Philosophy Metaphilosophy Metaphysics Epistemology Ethics Politics Aesthetics Thought Mental Cognition. The Strip Club. Project Volvo Wagon. SHARE. The Strip Club Project Volvo Wagon 1. Week on Speedhunters has been a stark reminder about one of my own personal cars from that era. When I look at my 1. T.jpg' alt='Volvo 850 T5 Manual Conversion Youtube' title='Volvo 850 T5 Manual Conversion Youtube' />Volvo 2. I wonder what it could have been by now if Id have realised that it was a proper project car and not just a bit of fun. If Id have just focused on it from the start. We all know the stories of people with half finished builds, good intentions, unrealistic budgets and ultimately an incomplete project. Well, my Volvo 2. Welcome to the Strip Club. I bought it by accident in 2. Volvo Glossary Definitions of Volvo car lingo, terminology and abbreviations. Volvo abbreviations explained here, with links to various Volvo information. I already had a 2. DL that Id bought for 5 yes, really and had done a few thousand miles in, and figuring it should get some love I took it to a local Volvo specialist for a service. This was probably the first time Id paid somebody to work on one of my cars in over 1. On the way there the heater core blew It was winter and they had this Volvo 2. GLT  part exchangetrade in on the forecourt that I was told I could have on a 2. Dog guard, leather, heated seats, FSH, two owners, factory 1. You know, all the stuff that Ive since junked. The fact was that I needed a proper daily that I could eat, sleep, work and drive out of. In amongst the tens of cars my Dad owned were a couple of Volvos this is the only reason I can find for me buying this one. Even with 2. 00. K miles on the clock, it still cost me 1,0. MOT. But at the time it was just over 1. Like I say, if only Id just stuck with it. But then I never fully intended for this to be a project, which Im fairly sure is how the best ones start. I think this has been the Volvos enduring charm. Ive never placed any value on it, so Ive never sold it. But how did it become a stripped out, turbo powered wagon Well that ones simple I broke the rear shocks towing a really heavy car home across country on a really heavy trailer Another distraction. A short while later I was at British suspension manufacturer SPAX. I asked about a kit for the 2. I paid up, and then my Volvo was lower. Yes, I was on a slippery slope and sliding down fast with my hands clamped over my face. Over the next year or so, I stripped the interior for another article to show how you can get free power, gaining 1. Then came polycarbonate windows, a six point cage and a whole load of other cars Because nobody would seriously modify a Volvo, would they I aspired to own hot rods, M powered cars, obscure Japanese models. All of which have since come and gone. Leaving the Volvo sat quietly in the back of my lock up, ready when I needed a cheap car to get around in. Or across Europe on a 4,0. I sprayed it the greengreybrown colour it is now. All of that work was done getting on for 1. Volvo really was there for me whenever I needed it. But I always swore that when the engine gave up Id replace it with something better. Even so, no matter how many chances I gave it to throw the towel in, it still took 5. Now, I could bore you with the endless engine choices I played with, but ultimately it came down to being able to tell people it was powered by a Volvo motor. Not a V8, or BMW M3 engine, or an RB2. Cosworth all of which I considered. In England we never got the turbo 2. I guess Volvo never saw the point in developing it. For about four years I didnt live in England, preferring to roam the Earth, and it was near the end of this time that I saw the perfect 2. It had been built with real care and attention by a nice guy called Mike, who had documented it along with the help of the Turbobricks Forum. For the asking price I couldnt replicate what I was buying, so now Ive got two Volvo estates. The shot above is obviously in the same position as the first picture albeit a few years apart. Given that the silver car is lowered it gives you an idea of just how much lower the Strip Club is than stock. Loosing another couple of years which saw the newer estate road tested to Italy and back via Switzerland, and Im doing a shoot in the workshops of Huxley Motorsport, December 2. I dont know why I asked Hux what my money and two cars would get, but Im glad I did. In a little over two months in the Summer of 2. This made me very happy, because what Hux did was something I now realise I could never have done. Build the Volvo the way I wanted it, simple as. I dont have those skills Ive built my beach buggy and the odd barn, done an engine swap or two but what he did was look at it as a project, rather than a job. I remember being stood in the absolute middle of nowhere in Scotland, surrounded by some 4x. I wanted to do with the exhaust. My answer Side exit stainless notch the sill if you need to. Done. The list of jobs Hux did seemed endless another text consisted of, Ive made hard pipes because what you had was crap. He was right, I was thankful. If you can, I urge you that when youre done with your daily fill of Speedhunters you follow the link at the end to Huxley Motorsports Facebook page. I know not everybody uses the social media, but theres an album on there with loads of pics he took whilst doing the work. If youve got this far, I think youll enjoy it. One modification Im a big fan of is the front Mac. Pherson strutcoil over conversion, and seeing as theyre running Bilstein inserts, Hux figured Brynstein stickers would look good. Were sorry Mr Bilstein, it wont happen again He also raised the front crossmember to give me another 5. Taking a closer look at the Volvo has reminded me of just how many jobs Ive done on it, or parts Ive sourced. Like the clear indicators that took an age to arrive from America, or blacking out the internal headlight surrounds. On the inside its kind of evolved since I stripped it out the carbon bucket seats have minimal padding and came cheap from a friend who didnt need them any more. Surprisingly theyve been comfortable for over 4. Theyre not ideal though, and Ive been considering softer options. The Takata harnesses are a newer addition. I did have some five point, three inch wide harnesses in there, but since Takata became an official supplier to Speedhunters I got the chance to try their product out. Not wishing to offend anybody but the Takata green just isnt for me it would have clashed with the outside colour and I like things that dont show the dirt too much on the inside. So the new black colourway theyre offering is an obvious choice. There are some really nice touches that were absent in my last set of harnesses too the rubber dipped metal clips for one, or the foam inserted pull ends like a stuffed crust pizza that you can grip to pull tight. At the recent Autosport Show, I showed the Takata guys some more pictures of the Volvo on my phone They seemed to like it, although they may just be really polite. This is my shifter. How To Fix Cracked Cement Stairs On Slope. Its made from a replacement hip insert. I cant tell you where I got it from, but fear not it wasnt needed. My friend Wayne operates as the Intergalatic Custom Shop nearby, and I often call over for coffee as we both work alone. This is the result of one of those visits when I went to show him what Id found. Up until last year the steering wheel was a two spoke, suede Personal, which now hangs on my office wall, polished smooth after years of abuse. It was replaced when it came out of the rebuild with a Personal Grinta limited edition Kingston wheel. I first saw them advertised in America, and when the guys at Driftworks got them in it was a must have.