broke my wagon's antenna last weekend, oops.

I've replaced plenty of antennas in the past, so I know how to do it, my question is... I see genuine Volvo antennas have gotten stupid expensive, like $60 for the mast, while offbrand masts are like $12 or whatever. is there any legit reason to stick with the Volvo one vs the generic ?

 

Did all 740 wagons have POWER antenna?

My poor 245 needs a new manual antenna, but its probably close to $100 for aftermarket parts.

Power antenna mast is very easy to replace. When I worked at Volvo they showed me how to use two people to replace it quickly. One guy turns the key on while the other guy pulls out the old antenna. To install, frist guy turns the key off, while simultaneously the helper quickly shoves the tip of the new antenna in. If you do it right, the motor sucks the new one right into place.

I say go for the cheapo, keep it lubed up, and see how long it lasts and report back!

 

I've never seen a 740/940 with a manual antenna, not saying they didn't make them, however. we've had a 1987 240GL sedan, 1993 960 wagon, 1998 S90 sedan, 1991 940SE wagon, and now my 1992 740 T wagon, all had power antennas. My 1996 850 T wagon had a window antenna on the rear side window, these are powered but don't move.

on my 92, there's even a dashboard switch for the antenna, I've swapped them single handed (ignition in aux, radio on, antenna switch 'up', then start feeding the tail, push the switch 'down' and jump back and continue feeding the antenna in til its all sucked up, reinstall the cap nut). the wagons have an extra long tail as the motor is down in the compartment behind the wheel well, but the antenna is up on the roof line.

 

1990 245 DL (the NON base model) reporting in! No power mast here. All my 740/940 wagons had power mast.

Actually, one of my 745's had some aftermarket 1 foot long rubberish aftermarket fixed antenna mounted on the car. If I drove faster than 100mph on a drive, the antenna would be arched backwards for a while after I parked! hahaha

 

Never seen a manual 740 antenna in the US market.

The mast is easy to replace IF the cable is not broken and many times there are small pieces lodged which necessitates disassembly of the antenna motor to pick them out.
I am all for non Asian parts but for a mast I may make an exception--it is a pretty basic part.
Starting in mid 1993 945 got antennas imbedded in the left rear glass and if one desires one can get the glass and swap it into the earlier cars, like 745. Cheap at the JY and pretty easy to do IN HOT weather as the adhesive then is pretty soft.

My '92 745 has the power antenna all good but for some reason the Sony deck I have doesn't need the antenna extended to get good reception normally, so I rarely use the power antenna.

 

yeah, I got all the whip out when the antenna broke.

I have to do another one, the antenna on my 1993 Mercedes 300CE Cabriolet makes a horrid racket going up, sounds like plastic gears stripping... I saw the PO had a service record for repairing some gears in the hirschmann/mercedes antenna motor assembly. thats a gawd-awful expensive one because its got a combined analog cellular antenna, so I may just replace it with a generic Hirschmann motor (rumor has it a common vw/audi one can easily be retrofit onto das benzenwagen.