The Passing Lane Newsletter - June 2010

2010 ipd Garage Sale Recap

After every Garage Sale we usually start off by talking about the weather. The proverb “April Showers Bring May Flowers” isn’t really relevant here in the Pacific Northwest. Anyone living in the PNW would understand how risky it is holding a major event outdoors in the month of May for the past 27 years. Once again we were blessed with amazing weather! Clear skies and warm temperatures allowed Volvo enthusiasts from all over the country to bring their detailed Swedish treasures to the event without getting hammered by rain! The weather surrounding Garage Sale preparation and event was the nicest we’ve seen all year!

Over 65 beautiful Volvo’s entered this year’s car show with hundreds of cars parked around the vicinity. Car show participants started lining up in the parking lot perfectly (with the help of some ipd employees) there were no fender benders inside the lot. We really packed them tight this year. The car show consisted of Volvo’s from the early 60’s all the way to the latest R models. Spectators voted on their favorite Volvo’s in each category. This year we had best vintage Volvo, best rear-wheel-drive Volvo, best FWD/AWD Volvo, and best overall Volvo. Each winner took home ipd gift certificates along with a first ever piston cup trophy.

• Best Vintage Volvo went to Larry Rembold with his 1962 P1800
• Best Rear-Wheel-Drive Volvo went to Bergen Wagner with his Heavily Modified 245 turbo wagon
• Best FWD/AWD Volvo went to Nick Choy with his modified 1998 V70R
• Best-In-Show went to Dee Dee Reynolds. She’s the original owner of a 1966 122 wagon that has been completely restored

The sales event went very smooth. The sales line kept moving through ipd’s office where customers waited patiently to meet with a customer service agent to take orders and answer questions. The Garage Sale is a great opportunity for ipd staff to finally meet customers in person. This year we had numerous customers fly from all over the country and visit our facility for the first time. Customers that have been supporting us for years finally got to put faces to voices when ordering products.

The swap meet was held across the street from the car show. The swap meet attracts all Volvo lovers looking to find that special part that might not be so easy to obtain. Throughout the entire day hundreds of people made their way through the vender/swap meet section negotiating and trading parts for all years and makes of Volvo cars.

Special activities this year included two tech sessions with ipd’s Rob Arnold, y'all know him better as Lucky! Lucky held his tech sessions out in the service area where he fielded questions regarding FWD model Volvos. Lucky covered topics that included maintenance, turbochargers, exhaust systems, downpipes, and showcased many ipd HD components.

Each year our staff chooses a local charity to donate all the proceeds from our raffle/auction event. This year we chose Community Transitional School located in Portland Oregon. CTS is a private school that provides important educational services to children that are homeless or otherwise at risk of school failure. They have a unique transportation system that picks children up from homeless shelters every morning making sure each child has a chance to attend school. You can see more information regarding this amazing school at www.transitionalschool.org. We work closely with vendors and manufactures who donate items to the raffle and auction. This year we raised over $4300.00 for CTS! Special thanks to the David Douglas High School Cheerleading Squad for all their hard work in selling raffle tickets all day.

IPD would like to thank all of our suppliers who donated-

Eibach Springs, H&R Springs, Motive Products, Skandix, Bilstein Corp, PIAA, VOXX wheels, Langka, Lloyd Mats, Auto Accessories, IMC Parts, Worldpac Parts, Wheelskins, Dash Designs, Pertronix Ignitions, Mcneil Automotive, Precision Pet, Swedish Car Parts, APA Parts, Vibrant Performance, Ramac Parts, Roadmaster, Kingsborne Wire Werks, Portland Packaging, and Odometer Gears. A big thanks to all of these companies for their continued support of our event and generous giving during these difficult economic times. We sincerely appreciate it!

Thank you for all the people who attended ipd’s 27th Annual Garage Sale. We’re very thankful for all the amazing relationships and support over the years. We hope to see you next year!

ipd Sway Bars

Even after 42 years of sway bar manufacturing we still find ourselves amazed at how much a set of sway bars can change the handling of the cars we love. It's not just the flatter cornering, better control, and increased nimbleness in avoidance maneuvers but also how sway bars don't upset the overall ride quality when it comes to bumps, potholes and uneven road surfaces. For the money there's really no better upgrade in my opinion. Some folks may prefer lower springs or performance shocks before the addition of sway bars and while these components certainly contribute to improved handling they can also firm up the ride to a point where daily driving isn't quite as supple as it used to be. Of course this is subjective as one persons harsh is the next persons soft so lowering springs and shocks are definitely more individual specific when it comes time to select what's best for you. I think that's why sway bars are such a great upgrade, no matter you're driving conditions or how firm or compliant you like your ride, sway bars are a an easy upgrade. A side note to the reduced body roll that sway bars offer is the better driver positioning that comes from a flatter car and less driver shifting in the seat as the car leans. You might not thing about how much you get pushed around in your seat as you corner but once a set of sway bars has been installed you'll be surprised how much easier and more enjoyable driving is when you aren't fighting a rolling car!

All Ipd sway bars are made from the highest quality 4140 chromoly steel for long life and consistent performance. Some manufacturers use lower quality mild steel with inconsistent spring rates which can be susceptible to breakage and less roll control. Not all sway bars are created equal even when they are the same diameter. Trust in over 40 years of suspension experience with Ipd's safety anti sway bars.

(1) Not for “R” models.NOTE: Upgrading the anti-sway bars on these models is a skill level 3 procedure. We generally recommend professional installation as it is necessary to lower the engine sub-frame and a vehicle lift makes the job easier than doing it on jack stands. Although the experienced do it yourselfer can accomplish the install, you should consult the installation instructions before attempting this job to be certain it is within your mechanical abilities.

ipd Heavy Duty Anti Sway Bar Endlinks

ipd’s heavy duty endlinks have been manufactured with long life and consistent performance in mind. With a polished ball socket and 25% larger shaft diameter (stock is 10mm, ours is 12mm) these units have outperformed the factory endlinks hands down. ipd has now extended the warranty for our heavy duty units to a full 5 years! So whether you are looking for a long life alternative or a superior performance unit for the track, you can get both with a guarantee backed by the Volvo performance leader.

The original anti sway bar end links wear prematurely and can begin to clunk and rattle in as little as 20,000 miles, so if you are hearing some strange noises up front when going over small bumps etc, have them inspected. If they are worn, upgrade to our HD versions as the installation price is very affordable and will provide great long term value.

5 YEAR WARRANTY!

ipd’s heavy duty endlinks have been manufactured with long life and consistent performance in mind. With a polished ball socket and increased shaft diameter these units have outperformed the factory endlinks hands down. Ipd has now extended the warranty for our heavy duty units to a full 5 years! So whether you are looking for a long life alternative or a superior performance unit for the track, you can get both with a guarantee backed by the Volvo performance leader.

*Fits C70 through 2004