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<title>Volvo: KeplerNiko&#x26;apos;s Brickboard Posts</title>
<link>http://www.brickboard.com/FORUMS/uid=17909</link>
<description>The Volvo owner&#x27;s resource since 1997.</description>
<language>en</language>
<copyright>Copyright 1997-2009, Jarrod Stenberg</copyright>
<pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:05 GMT</pubDate>
<lastBuildDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:05 GMT</lastBuildDate>
<managingEditor>brickadmin@denizen.net</managingEditor>
<webMaster>brickadmin@denizen.net</webMaster>
<category>volvo</category>
<ttl>1440</ttl>

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<description>The Volvo owner&#x27;s resource since 1997.</description>
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<title>[RWD] [200] [1989] 22.15 hwy MPG with auto! -posted by- KeplerNiko</title>
<description>I wanted to drop by and mention that I just posted a record high MPG for my car of 22.15 miles per gallon on premium gasoline.

I filled up the tank before coming home from college, and I just filled it back up with 13.31 gallons, after driving 295 miles.  Though the majority of those miles were done on the highway and I&#x27;m sure several of you have posted better ratings, my car is an automatic and quite a few of those miles were at (relatively) high speeds--nearly all in the 80+ mph range!  A couple times I even topped out around 100 mph, not something I would otherwise feel safe doing if the weather hadn&#x27;t been clear and warm and the car hadn&#x27;t just been serviced and gotten new tires all around.

About 1,500 miles ago it was in the shop for the 120K mile service, which is about as major and thorough as they come.  We also got new tires when Cosco had them on sale, and the tires were checked to make sure the nitrogen was at the right levels about a month ago.

Just over 22 miles to the gallon on premium isn&#x27;t earth-shattering, especially since premium has gotten so expensive, but I used to use regular and when I did switch over I noticed a mpg increase.  I don&#x27;t know if it&#x27;s cost-effective, but I do know my car nearly stalled while idling on hot days while using regular, so I&#x27;m not going back.

Considering that my car is now nearly 18 years old and the original EPA MPG range was 19 to 24, just over the midpoint makes me satisfied!

--
&#x27;89 244 GL 125,200 miles</description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1174289&#x26;rss=1</guid>
<pubDate>Mon,  9 Apr 2007 14:44 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>[RWD] [200] Ebay Volvo -posted by- KeplerNiko</title>
<description>Unbelievably correct!

I don&#x27;t mind the new XC60 concept (and the C30 looks very sweet), but those poitns are dead-on.  Sure, there are some nice new cars out there, but I covet just as much the older RWD 240s and similarly classic cars.  A lot of the people here on the Brickboard seem to be from that exact same mold.</description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1144672&#x26;rss=1</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 22 Dec 2006 03:12 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>[RWD] [200] De-Chroming a Volvo -posted by- KeplerNiko</title>
<description>I wonder if the black decal is available at U.S. dealers or if it&#x27;s Europe-only.  I had *never* seen such a thing until you posted that picture, and since it&#x27;s a Swiss car, it makes me wonder if it&#x27;s limited to one side of the ocean.

As I said, I found the listing for the accessory plate on that dealer website that has the GTX trim set, but it would make sense if it&#x27;s not available anymore (just listed for fun or whatever).  After all, the part is for a car that is at least 13 years old!

Whether they have it or not doesn&#x27;t seem to make a difference; I think I was able to discern from one of the payment information pages that they don&#x27;t export, that the products have to be shipped from within Sweden.  I&#x27;m in Europe right now and could theoretically *try* to go to Sweden to buy one, but it doesn&#x27;t sound like that trip would have a high rate of success.  Plus, I have to get the panel home!

I&#x27;m not sure what I&#x27;d like to put on my car.  The black would go well, I think, but the red accessory plate would be cool too.  At any rate, I simply want to have something that sets my car apart (even moreso than the headlights do)--either one of those parts on the back would be different.</description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1141990&#x26;rss=1</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 13 Dec 2006 13:10 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>[RWD] [200] De-Chroming a Volvo -posted by- KeplerNiko</title>
<description>Where can one buy the black license-plate-surround decal?  I&#x27;ve never seen something like that.

I navigated around the site where the GTX Trim picture is hosted (cars.billia.se) and figured out how to do a search for certain accessories for 240s.  I discovered the &#x22;Dekorramp&#x22; a.k.a. rear between-the-lights accessory plate.  &#x3C;a href=&#x22;http://cars.bilia.se/Shop/ProduktKort.asp?ProduktId=102&#x26;ProduktKod=vo1394852&#x26;ProduktTypID=6&#x22; target=&#x22;_blank&#x22;&#x3E;It&#x27;s available&#x3C;/a&#x3E; for a mere 401 SEK (51 USD)!

First, that is indeed the accessory plate, right?  The description seems to indicate that, but I just want to double-check.

Second, do you think there&#x27;s any way this company might ship to the U.S.?  I suppose the best way to find that out might simply be to send an e-mail asking that, but I was wondering if you might have previous experience with them and know how shipping works with them.

If the accessory plate is actually available and the shipping isn&#x27;t too bad (probably not, cross-Atlantic), then I might just be ordering one of these.  Seeing as the price on eBay is normally at least $100, I&#x27;ve got a bit of a buffer for the shipping price!</description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1141843&#x26;rss=1</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 12 Dec 2006 22:35 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>[RWD] [200] 400-series wheels? -posted by- KeplerNiko</title>
<description>In all of the discussion of wheels, I can&#x27;t recall if the offset for 400-series models has ever been mentioned.  Does anyone know if it is the same as the RWD cars, that is, if the wheels used on it will fit on 240s?

The reason I ask is because the 480s were first produced in 1986 and the other 400s from 1987, which was before the &#x22;modern&#x22; FWD Volvos really got underway.  I was wondering if Volvo shared all of its alloy wheels back then, or if the wheels for the 400-series were separate from the 200/700/900 lines.

The wheels on the 480 in &#x3C;a href=&#x22;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Volvo_480es_88.jpg&#x22; target=&#x22;_blank&#x22;&#x3E;this picture&#x3C;/a&#x3E; look almost to be Dracos or Geminis, but they seem to be just slightly different from the exact RWD wheels.  I couldn&#x27;t find any other identifiable wheels on pictures of 400-series cars, so I&#x27;m not sure if someone has ever installed a pair of Coronas on such a car, for example.

Though, I doubt there&#x27;s anyone States-side who will ever be able to attempt such a thing, if the 400-series wheels are indeed different.  They don&#x27;t seem to be nearly as performance- or stylistically-oriented as the RWD wheels, and there&#x27;s that whole Europe-only thing to deal with too.  I was just curious about these cars.</description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1128347&#x26;rss=1</guid>
<pubDate>Sun, 29 Oct 2006 18:08 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>[RWD] [200] [1989] Michelin X-Radial Costco Tires? -posted by- KeplerNiko</title>
<description>My car is in need of new tires, and my parents are looking at buying Michelins through Costco (currently there&#x27;s a sale for $60 off a set of four).  I&#x27;m not at home with the car right now, so I&#x27;m not 100% positive which tires they&#x27;re considering, but I think that they&#x27;re looking at installing &#x3C;a href=&#x22;http://www.costco.com/Tires/Product.aspx?IV=true&#x26;YW=1989&#x26;MA=Volvo&#x26;MD=240+Sedan&#x26;SP=0&#x26;MN=5406&#x26;cat=3961&#x26;MNo=0&#x26;Prodid=10025129&#x26;Aspect=70&#x26;Diameter=14&#x26;Speed=T&#x26;Width=185&#x22; target=&#x22;_blank&#x22;&#x3E;Michelin X-Radial DT&#x3C;/a&#x3E; in the P185/70/R14 size.  My dad&#x27;s exact words were that they&#x27;re considering &#x22;the ones that Michelin reconmends for your car.&#x22;

First, does anyone have any experience with these tires?

Second, does anyone know where these are on TireRack?  I&#x27;ve looked, but the only tires TireRack lists in this size are the Michelin X-Ice, Harmony, and HydroEdge tires.  The Ice are $65 and the other two are $79 there, but I would think that Costco would specifically mention if the tires were some sort of &#x22;special&#x22; version.  The Radial seems to be a different brand.

Third, would this be an overall improvement or step down from my current tires, BF Goodrich Control T/As?  I can&#x27;t find the exact page for those particular tires, but I can say that they were a definite improvement over whatever generic tires I had before (although that could possibly be because my old tires were simply worn out).  It doesn&#x27;t look like they&#x27;re made anymore, but I was directed towards the BG Control line by the Brickboard before and relatively satisfied with that choice (I didn&#x27;t get the top-of-the-line performance tires, but they were good nonetheless).</description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1128048&#x26;rss=1</guid>
<pubDate>Sat, 28 Oct 2006 16:57 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>[RWD] [200] Know any near Groningen? -posted by- KeplerNiko</title>
<description>Thanks!  You seem to know a lot about Dutch junkyards--do you know of any in the vicinity of Groningen?

A day trip to Leeuwarden wouldn&#x27;t be tough, either, but I&#x27;m currently living in Groningen and could easily bike to any location near the city.</description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1126538&#x26;rss=1</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 24 Oct 2006 00:30 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>[RWD] [200] European Junkyards?  Do they exist? -posted by- KeplerNiko</title>
<description>I&#x27;m currently in the Netherlands for a study abroad semester through my university, and I want to take advantage of this chance to see if there are any useful or rare parts I could find on old European-spec 240s and somehow get back home.  I was in Germany last fall and utterly missed the chance then.

I asked a Dutch guy I know if he knew the location of any junkyards nearby, and he said, &#x22;We&#x27;re a civilized country--they don&#x27;t let normal people wander around junkyards like a bunch of rednecks.&#x22;  Now, he&#x27;s a bit opinionated and tends to give overly dramatic answers along this same theme, but I get the feeling he&#x27;s more or less correct (though I plan on asking another Dutch person who will give a bit more factual answer).

For those of you in Europe or for those of you who are familiar with how the parts business works here, how might I go about acquiring rare 240 accessories that were only available for European cars?  Even if there&#x27;s nothing greater than a center armrest available, I&#x27;d still like to find out how I can &#x22;browse&#x22; the parts from junked Euro 240s.</description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1126243&#x26;rss=1</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 23 Oct 2006 00:45 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>[RWD] [200] [1989] Momentary loss of all acceleration power -posted by- KeplerNiko</title>
<description>A couple of times while driving my car in the past month, I&#x27;ve experienced a complete loss of all power while accelerating.  I would simply be accelerating (it&#x27;s happened both under WOT and also while giving it just a little gas) and the car would jerk forward hard, like the car had completely slipped out of gear or something.  A fraction of a second later, things would pick up again just like normal.

Once it did it twice, quickly.  Every other time it&#x27;s been a one-time event.

I can discern no pattern.  Like I said, both full power and easy going has caused this to happen.  I might have been turning to the right most of the times the car did this, but I can&#x27;t guarantee that.  I&#x27;ve had the A/C on some times and off at others.

The car is an automatic and due for the 120K mile checkup (it should be getting that while I&#x27;m out of the country for a few months).

The car has never actually stalled, just lost all power for a split-second.  What could possibly be causing this annoying and potentially dangerous action?
--
&#x27;89 244 GL -- 122,500 miles (see &#x3C;a href=&#x27;http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/user_data.htm?uid=17909&#x27; target=&#x27;_blank&#x27;&#x3E;&#x3C;b&#x3E;profile&#x3C;/b&#x3E;&#x3C;/a&#x3E; for info on car)</description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1103278&#x26;rss=1</guid>
<pubDate>Wed,  9 Aug 2006 02:06 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>[RWD] [200] [1989] Possible to use floor fresh air louvers? -posted by- KeplerNiko</title>
<description>My A/C is just about due for a R134a conversion, so I&#x27;ve been resorting to rolling down the windows and opening the sunroof to cope in the meantime.  However, I know that these cars also had floor air louvers that were used, in some cars, to compensate for the lack of an A/C.

My car is a 1989 with A/C, and it appears that the openings for the louvers (driver&#x27;s and passenger&#x27;s outside foot kick panels) have been covered over with a trim piece (I think this is the case for all later 240s).  However, there&#x27;s clearly a place where the louvers used to be able to be opened--I would imagine that Volvo didn&#x27;t bother to change the underlying sheetmetal and instead simply put a plastic piece over the location of the louvers when they became unnecessary.

Is it possible to re-open these vents on the later cars?  I&#x27;d love to have floor air louvers, since any way to get air moving in the car would relieve the heat.  Just to clarify, my car never technically had &#x22;floor air louvers,&#x22; I just looked at where they should be, though, and discovered a flat plastic piece where earlier cars had some sort of sliding mechanism.

Should I keep an eye for these on eBay, or might an old (pre-1986?) U.S.-spec car have them?
--
&#x27;89 244 GL -- 122,500 miles (see &#x3C;a href=&#x27;http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/user_data.htm?uid=17909&#x27; target=&#x27;_blank&#x27;&#x3E;&#x3C;b&#x3E;profile&#x3C;/b&#x3E;&#x3C;/a&#x3E; for info on car)</description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1102394&#x26;rss=1</guid>
<pubDate>Sun,  6 Aug 2006 02:38 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>[RWD] [200] Pictures of three different Tre Kronor&#x27;s -posted by- KeplerNiko</title>
<description>I was just about to upload a picture of that very car from the photos I shot in that museum!

The plaque you can see in that picture reads:

&#x22;This prototype was aimed to be a coup&#x26;#195;&#x26;#169; model of the new 264 model.  An ordinary 164 was rebuilt by Coggiola in Italy as a two-door sports coup&#x26;#195;&#x26;#169;.
The roof of the prototype is 60 mm lower.&#x22;

The top group of text is the Swedish version, and the bottom group is the English translation.

The side badging, fore of the driver&#x27;s door, reads &#x22;Volvo 164&#x22;.

It has a GT steering wheel and a Choke underneath the headlight dial on the left side.  It has a 200 km/hr speedometer and 1624 km on the odometer and is riding on Euromaster tires.

Just to clarify, this museum is the Volvo Museum in Gothenburg (within the Torslanda borough).  There&#x27;s another Volvo museum on the other side of Sweden, somewhat closer to Stockholm, that has other rare models including the last 240, the green Classic wagon.
--
&#x27;89 244 GL -- 122,500 miles (see &#x3C;a href=&#x27;http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/user_data.htm?uid=17909&#x27; target=&#x27;_blank&#x27;&#x3E;&#x3C;b&#x3E;profile&#x3C;/b&#x3E;&#x3C;/a&#x3E; for info on car)</description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1102388&#x26;rss=1</guid>
<pubDate>Sun,  6 Aug 2006 02:16 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>[RWD] [200] history lesson - what to look for needed -posted by- KeplerNiko</title>
<description>There were three generations of the PRVs.  The 200-series cars got the first two generations, while the 700-series cars got the second and third generations.

The third generation motor solved all of the problems of the first two, without any significant flaws--it was a very potent motor.  I think that the third generation was used after 1986--the first year of the 780s (1986; &#x3C;b&#x3E;Europe only&#x3C;/b&#x3E;) got the second generation PRVs, but supposedly all 780s imported to the U.S. had the ideal third generation motors.

I&#x27;m not sure how easy it is to transplant one PRV engine into a car that originally had another, but at least I would imagine it&#x27;s simpler than going from 6 cylinders to 4.  If you have a third generation motor, then that would be the one to use.  If it&#x27;s earlier than 1986, then you should at leat be wary and rigorous with the maintenance.
--
&#x27;89 244 GL -- 122,500 miles (see &#x3C;a href=&#x27;http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/user_data.htm?uid=17909&#x27; target=&#x27;_blank&#x27;&#x3E;&#x3C;b&#x3E;profile&#x3C;/b&#x3E;&#x3C;/a&#x3E; for info on car)</description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1102186&#x26;rss=1</guid>
<pubDate>Sat,  5 Aug 2006 02:49 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>[RWD] [200] Rare wheels ?? -posted by- KeplerNiko</title>
<description>The best page I ever saw sadly went offline sometime within the last year.  It was formerly located &#x3C;a href=&#x22;http://brickparts.d--r.com/wheels/index.htm&#x22; target=&#x22;_blank&#x22;&#x3E;here&#x3C;/a&#x3E;, which is now a domain name redirect.

If someone has a copy of the original wheels website, I would *gladly* host it on my GooglePages account.

&#x3C;a href=&#x22;http://www.sawvolvo.com/wheels.htm&#x22; target=&#x22;_blank&#x22;&#x3E;This page&#x3C;/a&#x3E; has images of many of the alloy wheels, but it doesn&#x27;t list any information about the sizes, names, or cars they were used on.

&#x3C;a href=&#x22;http://kleenwheelsincolor.com/kw-volvo-nl.htm&#x22; target=&#x22;_blank&#x22;&#x3E;This page&#x3C;/a&#x3E; has a bit more technical information, but it doesn&#x27;t list all of the wheels.

I&#x27;m also looking for a link to a fairly substantial website on alloy wheels for the RWD Volvos.  I&#x27;d be happy to help out with some sort of mirrored copy of such a website, too, in case it goes offline like the old one did.
--
&#x27;89 244 GL -- 122,500 miles (see &#x3C;a href=&#x27;http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/user_data.htm?uid=17909&#x27; target=&#x27;_blank&#x27;&#x3E;&#x3C;b&#x3E;profile&#x3C;/b&#x3E;&#x3C;/a&#x3E; for info on car)</description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1102183&#x26;rss=1</guid>
<pubDate>Sat,  5 Aug 2006 02:42 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>[RWD] [200] history lesson - what to look for needed -posted by- KeplerNiko</title>
<description>Is there any chance that reference is available online?  I&#x27;m trying to do some research on the 200-series and can use any info on rare models that is available.
--
&#x27;89 244 GL -- 122,500 miles (see &#x3C;a href=&#x27;http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/user_data.htm?uid=17909&#x27; target=&#x27;_blank&#x27;&#x3E;&#x3C;b&#x3E;profile&#x3C;/b&#x3E;&#x3C;/a&#x3E; for info on car)</description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1102137&#x26;rss=1</guid>
<pubDate>Fri,  4 Aug 2006 22:30 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>[RWD] [200] [1990] Volvo snow race check it out -posted by- KeplerNiko</title>
<description>Ditto in South Carolina.  My 240 hasn&#x27;t driven in snow in at least ten years.
--
&#x27;89 244 GL -- 122,400 miles (see &#x3C;a href=&#x27;http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/user_data.htm?uid=17909&#x27; target=&#x27;_blank&#x27;&#x3E;&#x3C;b&#x3E;profile&#x3C;/b&#x3E;&#x3C;/a&#x3E; for info on car)</description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1101146&#x26;rss=1</guid>
<pubDate>Wed,  2 Aug 2006 00:41 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>[RWD] [200] [1990] Passenger Window Switch- How to remove? -posted by- KeplerNiko</title>
<description>Take off the armrest first and go from there.  When previously trying to remove a switch in my car, I misunderstood the directions to indicate prying on the actual window switch button, breaking the fasteners in the process.  Don&#x27;t do what I did because all of it had to end up getting replaced.
--
&#x27;89 244 GL -- 122,400 miles (see &#x3C;a href=&#x27;http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/user_data.htm?uid=17909&#x27; target=&#x27;_blank&#x27;&#x3E;&#x3C;b&#x3E;profile&#x3C;/b&#x3E;&#x3C;/a&#x3E; for info on car)</description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1101145&#x26;rss=1</guid>
<pubDate>Wed,  2 Aug 2006 00:39 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>[RWD] [200] [1988] s40 240 comparison -posted by- KeplerNiko</title>
<description>My mom drives a 2000 S40 that I take out occasionally to get gas for her or run short errands.  At one time my parents tossed around the idea of getting rid of my car, giving me the S40, and getting a new one for themselves.  If I had a choice, I&#x27;d actually like to keep the 240--give me an A/C recharge and install my power sunroof kit, and there&#x27;d be no question.

The S40 definitely feels like a smaller car.  That makes sense, since the RWD cars were distinguished by trim levels and luxury moreso than internal size (240 vs. 740), whereas Volvo now offers a BMW-style tiered lineup of cars, from the compact and &#x22;entry&#x22; level S40 to the large and luxurious S80.

The S40 is quieter, sure.  Remember that the 240 is working off of a 30-plus-year-old body--I think it deserves a little leeway here.  At least they added the felt door seals in the late 1980s!  Anyway, we&#x27;ll see how the S40s are doing when they age a decade or so.

The throttle is more responsive, but remember it&#x27;s a newer car with more advanced technology and a turbo.  I love punching the pedal and spooling up the throttle, with the resultant squeal of a wheel, and then I remember that it&#x27;s one of the front wheels that&#x27;s making that noise.  I then wish for RWD.

It seems the suspension is a lot tighter on the S40, even my mom&#x27;s baseline car.  Again, I attribute that to newer parts and newer technology--in terms of handling, a 240&#x27;s R-sport setup could probably rival or beat a mock S40 R kit.

I bet the A/C was wonderful.  (No challenge here!)

I can&#x27;t speak for how people&#x27;s perception of speed differs (though I believe noise tends to up the perceived speed, and quietness does the opposite), but it probably has something to do with the S40&#x27;s smaller size.

The S40 is okay, but our experience with it has been mixed.  I think that most of our problems (mechanical issues) stem from the fact that it was hit in a parking lot, causing $20,000 worth of damage, after we had had it for only a year.  It came quite close to being totaled, and unfortunately the dealer didn&#x27;t do a very thorough job of repairing everything to Volvo spec.  My mom still drives the car and tolerates it, not complaining, but I know that if I had the car I&#x27;d find a ton of issues with it.  I&#x27;d rather keep my 240.
--
&#x27;89 244 GL -- 122,400 miles (see &#x3C;a href=&#x27;http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/user_data.htm?uid=17909&#x27; target=&#x27;_blank&#x27;&#x3E;&#x3C;b&#x3E;profile&#x3C;/b&#x3E;&#x3C;/a&#x3E; for info on car)</description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1101138&#x26;rss=1</guid>
<pubDate>Wed,  2 Aug 2006 00:26 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>[RWD] [200] [1993] after market brake lights don&#x27;t work on my 93&#x27; 240...  why not. -posted by- KeplerNiko</title>
<description>Just to reinforce what&#x27;s already been said, go for OEM tail lights.  Somehow in the design of the tail lights, Volvo just made it really difficult for anything to work.  OEM parts have enough trouble as it is (many get water inside, and often the circuit boards trigger the bulb failure light), but they are incomparably better than aftermarket parts.

Hit up the junkyards--it&#x27;s the only solution worth your time with this problem.
--
&#x27;89 244 GL -- 122,400 miles (see &#x3C;a href=&#x27;http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/user_data.htm?uid=17909&#x27; target=&#x27;_blank&#x27;&#x3E;&#x3C;b&#x3E;profile&#x3C;/b&#x3E;&#x3C;/a&#x3E; for info on car)</description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1100786&#x26;rss=1</guid>
<pubDate>Tue,  1 Aug 2006 01:13 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>[RWD] [200] [1982] Just how bad are the B28 engines? -posted by- KeplerNiko</title>
<description>I&#x27;m surprised more V6-Volvo fans aren&#x27;t speaking up.  I only have experience with 4-cylinder engines, but I&#x27;ve read a bit on here about the PRVs, and I don&#x27;t think they&#x27;re as bad as it might seem.

If the proper maintenance was done, these engines can last a long time, almost as long as the red blocks.  The design, however, means that the mechanic servicing them has to have known what he was doing.  I think it has something to do with a design that meant that a less-than-perfect-servicing could mean that the seals throughout the engine would leak and oil would drain out, or something like that.

Anyway, the point is, if the engine is was well-maintained, it can still approach Volvo levels of longevity.  It probably uses a bit more gas than you&#x27;re used to, but it&#x27;s an old V6.  The third generation of PRVs were much improved, but you&#x27;re looking at a second-gen one.  Try it out and just be ready to do an engine swap if you have to, but I know that there are a handful of Brickers who still have 260s on the road.
--
&#x27;89 244 GL -- 122,400 miles (see &#x3C;a href=&#x27;http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/user_data.htm?uid=17909&#x27; target=&#x27;_blank&#x27;&#x3E;&#x3C;b&#x3E;profile&#x3C;/b&#x3E;&#x3C;/a&#x3E; for info on car)</description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1100784&#x26;rss=1</guid>
<pubDate>Tue,  1 Aug 2006 01:10 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>[RWD] [200] [1989] Paint-matched Quad Headlight Surrounds (pics) -posted by- KeplerNiko</title>
<description>I wish I could put clear lenses back, even if just to try them out for just a few pictures.  Unfortunately I decided to carry them around in my trunk (while I was transitioning often between college and home), and my subwoofer came loose and fell on them.  I think both are broken beyond any repair attempts.

I&#x27;m going to keep the ambertruck lenses until one breaks, then I&#x27;ll have to decide if I want to replace it or if I want to return to clear lenses.

I will admit, their effect was a lot more pronounced with the original giant headlights.  They still match the amber Euro side markers I&#x27;ve got, but that&#x27;s the only reason I&#x27;m hesitant to ditch them.  I&#x27;m tending towards a yellow/blue scheme here.
--
&#x27;89 244 GL -- 122,200 miles (see &#x3C;a href=&#x27;http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/user_data.htm?uid=17909&#x27; target=&#x27;_blank&#x27;&#x3E;&#x3C;b&#x3E;profile&#x3C;/b&#x3E;&#x3C;/a&#x3E; for info on car)</description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1099946&#x26;rss=1</guid>
<pubDate>Sat, 29 Jul 2006 00:53 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>[RWD] [200] [1989] Paint-matched Quad Headlight Surrounds (pics) -posted by- KeplerNiko</title>
<description>So, as you know, I performed a &#x3C;a href=&#x22;http://keplerniko.googlepages.com/convquad.html&#x22; target=&#x22;_blank&#x22;&#x3E;headlight conversion&#x3C;/a&#x3E; some time ago, installing the four round headlights into my post-&#x27;86 Volvo and then upgrading the installation with ECE codes.

Many of you guys have embarked on similar quests to improve the lighting in the post-1986 US-spec cars, and those of you who have done custom modifications have always had to be creative in making the headlights look good.  There&#x27;s no drop-in solution for filling the space surrounding the ECE code headlights.

Well, I solved this problem by modifying the original headlight surrounds for the quad headlights.  Initially, I left them with their original colors, a chrome-like stripe around the border.  A few months later, I decided to spraypaint them matte black.  For about a year, that&#x27;s how they&#x27;ve been, but I&#x27;ve never quite been satisfied with them.  A few weeks ago, I finally forced myself to find a can spray paint and spend an afternoon painting them blue, in hopes of matching the paintjob.  Here&#x27;s how it came out:

&#x3C;a href=&#x22;http://keplerniko.googlepages.com/quadconversionpictures&#x22; target=&#x22;_blank&#x22;&#x3E;&#x3C;img src=&#x22;http://keplerniko.googlepages.com/glamquad14.jpg/glamquad14-large.jpg&#x22;&#x3E;
&#x3C;b&#x3E;Now with blue surrounds!&#x3C;/b&#x3E;&#x3C;/a&#x3E;

(The car got a good washing last Saturday, and I couldn&#x27;t resist taking it out for a photo session to showcase both the new headlight look and the wonderfully clean Coronas!)

I had originally considered getting a professional shop to do it, but this route is a lot more cost-effective.  It was about $15 for a can of primer, blue paint, and gloss.  I exhausted the latter two during the spraying.

I&#x27;m &#x3C;i&#x3E;still&#x3C;/i&#x3E; not satisfied.  The car looks good like this (I&#x27;ve already got one complement from another 240 owner), but it&#x27;s still not perfectly stock-looking.  It needs a chrome strip across the top of the surrounds--matching perfectly with the chrome on the corner signals.  I guess I&#x27;ll look into some sort of stick-on chrome or something that could work in the limited space I have.

Anyway, I figured you guys might like to take a look at the updated pictures of my car.  If you&#x27;re anything like me, photos of a custom 240 are always worth the time to view them!
--
&#x27;89 244 GL -- 122,200 miles (see &#x3C;a href=&#x27;http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/user_data.htm?uid=17909&#x27; target=&#x27;_blank&#x27;&#x3E;&#x3C;b&#x3E;profile&#x3C;/b&#x3E;&#x3C;/a&#x3E; for info on car)</description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1099283&#x26;rss=1</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 27 Jul 2006 02:55 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>[RWD] [200] [1980] What is the difference between engines B19A and B200E? -posted by- KeplerNiko</title>
<description>The B200E was a non-US engine that utilized somewhat more advanced technology (again, simple by today&#x27;s standards) to improve the performance of the red block engines without increasing displacement.

I think that engines ending with E are interference (an important consideration!), but I&#x27;m not positive on the B200E.  I&#x27;m almost positive that the B23E/B230E engine &#x3C;i&#x3E;is&#x3C;/i&#x3E; interference.

The stats on a 1985-86 B200E are:
117 hp @ 6000 rpm
117 SAE lbs/ft torque @ 3000 rpm
Compression ratio: 10 (high)

The stats on a 1977 B19A are:
97 hp @ 5400 rpm
116 lbs/ft torque @ 3200 (not sure if SAE or not)
Compression ratio: 8.8

So, it&#x27;s a higher-powered engine without being much larger, and the torque peak is moved a little bit down the rpm range.  You&#x27;re also making the jump from carburetors to fuel injection (not sure what that entails, though; I&#x27;m too young for carbs!).

I&#x27;d say go for it.  The GL probably has a few more amenities, is newer, and has a more powerful engine.  If it&#x27;s in nearly as-good shape as your current car, it would be a nice change.
--
&#x27;89 244 GL -- 122,200 miles (see &#x3C;a href=&#x27;http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/user_data.htm?uid=17909&#x27; target=&#x27;_blank&#x27;&#x3E;&#x3C;b&#x3E;profile&#x3C;/b&#x3E;&#x3C;/a&#x3E; for info on car)</description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1098649&#x26;rss=1</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 25 Jul 2006 02:39 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>[RWD] [200] [1989] Power sunroof kit installation instructions? -posted by- KeplerNiko</title>
<description>I recently acquired a power sunroof kit (that appears to have everything I need to install) but unfortunately I don&#x27;t have the instructions that came with the original product.  I think the question of installation has come up on the board before, but unfortunately I don&#x27;t have it bookmarked, and cursory searching online hasn&#x27;t yielded results.

Does anyone have a guide as to how to install this accessory?  Any sort of summary at all would be helpful--particularly the part about routing the wires from inside the roof down to behind the front console.

I&#x27;m going to attempt this install hopefully tomorrow, and I plan to document it with photos and create a writeup online.
--
&#x27;89 244 GL -- 122,200 miles (see profile for info on car)</description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1097630&#x26;rss=1</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 21 Jul 2006 17:34 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>[RWD] [200] [1991] No, but to two (7&#x27; round) is easier ... -posted by- KeplerNiko</title>
<description>&#x3C;i&#x3E;But it&#x27;s usually ugly.&#x3C;/i&#x3E;

But the lighting improvement would be worth it (in my opinion).

Just undertake your project with prudence and a dedication to make things look nice and you&#x27;ll come out okay.
--
&#x27;89 244 GL -- 122,000 miles (see &#x3C;a href=&#x27;http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/user_data.htm?uid=17909&#x27; target=&#x27;_blank&#x27;&#x3E;&#x3C;b&#x3E;profile&#x3C;/b&#x3E;&#x3C;/a&#x3E; for info on car)</description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/?id=1096739&#x26;rss=1</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 19 Jul 2006 01:28 GMT</pubDate>
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<title>[RWD] [200] [1991] Caution about the truck bezels -posted by- KeplerNiko</title>
<description>Before doing my conversion, I looked into the possibility of installing 7&#x27;&#x27; round headlights in combination with the truck headlights bezels.  They exist; I work near a shipyard and have seen numerous Volvo trucks that have this paint-matched &#x22;downgrade.&#x22;  (I doubt they have ECE codes, though.)

There were two big problems with trying to use bezels:

1. Expensive--over a $100 a side, I think.
2. Trim pieces only--no backing provided.

The first issue means that by the time you buy ECE codes, you will have spent close to $400, an amount that can snag a decent pair of authentic European 240 headlights, if you keep your eyes open.

The second problem stems from the fact that the interior sheetmetal of these trucks must be different from the cars.  Outwardly, the appearance and dimesions are identical, but the trucks apparently have some extra mounting point for the 7&#x27;&#x27; headlights that the cars lack.  A mount could be fashioned, but that&#x27;s the primary difficulty of installing 7&#x27;&#x27; rounds, not finding some sort of a surround--plenty of headlights fillers have been fashioned on the cheap by Brickboarders.

Perhaps there&#x27;s a secret bracket out there that the Volvo trucks have that the 240s lack.  As it stands, I&#x27;ve not seen examples of someone who has successfully used the brackets in their car.  Unfortunately, you&#x27;ll have to find some other way to improve your lighting.
--
&#x27;89 244 GL -- 122,000 miles (see &#x3C;a href=&#x27;http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/user_data.htm?uid=17909&#x27; target=&#x27;_blank&#x27;&#x3E;&#x3C;b&#x3E;profile&#x3C;/b&#x3E;&#x3C;/a&#x3E; for info on car)</description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 18 Jul 2006 01:25 GMT</pubDate>
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