What is the best improvement/modification/fix you have done to your 200 series? (Mines an 86 245, and I'm still working out the mechanicals, although I have ordered e-code lights, will be getting tires, changed the cat and have tune-up bits in hand).

I like to ask this question when I get a new vehicle, as there are so many cool things folks do to modify or improve things.

I look forward to the answers, Thanks,

Jeff

I have a dash full of gauges - volt, tach (the 52 mm little one...can't live without the full-size super-accurate clock), 5-bar oil pressure, oil temp in Fahrenheit, and vacuum/economy gauge. All nice.

Bosch fog lights are great for the bling factor and extra lighting at night. I also used them as daytime running lights so they are always on. Very nice.

But the best upgrade to my Vlad are the glass E-code headlamps. OMG, what a difference from those square sealed-beams! I love the sharp upper cut-off point and the light bleeding to the right, which makes it so easy to read highway signs. And them high-beams is bright! No high-wattage bulbs, either; the 55/50 watt ones are just fine.

Now I need to get me some of them there ipd sway bars...
--
Mike F - 1984 244 DL - 281,000 miles
Original engine, transmission, drive train, starter
Undergoing reconstructive surgery with POR-15

IPD bars are over-rated. If I had it to do again, I'd do springs first, then bars. And I'd probably go with the stiffest springs I could find and either keep the stock sways or find some turbo sway bars.
--
'93 244: 'A' cam 4 deg. advanced, 25/22 sways, custom heim endlinks, poly bushings, and a lot more styling customization than I care to recount.

No contest for me..of all the single things I've done to my '85 245Ti, a set of ipd swaybars wins.

Lots of good ideas, thanks. ... so far, I have lots of bits, but haven't actually done too much.

I've added the armrest - what a difference it makes.

Have volt and oil pressure 52mm gauges to install, tach to replace the big clock, odometer gear to replace the broken one, temp compensator board jump (have the cluster out to do all the work, running a spare for now).

Sheepskin seat wraps to go over the nearly new looking brown vinyl.

JVC iPod compatible head unit (pulled from my previous daily driver) and upgraded 4-inch speakers.

Bought a set of almost new used tires today, 205/70/14s to replace the 195/70/14s the 245 came with. For $100, the debate of going to 15s ended. As money allows though, I'll probably go to 15s from a 700 series.

E-codes from ebay, with a Daniel Stern wiring harness on the way.

Mechanically, she's a gem. 86 245 with 105K (and a bit more as the odometer broke, but not much more from the carfax) Replaced the CAT, plugs, wires, cap, rotor. Paid to have the blower motor and AC fixed and that, for now, appears to be all she needs. STP stop leak and cleaning the flame trap appears to have fixed the rear main seal leak and Lucas power steering stop leak has bought me time on the steering rack.

The aftermarket center armrest is a must! A full suspension/rim/tire upgrade isn't bad either, but bang for the buck, that center armrest is a sweetheart!

jorrell
--
92 245 250K miles, IPD'd to the hilt, 06 XC70, 00 Eclipse custom Turbo setup...currently taking names and kicking reputations!

I am intrigued. Who offers this armrest? Does it replace the existing plastic center piece?
Poorgie

Furthermore, Volvo's replacement (all black) armrest for the 200 series is also no longer available. Besides eBay, your only other alternative would be Husco. This company sells an aftermarket front armrests with cupholders for Volvo 240's for $86.40.

saw this on another write up,if you missed it...

1) A JVC cassette deck with separate 1980s Radio Shack amp/EQ, and speaker boxes in the rear, bunji corded to the cargo-hold loops to prevent tipping in turns (she had no radio when I bought her...endured 3 months of daily driving with a boom box run off batteries). I keep the back seat folded down...she is my SUV (sport utility Volvo).

2) A Thule roof rack.

--
Olga '84 245 stock, 128K

On my '86 245 with 118k mi --

Best improvement was upgraded sway bars, 25/22mm. Originals were 19/17.

Boge/Sachs turbo gas shocks all around.
15" alloy wheels.
Air box mod to block the hot air. Don't need it in SoCal.
Relocated flame trap. The original was completely clogged.
Aluminum belly pan, 1/8". Got tired of replacing plastic ones.
Upgraded windshield to the '91-'93 style surround.
Alpine AM/FM/CD/MP3.
--
1986 Volvo 245

When I had my 240, it was the taillight decor panel -- the red filler plate that fit between the taillights. Very unique!
--
Regards,
Eric Staufer,
1989 244DL (SOLD, but not forgotten!),
My 240 Page (opens a new window)

I need to add one more. I finished the installation of my auxiliary cooling fan on my 85, 245 this evening. It was a tight install, but on the test drive in traffic, with all the stop lights, the air was as cool as if I were on the highway, and that's with the R-134-A retrofit that was done years ago. It's not something that I would reccomend for a first project, but it is very worthwhile. I wired the trigger wire to the compressor clutch wire, and I may add a switch to kill the fan when on the highway. It really pulls on the voltmeter. I have it protected with a 20 amp fuse in a marine fuseholder. I got lucky, and found the correct relay for the fan.

Bill

Hi Bill:
Can you say more about how you did this? I found a 740 aux fan in the junkyard, but of course it doesn't fit without some mods. So, I have to work on the installation. But I have no clue how to do the electrical part.

Thanks! Any help is appreciated!!

Mike
--
Mike Brown Greenville, NC 1996 965 139K 1994 940 137K 1986 244 137K (odometer broken)

You should get the relay and the basic wiring for the unit as well (at least from the fan unit to the relay). I installed the fan in front of the condensor, and bolted it up using the 240 brackets and some that I made. I routed the harness through the hole in the driver's side of the core support where the headlight harness passes through (plenty of room there). I pulled power from the main positive junction box, to the relay (the big wire), and from the relay to the positive side of the fan wiring. The negative side of the fan wiring has a ring terminal that serves as a ground, and it went to the same screw that the drivers turn signal/park lamp ground uses. The small black wire from the relay goes to ground as well. Now you need a trigger source. I used the green wire from the low pressure cycle switch (this harness goes across the front of the car down on top of the lower core support. I tapped into this wire and connected the small feed wire from the relay to this. Whan the A/C is off, the fan does not run, but when the compressor kicks in, the fan srarts too. You could wire it through a switch (installed in the center console) and powered from the fuse panel so that you could manually controll the fan, or install a thermo switch so that the fan would come on at a preset temperature. I needed more air across the condensor (mine was converted to R-134A several years ago) for help with making the A/C cooler when in town and the air flow across the condensor was low. It now puts out cold air at a stop light just like it does when on the highway.

Bill

Hi Bill:
Thanks, that helps. I guess I really need to go find a harness for it. The car I pulled the fan off had the hood smashed shut, so I couldn't get much more than a foot of the harness off (although they only charged me $5.00 for the fan).

I also need to jury-rig a way to mount the fan.

Looking forward to more cool in-town....

Mike
--
Mike Brown Greenville, NC 1996 965 139K 1994 940 137K 1986 244 137K (odometer broken)

Run down to your local Auto Zone, and get some of the heavy duty universal muffler strapping (it is about 1" wide, and already has holes in it. Cut it with a hacksaw and mount the fan where it won't move. You will need to remove the grille, both headlight buckets, and the center support to be able to fit the fan in place. While you are at the Zone, get a relay capable of handling 30 amps, and a fuse holder with a few 25 amp fuses. With some wire and connectors, you should be able to rig it up just fine.

Bill

Great idea about the muffler strapping. I know exactly what you are speaking about. Did you run the power right off the fuse box?
--
Mike Brown Greenville, NC 1996 965 139K 1994 940 137K 1986 244 137K (odometer broken)

I pulled the power from the junction box (the little flat unit on the drivers fender behind the coil).

Bill

Great, thanks.
--
Mike Brown Greenville, NC 1996 965 139K 1994 940 137K 1986 244 137K (odometer broken)

Go down to your friendly local parts store and get some universal muffler strapping (the wide stuff, not the little 3/4 inch crap. You can saw it with a hacksaw, and chances are that one or more of the holes in the strapping will fit where you need it to. Just make sure that it can't move around. While you are there, get a good 30 amp relay with 4 connectors. That should get you going.

Bill

I have a '93 240 wagon closing in on 300k.I have a 240 classic wood dash trim,23mm sway bars,strut to chassis braces,16" hydra rims with 205-55-16 tires,new ball joints,control arm bushings and inner/outer tie rods.Thule roof rack and a oem armrest cupholder, all black grille and mouldings.I also have a 52mm tach and voltmeter guage.Oh yeah and a volvo brand exhaust.

From a ride and handling point of view; 15 inch wheels and tires, IPD sways, good shocks, rear trailing arm bushings, torque rod bushings and rear control arm bushings (front suspension). Makes an old 240 drive like new. Dan

I'm not too mechanically inclined either, but I am learning : )

A simple upgrade that requires little to no skill is a front folding armrest if you don't have one already. You can find them starting at around $40 on ebay, but the bidding shoots up pretty quick in the last day or so. I got mine for $50, and I think it was worth every penny.

Also, I'm not sure how cold it gets in AZ, but you can probably tear out that thermostat in the air box, if it goes bad it will slowly bake your AMM. Just plug the inlet with a 2" rubber cap found at home depot by the PVC plumbing. I also removed the reduced end of the intake snorkel to help air flow.

CLEAN YOUR THROTTLE BODY IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY!

Good luck,

Justin

The L shaped duct to which snorkel attaches to also has reduced opening in comparison to the main duct. I have drilled lots of holes with a drill so that the cross section area comes out to be more than main duct. It made a 2% diff which only I can feel :).

The other point of view is that snorkel looks well designed though, the gradually reducing opening at snorkel will increase the suction power and the orientation of slant cut on top of snorkel is such that it will create a low pressure right at top of the hole where the air is being sucked.




--
DD-1990 240 DL SW M47II FI 3.1 220 K miles Turbo Sways,Custom headlight circuit ,Insulated roof,Tinted Glass,

can you expand on "rip the thermostat out of the airbox"? I checked out that aluminum hose running from exhaust to the airbox bringing the hot air in there. Are there any issues with removing this hose? What else needs to be removed with the hose?

Makes sense not to feed hot air into the engine.

Thanks.

It's an old modification designed to save your Air Mass Meter. Many people over the years have had to buy new $200+ Air Mass Meters because the thermostat in their airbox failed, thus sending hot air to the engine ALL THE TIME. Easy solution - pull off the hose.

HOWEVER, some of us have recently started putting them back on. We've noticed that even a properly functioning thermostat will allow some small amount of hot air to flow, even when extremely hot; it would seem that the hot air valve isn't just a ON/OFF kind of thing, but rather that it is designed to provide a mixture of hot/cold air to keep the air entering the engine at a particular temperature. It's probably designed to provide warmer air for a cleaner burn and better mileage. With the cost of gas, a lot of us are ready to take a hit in performance in exchange for better mileage.
--
'93 244: 'A' cam 4 deg. advanced, 25/22 sways, custom heim endlinks, poly bushings, and a lot more styling customization than I care to recount.

I've also thought of reinstalling the airbox thermostat and aluminum hose in my car for better emissions, but I'm paranoid about my AMM getting cooked alive. I guess replacing that airbox thermostat every year as preventive maintenance is the best way, or at least have a spare AMM handy.
--
Mike F - 1984 244 DL - 281,000 miles
Original engine, transmission, drive train, starter
Undergoing reconstructive surgery with POR-15

A thread too good to resist.

15" steel wheels from 740/940s. Nifty center-recess wheel covers from about '92-'95 era 940/850s.

IPD heavy duty sway bars. I absolutely love those. I transplanted them from Sophie ('86 245, r.i.p.) when I put Sven on the road.

Quad horns, powered by a relay. Two tucked into each side corner of front air dam, the sound comes out the wheel wells. Perfect for those "idiot driver" situations where they approach from one side or another but rarely from straight ahead.

Seat restoration. It's soooo good for your back.

I keep my tools in the wagon cargo area, not at home. Very rarely, I've used them to complete my 60 mile commute.

Big box speaker going across the cargo area, just behind the rear seat. Has two eight inch dual cone speakers.

Restored the airbox heater duct and thermostat. Added a cheapo digital 'indoor-outdoor' thermometer to the airbox so when the t'stat goes bad I'll know about it, hopefully before it cooks the amm.

E-code headlights, but I wouldn't suggest anyone take on the project I got into. They work great though (see avatar pic at top corner here).

Painted the front corner lights' inner reflector housings amber. I like the look. Toughest part was mixing the color. Needs opaque white paint on the plastic first, then the amber over that.

Rumors that I'm obsessed are entirely untrue.

--
Sven: '89 245 NA, 951 ECU, expanded air dam, forward belly pan reaches oem belly pan, airbox heater upgraded, E-fan, 205/65-15 at 50 psi, IPD sways, no a/c-p/s belt, E-Codes, amber front corner reflectors, aero front face, quad horns, tach, small clock.

Yay! People waking up to the utility of a functioning warm air induction system! :-)

Just check the T-stat every once and a while and you'll be fine. The danger of cooking an AMM is definitely overstated. It's a significant possibility, but not an instantaneous kind of thing.

-Ryan
--

Athens, Ohio
1987 245 DL 314k, Dog-mobile
1990 245 DL 134k M47, E-codes, GT Sway Bars
1991 745 GL 300k, Regina, 23/21mm Turbo Sway Bars

One of the best things I ever did to my '82 245 DL (M46) was to swap out the big clock for the big tach. In addition to that, swapping in a small, later model or turbo model steering wheel (yours may already be smaller than the one in my '82) made the car feel much sportier, even though the suspension remained unchanged (that is, until I installed turbo sway bars and poly trailing arm bushings later on). Upgrading to 15" alloy wheels is also nice for the overall looks. I had Virgos from a 240 Turbo and then changed to some Multi-X wheels from a 780 Bertone (the rear brake horns needed to be removed to fit those).

The "horns" on the rear caliper are there for an important element of rear-end crash safety. They transmit collision forces from a rear-impact from the bumper and body, through the large triangular pieces (just ahead of the horns, the ones that look like pizza slices), and into the "horns" -- and from there through the calipers into the massive solid rear axle. See how the "pizza slices" lie in line with the horns, allowing for verticle movement, and yet staying aligned, so that a crumpling of the rear is halted by the engagement with the heavy axle. This prevents excessive collapse of the rear passenger compartment, especially (but not just) in a wagon.

I didn't know that!! I always thought they were there to facilitate installing brake pad pins using an angled brake tool. At least that's what I've use it for.

I always knew the engineers at Volvo were ingenious and smart, but wow!

BTW: Mine are still on all the cars.

FWIW,I was told that those rear brake horns are important for crash safety if you have 3rd seat passengers. In fact the guy who sold me my 3rd seat made me swear I hadn't removed them before he would sell it to me! Hope I'm not raining on your parade.

Ron 93 245
near Brantford, ON, Can

all poly rear bushings.

Here's my list (combo of my '84 and '93):

1. Handling/performance category:

a. Hydra wheels with Michelin Exalto PE2 205/55-16 tires
b. IPD antisway bars (25,22mm)
c. IPD poly bushings
d. IPD braces, both tower to tower and also tower to bulkhead

on my '84


on my '93


e. Slotted and cadmium-plated Brembo rotors (from Eurosport Tuning & Brakes) and PBR Deluxe pads (from IPD)

Safety category:

a. Euroheadlights (including special H4 connectors from Dan Stern, as well as relays, 10 ga wiring, etc):


and on my '84 (and all earlier cars back to the 1970s, Cibie e-code substitutes for sealed beams.

b. Converting all my taillight to bright LEDs (shown is a comparison to the conventional lights on the left and my improved LEDs on the right and in the center brake light):


c. Likewise, converting my front lights to LEDs, too, including LED DRLs in the upper half (to go along with those in the grille, next), as well as the turn signal (lower half, also lit for this picture):


d. Adding more DRLs to the front grille (truck lights):


Engine care category:

a. Using AmsOil engine oil and ATF -- recent picture of my '93's valve train (140K miles):


b. Volvo's Auxiliary ATF cooler, and also 4 horns (and relay) installed (in place of a single anemic horn on my '93):


c. Removal of the Temperature Compensation Board
d. Installation of bright, blue (R-style) gauge faces, and the addition of a large tach (in place of the clock), and small voltmeter and ambient temperature gauges -- I'd love to show you a picture, but I can't get my old photo from the Brickboard Gallery ??? You can just see part of my gauges, though, in my GPS picture, lower down this list.
e. Flame-trap relocation on my '84, and also even on my '93 to make it just a bit higher up (convenience).
f. Installation of IPD's Poly bushings for all accessories (alternator, P/S, A/C).

Comfort/Convenience category:

a. Installing a GPS (that doesn't block the windshield view):


b. Snow caps, and screens over them to prevent debris from collecting in the vent passages:
on my '84

on my '93


b. Center armrest with cupholders (front and rear)


c. Trailer hitch

And of course I'm sure there's more I can't think of right now :-)

Ken,

I stole......make that borrowed your idea of using plastic screen material to close off the leaf sucking vent intake on my 245. That is a great idea, and it's too bad that no one thought it up before. It took me a few minutes to replicate what you did on mine. I can't tell if it works or not, cause since I did it, I can't find any leaves in my air vent intake trackt. :-)

Bill

Glad you liked it -- this forum is for sharing, and that's what we all want to promote.

I hope you took into consideration the slight reduction in air flow (I discussed this with "Lucid" earlier on this thread) -- you have to make a decision based on your circumstances and priorities, but it sounds like you're in my type of situation, where foliage falling into the ducts is the most serious situation.

Enjoy.

Saw your tower-to-bulkhead braces and was thinking about getting some for my 245. Was the improvement noticeable? I presently have the upper and lower braces from Cherry Bomb and 25/25 swaybars and Bilstien Touring Shocks.

Always searching for an upgrade. Thanks.

What's the cheapest source for those?

Actually, I installed the pair of tower-to-bulkhead braces at the same time as the tower-to-tower brace, so I can't distinguish the separate benefits from one or the other. But it just seemed logical to me that if I was stiffening the front end, I needed the triangular arrangement to really lock down any movement at the topside.
BTW, I don't have the lower braces (control arm-to-rear bushing "cup").

But I've found, as I'm sure you have, a substantial improvement -- I can take sharp turns on secondary roads like it's on rails -- the car follows a very precise track, much better than before.

I finally recovered (from the Brickboard Gallery) the picture of my gauge faces (only be tediously going through every page of 20 pics/page).

Here it is -- credit goes to Dave Barton for selling me the faces (I installed them myself):

I also (not trusting the thermostat) locked the air box (filter box) internal flap to be permanently open to the cool air intake, so that the AMM is protected.

The screening on the Vent... Is that just metal screening ( Storm door) bent up and held into place with the snowcaps?

Did you make the snowcaps yourself, I've never seen them anywhere.

--
'75 Jeep CJ5 345Hp ChevyPwrd, two motorcycles, '85 Pickup: The '89 Volvo is the newest vehicle I own. it wasn't Volvos safety , it was Longevity that sold me http://home.no.net/ebrox/Tony's%20cars.htm

IPD still has the Snow Caps. They just got a new stock of them on the first of July. I got mine a couple of weeks ago. The IPD part number is: CC8848 for the 1975 through 1985 240's. The price is $59.95 plus shipping. They also offer them for the 740 and 940 series cars. They don't list them for the 86 through 93 240's though.

Bill
--
Those who beat their swords into plowshares will surely plow for those who did not.

Hi-

That screen looks verrry practical, wish to see Ken C.s post on that.

The snow caps are a Volvo product. They were available from IPD for a short time, and may now be NLA. Maybe Erling or some other Euro-based BB member can help out.

Before IPD ran out, I was able to scrape up the $$$ (50 per) for a set for a 1984 245 and two sets for my 1986 and 1988 244s. They are easy to attach, and can be used (if you're lazy like me) in their black color. Looks like Ken C. painted his to match.

Other BB folks have attached fine (1/8-in squares) hardware cloth to the grille. I think they cut strips narrow enough to slip down through the grille slots, and then attached it to the underside of the bars using small zip ties.

BTW, my nicest improvements have been (1) re-habbing the support of the seat bottoms of both front seats using new grids and a large indoor-outdoor carpet square.

(2) Fold-up center arm rests. Even w/o cup holders they are great. Door pockets do all the cup-holding I have needed.

(3) Voltmeters, installed in the 2"square panel below the small clock (cars have the large tach already). Wired to signal with key in Position I or II.

(4) Footwell lights that illuminate the front passenger's footwell when either door opens. I put a center-off SPDT switch in one of the control panel blanks so the footlights are on with domelight, off, or on constant. Can be used by passenger to read a map with little light bother to the driver. BTDT.

(5) Cruise Control.

Regards,

Bob

:>)

re: "...The screening on the Vent... Is that just metal screening ( Storm door) bent up and held into place with the snowcaps?..."

No, it's black nylon screen (I didn't want to use metal, as it could wear on the paint). It's attached to the caps with 3M's 5200 marine adhesive/sealer -- my favorite because it's so impervious to weather and permanent; the lower part of the screen in just folded and tucked into the gasket that runs along the firewall under the edge of the hood.

re: "...Did you make the snowcaps yourself, I've never seen them anywhere...."

No, they're both Volvo accessories, two different styles:

The one on my '84 is a single, long one (for the pre-'86 vent style); I think the p/n is 1128848-7 (but it's been a long time, so this may be wrong). It only comes in black, and I never bothered to paint it.

The '93's (for '86-'93) is different -- it comes as a pair of shorter (than the pre-'86) caps, to match the two separate set of vents of these later cars. I painted these to match the car's paint -- makes it look a lot nicer. The p/n is 3524879-6.

Hi Ken,

Those are all nice mods, but with the cowl caps I sensed a noticeable reduction in the airflow at road speed (with fan off). It looks like the available air intake area is reduced by about 80% and (to me at least) IPD's customer-reported "ram effect" of the caps as scoops was non existent.

The 940 airflow is already much less than the 240's, nearly always requiring some fan assist and more frequent use of AC. And since the 940 already has a mesh screen (that had dropped down into the vent area), I'm much happier with the IPD cap removed. I was able to fish the mesh back up in place and held with 4 small, unobtrusive zip-ties.

On my daughter's '93 240, the reduced (unassisted) air flow was also apparent, when compared to her former '87 under the same driving conditions. So with most of her driving being at moderate speeds (on Martha's Vineyard), I took the caps off to eliminate the (new) need for the fan, and hopefully extend the blower motor life.

You're probably right about the air flow without the assistance of the motor -- I, too, notice the reduction.

But I think each of us has to decide -- if I lived in an open area (I'm thinking CA where my daughter lives with few trees anywhere), it would be preferrable to leave the vents alone.

Unfortunately, or fortunately (depending on your tastes), I live in the east (at least for a little while longer :-) in a very heavily tree canopied area -- and vacation in New England in a very conifer area. So in either spot I can't leave the car outside for any length of time during three seasons of the year without either tree flower debris, samarra, pine needles, or just garbage falling on the car -- and the snow caps alone help very little, because all that stuff just piles up in front of their opening, ready to be sucked into the mouth of the caps when I start driving -- thus the addition of the screens!

So the choice of using them or not falls to a person's situation and resulting needs.

Best regards,

Thanks for the info.

I may implement this on my sons Old Dodge. His cowl looks like a Compost pile by the end of Fall. It's not garaged so he is a victim to parking under the trees.
The looks of the matching paint on your '93 and the functionality of it makes sense to play with on his car.
--
'75 Jeep CJ5 345Hp ChevyPwrd, two motorcycles, '85 Pickup: The '89 Volvo is the newest vehicle I own. it wasn't Volvos safety , it was Longevity that sold me http://home.no.net/ebrox/Tony's%20cars.htm

That lighting set-up is AMAZING.

Damn.

This is the greatest one so far. :-)

Thank you. But I'm only sorry that I couldn't show the picture of my full array of gauges (large tach, plus voltmeter and ambient temperature gauge), all done is a bright blue, R-Sport style design. It is closer to more modern dashboards, and it really negates the need for brighter instrument illumination that lots of folks complain about.

I uploaded it onto the Gallery about a year ago, and I've recalled it several times (to include in my posts) -- but today it doesn't show up. When I do a "show my exhibits" function, it shows the first 20 of 24, but I can't seem to step on to the last four -- there's no page number 2, or a next, to click on.
There's something weird with the Gallery function.

Here is how to post a picture in your post:

If you already have a account in http://photobucket.com/ then:

1: upload picture first follow the web instructure.

2: Under each picture, there is "HTML code" , COPY and PAST it into your post

3: done.
Else
Creat one new account in http://photobucket.com/ by clicking "Join New" buttion.

End

Of couse , there is many other way to do it, but this one is easiest .


=================================
OR you can replace 'PICTURE URL' with your pic's real URL at below statement:




Then paste it in your post. Done.

Thanks for the info, but that isn't my problem.

I already have pictures uploaded in the Gallery -- their URLs were used to include them in my post. I got the URLs from doing a "Show my exhibits" functioin, which listed all (but not really all) my pictures.

Te problem was that the Gallery refused to show all my all pictures to me -- so among the ones left out was the one of my instrument panel.

But thanks for trying to help. It was appreciated.

I liked the Tail light improvement I made.
Running lights are wired so all three lower lenses illuminate.
Tapped in with two diodes to the Rear Fog lights so my Brakelights include my Foglights. 4 Lights illuminating instead of the stock 2 lights. Foglights still work as a stand alone.

After the general maintenacnce, My '89 is bone stock otherwise. It's been getting me where I need to go since Late '88. That's all I can ask.
--
'75 Jeep CJ5 345Hp ChevyPwrd, two motorcycles, '85 Pickup: The '89 Volvo is the newest vehicle I own. it wasn't Volvos safety , it was Longevity that sold me http://home.no.net/ebrox/Tony's%20cars.htm

That one caught my attention,

What kind of LED did you use?

Regards,

Paul

The real problem with teh LED's are they do not illuminate outward.. They are basically Spot lights with a small focal lens.

The Volvo plastic lenses are not designed to Flood out the LED's so if you are not dorectly behind the car... you can't really see the LED's. I was looking to gain visibilty, not lose it just to throw new technology at the car.
--
'75 Jeep CJ5 345Hp ChevyPwrd, two motorcycles, '85 Pickup: The '89 Volvo is the newest vehicle I own. it wasn't Volvos safety , it was Longevity that sold me http://home.no.net/ebrox/Tony's%20cars.htm

Ne LED's. In fact I designed a Circuit board to house 24 LED's.
My intension was to have all 5 Lenses light when stepping on the brakes (all24 LEDS lit) and have all 5 as Running lights ( using 4 of the 24 LED's). I designed the circuit board but never sent it out to be manufactured.

No, I just added an 1156 socket to the lower middle lense that is normally open.

Added the diodes up by the Foglight switch and Bulb failure sensor for the 4 brakelight scenario.

I also did have circuit boards made up so you can hardwire all the sockets at the Tail lights ... I made it so you can put diodes on that board for the foglight/brakelight scenario.
--
'75 Jeep CJ5 345Hp ChevyPwrd, two motorcycles, '85 Pickup: The '89 Volvo is the newest vehicle I own. it wasn't Volvos safety , it was Longevity that sold me http://home.no.net/ebrox/Tony's%20cars.htm

I'd have to say the best single fix that yielded the biggest improvement to my 240 was to remove the mouse nest from the front of the airbox. They had a small metropolis in there. What a difference in breathing!

-Will
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850 / Mini

That's funny. Instant performance.

I often suggest people look for that when they have a sluggish car.

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'75 Jeep CJ5 345Hp ChevyPwrd, two motorcycles, '85 Pickup: The '89 Volvo is the newest vehicle I own. it wasn't Volvos safety , it was Longevity that sold me http://home.no.net/ebrox/Tony's%20cars.htm

I will say turbo sway bars give immediate happiness.

I have synthetic all around (have stopped using in engine but again will revert back) but except for the gear box you do not really feel the difference.
Tinted the glasses which made a difference to kids and looks (Gray wagon),

Insulated the roof which may be reducing the heat load of the cage(in retrospect I feel that I should have used better insulation).

Rebuilt the Driver's seat , a good amount of happiness there.

A new headlight circuit to reduce the loss of voltage (brighter lights but you have to be the owner to feel the difference ).

There are lots of other maintainence jobs and new parts to keep the brick on road which takes most of the time/money and effort.

If you want to keep the car for some time then make the improvements ASAP so that you can enjoy them.

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DD-1990 240 DL SW M47II FI 3.1 220 K miles Turbo Sways,Custom headlight circuit ,Insulated roof,Tinted Glass,

For BlackBooty my '91 245 :

Trailing arm bushing replacement OEM style. Eliminated swaying in the wind.

Timing belt replacement apparently corrected a slight timing problem.

Change to Yokahama Avid trz 195 70 14. Great all seasons.

Blaupunkt Casablanca radio with a kenwood KSC-SW10 add on sub woofer. This is a dual 5 x 7 amplified speaker I have mounted all the way forward in the passenger foot well that more than makes up for the still stock 5.25 door speakers. I've been in the mobile electronics biz and this just might win a sound quality competition.

For the 93 Sedan-I'd have to say it is a tie between the bushings/ball joint/tie rod end replacements and the new paint job. The first makes the car feel like new, the second makes it look like new!

For the wagon, rescuing it from the previous, neglectful owner and giving it a home it deserves while I bring it back to 100%!

Poly bushings - make it feel like a new car instead of an old clunker that squeeks, crunches, and groans over bumps.

IPD sway bars were pretty good, HD springs were better.

Antenna button - such a little thing, but so nice to have. Now my antenna doesn't go up and down every time I change a CD.

Pioneer stereo and speakers - stock sucked.
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'93 244: 'A' cam 4 deg. advanced, 25/22 sways, custom heim endlinks, poly bushings, and a lot more styling customization than I care to recount.

I was pretty sure that the Flame Trap relocation kit would be a good improvement, but I got a bad hose. IPD is replacing the bad piece, and so I'll still have to go with that one.

I have high hopes for the change over to Mobil 1 as well.

Adding the Auxiliary Cooling fan would have to rate right up there as well, as would going to the 3 row radiator.

Dyeing the carpets would need to be mentioned as well. The rugs looked really good when I moved to Florida 3 years ago, but the Florida Sun had really begun to fade them. The dye job put things back to rights, and tinting the glass should keep them that way, not to mention making it easier to cool the car.

Bill
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Those who beat their swords into plowshares will surely plow for those who did not.

Doing all the bushings made a huge difference to my Brick. Now i swish over a speed bump rather than ka-dunk.
Trailers arms bushings were the biggest for ka-dunks. The sway bar bushings, link bushings and ft + rr control arm bushings really smoothed the front and improved handling.
These are not mods unless you go Poly, just service replacements that made my Brick drive like new again.
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420,000KM and still ticking

1) The new (and correct) Bosch ignition coil from FCP made a very noticeable difference in acceleration. But then the old coil (non-Bosch) looked like someone swapped it from a 1957 Chevy. And it had a large dent in the bottom.
2) The new catalytic converter was the only thing that finally worked to get me through emission testing.
3) 93 octane fuel (instead of 87) does improve acceleration plus adds 2 mpg.
4) Free: Removing the front seats so I could vacuum the carpet completely.
5) Driving more gently raised pure city mpg from 16 to 20.
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'89 silver 244DL in Milwaukee WI

I'd definitely say that E-codes are the big one... use relays in the circuit (see Dan Stern's website).

What's next?: Handling. Decent sway bars, tires, shocks/struts help big time. No need to go all race-car, but you can nudge the handling up as much as you want. IPD bars are great but pricey... or you can get bars from an older turbo or GT sedan or coupe.

Other fun stuff:

-A not-too-fancy stereo with aux input or MP3/WMA CD capability. Audio cassette is a dead medium.
-Waterproof 25 amp fuse holder (and clean those ancient contacts/grounds!)
-Temp gauge compensation bypass
-couple accessory gauges (voltmeter can be useful)
-Chassis braces
-for mid-1980's 240's: engine wiring harness!
-lots of folks like to plug the vacuum connection to the ignition control.

Have fun,
-Ryan

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Athens, Ohio
1987 245 DL 314k, Dog-mobile
1990 245 DL 134k M47, E-codes, GT Sway Bars, GT Braces
1991 745 GL 300k, Regina, 23/21mm Turbo Sway Bars
Buckeye Volvo Club

Here are the mods that have made my Inga 86 245DL better:

Reflectix insulation in the roof (245's need it, 244's don't) (BB Mod)
Pusher Fan for better AC performance (BB Mod my own wiring)
Tropical Fan clutch for better cooling and AC performance (BB Mod)
Temperature Compensator Board removal and subsequent destruction (Guess where)

There are a lot more mods like driving lights, bigger alternator, new radio, rear speakers, IPod Interface, Big Tach, Voltmeter, and a 5 bar oil pressure gauge.

I like all of them and would do them again. But the top list are the mods found here on the BB that made a difference driving Inga in the every day 74 mile commute in the Gulf Coast weather. It's about the cool, all about the cool.

Regards,

Paul

Smile and wave boys, smile and wave

I am stuck in the kiddie end of the pool on this board-- I haven't done much mechanically-- but I will say the side marker lights that pop in where the Volvo logo is on the front fenders are pretty nifty. And easy enough for even a novice like me to do.

I added them to my '88 244GL and they may not be the best improvement but they certainly modernize the look.

Start small and work your way up to more difficult projects. Plan as much as you can beforehand. Be prepared to soak some nuts/bolts for a couple of days.
A good breaker bar, couple of jack stands(when your yanking on frozen bolts underneath you do not want the car to move!) At least 24oz. ball peen hammer and metric sockets/wrenches ranging from 8mm to 19mm, 21,22,24mm.

If you get jammed you have the Brickboard. This board has saved my bacon numerous times and when I chase down fellow RWDer's I tell them about this board. Hey we have stick together and help each other out keeping these works of engineering running.

New ball joints, tie rod ends, big IPD sway bars. Plus a ton of normal replacement at 166K. Poly bushings next with, of course, AC delete! Also, up here, MN, I run 185X75X14 tires for cutting through deep snow, in the worst of blizzards, in third gear, putting around 4X4s. It's actually frightening what this car can plow through.

I have also left off a piece of chrome trim and filled all scratches with the great Rust-0-leum red rust stopper. Low profile. Just paid my six month insurance premium, with several discounts, 123 bucks. Money well spent. This car is a gold mine!

I forgot to mention I took out the back seat cushion so I can load up my ALAN bike to the park. It's like a mini wagon. Open the rear door, throw in almost anything. My wife won't ride in it since it doesn't have AC. Go figure? Hey, if I lose enought weight, the burn outs will be easier, no? Also painted my wheels aluminized silver paint, a few brush marks visible from only three feet. I guy asked me in a parking lot last week, honest, "Is that a Mercedes?" I said, "Better, a Vrollvo!"

Also, with the rear cushion's pass through arm rest hole open, I loaded thirty lineal feet of oak casing right into the car, and closed the trunk, with, you guessed it, others watching skeptically. That's three ten footers. You wouldn't think there is ten feet from the windshield back to the trunk.