Can anyone direct me to a picture of, and or give me a discription of how a lowered 200 series volvo looks and feels on the road?

The front springs on my volvo seem past it, feeling far to soft at times, and I'm thinking about getting replacment springs (all round), but I can't decide wether to go new standard height springs or ones that are about 1 inch or so lower and about 20-30% stiffer, kind of like the IPD ones.
I know the benifits of lowered springs and have had them in plenty of other cars, but I'd like to know form someone who has actually done it to a 76-80something 200 series what it's like and how it changes the handling, and how stiff it makes the car.
And also how well they work with standard (recently replaced) shocks.

My '87 244 has been lowered for a little more than a year, and I'm very happy with it. I used Jamex springs and Bilstein Heavy Duty shocks/struts. The front was lowered about 2" and I have to go slow over tall speed bumps to prevent the exhaust downpipe from dragging a little. The rear was barely lowered, maybe 0.25", but it gives the car an agressive looking forward rake.

The ride is more firm, but also more controlled. I'm not very sensitive to the ride quality, so it's hard for me to say just how stiff it is. If you're prepared for a stiffer suspension, I think you'd like the IPD springs. They lower the car about 1.25-1.50" front and rear. Here are some pictures of my car before and after it was lowered:


Stock suspension

Lowered on 205/55/15 tires

Lowered on 205/50/15 tires

The ground clearance between the bottom of my front spoiler to the ground is 7". The clearance under my splash pan is only about 3.5".

For some before and after shots of a 240 wagon lowered on IPD springs, see the Swedespeed.com project car here:

http://www.swedespeed.com/features/project_cars/245/index.shtml
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Volvo 240 Links | Parts For Sale | Volvo 240 Racing | July 14th DC Area Auto-X

Thanks for that, the 245 wagon looks about the perfect amount of drop that I want on my 244, I would not want to go any lower, there are a few rather tricky driveways I have to go in and out of around here that would be impossible if I went any lower.
I don't mind the suspension being a little stiffer, I just worry about it being stiff to the point of making the car rattle and thump a lot, something I've had problems with in the past, but I will admit they were lighter cars, and the volvos weight will probally stop that from happening, I hope.

My 78 242 has been lowered about 4 years now with IPD springs and I have generally been happy with the results. The ride will definently be firmer, and shocks that can handle the lowering are very important. For a small pic of my car go here:

http://www.242.hostmb.com/images/my_car_t.jpg

I've had my 240Ti lowered for about 2 years now. Had the car seven. It's the first car I've ever lowered. From my experience I would not use standard shocks because you need increased damping for the springs. I used Bilsteins and the ride is very firm but not harsh to me. Others here may perceive different. I finally
lowered my car after I went through the progression of getting sway bars, then
alloy wheels. After that I bought the Bilsteins. I actually like the Bilsteins with the lowering springs better than when I had them with the stock springs.

I also installed strut tower bracing along the way. This made my car the tight
handling, predictable, fun handling car I wanted. I drive this in NJ. So, I do
need to be careful off ground clearance but my car never bottoms out or feels
to soft anymore. Hope this helps you.

Dave 82 242ti 273k mi.

I'm not always keen on replacing swaybars on some cars, the volvo already has a fairly good swaybar setup compared to some other cars, and generaly speaking if I did springs and swaybars, the car would certianly be too harsh for me.
I want a slightly lower car a little with a firmer feel, while still on standard size tyres, swaybars are fine if you have performance tyres and want a tight feel with quick turn in, but it's a trade off for a harsh ride.

I figure the volvo has a fairly soft ride and all I want to do is firm it up a bit, but not turn it into a sports car, just a slightly more capable cruiser.

From the comments in your last post. You may be happy with just firmer shocks
then. Something like the Boge Turbo Gas shocks. These keep what I consider a
nice ride but slightly firm up the car. It makes the car handle a little better
but without any real harshness. If you want to make the car handle another slight
step better installing turbo sway bars will help the car a bit without affecting
the ride. The sway bars also help make the car less affected by crosswinds. That
would certainly help make it a more capable highway car.

Dave 82 242ti 273k mi.