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Alex's 88 760GLE

VQ

Not such a PRVert Anymore
Joined
Oct 2, 2005
Location
Melbourne, Australia
Update at bottom read and respond dammit!

The 260's dead and almost gone, just too unreliable, and not comfortable for long trips, looked at lots of turbo's and didn't like the top end power surge compared to a bottom end rise of power from my V6, so when I found out I lost my license, I bought this 760 from Angus as he was looking to sell it and I have time to get a car on the road and save a few bucks.

I've replaced the injectors on one bank as one was causing a misfire and I got 6 from ebay and only 4 injector seal kits from FCP when I bought parts.

The plans for this car currently are:

Get it RWC'd (currently need to replace fan motor, front control arm bushes, and other odds and ends, otherwise not much else needed)
Upgrade to Bilstien HD shocks front and rear with Kings springs on the front and the rear, but not sure which spring I should use as I don't want to be cutting anything.
Alarm/remote central locking.
Xenon headlamps
Window's tinted.
Stereo upgraded (will be using old headunit from old car as it worked great and the stock volvo one in this is useless) but after that planned Pioneer Head unit with JBL stereo components.
Replacement interior (stock one is worn, replacement one for car is from an 85 and different shade) Might use 900 seats and door trim even though they won't match the tan interior.
S90 door handles.
900 cruise control.

I still have the manual box from my old car and that will eventually go in, maybe once I've gone to MS or shortly before my 24V motor is ready to slot in and blow the diff up :p


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How it could look.
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Paint will come up really nice with a proper cut and polish.
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Interior needs a lot of work, parts to replace it ready.
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Has a little panel damage.
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Out of one of these:
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Citroen XM
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Got it home.
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Cleaned it up.
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The motor is a 24V even fire 3.0 90 degree PRV motor, I will be using MS to control it and will be installing reco'd accessories on it, preferably better/cheaper ones (like a GM Alternator etc), I will need to work out how to control the variable intake manifold with MS and generally learn MS and work out what injectors are needed, as long as a lot of other bits and pieces, it won't be in anytime soon either.

I've looked on bricboard and there is a guide to converting it to regular shocks using Bilstien HD shocks on the rear, and with 240 wagon overload springs, which I won't use as I don't want to use chopped springs.
 
Have 940 black leather interior now and converting the later door trims to fit the earlier kind is dead easy, there is two holes in the bottom of the door or near the bottom and they are covered with a plastic cover, cut the inisides of the plastic bit out and they just go in.

Stripped interior out, not sure if I use grey carpet or tan, still tossing up over it.

Need to get suspension bushes replaced asap as well really want it rego'd.
 
Interiors in, think I'll put in the tan carpet door pockets and glue on the tan carpet on
the rear doors, too much grey still.
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Also need to mount the rear seat correctly and the headrests.
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Seat comparison.
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3.5" JBL GTO speakers for the dash, sound brilliant!
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Now has 740 GL tails, which are older and are a different plastic that resists fading more.
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Installed Pioneer 50WX4 with 2 rca out HU.
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LED numberplate lights!

The things soon to be fitted to this car is:

Bilstien HD shocks front and rear.
Low Kings springs on the front and the rear.
Alarm/remote central locking.
Window tint.
S90 door handles.
Cat-back exhaust (current one stuffed)
K&N filter (ease of maintainence)
Front and rear brakes changed (fronts ebc greenstuffs with slotted rotors, rears above average brakes and pads) as well as E/brake pads.
Stainless Steel brake lines.

Ordered the Bilstien shocks from the US, Kings springs do stock height 200lbs IRS springs, which I'll be ordering reset 30mm lower to match the front, replacing front and rear brakes as well as handbrake pads, SS brake lines as I plan to push the brakes because of the good suspension, and yeah, it's really shaping up to be finished soon (before the middle of feb).
 
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Since no-one posts in here i'll just do a non visual update as my phone doesn't want to talk to my computer to be able to upload pics, however, the car now has tinted windows (35% all around), my Bilsiten HD's are in and I'm putting a hotdog muffler on the rear after the diff, just to save effort and money.

Alarm will be installed in the next day, front brakes were replaced and look awesome, if they weren't hidden :p and my rear brakes were fine, but I still replaced them, anyone want a complete set of rear handbrake pads? I have no need for them as mine were hardly worn even after 315,000km's...

However I REALLY want to work out why the ABS light comes on and why the speedo works only on full or no throttle...
 
Update with lots of pictures!!

As my phone hadn't been talking with the computer I haven't been able to post any visual updates, but now I can cos its working and I've been busy as I've been on holidays for a week.

First things first, I had my windows tinted.
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Ashcool tint, was quite cheap and supposedly has a lifetime warranty.

I bought a PWR V8 transmission oil cooler as I want to extend the life of the transmission if I can.
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250X200X60mm I think it is.

K&N air filter. comparing width to a paper one.
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Whats in this box from America?
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Bilstein HD's!
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Fitting them to the front with King Springs (which are meant to be 30mm lower) and are 160lbs front springs with new strut top.
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Compared to stock spring.
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Been mentioned in the installation guide from the Brits, but the stock tube is so thin and lacks pressure!
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Assembled strut ready to go in.
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Fitted.
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Approx 10mm lower then stock blown dampers with stock springs.
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The rear end was a bit trickier, in that the shocks don't just bolt in because of the nivomat mount on the bottom. What I did was get the mount out of the nivo and pressed out the center from the lower half of the Bilstiein HD which then had the part mount from the nivo pushed in, fits perfect.

The rear springs for IRS are the catalog King Spring's springs, but because they don't do low's like on live axle 700's due to not being able to combat the camber, they only sell stock height, but you can then pay to have them reset lower, which I did, and of course unlike the live axle 700 stuff and the front of mine, they actually lowered the rear....

Anyway on with the pics!
Replacement shocks and springs.
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Mount after it had been pressed out from the Nivo insert and all the rubber removed with wire wheel.
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Shock with the centre bush pressed out ready for the nivo mount.
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Mounted to the car.
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Comparison of springs.
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Stock.
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New shock and spring :cool:
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Camberrrrr (anyone know how to correct it? I like the look, but Im worried about tyre wear.)
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I also did the front and rear brakes, no pics of the rear though.

Worn out and stock yuck.
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Slotted Rotors and EBC greenstuff pads yummy.
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The car now handles great, has a compliant ride and isn't too stiff IMO, and it brakes well too, SS lines will go on once car is rego'd.

General pics of the car.
Up on stands at work waiting for the front wheels to have it's tyres swapped from the tyre shop.
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Still got heaps to do cosmetically inside and out, but I did the fuel door on today!
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Roadworthy and registration will be happening in the next week with any luck...
 
Got a new windscreen on, such a major difference, as the old one was original, and sand blasted badly, car won't pass roadworthy with that much camber on one side, need a wheel alignment and to change the lower control arms for the sway bar ones, which should have nicer bushes in, otherwise I am needing to replace the top ones.

Car now accelerates from a standstill, but still runs pig rich, I'll be changing the AMM ASAP basically.
 
Still waiting on parts from FCP for the suspension arms, considering I asked for them, he did the diff bushes. Put a bit more of the interior together so it now is more complete and that's about it sadly, I really really really want it on the road though.
 
Well a small update.

Car is at home, fitted decor panel and eventually got the engine running normal no, changed the fuel pump, FPR, ECU, O2 sensor again, and made sure all the vacuum lines were sealed. No longer rich running!

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Finished the interior off more.
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Have been scrubbing these back to coat them with heaps of lacquer as I like shiny suspension parts, for the IRS sway bar.
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Sadly it's not alloy.
 
The car is registered finally!

Still need to get new bumpers and paint them and the mirrors, fit new door trim from a s90, s90 door handles (only thing I actually have ready to go on), basically LOTS of work. Also need to get some taller stiffer springs for the rear once I get my tax money too.

Goes well, handles very well for something so big and looks awesome IMO.

Sorry for the dodgy pics but can't take anything decent till the weekend.

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piiimp.

i have been looking for something similar for a while now but i think i am going to go down the s90 v70 track. maybe even 960. i love these. its good to see you restore it to the glory it should be!

good job
 
Looking great Alex, when I first bought the car I had a visions of making it into something nice, then it was going to become a daily driver, then I realised I had too many projects already, and I'm glad you're putting in the effort to make it into something decent.

Headlight wipers are pretty pointless here, it never snows and the roads aren't dirty enough for the headlights to need regular cleaning.
 
Thanks Angus and others, the car is far from perfect, the auto isn't right, it make a few noises from the wheels, the LH 2.2 isn't much better then KJet. And the bodywork is far from perfect, but mostly I can replace them, only the rear quarters have small dents and the big dent above the taillight that I need to fix eventually.

Next to do:
  • Fit the s90 door handles I repainted.
  • Have a go at some underbody trays for less drag.
  • Fit some stiffer springs on the rear as they are way to soft atm (see pic).
  • Repaint my interior trim that's tan to grey and cover all the tan trim bits with grey velour fabric instead, headlining too, all ready to do, just need time.
  • Save up for MS
  • R154 swap as the 24v would kill a M46.
  • Save up for Hydra's and Moonroof.
  • Drive it till I get more money to be able to rebuild my 24V motor with stronger internals ready for a turbo.


This photo is taken of the car on my 1/3 hill with a 8 draw tool chest in the boot, weighing less then a full size adult.
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The rear is 2 inches lower then stock and the front is about one, I also want that evened up. Maybe even lower on the front....

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And this is my current passenger side indicator as the real one fell out during some spirited driving, and I'm waiting on LT to get me a pair of the 89> headlamps as there aren't any at the wreckers in Melbourne.
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