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Uncles Andrew in AL (Alabama) and 740_dan (Portland, OR),
The RWD Volvo AMP Madness is all me. I have a few more.
If you look through my message history, and yup, here's a thread:
http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/index.htm?id=1424629&show_all=1
The amps you see in the RWD Volvo AMP Madness all use DIN connectors as inputs. The six amps to the right and the 15 x 2 amp are Alpine. The three lowest amps in the center stack are those used by used in the 1991 -> 240s and are rated at 20x 4. The newer amps use some variation of the Alpine M-bus (?) and require like (olskool) 2.5 VDC in signal.
In my fabulous, if frumpy, 1991 wee grey bastard 240 sedan, I have that same amp, with four better speakers. I removed the groovy front door factory HT-204 speaker mounts and installed 4" speakers that'll fit into that funky recessed door panel. You can actually install 5.25 speakers into the HT-204 speaker mounts so long at the speaker basket frame anchor mounts are open points. You may have to bend the metal tines a bit yet you can anchor it well.
I digress and co-tangent. Sorry. The black Volvo amp with a fan is also an Alpine design. All the connector ins and outs on these Alpine amps remain the same. At yer local yunkyard you can find larger, more powerful amps from 700, 900, and 800 series. You want to take the connectors and as much of the wire harness from the salvage donor car as you can. The black wire connecting the pre-amp line level out from the radio head unit to the DIN connector line level input on the amp you want to grab complete. You can cut that wire in half or at a length you need, connect RCA or other connectors to connect the DIN wire to your CD-receiver head unit line level audio out.
A few things:
- must exhaustively define the connector pin-outs
- know how to or know someone that can create wiring diagrams, solders, and can build wiring harnesses. Plan, plan, plan before you install anything.
- Make use of the Volvo stereo audio and power wiring harness and connectors.
Volvo was seriously overkill in the component and wiring harness quality in those later year 240, 700, 900, and 800 series models. I guess they all were.
The problem with some series and models is amp placement.
For example, some 240s like my wee bastard of a grey 1991 sedan I have had a factory speaker in each of the four doors. All connected to the factory Alpine AMP at the dash center console bottom behind the little cubby for sunglasses in front of the shift lever. You want speaker on the rear hat shelf (to yield better stereo imaging with more powerful speakers), you have to resolve what speaker mounting options, speakers, a matching amp, and wire up inputs from your CD-receiver line out. At your local Volvo equipped Salvage yard, you may find VOlvo factory speaker rear hat shelf mounts with a wire harness you can pull out on some late 70s to mid 80s models. My ultra wee heavy bastard 1992 240 GL (for life) has these rear hat shelf factory speakers with a harness that runs to a connector pig tail on the harness that connects to the little center console amp; the same used on my bastard of a 1991 240 sedan. (Yes, I like the word bastard, on some days more so, like today, but I love all RWD Volvos better than my so-called bastard family relations.)
I'll try and scare up the connector inputs and outputs on the Alpine amps in Volvos in worlds and images on this thread in a few dayze.
This is a pinout of a preamp out from the back of a CD receiver. The DIN cable from the amp plugs in here. (I got this comment wrong in the thread, above, I think.)
Please exhaustively research and verify this info.
I'll try and scare up the rectangular connector pin-outs on the Alpine AMPs themselves.
A few cautions:
- You MUST shield and protect the line level inputs between sound source (i-pod, CD-receiver radio head unit, ...) and the power AMP speaker output from incidental contact to the auto body ground. You may note the factory DIN cables between Volvo radio to Volvo AMP are shielded and protect cables. Consider a ground to ground wiring between radio and camp chassis.
- Volvo AMPs (and nearly all AMPs with monolith IC power out) - One speaker ONLY for powered AMP (channel) speaker out. Also, NEVER bridge speaker AMP out like joining right + and left + and the right - and left - (or bridge front and rear right). These monolithic IC amps, the same AMPs used in all receiver head units were not meant to be bridged.
- Ensure you do not go below the minimum amplifier out put resistance (usually 4 OHMs).
You may also find such amps in other import like BMWs, Audis, VW, and the like. With some effort and time, and not much $$, you can have a kick-ass in car stereo! Kick ASS!!!!
Oh, and finally, you can get lucky and find still good speakers at the yunkyard. They may need a little love or some solder. Let me know if you want to know what used junkyard speakers may need.
And lemme know what questions you have here.
ST. Louis Radio KDHX FM 88.1 www.kdhx.org - The best music radio station in the World! Tune in. And St. Louis has the among the best music scenes you'll find anywhere!!!
(With lots and lot of free parking - take that Slumkane, WA, Portsuck, OR, Suckattle, WA, and the SFBay, CA - yeah, thinking of moving back to StL, Slumkane WA is a real witch's tit.)
cheers,
MacDuff and his Volvos 240 three.
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Spell check? No need know stinkin' spell check (or grammar check).
WRITERS RULE THE WORLD and create your reality, you bassturds!!!!!
MADE IN SWEDEN RWD Volvo FOREVER!!!!
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