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The pointy ended glass fuses (Bussman GBC type) were added by somebody. They were available in 1, 2, 2.5, 5, 8, 15, 16, 25 and 30 amp sizes. I think the last time they were standard equipment in a Volvo was in the Amazons (120's) which I vaguely recall also used a stubby GBF style 25 amp fuse (Walrus George may want to correct me on that). They were easy to come by back then as the old VW Beetles used those types of fuses.
They have a number of advantages. The fusable filaments don't tend to oxidize, so they last longer and keep better contact (dielectric grease on the clips helps even more). Glass fuses won't burn your fingers as easily when you touch a heavily loaded live fuse (like the fuel pump, especially an old fuel pump) and certainly won't burn when you push a replacement fuse into a shorted circuit like a plastic/ceramic can. Spinning a plastic/ceramic fuse in its holder (as many are want to do when there is an oxidation problem) will tend to wear the fuse out cutting a circle in the soft end caps which isn't always obvious -doesn't happen with the glass type. Cheap quality plastic fuses can melt in a heavily loaded circuit before the fuse gets to the stage of blowing. The big advantage of the coloured plastic/ceramic fuses is mostly visual -it's easier to spot a burned out fuse and determine amperage.
A lot of old time brickheads liked to "upgrade" to the glass type as the early 140/240 fuse panels were subject to moisture problems which led to corroded fuses -glass helped avoid those problems. With effort you can still find them. Ipd used to sell a replacement kit, I don't know if they still bother as the later 240's don't tend to need them and everything after that uses a blade style fuse.
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Dave -not to be confused with a real expert
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