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My Electronics Update Plan 444-544

Sounds like a good plan for the most part. Some thoughts on the individual items.

1. I tend to agree with Peter, that the original harness was good stuff (far better than that in many newer Volvos) but it may well be that yours needs replacement. If so I would see if a reproduction is available for a reasonable price. It would be a lot easier to install, and you would only have to add a few extra wires for additional lights, electric fan etc. It might be possible to modify one for a VW Beetle (generally inexpensive) If it was mine I would rewire it one wire at a time using wire from a 740, (I parted out 3 of them, saved the harness from two) and as many of the OE terminals and connectors as possible.

2. Not fond of AC Delco. The Bosch 55 amp is a good unit, and should be adequate if you don't go ape with the lights and stereo. Try to find one from a 75 240. Get the regulator too, and the wires that connect it to the alt. Even if you don't end up using them, they are a good pattern for new ones. I don't know how hard it would be to adapt an 80A Bosch from a 740, but they are very reliable units with internal regulator and plenty of output.

3. Keep it Volvo. Use a 240 headlight relay.

4. An excellent idea. European (Bosch) and Japanese ones tend to be quieter than those from American cars. Also smaller and thinner, which might fit better.

5. What I would do to improve the taillights is convert them to LED. Take them apart and replace the old rusty reflector/bulb socket units with 12V red LED clusters, like the brake lights on some new tractor-trailers. With the original lenses, they look stock, but are twice as bright and light up instantly when the brakes are applied, unlike incandescents, which take a fraction of a second to heat up.

6. Not sure how you would do this. You would need to fabricate some kind of bracket for the switch. The pressure operated switch is common to many older cars, probably VW Beetle for one, so it shouldn't be hard to find a replacement.

7. If you want one that is only a radio, look for a Becker Europa II, original equipment in mid-70s to early 80s Mercedes. It is an AM/FM stero radio, with excellent sound and a totally cool vintage look. It fits in a DIN size rectangular hole so you might have to cut the dash to install it. There is also a plain Europa (not a II) that is mono and doesn't sound anywhere near as good. It looks exactly the same, so make sure to get the right one. Get as much of the Becker wiring as you can---it uses its own specific plugs for the speaker connections on the back of the unit. Make sure to get these, with at least a foot of wire on each one. Some Mercedes had a fader control on the center console. Get this too, and all its wiring that connects it to the radio, if you want to use four speakers.

8,9. These seem somehow related to me. An upgrade to more modern switches is probably in order here. You'll have to see what can be easily mounted. The same Mercedes that the radio is in will have a very nice high quality unit that combines the headlight switch, hi/lo beam, and turn signals, all on one stalk on the left side of the column. It is well suited to a large diameter steering wheel too, if yours still have the original one. Don't know how easy or hard it might be to adapt. It uses its own unique connector, so get the socket it plugs into, with some wire attached, and maybe the mounting bracket that holds it to the column.

10. You'll probably have to buy these new, unless you get really lucky, (and if your luck holds, the junk man will sell you the H4s for the price of sealed beams--a buck or two apiece) Hellas are the nicest---the ones with the flat lenses and the big "H4" stamped in the middle of the glass. Cibies are good too. The ones that are "bulb type sealed beam" are less prone to corrosion of the reflector than the real Euro ones. All of these are over $50 each new. There are other cheaper (Brazilian, Chinese etc.) options. Some of them might be OK.

Good luck with the parts run. Keep your eyes open for a 75 240. It has a lot of parts you can use--electronic ignition, alternator, cylinder head with hardened valve seats, transmission if OD. It looks like any other 240 but has single round sealed beam headlights and usually isn't a metallic color. 140s and 122s are getting pretty scarce in yards here (northern VA) these days. If you are thinking about upgrading seats, look for Saab 900s, the original kind. They have excellent seats that are narrow enough to fit easily in a PV. They come in cloth or leather, several different colors. Heated, too. It is even possible to adapt the upholstery of the Saab back seat to the PV cushions, so it will match.






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