Unichip

Fitted and dialled in by Dave at London Superchips

After the complete re-build, I was convinced there was more to be had, after all the engine was still being run by a computer that thought it was running a normal engine. With all the mods that I had on the car, if they had lived up to their claims I should have had just short of 180bhp in there. So I needed the ignition re-map to extract some more. So off I went to London Superchips where Dave Guildford sorted the Molemobile. The workshop is as you can see nice and clean and the guys know what they are doing.

So first of all the Molemobile had a straight run as she came, to set a baseline. I was very disappointed to find that despite all the bits and the engine re-build had resulted in only 149bhp!!!! that's only 14bhp over standard despite claims of 10BHP by Powerflow, 10bhp by piper etc and all the head work. Still I new those claims are always a huge exaggeration, but some modes (like the exhaust) really made a very noticeable difference in the seat of the pants dyno. Still the real dyno doesn't lie.

Course since then I've learnt the difference between Fly wheel and Front wheel power and 149BHP at the Wheel is quite good!!!! its about 30 HP over standard as my transmission losses are 26HP

So then I went away for a couple of hours while Dave spliced and soldered the unit into the main EEC IV loom in the engine bay. Cant have been easy, there isn't a lot of room behind the suspension turret and power steering fluid bottle. When I came back Dave had installed himself in the cockpit, with his laptop, the rolling road control and his setting box, which allows him to tweak the advance and fuelling at any rev, load setting.

I'll tell you it is really, really un-nerving hearing your pride and joy being held at full revs in a small space. The rollers were at well over 150mph, I dread to think what would happen if a bearing went!. Dave was very happy for me to watch him work, and it was great to watch the instant readouts and see higher numbers on each run. I was even roped in at one point to listen for detonation and pinking using an electric stethoscope (Its amazing the noise an engine makes, especially at 7000 rpm). In the end we got the plot below which speaks for it's self.

(dashed line is before, solid after)

Haven't had time to really drive it since then but first opinions are that there is a lot more torque and go below 3000rpm, and the whole car seems more eager and much smoother. Unfortunately every Volvo driver in London was on the roads on the way back home so I wasn't able to let rip. But the top end is not only visibly higher its a lot wider as well. Cant be bad. Will post more as I push it harder

All in all, it was expensive but well worth it. I know a lot more about my car and its performance limits. I would certainly recommend Dave and London Superchips to anyone, I just wish I'd done this a lot earlier, so that I could get absolute figures for each of the mods I'd done in the past.

They guys there were also very friendly and have made a lot of suggestions on how I can go further especially they have suggested exhaust manifold work and to experiment with the intake resonator as it looks like I'm air limited at the top end. I was surprised, I thought the injectors would have let me down first.

Update:

Now had time to take it for a major thrash in some very tight, twisty and lumpy back roads at some very naughty speeds. These are my favourite types of road and really the conditions that I have set the Molemobile up for.

I am gob-smacked. The smoothness of the power hides how much more there is. sections that were awkwardly at that horrible gap between second and third, can now be left in third and powered, every corner launched the Molemobile out hard and squirming for grip, overtaking all the MPV's doing 50 in the 60 section was effortless in the smallest of straights. Even on those straights, I was accelerating and squirming the tyres at the edge of their grip up to above 80mph where I was braking hard for the next corner.

Just amazing, the suspension, wheels, tires and engine just worked so well together. It was like watching the camera in Colin McRae's Focus except it was real and I was driving. He was good in the past but this was like a full race car.

Now I question do I actually need any more power as I feel the car is now far more capable than I am. I was lifting off on some straights and corners even though the car was tidy and controlled. Maybe with time I will get used to this and want more but for the moment this will do for me. I need some more lessons and race speed experience!!!!!! I still will not allow the tyres to drift or slide on public roads, so I shall have to wait for a track session to really push her limits. I take this back. I got used to it far too quickly and want more!!!!

Definitely go and get this done to your car, its worth every penny. Even better Direct line didn't want any more money for it, even when told all the details (they did complain that I had used up all the space on their computers modifications section, and they couldn't fit any more mods on my insurance form though)

Once again thanks Dave for a job well done from one very happy customer

Mad Mole