Dear vp965,

Hope you're well. As a 940 owner/fixer, I stood aside to allow the Board's bonafide 960-S/V90 experts to comment. As they have not, I do so. Volvo used the same heater core (Part #1307236) in almost all cars from 1984 until 1998, when it ceased to build rear-wheel drive cars.

Against the time when I'll need to replace a heater core, I have a Ready-Aire unit (#826H5121). It is all-metal, i.e., copper/brass and lead. As I've yet to install it, I don't know if it will fit properly or last as long as has the factory-installed unit. It seems to be a sturdy item.

I do know that I would not consider using a plastic/metal heater core, because it is hard to access the heater core. When parts are hard to access and/or mission critical - and a heater core is both - I want to use Volvo brand, or another brand of similar quality (e.g., Bosch).

Here's a list of brands and part numbers for a heater core compatible with that described by Volvo Part # 1307236. I do not know which - if any - of these items are sold in North American markets, or what materials each maker uses:
AKS DASIS - 229000N; AUTOGAMMA - 102483;
DENSO - DRR33010; EQUAL QUALITY - RR0079;
HELLA - 8FH 351 308-761; KAGER - 32-0130;
KLOKKERHOLM - 9040306096; KUHLER SCHNEIDER - 3390001;
LORO - 052-015-0006; NISSENS - 73642;
NPS - DRR33010; NRF - 58149;
POLCAR - 9032N8-2; PRASCO - VO6096;
QUINTON HAZELL - QHR2154; SCHLIECKMANN - 60596096;
STELLOX - 10-35129-SX; VAN WEZEL - 59006096

If the auction photo is accurate, an e-Bay seller has a Ready-Aire heater core: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Volvo-780-940-960-S90-v90-740-745-760-780-HVAC-Heater-Core-Ready-Aire-1307236-/191643801156

Before buying, you might want to call and ask if the part shown indeed is the part that will be shipped. There's always a risk that an out-of-date photo is used in an auction, i.e., a photo that once was accurate but ceased to be so when suppliers changed the item. You should ask that someone get the part and compare it to that shown in the auction photo. If the part matches the photo, at least you'll get an all-metal heater core. The part shown is identical to that which I bought.

Hope this helps.

Yours faithfully,

Spook