models anyway - is that we're all broke, or at least 'thrifty'. So while everyone WANTS coilovers, nearly nobody can afford to pay $500, let alone 3x that for a set. Besides, they're just sleeves and a stop ring welded to the strut housing with a spring matched to the damper and a top hat, right? Of course with the integrated strut and hub assy that we deal with over there we can't do spring preload but that's another story. What I'm getting at I suppose is why the huge difference in mentalities? I'm SURE there are people around here who rely on jbweld, duct tape and zipties to keep their cars together, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
05GT Guru Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 Sometimes, just look at the jbweld on the top mount intercoolers lol. And the hogzaust or however it is spelled when you just add washers to the stock exhaust system to create a louder noise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drift Motion Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 the $1500 coilovers are not coilover sleeves that ppl put on their hondas... cheap asses shouldn't be in the car modding community...car drives just fine stock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laz Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 A lot of members here have purchased the car new. Back in '05 new is all you could get if you wanted a manual transmission, turbo, AWD car. Since people were spending almost 30K for a new car not many wanted to fabricate something for a brand new car. Thankfully the aftermarket products came rolling in shortly. Now that the '05 is a generation and a few years behind you'll probably start to see more of the DIY type of products. I am afraid as to what kids are going to do with the 4th Gen Legacy now that they are able to afford them as used cars. How old are the Volvos that you have owned. Also you may be a good example of someone wanting to get a cheaper Subaru to modify. Welcome! X --- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrueWhiteBoy Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 Insurance prices near me have already been going up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alegend90 Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 the cars are probably still too 'new' compared to some of the volvos you wrote about. i bet if you go into the 3rd gen forum and further back you'll see the DIY aspect rise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnwgeek Posted July 28, 2013 Author Share Posted July 28, 2013 A lot of members here have purchased the car new. Back in '05 new is all you could get if you wanted a manual transmission, turbo, AWD car. Since people were spending almost 30K for a new car not many wanted to fabricate something for a brand new car. Thankfully the aftermarket products came rolling in shortly. Now that the '05 is a generation and a few years behind you'll probably start to see more of the DIY type of products. I am afraid as to what kids are going to do with the 4th Gen Legacy now that they are able to afford them as used cars. How old are the Volvos that you have owned. Also you may be a good example of someone wanting to get a cheaper Subaru to modify. Welcome! X This makes a lot of sense. Turbos are the holy grail. Most of my Volvos have been mid-80's, but there's little aftermarket even for the newer ones. It's MUCH better than for a 240, but even though there might be someone selling a coilover kit for a V70, likely that's the ONLY option out there. the cars are probably still too 'new' compared to some of the volvos you wrote about. i bet if you go into the 3rd gen forum and further back you'll see the DIY aspect rise. I saw more in the 2nd gen forum, but those have just as much of an aftermarket as any of the others. Having a fairly cookie-cutter car (as far as the product line goes) is very nice for parts interchangeability. With a 240 you can swap most parts from a '93 into a '75, so I know how that goes...just wish there was someone out there who made *better* stuff for them sometimes, you know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ehsnils Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 For Volvo tuning parts (older Volvo like 240 and even older): http://www.kgtrimning.com/defaultE.htm Catalogue: http://www.kgtrimning.com/KGTRIMNING162005web.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnwgeek Posted July 29, 2013 Author Share Posted July 29, 2013 For Volvo tuning parts (older Volvo like 240 and even older): http://www.kgtrimning.com/defaultE.htm Catalogue: http://www.kgtrimning.com/KGTRIMNING162005web.pdf Yeah, but shipping from Sweden is fairly cost prohibitive, so unless we do a group buy (which has happened from time to time) it's not something a single enthusiast would do on a regular basis. Unless, of course, they're made of money...which we're generally not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
05GT Guru Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 Noble does the best DIY volvo work when they took a 315hp engine and bumped it to 650hp. http://www.rs-azure.com/uploads/fleet/noble_ia_pop.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishbone Posted July 31, 2013 Share Posted July 31, 2013 Let's be honest, if you're driving an old cheap Volvo it's likely because you can't afford better. The same goes for pretty much any lux car out there that's 15-20 years old. People want to have that badge on the car but can't shell out the money for something newer. So they buy something that has depreciated down to their budget. The demographic that has these cars because they have sentimental value, or are enthusiasts, is slim. So op, what you're writing about is common across the board whenever you run into a community that deals with cheap means of transportation, be it due to age or lack of refinement. Have you seen, for example, streetkiaz.com? If you're talking new Volvos and people unwilling to shell out the money for mods, then there's definitely a cognitive disconnect going on there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StoplightAssassin Posted August 1, 2013 Share Posted August 1, 2013 One of my buddies drives a brick. He's...of a different sort. In fact pretty much everything you described is the stuff I see him do all the time. In 10 to 15 years when the aftermarket has moved past the LGT, I'm sure you'll see many more DIYers. Just look at the older Legacies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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