The long-awaited post is finally here. I've gotten the pictures cropped, uploaded, and I've typed up a writeup so all of you fellow Bricksters can attempt this headlight conversion yourself, if you so desire. I'm pleased with my results:





Converting your post-'86 Volvo 240 Headlights to Quad Round Beams

Be warned that the page linked is a tad over 2 megabytes in size. I have 800-pixel-wide pictures inline, as I really didn't feel like making two sets of images and then doing all the linking. You're going to want to print the full pictures along with the text, anyway, if you're attempting this project yourself.

I owe a huge thanks to my dad, who has helped me immensely with all car-related stuff over my Christmas Break. He came up with many of the mechanisms for attaching various things, and of course it was his tools that we used on the car. I unquestionably couldn't have done it without him. He's the reason this project got done in only three days, and his help completing this project was the best Christmas present I've received from anyone.

The project took about three days of work, six hours at a time. I don't think I've done real work on my car for eighteen hours yet, and this stuff was exhausting. A vacation is supposed to be relaxing!

As I say in the writeup, the tough part was getting the headlight frames to look right. The headlight buckets fit in the bays pretty easily, but they have to be lined up very carefully if you want to have any hope of getting the fillers on over them too.

I spent right around $100 on this project. It was $60 to get the headlights, buckets, and wiring from Curt Mudgett. It was a little under $20 to get the headlight frames off of eBay. I spent probably around $20 during my ten-plus trips to the store getting washers, nuts, and everything else we used.

I've also ordered two high/low H4 beams from Daniel Stern. That's about $120 extra right there, but I've got some Christmas cash and I *know* the difference in lighting is going to blow these sealed beams away. I hope to get them in on Thursday, and I'll try to remember to take a picture just to show of my ECE headlights!

Only a slightly related note, I've also spent yesterday and today removing the side Volvo emblems and adhesive and installing amber side markers from VLVWorld. I've not taken the car for a drive yet, but I have confirmed that the lights work properly in the garage. They illuminate with my parking lights, but also flash with the turn signals (out of sync when both are activated, but the timing is right). My car is certainly now a unique vehicle!
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'89 244 GL -- 108,099 miles (see profile for info on car)

At that website, http://www.geocities.com/bloodyl/convquad.html, the pictures only partially download -- they only show a portion of their area, like they were cut off.
Anyone else have any trouble?

I think it looks great. I think I'll do something with the headlites on my '93 245 AFTER I get the virgo wheels on it. Again,...I think your car looks very nice...and your post is very clear and will be a great archive. You're a great brickboarder.
Cabbie2169

Does anyone have pictures, etc, from this old thread? The original link went to a geocities website and that one is long-gone.

Thanks in advance!

Steve A-

https://sites.google.com/site/keplerniko/quadconversionpictures

If you look through the OP's threads on the BB you will probably find his procedure or a link to it.


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'80 DL 2 door, '89 DL Wagon

Hi anderssj and bulletproof,

Happy Friday!

The dual round headlight conversion on 1986+ 240 here is a sublime retrofit. An awesome idea and has to be a terrific improvement in lighting.

Actually, the instruction for conversion are on the Google sites user page. That page is:

https://sites.google.com/site/keplerniko/

On this page, to access the conversion instructions, click the link:

Quad Headlight Conversion (URL:)

http://keplerniko.googlepages.com/convquad.html

Except, your web browser will ask you what you want to do to open the file "convquad.html". The user may have set data type incorrectly.

In the dialogue that asks you what you want to do with the "convquad.html", choose the current web browser you are current using. The "convquad.html" file downloads into a temp directory and displays.

If you have trouble, I can try, again, to copy the HTML and paste it hear. The cloud service wanted verification. yet I can post images. Ha-ha! Using the Art Benstein method.

The headlight buckets and their frames.


Remove the old headlights


Don't mind the grille. (A 740 turbo egg crate grille, yes?)


Drill two holes in the headlight buckets.











Roughly how the frames are held in place.


Low beams and high beams.


Low beam pattern and high beam pattern.




(The white 940 is a neighbor's.)










And the 'glam' shot. In contrast to the 740 egg crate turbo grille, and the 86+ corner lamps, really lovely!










And you can post images also, per Art Benstein

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Give your brickboard.com a big thumbs up! Way up! - Roger Ebert.

Thanks for posting up the pics. I couldn't access them using the OP's link.

FWIW, I added Lexan covers to my quad 4x6's. Picked it up at Lowes. Made a cardboard template. Cut by hand with a coping saw. Drilled 4 holes in plastic frames and covers - and attached with black sheet metal trim screws. Couple hours worth of work. A little better aero and a different look.


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82 242 6.2L coming...; '15 Honda Fit

Michael,

You installed the quad square lights to replace the 1986 Americas market dual square US DOT lights? Yours is a 1982? Is that some V-8 power in that 240 engine bay under that hood?

One wonders if quad rounds or quad squares would be better to replace the plastic 1986+ U.S. Dot headlight assemblies? What projects better light? Can you up the wattage and not blind opposing / oncoming traffic.

Yet to see the quad round headlights on a 1986+ in contrast to what was there before, with the 1986 corner lamps, and the subtle sheet metal changes almost makes it look like a different model. Retro, yet future.

Though, the retrofit is just such a contrast, and the egg crate turbo 700-series grille (bar and grille?), I'm sold on it. Such a cool retro. It has to be a better headlight quality.



Thanks and Happy Friday.

Hanging out down by the www.brickboard.com/RWD/ again on a Friday.
--
Give your brickboard.com a big thumbs up! Way up! - Roger Ebert.

Mine has its original quad squares. Hella Euro 4x6's w/100w high beams and everything on separate relays with 12 gauge wiring so I'm getting 14.3V at the bulb. Fried eggs at 50'. I just covered the plastic housing.

Yes - V8 power. For 19 years -- the 5.0L.



And now, 6.2L. First start up in the next day or two.


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82 242 6.2L coming...; '15 Honda Fit; '16 Subie X-Trek

Don't have time to really check out your process at the moment but had to let you know that your conversion looks freeckin' sweet!! Especially with the eggcrate grill in the middle. Nice job dude.
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Steve in Minneapolis - 1987 245DL 256k

Kudos to you Kepler on a job done very well!
I hope to do this install on a 240 as well....whenever I find one that is ;)

I owe all of you guys a big thanks for your positive remarks about the conversion. If I had somehow acquired the parts and desire to change my headlights but had never found the Brickboard, I don't think I would have gone through with it. The positive reception I knew I'd get here, as well as the potential for helping anyone else looking for better lighting, is what inspired me to do this project.

I hope several of you are encouraged to do something about your Aero headlights, and I look forwarding to seeing several other posts about successful conversions!
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'89 244 GL -- 108,199 miles (see profile for info on car)

Excellent job - well done!

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Happy Motoring Miguel '86 244 and '87 245

Looks incredible, very unique and professionally done!!! Congrats on your new setup!!
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'92 244GL silver-metallic, 152k, Enem V15 cam, Bilstein HDs, IPD sways, upper+lower and Cherry-Turbo strut braces, 240 OEM rear wing, 15' Dracos, SS lines, E-codes w/side repeaters, Euro cowl covers paint-matched, Magnaflow 2.5' SS exhaust, Unitek header

Wow, your car looks great. I really like the quad rounds, but then I am probably biased since they are on my '80 wagon, I just think they look very distinctive and prefer that look to the quad rectangles of the later early 90's. Great looking car, and you and your dad got to spend a lot of time together on the project, that will be a special Christmas that both of you will remember of many, many years to come.

Awesome job KeplerNiko!

Classy lookin ride now!

Wow awsome work! It turned out a lot better than I expected. Also an excelent write up. You have inspired me get my 7" conversion finished. We have been driving with the e-codes of 2 weeks now but the weather has prevented me from finish the trim around the light.
Enjoy your new found lighting.

Justin

Thanks for writing this up Yancey. Your presentation is clear and complete, and the completed job is handsome! I want to do it with my kid on his 88 245.
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David Brick, Santa Cruz CA

I still have two pair of frames like these (left over from my 265 days) to give away to some eligible brickboarder for shipping costs only. Nice job. I like that look with the quartz Cibie amber highbeams better though. Hard to find and expensive as all hell.
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80 262C Coupe- (FSO black, M46, original) 82 244GLT- (auto)

Scott,

This is a job I want to do with my son on his 88 245, so I'd be pleased to accept your offer and take the frames. I'm dbrick@armory.com in Santa Cruz, CA; let me know how much the shipping is and give me a snailmail address and I'll send the bucks. Or Paypal if you want.

Thanks!
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David Brick, Santa Cruz CA

Looks great, and the trim work doesn't sound quite so bad overall.

-- Kane ... now list those plastic POS and get some of your money back!
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Blossom II -'91 745Ti/M46 ... Bubbles -'74 144GL/BW35 ... Buttercup -'86 245GL/AW70
The Wayback Machine -'64 P220/M40 ... The ParaBox -'90 745GL/AW70

Nice job, a very unique look. I'd almost be tempted to paint the headlight surrounds black.

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don '89 740ti, '81 240t,

Like everybody else, I like the look. Like Don, I think painting the surrounds all-black to match the grille would look great. You could also paint the exposed trim on the turn signal reflectors to give the front a completely blacked-out look. Just a thought!
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'88 244GL, '89 244GL, '90 244DL, '91 244, '92 244

Yes, I see your point. The chrome trim wasn't as shiny as I had hoped it would be, and I didn't have any handy method of improving it before it was time to put it on the car.

For now I'm going to keep it how it is, however, since my car already has a fair amount of chrome trim on it. The top of the turn signals, especially, nearly matches the frames.
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'89 244 GL -- 108,099 miles (see profile for info on car)