can I swap 4 round lite system from older 244 to 1988 245 with thosedamned yellowing lenses

  • Thread starter Thread starter Danil
  • Start date Start date
D

Danil

Other than the fact I will need the whole fixtures where sealed beams
are attached what else will I require?
Don't reply to the from address rather here or:
[email protected]
 
No.
The metal body around the headlight mounting area are completely different
on the 2 models.
The way each headlight assembly mounts to the car body is different.
Go to this site www.LampsAndLenses.com
Very reasonable prices.
BD
 
Danil said:
Other than the fact I will need the whole fixtures where sealed beams
are attached what else will I require?
Don't reply to the from address rather here or:
[email protected]
Click to expand...

The body changed substantially in '86, so you can't swap earlier lights into
a later car without some major ugly hacking. My advice is to pick up a pair
of glass European headlamps and the matching turn signal assemblies, the end
result not only looks fantastic (IMO) but the performance will completely
blow away the old plastic ones even when they were new.
 
Anything can be done with enough fabrication, but why the heck bother? You
can obtain a nicer result for a reasonable price by using readily
available OEM style E-code lamps that bolt right in.
Click to expand...

Read the write-up before asking redundant questions.
 
Alex Zepeda said:
Read the write-up before asking redundant questions.
Click to expand...


I've already read it, I still don't understand why anyone would bother when
it can be done right for under $300.
 
I've already read it, I still don't understand why anyone would bother
when it can be done right for under $300.
Click to expand...

The conversion cost, roughly $100.. if that. If you were to pick up the
bits at a junkyard you could probably lower the cost to less than $50.

I would also be curious to see where high quality e-codes could be found
for less than $300 (hint: ScamTech is NOT high quality).

What was NOT said in the article was that you can get higher quality ECE
lights from Dan Stern (and others) in the quad round form factor than you
can in any other form factor. Even in stock form the round lights are
going to throw out better light. As an added bonus, the quad rounds allow
for separate aiming of high and low beams.
 
Alex Zepeda said:
The conversion cost, roughly $100.. if that. If you were to pick up the
bits at a junkyard you could probably lower the cost to less than $50.

I would also be curious to see where high quality e-codes could be found
for less than $300 (hint: ScamTech is NOT high quality).
Click to expand...

I got some from a guy in Finland, they are original Volvo parts, used but in
very good condition, they're not rare. I've also gotten some "DJ-Auto"
branded lights for a 240 which have worked very well, they feel just a
little lighter than the OEM stuff but the beam pattern is fine and they've
been working well for several years. I know some people are cheap, but IMO
if something's worth doing it's worth doing right, either the car is a
wreck/rust bucket waiting to be parted out or a nice one being fixed up and
$300 (or a bit more if needed) for a nice clean factory look beats out
$50-$100 for a half assed conversion hack any day.
 
I got some from a guy in Finland, they are original Volvo parts, used but
in very good condition, they're not rare. I've also gotten some "DJ-Auto"
branded lights for a 240 which have worked very well, they feel just a
little lighter than the OEM stuff but the beam pattern is fine and they've
been working well for several years. I know some people are cheap, but IMO
if something's worth doing it's worth doing right, either the car is a
wreck/rust bucket waiting to be parted out or a nice one being fixed up
and $300 (or a bit more if needed) for a nice clean factory look beats out
$50-$100 for a half assed conversion hack any day.
Click to expand...


And after all of that, the quad round e-codes will still put out more
light. They will still offer more flexibility as far as aiming the beams.
The quad round form factor still allows for you to buy superior e-codes.
 
Alex Zepeda said:
And after all of that, the quad round e-codes will still put out more
light. They will still offer more flexibility as far as aiming the beams.
The quad round form factor still allows for you to buy superior e-codes.
Click to expand...


And they're still fugly IMO...

I've done a fair amount of driving in an '85 that had been fitted with the
quad rounds (which at least bolts right in in an '85) with decent quality
E-code lamps, they worked pretty well but the low beams were not as good as
the OEM large rectangular E-code lights, the high beams were a hair better
(go figure, more wattage). The best lights I've used in a 240 were the large
7" round E-codes, but even those are not *that* much better, and they're
blown away by the OEM E-code lights on my 740, which granted have 90W lamps
in them so that's not really a fair comparison. I have the quad-rectangular
lights with E-codes in an '84 and the performance of those is quite good as
well, especially the high beams. People say the rounds are more efficient
but from experience the difference is negligable at best, the quality of
optics, bulb and wiring make far more difference than the form factor. I'm
not just pulling this stuff out of my ass, I own or have access to 240's and
740's with nearly every headlight configuration ever offered and the big OEM
E-code stuff simply works better than most of the other options. *ALL* of it
works better than the DOT junk the cars came with.
 
And they're still fugly IMO...
Click to expand...

Right. So you can spend more for beauty. Your call. I like the eggcrate
grille featured in the conversion more than the chromed grille.

For e-codes:

Sylvania high or low sealed beams (from Kragen) - $6/ea, $24 for the four.

Cibie H4 or H1 (from Dan Stern) - $62/ea, $124 for the lows, $248 for all
four

Cibie complex reflector H4 or H1 (from D.S.) - $109/ea, $218 for the lows,
$436 for all four

ScamTech 240 ECE lights+turn signals (from Bram Smits) - 335EUR (roughly
$475 and counting).

From what I can tell, even the 'cheapie' quad round lights are about half
the cost of the aero lights. That's a high price, IMO, to pay for
fashion. OTOH if the $200 is chump change to you, I can send you my
address and I'll put your $200 to a set of e-codes for my friend's 240
(unless you also feel like $600 is chump change and would be willing to
pay for the aero lights for my 760).

The complex reflector lamps are what I was talking about when I referred
to superior quality lamps. Take a look at Daniel Stern's page and see
what he has to say about them (hint: they are his lamp of choice).

My favourite quote was "As much of an upgrade as conventional E-codes are
over sealed beams, these new premium CSR lamps are over conventional
E-codes." D.S. knows his Volvo and his lights. If he's raving about
them, I've got no doubt that they're good (plus they're still cheaper than
the aero lights).

With the dollar in a tailspin, I can only expect the e-codes to become
more and more expensive. As a starving student, I value function over
form. Even the glass sealed beams will be an improvement over the
DOT aero lights, as the glass will never (at least not within its
service life) cloud over like the plastic. Really, would you rather see
or look good? When it comes down to it, I'd rather have the better lights
(esp when you're talking a 20x price difference for the lights).
 
Alex Zepeda said:
Right. So you can spend more for beauty. Your call. I like the eggcrate
grille featured in the conversion more than the chromed grille.
Click to expand...

I like the eggcrate grills too, though on a later 240 the standard grill
looks pretty good too if you black out the chrome. Some later 240's had the
black grills from the factory but I'm not sure what year.
For e-codes:

Sylvania high or low sealed beams (from Kragen) - $6/ea, $24 for the four.
Click to expand...

Sealed beams are junk, just about anyone can agree to that.
Cibie H4 or H1 (from Dan Stern) - $62/ea, $124 for the lows, $248 for all
four
Click to expand...

Ok so $2 cheaper than I paid for the glass aero lights and you still haven't
factored in the other bits needed.
Cibie complex reflector H4 or H1 (from D.S.) - $109/ea, $218 for the lows,
$436 for all four
Click to expand...

Cost as much as the 740 aero lights, brand new turn signal assemblies, 90w
bulbs (from D. Stern), wiring, relays, etc by about $50.
ScamTech 240 ECE lights+turn signals (from Bram Smits) - 335EUR (roughly
$475 and counting).
Click to expand...

I paid $220 for the pair with turn signals, plus about $35 for shipping, I
don't know if they're still available at that price but $475 sounds VERY
high.
From what I can tell, even the 'cheapie' quad round lights are about half
the cost of the aero lights. That's a high price, IMO, to pay for
fashion. OTOH if the $200 is chump change to you, I can send you my
address and I'll put your $200 to a set of e-codes for my friend's 240
(unless you also feel like $600 is chump change and would be willing to
pay for the aero lights for my 760).
Click to expand...

Gotta shop around a bit, there's many less publicized places to obtain
decent stuff inexpensively. For this sort of things, an overseas contact is
a good way to go. As for the $200, compared to what I spend in a year for
fuel, oil, filters, insurance and other various consumables yes, it's fairly
insignificant. For the enjoyment I've gotten from the lights, the excellent
performance, fantastic clean factory look, and the painless bolt-in install,
it's one of the better upgrades I've done.

The complex reflector lamps are what I was talking about when I referred
to superior quality lamps. Take a look at Daniel Stern's page and see
what he has to say about them (hint: they are his lamp of choice).


With the dollar in a tailspin, I can only expect the e-codes to become
more and more expensive. As a starving student, I value function over
form. Even the glass sealed beams will be an improvement over the
DOT aero lights, as the glass will never (at least not within its
service life) cloud over like the plastic. Really, would you rather see
or look good? When it comes down to it, I'd rather have the better lights
(esp when you're talking a 20x price difference for the lights).
Click to expand...

But that's the thing, it's *not* a 20x price difference (though the dropping
dollar is a good point), at the time I was looking at $600 for a set of new
OEM plastic lights or $250 for a set of glass E-code aeros, I guess I could
have spent $300 and botched in a bunch of junkyard parts but I hadn't
considered that. For the 740 it was $250 for a set of decent e-code quad
rounds, or roughly the same price and I got to replace the cracked turn
signal lense and get daytime running lights in the process. In my '84 Turbo
I had the worthless sealed beams so I dropped in a set of used quad
rectangular e-codes, vast improvement but it's a project car I'm restoring
so I'm saving up for (and searching for) a pair of the big rectangular glass
lamps for that. In the end I can see great and look great while saving time
and money in the process, but obviously this is turning into a bit of a
religious battle over a matter of opinion so I'm gonna just drop it.
 
Sealed beams are junk, just about anyone can agree to that.
Click to expand...

Sealed beams have one significant advantage over the later aero lights.
They will never fog over. As bad as the sealed beams are, they're better
than fogged over aeor lights.
Cost as much as the 740 aero lights, brand new turn signal assemblies,
90w bulbs (from D. Stern), wiring, relays, etc by about $50.
Click to expand...

Right, but they're also significantly better than the 740 aero lights.
But that's the thing, it's *not* a 20x price difference (though the
dropping dollar is a good point), at the time I was looking at $600 for
a set of new OEM plastic lights or $250 for a set of glass E-code aeros,
I guess I could have spent $300 and botched in a bunch of junkyard parts
but I hadn't considered that.
Click to expand...

Are you talking about $250 for 740 e-codes or for 240 e-codes. They *are*
different (in price, quality, and OE availability).

Of course you could (should) shop around and get a better price on the
Cibie quad round setup.. or you could drop a bunch of money and have a
setup that'll put the aero e-codes to shame.
 
Where is Daniel Stern the mans a wizz and dont see much of him of late .
 
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