I bought a new coil, and it is a bit different than the older coil.
Sounds stupid, but how do I hook it up? I know how to put the wire from the distributor on.


But what do I put on the top of the coil where it says + and -?
I think the condenser wire goes on one side, but what about the other?
My original only has one screw like thing. Not 2 like this one.
(not the coil exactly, looks similar.)

--
Jake

There is a much way to deal with this. Take the wire from the positive side of you new coil to one of the fuses in the fuse box (one that is powered when the ignition is on)Try to find an unused tab on the left side of the fuse if you are facing the car. The neg wire goes the points terminal on the dizzy. I have done this personally, and keep a spare new style coil in the car for emergencies. I did this when I suspected my original coil may be failing, turned out to be something completely unrelated.
Steve
PS if you have not yet fixed the car try this and let me know how it turns out.

It's possibly a bit late in the day to post this but, in no particular order, why are you fitting another coil? Is the old one bad, is it an ignition lock/key problem maybe? What do you think you will gain from the change? Fitting Pertronix?
They rarely fail, although I admit they're not getting any younger. If it is still good I'd try and take it out as a complete unit and use an aftermarket ignition switch with your new coil. The armoured types are very sellable if they are good and undamaged.

I guess you have the original coil still in the car that has the base that bolts to the firewall?

Well, it was a crude early form of theft prevention. Most coils have a 12V+ terminal (that's switched on when the key is 'on' or 'cranking'), and the pulsed ground to the distributor points. If you got the hood open, it was easy to jumper a wire to the 12V side, then short the starter and get the car running. Volvo made this hard by having only one visible terminal on the coil, the one that leads to the dist. The 12V+ is hidden in the base, which actually fits through a hole in the firewall. And sticking with the theme of theft prevention, that connection is inside an armored cable that leads straight to the ignition switch.

Neat enough idea the the time I guess, a thief would have to supply their own coil to make off with the car. But it makes it a bit tougher to swap the coil these days.

Long story made short - you'll need to carefully cut the armored cable and tap into the 12V+ inside it and run that to the + side of the new coil. It's the only wire on the car (that I know of) that's hot only when the key is on, and also hot when cranking.
--
'63 PV544 rat rod, '93 Classic #1141 245 +t

you can avoid cutting the cable with IPD's diode kit. Catalog number E106.

Dean

Thanks guys,
I think I will go with the diode kit to avoid cutting the cable.
How would I go about installing it?

I'm sure it comes with instructions.

You'll need to cut the armored cable unless you just leave the old coil sitting there unused in the engine compartment.
--
'63 PV544 rat rod, '93 Classic #1141 245 (now w/16V turbo)

Thanks, if I cut it, will I have to solder something and extend it? I'm sure I'd have to attach something so It can hook on to the terminal, right?
--
Jake

Yes, cut the armored cable and expose the center wire (need some extending from the cut armoring) and then splice a wire from that to the 12V+ side of the new coil.

When I got my PV, someone had done the opposite - replaced the original ignition switch but leaving the original coil. So the coil had a short section of armored cable ending in a stub of wire, which was spliced to a wire on the new ignition switch.
--
'63 PV544 rat rod, '93 Classic #1141 245 +t

Just cut the armor and extend the old wire about 12" that end goes to the + side of the coil and the - goes to the dist. Dick