mattsk8

For whatever reason, I was able to upload that photo, but it won't let me upload anymore. I'll try this...

Yes, I've had the subs in for about a month and it hasn't changed much... if anything it seems like the driver's side is getting (mildly) worse, but that might just be in my head. The weird thing is, about a week ago I had my kids in the back of the car, and the car did level up with them in it (3 kids in the back seat, probably 300 lbs). I'm not sure how it looked with them in the car (before they got out), because I didn't see it, but I noticed after they got out that the car was sitting like it should be sitting, as opposed to how it usually sits now (too low in the back). But once I drove it again after they got out, the car settled back to too low again. So the Nivos are kind of working, they're just not raising the car high enough. I'm not opposed to Nivos again, but $600 every 4 years is pretty retarded IMO. Anyone else have this issue?? Here's a pic...

So I put the (2) 12" subs in my car, now my ALL GLORY TO THE HYPNOTOAD is low and the driver side rear is about an inch (ish) lower than passenger. The Nivomats were replaced (roughly) 4 years ago. Shouldn't these adjust for the weight of my subs, which is around 100 lbs? Am I looking at replacing these again already? If so, given the price of the things... wouldn't coilovers make more sense back there?? Looking for suggestions.

I've changed them in the 5.3 and the 6.0 before. But mine has 150k miles and I'm pretty sure they're OE plugs. When I say "fun to change" I mean I don't want one breaking off in the head. The ones I changed in the 6.0 a while back came out real hard, easy to change as spark plugs go, but not if one breaks off in the head. I also need to fix the exhaust manifold studs on it.

Haha, I was totally thinking P80 when I said that. I should get off my high horse anyhow... Lord only knows how many miles are on the plugs in the wife's Escalade. I imagine those will be fun for me to change... someday.

I'm hoping it's the banjo fitting at the new turbo cartridge that's leaking. I replaced the heater core lines at the firewall with rubber hose that I ran through the firewall straight into the heater core a couple years ago (eliminated that stupid plastic union). I'll pull it in the garage tomorrow night and leave the heat on overnight so all this BS melts off it, then I can hopefully start it and let it idle for a while and try to find the leak. I never do for the same reason as Fudge (NGK says not to). The plugs in the used engine I got that had about 100k miles on it came out pretty hard too (pretty sure they were original); a lot of back and forth with the ratchet and lubed with Sea Foam. I also wipe Sea Foam on the new plug's threads with a towel before I put them in, helps clean the crap out of the head and makes them thread in SO much better. Bottom line is... replace your plugs at least every 30k miles or maybe 2 years because... why not? They're cheap.

Well that was short lived... the f'king low coolant light came on for a second today when I first started it, then went off after it idled for a minute. Checked it and the overflow is about a quart low, which means it's loosing about maybe a quart of coolant every week and a half. That'll be a fun leak to find when the bottom of the car is completely covered in snow, salt and ice.

Well said. I think about getting rid of mine, but then I look at it sitting outside my office and realistically... how many of these do you see? None really. You see shitty 850s or V70s on the road all the time, but a nice looking R or a Volvo that has been well cared for and upgraded is extremely rare (outside a forum). I'll hold on to my Volvo, it's definitely enough fun to drive; and I'm not trying to pretend that my 280 to 300 BHP is a racecar, but it definitely surprises everyone in the passenger seat when I hammer through 1st, 2nd and 3rd gear. I still have my 2 Datsuns, I need to focus on an LSX swap in one of those for a fun, fast car; leave the Volvo alone now and just make it a comfortable, dependable DD beater. I will say this... so far I have about 1500 miles on the used engine I just put in, and not a drop low on oil. My old engine would've been a quart low by now.

I should get a newer P2 manual and stop DDing or even sell my 99. Problem is I have about $12k into the thing and it's worth about $20.00. My bad... something I'll inevitably have to deal with anyhow.

Volvospeed recently...

You'll be back. I tried but can't refine myself to a boring, everyday car. I haven't tried a VW though, that might be the answer... Why not a newer Volvo?

I've been reading some more, and Volvoskiah said in a thread here, "850R springs or T5-R springs will give you the most drop from oem spring standpoint. My V70 AWD looked great on 850R springs"... not to overlook the obvious; but he's saying stock 850R front springs will make my 99 V70R sit lower than my stock V70R springs do... correct? Also, it wasn't Quicksilver's car, it was LoseR99's car that I saw with the rake. This is a tad too heavy front to back rake (no offense, IMO the car still looks fricking awesome), but a mild rake wouldn't look bad. He said he's using B&G front coils with stock rear Nivo (not sure what the front drop is though)... That looks really good. Any issues with rubbing? I can also do the foolers on the rear suspension to even it out a bit. My only fear with being that low is Michigan winters, I drive mine in the snow. Edit: I think I'll just order the Eibach springs for a FWD and try to sell or just toss the rear springs. $280 for the set, so tough to complain.

What's a bit lower? I loved the way Quicksilver's car sat. I know some don't like a raked stance, but IMO a mile rake looks good on the wagons.

Does anyone sell just fronts? I can only find sets with rears.

Can anyone tell me where I can find a pair of just front 1" lowering springs for my 99 V70R?

Unofficial; he did try for a little while to make it official, but the city shut him down over a bunch of code violations (among other things, pretty long story). Was definitely a fun pool to skate while it lasted.

Was really fun, endless lines and speed in that bowl. He's going to save all the corners, which is the hardest part to build, in hopes to rebuild it somewhere in the future.

Game over... my buddy is no longer leasing the building so I lost my winter skate spot. Last session was last Friday. Session was fun, but that sucks.

It was a couple years ago, but IIRC that's where I got mine. $60 each? Seem to work well.

I can't upload pics with my s7, only from a PC.

I"ll 3rd that Andy. Make that your next upgrade. I used a Magnaflow cat from Summit for like $130. Not sure what made the difference between the cat and the 3" mandrel down pipe, but it was a big difference.

We actually just switched from a small Baptist church, over to a huge non-denomenational church. My church history is... when I first put my faith in God, I started going to the Baptist church where I went to Awana when I was a kid for about the first 5 months of my journey. From there I started going to a big church called Calvary, which was also non-denomenational. I got to know one of the pastors there, Rob Bell, fairly well. We did bible studies together and I loved his real world approach to preaching, he actually married my wife and I. He went on to start Mars Hill, and we followed him there. He started saying some things that seemed kinda dicey to me, not really blatant heresy at that point, but things that I really questioned being in alignment with God's Word. So my wife and I started going back to Calvary for a few months again, then we started going back to the Baptist church that I first went to, and we were there for about 8 years. I actually got to know the pastor at the Baptist church very well too, he's still a really good friend of mine. And I didn't leave for any dramatic reason, I just felt like I wasn't moving anywhere where I was. So... that's the kinda long version about where and why my family and I go to church. I seek God everyday, and definitely not perfectly, it's more like a roller coaster ride of faith if that makes sense, I have highs and lows and still have plenty of struggles. And ironically, if you asked me if I was a Christian before I surrendered to God when I was 20, I would've said yes simply because I believed in God and I believed that Jesus was Lord (even though short of a "get out jail free" card, I had no clue what any of that meant). But today, since I surrendered to God, IMO a Christian isn't someone that simply believes in God, so I was definitely delusional if I said I was a Christian back then. Satan and his angels obviously believe in God and Jesus, so that begs the question... what makes me different than them?

Given that the topic is basically religion, I'll share what religion is to me, as well as how I became "religious"... I came from a fairly worldly (not religious) family, my dad was raised Catholic and my mom was basically agnostic. We would go to church on Christmas, but I'm not sure why because neither of them believed any of it, they actually weren't fans at all of organized religion (they assumed religious people were all a bunch of hypocrites after money and power). I had a fairly rough up bringing, my dad was an alcoholic and my mom was an alcoholic's wife. My dad also had a raging temper aside from drinking. When I was in about 5th grade, a family moved in across the street from us and the guy took me to church for what they called Awana with them a few times, he's also the one that got me into skateboarding. I think I was in about 5th grade when one of the church people asked me if I "knew Jesus as my Lord and Savior"... I told him I didn't. Now, up to that point I was afraid of demon possession, and I did believe in God, but I knew nothing about the bible and Jesus. He told me if "I accepted Jesus", I wouldn't have anything to worry about, so of course I did; I read the "Roman's road to salvation" and he told me I was saved. That was my first real dealing with religion. My dad quit drinking when I was in about 6th grade, now he's a major AA fan and hasn't drank since. But, he kept the same temper and by the time I was in 6th grade the damage from childhood was pretty much sealed in. I was always in trouble at school and with the law, and I basically went through life with my middle finger in the air, aimed at anyone in my way. Fast forward to when I was 20 years old... At this point in my life I was burning a lot, and drinking quite a bit, basically non-stop partying. I was basically living out of the trunk of my Datsun, staying with whoever wanted to party at the time. One night, 20 years ago last Oct, I started wondering what or who God was, and what He thought about the world today, then I started wondering what He thought of me. I got a tad nervous because even though I had never read the bible, I knew I wasn't living right (drugs, drinking, girls, fights, lies, etc). So that night, before I went to bed I prayed for the first time in my life... "Dear God, please purify my soul". I woke up the next morning, which was ironically Halloween, and went to work with the mindset that I would try to be a better person, quit lying / cheating / stealing, quit being so mean, etc. Well, I had no driver's license and my buddy called me and said "It's Halloween, we're picking you up".... and so much for trying to be a better person. I was sitting in the back seat of my friend's car that night, when all of a sudden I was overwhelmed with a fear of God that I can't explain short of saying I've never faced a fear that strong in my life before or after. I told my friend I wasn't feeling good and asked if he'd drop me off at home. That night, I hit my knees and cried out to God, confessing everything I could think of and telling God I wanted to live for Him. He started working in my life in ways I couldn't describe here. The short version is that I trusted Jesus for the forgiveness of the sins I had committed, and still trust Him (unlike the contrived prayer I prayed at Awana those years before), and I seek God everyday. About a year later I met the absolutely incredible woman who is now my wife of 17 years, and we have 4 kids together. And the best part is... I have peace with God and thank Him for life, rather than running from Him. I need nothing, I'm not saying I don't have wants or desires, but I trust God for all my tomorrows. That's the abbreviated version of what religion means to me.

I agree w/ a lot of what you said, except that I definitely don't think the debate is irrelevant. Also, I don't put atheists and agnostics in the same category, I absolutely agree w/ you 100% that atheism is a religion. IMO, an agnostic is someone that neither believes or disbelieves; they either think we don't know or can't know... or they don't care.