Passport 7500S?

[brick]

It's official: my girlfriend has a lead foot. In all honesty, she drives quite a bit faster than I do and that's always been the case. But she never started getting tickets until she met me. (In the past year she's been pulled over at least three times...there may have been a fourth but I couldn't tell if she was kidding or not so I didn't bother pressing the issue.) Only one ticket stuck, but this last incident on Sunday has proven that she needs some help. So I've decided to get her a present at some point in the relatively near future.

I would just get her a V1 like mine, but I'm hesitant for two reasons. First, she's used a V1 in the past and I don't think she cares much about the arrows. That just isn't how she uses it. Given that, I don't think I can justify the price tag again when there are other excellent units out there.

I'm currently thinking that an X50 or RX65 would be a good match for her. I'm also looking at their little brothers, the 7500S and RX55. This long-winded post brings me to the real question: does anyone have experience with the 7500S? Is it just an 8500 with fewer features or is there more to it? If it can't be updated, that might be a deal breaker.

Anyway, sorry for using so many words. Any information or opinions are appreciated.

[stalkervision]

It's official: my girlfriend has a lead foot. In all honesty, she drives quite a bit faster than I do and that's always been the case. But she never started getting tickets until she met me. (In the past year she's been pulled over at least three times...there may have been a fourth but I couldn't tell if she was kidding or not so I didn't bother pressing the issue.) Only one ticket stuck, but this last incident on Sunday has proven that she needs some help. So I've decided to get her a present at some point in the relatively near future.

I would just get her a V1 like mine, but I'm hesitant for two reasons. First, she's used a V1 in the past and I don't think she cares much about the arrows. That just isn't how she uses it. Given that, I don't think I can justify the price tag again when there are other excellent units out there.

I'm currently thinking that an X50 or RX65 would be a good match for her. I'm also looking at their little brothers, the 7500S and RX55. This long-winded post brings me to the real question: does anyone have experience with the 7500S? Is it just an 8500 with fewer features or is there more to it? If it can't be updated, that might be a deal breaker.

Anyway, sorry for using so many words. Any information or opinions are appreciated.

Get her a sensitive detector that doesn't false a lot even at the expense of a little bit of range and make damn sure the alarm tones are pleasent and are automatically muted!!! Also make sure the display is very clear and readable.. You will thank me in the end. :wink: 8)

[sethy]

I would go with one of the BEL units since the KU band is offically coming to america, unless you want to hassle and get the x50 upgraded

[compu44]

Although i've had no firsthand experience with the 7500, I have heard that the range on Ka was not good at all. Maybe better to look at the Bel 65 or the Escort X50 if she's likely to come up against Ka.

[marlinspike]

What's a brick?

[BiGeAsYgUy]

SML's test in 2000

V1
X band 3.0 miles
K band 2.6 miles
Ka band 4.0 miles

Passport 7500
X band 1.9 miles
K band 1.4 miles
Ka band 1.8 miles

I hope this helps you decide which one your girlfriend needs.

[brick]

Anyway, if you want her to stop getting tickets, you could get her a brick to drive as well. Nobody ever suspects a brick is speeding... :twisted:

Lol, true. I should let her drive my old car that my parents still have...1985 Volvo 740 wagon. Silver with a big, rusting dent in the left rear quarter panel. Nobody ever paid attention to me in that thing. :D

Marlinspike, I don't know if SmaartAasSaabr is referring to this or not but a "brick" is common nomenclature for a Volvo if you're talking to the right people. Probably because they're rock solid (or at least were back in the day), and partially because they used to look like bricks.

In any event, lots of good feedback so thanks. Sounds like the 7500S is not the way to go.

[sethy]

SML's test in 2000

V1
X band 3.0 miles
K band 2.6 miles
Ka band 4.0 miles

Passport 7500
X band 1.9 miles
K band 1.4 miles
Ka band 1.8 miles

I hope this helps you decide which one your girlfriend needs.


I would just get her a V1 like mine, but I'm hesitant for two reasons. First, she's used a V1 in the past and I don't think she cares much about the arrows. That just isn't how she uses it. Given that, I don't think I can justify the price tag again when there are other excellent units out there.
I dont think she needs the V1 if she doesnt want the arrows. I believe an original 8500 or an x50 would be sufficeint for her. Possibly give her a cobra 9600 or 9700, but the POP sucks on those.

[BiGeAsYgUy]

What about the Whistler Pro 73 for her?

http://radarbusters.com/support/product-tests/2.asp

You can get it for less than $150 and it seems excellent in range and it doesn't kill you if it gets stolen like the high-priced radar detectors. :D

[brick]

What about the Whistler Pro 73 for her?

http://radarbusters.com/support/product-tests/2.asp

You can get it for less than $150 and it seems excellent in range and it doesn't kill you if it gets stolen like the high-priced radar detectors. :D

You know, that's not a bad idea. Sounds like it will definitely give her what she needs and it won't break the bank. I guess I've been thinking too much "inside the box" with respect to the big three. Might be neat to run it alongside the V1 and see how they compare in actual use :D.

[brick]

You know... I would get those instructions on how to put a small block Chevrolet V8 in there... maybe order up a fresh Ramjet 350... :D

Yes, by "brick" I was referring to one of these: http://www.natufor.com/volvo/volvo245.jpg

Honestly, I might still do the V8 thing with the old wagon some day. If you do it right, you can even keep the weight distribution about the same as with the old cast-iron block 4 cylinder. (No wonder they're so damn slow!) I think the best conversion I'm aware of used an engine from a C5 'Vette and a LOT of suspension mods. Very good candidate for a V1 and a Blinder. "Officer, I don't know what you're talking about. It's a Volvo!"

[marlinspike]

I wouldn't trust one of those at high speeds.
Richard

[SmaartAasSaabr]

Honestly, I might still do the V8 thing with the old wagon some day. If you do it right, you can even keep the weight distribution about the same as with the old cast-iron block 4 cylinder. (No wonder they're so damn slow!) I think the best conversion I'm aware of used an engine from a C5 'Vette and a LOT of suspension mods. Very good candidate for a V1 and a Blinder. "Officer, I don't know what you're talking about. It's a Volvo!"

I think the LS1 (C5) engine actually weighs less than the 4cyl in and of itself :) .

An interesting thing I'd like to do is find a wrecked C5 Vette (manual transmission of course) and get the drivetrain into an old 245 like that, or maybe I'll hunt to find a 940... and then find a way to bolt the Corvette suspension into the ovlov. But, whereas the swap for say one of the "old" small-block motors from GM Performance Parts gives a solid 350-380hp (the Ramjet packages are really nice, fuel injection in a crate motor, but no wiring to do), and is simple, the LS1 swap would give 350 and be more painful...

The suspension would be a PITA, but if you can adapt the components it could work.

I also don't know if a Volvo rear axle used to a 114hp 2.3 litre and a top end of 150km/h can hold up to a 350hp 5.7 litre going 250km/h
:lol:

[brick]

I wouldn't trust one of those at high speeds.
Richard

Maybe, but I once got mine past 90MPH...by accident. (Just sort of drifted to that speed with the pack...nothing like that has happened to me before or since. ) That's significantly faster than I've every driven my S70.

In other news, I just got an obscene deal on a Cobra 9700. Obscene enough that if it doesn't work out I don't have to cry about it. I'm going to drive around with it myself for a bit for the sake of comparison and see how it does before I give it to her. I'll post back here with a review when I'm done :D.

It also crossed my mind that getting her an absolute top-end detector would probably encourage her to go faster rather than save her from tickets. (She's probably smarter than I am and knows the difference.) She's been slightly better for the past few months and I'd hate to put her back up to her old cruising speed of...let's just say fast.

[marlinspike]

I wouldn't trust one of those at high speeds.
Richard

Maybe, but I once got mine past 90MPH...by accident. (Just sort of drifted to that speed with the pack...nothing like that has happened to me before or since. ) That's significantly faster than I've every driven my S70.


You haven't taken your car past 90? Well..you do drive a Volvo :lol: :lol: :lol:
Richard

[SmaartAasSaabr]

:lol:

I've had the speedo needle on my Saab bouncing off the trip odometer reset button many a time :lol:
http://img104.exs.cx/img104/180/saab1308al.jpg whee!

[brick]

:lol:

I've had the speedo needle on my Saab bouncing off the trip odometer reset button many a time :lol:
http://img104.exs.cx/img104/180/saab1308al.jpg whee!


Lol. I'm impressed that you were able to get the picture and stay on the road! A pinned speedo needle and a boost gauge stuck in the red is a beautiful thing. :twisted: . If only I had a turbo needle...

[stealthJamal]

I would recommend the X50 for her. It depends on how much she knows about radar detectors. The X50 has the simplest controls, it's easy to program and you can use it just like it is right out the box. And of course the X50 is one of the best 3 to choose from.

[SmaartAasSaabr]

Lol. I'm impressed that you were able to get the picture and stay on the road! A pinned speedo needle and a boost gauge stuck in the red is a beautiful thing. :twisted: . If only I had a turbo needle...

yeah I wish! I've seen this sight many times... in fact my '89 has the tall gearing and I hit the tach somewhere in the shaded red zone, like 5600r/min so that would be somewhere around "230km/h". Oddly Saab says the 900 is capable of only 210... hello APC modification! :D

I have been trying to take pictures like this, I think they're awesome, however my digital camera is a real pain to use when driving... I've tried to do it with other people in the car to "get it turned on" for me, but when I am going over 130mph they want both hands on the wheel :x

My dash is identical, my car is a US spec (so the ugly speedo as in picture) and I have 144 000miles not 138... tomato tomato...

btw my turbo needle goes about 1/3 into the red now :wink:

[marlinspike]

I'm curious, how long can those little Saabs keep that pace up? My 1985 MB 380SE was castrated by US requirements and hp on this 3850lb car that's only 1/10 of an inch shorter than a Chrysler 300C and just as wide was dropped from the european 207hp to 155hp. With a 80% full (read going to college) trunk will only do just over 125mph (twice I've been doing 125 and still accelerating, I'm guessing it would have stopped at 127, when some idiot in the right lane decides to go in front of me), but it will do it for hours on end (yes, I am stupid enough to have driven at that speed without a radar detector for hours on end...in Virginia, well to be fair between 100 and 125 for hours on end, since there are places where you have to slow down a bit).
Richard

[jimbonzzz]

:lol:

I've had the speedo needle on my Saab bouncing off the trip odometer reset button many a time :lol:
http://img104.exs.cx/img104/180/saab1308al.jpg whee!




Hey, I have a picture like that, it was in a Chevy G-Van though... :D
I ran it pretty hard the whole trip, it had 200 miles on it when I left, when I got back it had 2000 miles + a trans leak :D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v230/jimbonzzz/speedo.jpg

[marlinspike]

But what I mean is for how many hours in a row can it keep the top speed pace up? I know American cars can't keep their top speeds up for hours on end, and not having Autobahns I wonder if the Swedish ones can or not. Oh, and I'm pretty sure that the speedo in my old Benz is accurate since my uncles once got clocked and spent a night in jail (or maybe a holding cell) for it, and he said the ticket the cop gave him was for the speed he saw on the speedo (118 in a 45 I believe).
Richard

[stealthJamal]

you must have a modified PCM for the GTP, because the stock PCM cuts your fuel at 110.

[sethy]

Ive been there before myself....
http://69.133.113.105/speed.jpg

[marlinspike]

I've kept 5600r/min for at least 20km once... but really there aren't too many places where the traffic and police enforcement allows such speeds for such distances.

Ah, so these are short burst things. I've done it for 250 or so miles before (there were a few slamming of the brakes when I could see a spot for a smokey but I went right back up after that) and after seeing cops shows with the cop cars overheating and stuff I figured that makes my car kinda special, but I was trying to figure out if it really does or not.
Richard

[brick]

IIRC, GM's explanation (jimbonzzz?) for these stupid cutoffs is that they are for the tire speed rating, and most GM products leave the plant with T-spec tires (180km/h limit), and I think the GP GT is one of those. But the GTP wears H-tires which are 210km/h spec, and it seems that the GTP runs up to 210km/h, unless there is something wrong with the electronics on this import...

I've heard the same thing. That was Volvo's reasoning for imposing a 135MPH limiter on most of its cars. That was within the last ten years, though. I can still remember the commercials for the first 850 Turbo claiming a top speed of 155MPH :shock:.

[marlinspike]

I've kept 5600r/min for at least 20km once... but really there aren't too many places where the traffic and police enforcement allows such speeds for such distances.

Ah, so these are short burst things. I've done it for 250 or so miles before (there were a few slamming of the brakes when I could see a spot for a smokey but I went right back up after that) and after seeing cops shows with the cop cars overheating and stuff I figured that makes my car kinda special, but I was trying to figure out if it really does or not.
Richard

Where can you go 250 mi at that speed? My comment re: the 20km (12mi) was constant top speed... including braking for detector signals and LLB's maybe 40km...

Once I drove the GTP all the way up to Mirabel Airport at "199" at night with no traffic anywhere. Maybe 30 miles (50km) of solid bouncing off the speed limiter (I really hate that thing). (radar love came on the radio too... now there is a good fast driving song!)

Bear country, I-85 in NC and VA, without a detector, mid day (there's a part of I-85 that's 2 lanes in each direction with each direction divided by essential a forest...great place to go fast, though I almost got caught). Without a detector, I wasn't braking for detector signals, just when I saw a spot that I thought smoking might be hiding (so like 500 feet of speed limit then back to WOT). I'd say 98% of the time I was between 105 and 125mph (mostly full trunk was holding me back I think).
Richard

[marlinspike]

I've heard the same thing. That was Volvo's reasoning for imposing a 135MPH limiter on most of its cars. That was within the last ten years, though. I can still remember the commercials for the first 850 Turbo claiming a top speed of 155MPH :shock:.

I know the German car companies, except for Porsche, do it as part of a gentleman's agreement not to have a car go over 155mph. Oh, and I've driven an 850 turbo...is there more than one 850 turbo or something cause there's no way in hell that thing would do 155.
Richard

[brick]

I know the German car companies, except for Porsche, do it as part of a gentleman's agreement not to have a car go over 155mph. Oh, and I've driven an 850 turbo...is there more than one 850 turbo or something cause there's no way in hell that thing would do 155.
Richard

Ehh...who knows. I probably wouldn't try it either just for fear of generating lift and becoming airborne. (Volvo hadn't quite eliminated the straight edge and T-square from the drafting kit yet.) They were fast, though. My dad used to drive one and absolutely loved it. Not quick off the line, but that engine made 222HP once the turbo spooled up. EXCELLENT highway car. If you just drove it around town there's no doubt you would have been unimpressed.

Now, the new S60R makes 300hp/300lb-ft :twisted:

[crazyVOLVOrob]

I wouldn't trust one of those at high speeds.
Richard

Maybe, but I once got mine past 90MPH...by accident. (Just sort of drifted to that speed with the pack...nothing like that has happened to me before or since. ) That's significantly faster than I've every driven my S70.

How fast have you had your S70 up to? I got mine 95mph when i wasn't paying attention to my speedo. With the ecu upgrade i'll test it a little more once i take it to the drag strip.

[crazyVOLVOrob]

I think there are a few. There's the T5 which is what was fast, then there were a slew of "light pressure turbo" models.
Don't diss the lpt with an ecu upgrade + cat back they are decently fast. even with just my exhust i can take my friends svt focus

I saw a vid of a 400whp 850t that ran 11s i wish i had that money

[crazyVOLVOrob]

the t5 spool up doesn't take long at all my cousins spools up real quick hard any lag

[brick]

As for the LPT, some argue that it's actually more driveable than the high-pressure version. Peak power is lower but the torque curve peaks more quickly and is flatter. As for me, I have the base N/A engine with a 5-spd. :D . It won't win any races but it's just fine for the way I drive. 85mph comes quickly enough and don't have much of a need to go faster than that. Hell, I rarely cruise above 75.

[crazyVOLVOrob]

I think there are a few. There's the T5 which is what was fast, then there were a slew of "light pressure turbo" models.
Don't diss the lpt with an ecu upgrade + cat back they are decently fast. even with just my exhust i can take my friends svt focus

I saw a vid of a 400whp 850t that ran 11s i wish i had that money

Yeah but when you take an LPT and put a ECU upgrade, it turns into an FPT! :lol:No i would need a bigger turbo, if it wasn't the case i would be driving a t5 in disguise. ECU upgrade increases fuel and boost

I hate trying to get traction when i have the ecu upgrade in, 275ft llbs at low rpms is hard to control

[korn858]

Well I've been told my car can go up to 150mph, but I've only had it to 125mph. At that speed it was very stable and wanting more. Wish we had an autobahn... :lol: