I just got myself that nice little 83 Turbo, and it does not have cruise. My parts DL has factory cruise (Go figure...) anyway...how difficult would it be for me to just transplant the whole thing? (Please explain this as if you think I'm a complete moron. Thanks)

The Rostra site is at http://www.rostra.com/cruise-control.htm
They have a downloadable installation manual for the new ones that looks an awful lot like the old units.

I have an 81 with cruise I had to repair. Dana sold this division to Rostra around 1990. Rostra told me these parts were antiques, and it would be better to replace with modern parts. They hava a kit for our cars. I would get the Green Volvo repair books on Electrical and the cruise control book. Both very helpful. THe cpu for this unit is no longer avalible. If the control unit under the hood shorts out --- there goes your control unit. It took several from the pick and pull to get mine working. A new kit , which I will use next time is the way to go with all parts included. Contact Rostra with questions . They were helpful to me . They have a Web site, but unsure of address.

Eck Sheppard 81 242

When you say cruise control, do you mean the original dealer installed Volvo cruise control or an aftermarket unit. If it is the volvo/Dana you need quite a few parts. 1. You need the mercury switch, which is usually mounted on the engine firewall on the passenger side. 2. The Dana control unit ,usually mounted on the fire in the inside side of the passenger firewall. 3. A spedometer with the speed sensor. 4. the vacuum brake switch. 5. The clutch switch (if you have a standard) 6. The blinker stalk with cruise control switches. 7. A double throttle cam for the extra cable. 8. The vacuum control unit. 9. The right cable (depends on where the vacuum unit is mounted, and the orientation of the throttle body. For NA Kjet, (and LH I think) the unit is mounted on the firewall by the mercury switch. For kjet turbos its on the driver shock tower. The cable is a different length for each of these) 8. Vacuum hose and a tee to tap into vacuum from the manifold. 9. the complete wiring harness (it would be a nightmare to try to make your own).
Vacuum connections are simple. The small nipple on the vacuum unit is attached to an intake manifold port (it is often teed into the vacuum line for the heater controls) , and the large one is connected to the brake pedal vacuum switch.