Lifted Volvo V70R Offroad Wagon Build on A/T Tires
In my opinion, Volvo wagons don’t get enough love in the off-road community, and that’s a shame, considering what they really are. While everyone’s busy building the hundredth Tacoma or 4Runner, these Swedish boxes are sitting in the used car lots with nice drivetrains, AWD systems, and huge cargo space for adventures begging for a lift. The V70R in particular is a sort of a performance sleeper in the Volvo family, that brings turbo power to the wagon game and makes it quite an interesting alternative to the more off-road oriented V70 Cross Country.
I stumbled upon this awesome lifted 2000 Volvo V70R off-road build on Instagram and immediately recognized the style. The original builder, AtomDesignAndDevelopment, is a Volvo specialist who’s turned multiple Swedish bricks into cool off-roaders (we featured his insane 1st gen XC90 build before). Now owned by 16-year-old Cooper Salvoni from Idaho, this wagon continues evolving as a proper off-road wagon and turns heads at every trailhead and gas station. Keep reading to find out more about the mods and upgrades done to it!
Key Modifications:
- Custom coilover suspension lift with upgraded springs
- Falken Wildpeak Trail A/T tires (2.6″ larger than stock)
- Full body armor with custom bumpers and skid plates
The Build
The V70R wasn’t the obvious choice for an off-road build as the majority of the owners would just slam these things to the ground and concentrate on the wheel fitment. But the original builder AtomDesign saw the potential in it’s AWD drivetrain and decided to built this wagon into something that can bring fun beyound the paved roads and maintain that Volvo’s subtle cool factor.
Suspension
The suspension has gotten the major overhaul to clear oversized wheels. Up front, Speedway Motors coilover sleeves house 12″ springs with 275lb rates and 2.5″ diameter combined with 30mm strut top spacers to gain the necessary lift. The rear runs 14″ springs with 300lb rates and 3.0″ diameter to handle the weight of overland gear and maintain proper stance.
Wheels & Tires
The wheel and tire combo required careful planning and obviously involved some metal cutting. Motegi MR139 wheels sized 17×7.5 with +40 offset run 12mm spacers up front and 25mm in the rear to widen the tracks. The tires are 215/60/17 Falken Wildpeak Trail A/Ts with an overall diameter of 27.2 inches – that’s 2.6 inches larger than the stock 24.6-inch diameter. For a wagon that wasn’t designed for oversized rubber, that’s a significant upgrade putting it into the crossover territory.
Body Armor & Protection
Not having the plastic mouldings of the V70 Cross Country wasn’t a drawback for this V70R, because the bumpers were cut anyway and enhanced with tubular bars to provide protection on a rough terrain, the front bumper is even equipped with a winch making this sporty wagon a more reliable companion for hard-core off-road trips.
The Rough Country Pro9500S winch definitely gives a peace of mind when traveling solo and compensates the absence of locking differentials on more technical trails.
The rear bumper has an integrated hitch receiver and a swing-away tire carrier that holds the fifth wheel along with 2-gallon RotopaX containers for water and fuel.
A custom aluminum skid plate protects the undercarriage, and tube side steps guard the rockers from damage.
Overland Gear
The V70s SUV-like long roof is perfect for hauling stuff on it, that’s why it became a base for a big custom aluminum roof rack with steel deck. It’s packed with six 6-inch Lightronic lights and a Pelican Vault case containing recovery gear (soft shackles, snatch block, kinetic rope, tree saver strap), and Rough Country traction boards.
Inside, a tailgate-mounted molle panel holds a Fiskars machete, axe, Silke folding saw, and flashlight. Custom side case mounts with four Pelican 1200 cases add some more storage throughout the cargo area.
Engine & Performance
Cooper and the original builder didn’t ignore what makes the R special. The turbocharged engine received an iPd tune, custom 3-inch catless downpipe, and Magnaflow muffler tuck. A performance Do88 intercooler with charge piping, upgraded radiator with Do88 hoses, auxiliary trans cooler, and 160A alternator. Custom dual 3-inch exhaust valves and a short ram intake round out the engine bay upgrades.
Exterior Styling
The exterior maintains that Volvo subtlety while clearly signaling this isn’t a grocery-getter. A 3M Gloss Storm Gray wrap covers the body, complementing the custom R spoiler and jewel headlights. OE euro roof rails and wrapped front/rear bumpers with back bars keep some factory touches. Even the HF aluminum floor jack got modified for off-road use and mounts to the rig.
List of Modifications
Engine
- Custom 3″ catless downpipe
- iPd tune
- Aux trans cooler
- 160A alternator
- Magnaflow muffler tuck
- Performance Do88 intercooler with charge piping
- Performance radiator with Do88 radiator hose
- Custom short ram intake
- Custom dual 3-inch exhaust valves
Suspension
- Speedway Motors coilover sleeves
- 12″ 2.5″D 275lb springs (front)
- 30mm strut top spacers
- 14″ 3.0″D 300lb springs (rear)
- Porsche “big black” Brembo calipers w/Yother adapters and 330mm V70R rotors
- Machined V70R Brembo calipers and 330mm V70R rotors
- Custom extended stud conversion
- iPd braided brake lines
Wheels & Tires
- Motegi MR139 17×7.5 +40 wheels (12mm front and 25mm rear spacers)
- Falken Wildpeak Trail A/T 215/60/17 (27.2″)
Body Armor & Protection
- Custom tube front bumper
- Custom aluminum skid plate
- Custom rear bumper w/integrated hitch receiver and integrated air tank
- Custom tube side steps
Exterior
- 3M Gloss Storm Gray wrap (1080-G31)
- Custom modified R spoiler
- Jewel headlights
- Rough Country Pro9500S winch
- (6) 3″ Lightronic bumper lights
- Custom aluminum roof rack w/steel deck
- (6) 6″ Lightronic upper lights
- Swing away tire carrier
- OE euro roof rails
- Wrapped front and rear OE R bumpers w/back bars
Overland Gear
- Pelican Vault case w/internal molle panel, soft shackles, snatch block, kinetic rope, tree saver strap & Rough Country traction boards
- Tailgate mounted molle panel w/Fiskars machete, axe, Silke folding saw and flashlight
- 2 gallon RotopaX water and 2 gallon gas container
- Custom side case mount w/(4) Pelican 1200 cases
- Modified HF aluminum floor jack for off-road use
Interior
- Grom BT adapter
- Custom fog light switch bank
- OE Volvo rubber floor mats and R carpet floor mats
Conclusion
This 2000 Volvo V70R is a perfect embodiment of an adventure wagon. With thoughtful upgrades that start with a suspension lift, body armor, and overland gear, AtomDesignAndDevelopment created a wagon that backs up its aggressive looks with real capability. Based on our off-road capability rating, this V70R scores 35 points out of 70 possible (AWD with suspension lift and oversized tires bring 30 points + body armor and skid plates another 5 points).
Thanks to the good eye of the original builder AtomDesign, even with all the mods and upgrades, this V70R preserves the subtly cool Volvo style and awesomeness which makes it equally attractive for the die-hard fans of this brand, off-road enthusiasts, and just passers by.
Cooper’s keeping the build evolving while actually using the wagon for its intended purpose. Watch the progress and find out more about this Volvo V70R off-road build by visiting the Instagram profile of the owner: @safari_builds and the original builder: @atomdd
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