But here’s my opinion and suggestions…
There’s no point in upgrading the injectors or fuel pump while still running the K04 turbo. If they’re bad, go ahead and upgrade when replacing them. But don’t waste your time and money on unnecessary upgrades until you have an idea of what you want to do with phase 2 of your build.
If you’re considering going AWD, that’ll require a different fuel pump, different down pipe, and different exhaust.
I would highly discourage installing cams without sleeves, and you’ll need to tune the car at the same time of installation.
Also, if you’re wanting to go with a big turbo setup for phase 2, then you want to keep the stock airbox. All these cone filter intakes just draw in hot engine bay air. The stock airbox has already been proven to be the most efficient option for these cars when paired with a high flow filter and upgraded upper intake pipe.
Before getting into things like cams, what about upgrading the charge pipe, throttle body, and a polished/portered lower intake manifold? I’d do all the bolt ons before you get to internal things.
A big red flag that I see is an extensive list of performance upgrades and no brake upgrades or additional suspension upgrades. You need to be able to handle and stop all that extra power.
Volvo’s 320mm P1 brakes are a direct bolt-on up grade that are perfectly sufficient for the track. Or consider Wilwood or Ceika big brake kits.
One of the very first upgrades you should do on these cars is an upgraded rear sway bar and an upgraded torque mount. That torque mount will also help put the power to the ground and get you faster launches. I would also encourage getting an upper rear chassis brace, since these hatchbacks flex like the hollow cylinders that they are. Elevate now sells TheBelgian bar design.
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Personally, I wouldn’t waste money on anything other than standard Stage 3 parts on a bagged P1.
1. With the CV joint angle that you’ll be driving with and the torque that these engines produce, that’s a lot of stress on the joints and money wasted on continuously replacing axles… Only replace axles with OEM Volvo parts.
2. Despite what anyone says, bags are not built for performance like a good set of coilovers. You won’t be able to truly enjoy the power of a performance oriented build while on bags… It’s fun to have the bragging rights of a fully built and bagged show car, but I personally don’t see the point of parts that don’t get fully utilized.
Another reason not to build for power… The AW55 transmission. A stage 3 AW55 will still get walked from a standstill or a rolling start to a bone stock M66. Many people have gone down that rabbit hole and quickly gave up or traded up for a car that was a better starting point for their builds.
Most tuning companies keep a torque limiter on 1st and 2nd gear with the AW55, so that can also hold back the power unless you get it removed.
You can still get good dyno numbers, but the gearing of the AW55 is not ideal for a performance oriented build. You will also need to consider upgraded transmission cooling if you plan to drive a tuned AW55 spiritedly.
I’m not saying the AW55 can’t be a performance build. There are many fully built automatics that are downright fast. But if they were done on an M66 with an upgraded clutch, they would be even faster. The only thing the AW55 truly has going for it, in a performance build, is that it’s easier to hook off the line. But a comparable M66 would be right back with it by 2nd gear.
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Judging by your before/after panel gap, looks like whoever rolled your fenders popped the entire front fenders out. Just plastic tabs and a few small screw that hold them in place. They’re easy to accidentally pop out when applying inward force. When you pop them back in, double check your clearance; in the game of millimeters, that’ll be enough fender adjustment to cause rubbing.
Keep up the great work and don’t let any of my constructive criticism dissuade you in any way.
Build your car for you and not for the satisfaction of others.