Ive just bought a standard 1997 2L V40, its the manual version with the
leather seats and all the toys etc, however the Suspension is unbeleivably
hard, especially for an estate, is this standard with these cars, or has is
it possible that a previious owner for some bizarre reason installed racing
shocks?

Im not exagerating when I say its hard either, drive over a pebble and you
risk a slipped disk (ok a little over the top, but you get my point)