New Volvo purchase and some questions

[BlairG]

Hi, I contacted this board a few weeks back on a couple of 240
purchases I was thinking of. Well I've finally made the leap and bought
a 1988 240 with stick (which is what I was looking for) for my
daughter.

However I have a couple of questions that I'm hoping the board can help
with. The rear lights on the car are different (one has obviously been
replaced at some time) , one light has chrome trim and the other black
trim.

The black trimmed light has the fog light on the innermost upper
segment with the brake light diagonally opposite it on the outermost
lower segment (dual filament bulb).

The chrome trimmed light has the brakelight in the innermost upper
segment (same as the fog position on the other one), I'm not sure where
the fog is on this one!

1) Is what I've described above the defining differences for these two
light clusters? I also found, online, a site that sells the rear light
PCB separately from the cluster. It appears from their photograph that
their PCB matches the layout on the black light I have. I'd like to
have both lights match each other both cosmetically and functionally.
Any thoughts?

2) Also where is the best place to purchase engine and transmission
mounts? I've seen some on ebay going cheap but I have a concern that
they may not be as good as ones that can be bought at IPD or FCP and
that it may be a false economy.

3) and finally, the radio (aftermarket) is installed low down in the
dash requiring you to take your eyes off of the road to change station,
definately NOT a good thing for a young inexperienced driver!!! Is
there a radio relocation kit available for the '88?

thanks again

Blair

 

[KLB]

From what I understand there is only suppose to be one rear fog light. This
way folks won't think that your foot is asleep on the brake. Depends upon
the law where you live apparently.

My wagon only has the one. Thinking of ditching the rear fog light getting
another socket and having what would have been the rear fog light(s) become
additional brake lights.

According to the number of rear-end accidents these days if you have a
daughter you can't have too many brake lights. At least that's the way it
is with my very flat nosed daughter.

 

[James Sweet]

3) and finally, the radio (aftermarket) is installed low down in the
dash requiring you to take your eyes off of the road to change station,
definately NOT a good thing for a young inexperienced driver!!! Is
there a radio relocation kit available for the '88?

thanks again

Blair

You can get the upper dash mounting kit from Crutchfield or anywhere
else that sells stereo stuff. That's the factory location for '86 and
later cars, though personally I always relocate them to the lower
compartment where they're nice and out of the way and put a turbo guage
pod in the upper location.

 

[Mike F]

Hi, I contacted this board a few weeks back on a couple of 240
purchases I was thinking of. Well I've finally made the leap and bought
a 1988 240 with stick (which is what I was looking for) for my
daughter.

However I have a couple of questions that I'm hoping the board can help
with. The rear lights on the car are different (one has obviously been
replaced at some time) , one light has chrome trim and the other black
trim.

The black trimmed light has the fog light on the innermost upper
segment with the brake light diagonally opposite it on the outermost
lower segment (dual filament bulb).

The chrome trimmed light has the brakelight in the innermost upper
segment (same as the fog position on the other one), I'm not sure where
the fog is on this one!

1) Is what I've described above the defining differences for these two
light clusters? I also found, online, a site that sells the rear light
PCB separately from the cluster. It appears from their photograph that
their PCB matches the layout on the black light I have. I'd like to
have both lights match each other both cosmetically and functionally.
Any thoughts?

2) Also where is the best place to purchase engine and transmission
mounts? I've seen some on ebay going cheap but I have a concern that
they may not be as good as ones that can be bought at IPD or FCP and
that it may be a false economy.

3) and finally, the radio (aftermarket) is installed low down in the
dash requiring you to take your eyes off of the road to change station,
definately NOT a good thing for a young inexperienced driver!!! Is
there a radio relocation kit available for the '88?

thanks again

Blair

Volvo added rear fog lights to the cars in North America in 1985. Your
chrome trimmed light is from an earlier model. Note that the trim
colour does not determine the "foglightness", both trim colours were
used with and without fog lights. The circuit card, bulb socket and the
keying of the hole in the taillight are different between the types.

--
Mike F.
Thornhill (near Toronto), Ont.

Replace tt with t (twice!) and remove parentheses to email me directly.
(But I check the newsgroup more often than this email address.)

 

[Stephen Henning]

Volvo added rear fog lights to the cars in North America in 1985. Your
chrome trimmed light is from an earlier model. Note that the trim
colour does not determine the "foglightness", both trim colours were
used with and without fog lights. The circuit card, bulb socket and the
keying of the hole in the taillight are different between the types.

Volvo only put a rear fog light on the left side of North American 240s.
It is an easy modification to make the ones from 1985 or later work on
the right side if you are handy with a soldering iron. Everything is
there except for a small jumper. However, early ones are completely
different.