car: 1989 Volvo 244

Somebody 'upgraded' the radio and front door speakers in this car and in so doing they cut the plastic supports that held the speaker protective covers and the covers are now among the missing. I am trying to get an idea of what they look like and where I can get replacements.

The replacement in situ radio is a Kenwood and is a good system but I think it has been exerting a parasitic draw on the battery. I have had two flat battery incidents since I got the radio front board from the previous owners and started using it. I have removed the radio board and so far no repeats of the battery failures. Keeping my fingers crossed.

I would like to revert to the original setup and I am going to buy a radio locally that should be pretty close to the original that would have come with the car. It still has a tape deck recipient opening, for example. I will then try to buy speakers that work with the original radio system.

I just have no idea of what the original front door speaker covers looked like. The upholstery is grey and black and I assume the covers were black or grey.

Hi Mr. muskox37!

I forget now. Sorry. You have a 1989 sedan or wagon?

1989 and 1990 are the final years of the Mitsubishi systems in 240.

No certainty here, yet there may have been early versions of Alpine systems in those years. 1991 through 1993 used only Alpine systems from the factory.

AFAIK, both Mitsubishi and Alpine 240 stereo systems makers used a head unit with line out through a 5 or 6-pin DIN cable

Very likely your 1989 had a receiver with cassette transport mechanism. Both systems in your year would place the receiver / cassette in the (sometimes called) upper cubby above the HVAC blower vents.

If you have you had Mitsubishi in there, the separate amplifier would be installed at the factory under the dash above your left knee (or so) in US market left hand drive 240s. For Alpine, the separate amplifier occupies the lower cubby, where in 1970s and early 1980s Volvo the radio was installed.

There exist many models in the Mitsubishi and Alpine versions in 240.

As for speakers, you may mean the HT-204 speaker assemblies. in the front doors. Volvo used Dynaudio speaker that fit the assembly. The speaker housing back plate is secured to the inner door card using rivets. I've had to re-secure using screws with washers, nuts or if self-tapping metal screws, those funny spring clips. The speaker assemblies, then, do not secure to the inner door card sheet metal. The back plate must also seal atmosphere so that the inner door card pressing against the sheet metal also for resonance (a fuller sound).

The HT-204 assemblies may be brittle after years of service in the passenger compartment environment. The front plate the presses onto the back plate can sometime lose the aluminum metal grille as the factory assembly adhesive fails. I use the Eclectic product adhesive Goop RV / Marine or E6000, the RV resistant or proof stuff. Great for gluing the dog-awful US DOT 9004 bulb 1986+ 240 plastic headlamps. A roughened and clean residue free solvent surface helps.

The Dynaudio speaker in them HT-204 housings are not round. Closest is a 5.25" speaker. You wont' find a speaker to fit. Yet if still made, HT-204 replacements are available.

HT-204 / HT-205 new replacements:

https://swedishcarparts.com/parts/1763-volvo-240-ht-204-ht-205-front-door-speaker-only-with-tweeters-4-ohm-20watt-1348949-st

https://www.swedishcarparts.com/parts/1721-1384636-volvo-240-ht-204-ht-205-front-door-speaker-mount-and-cover-grille-black

The factor rear door speakers are smaller than the front. If you have a sedan, the rear hat shelf may come fitted with HT-204 speaker housings yet be be different.

BNE Dynamics make this sturdy and quality replacement for HT-204 for 5.25" speakers:

https://www.bneshop.com/collections/240/products/240-5-25-speaker-bracket-and-grill

Secures to the inner door card or rear hat shelf fiberboard material (inner door card), NOT the sheet metal!

Do you mean to go factory original? If the after market used deck you are looking at is as old as the 1990's, try to consider new as the tape transport uses rubber and plastic parts and can fail. Id reverting to an Alpine or Mitsubishi factory system, things like (primarily) electrolytic in the power amp can fail by leaking or the electrolyte can dry out.

You may want to ask about restoration of vintage audio components.

The factory wire harness is okay, even now. There do exist adapter bits.

Questions?

Hope that halps!

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