Hi all,

We just bought our first Volvo - a 1991 240 wagon (245?) for our 16 year old daughter. Its a bit rough around the edges (peeling clear coat and rust around the windows and well-worn interior) but mechanically she seems very sound.

I've combed through the stickies and FAQs and haven't been able to determine if there is a good online source for either NOS or reman interior parts. There are a lot of bits and bobs missing such as missing trim clips, saggy glove box insert, etc.

Is there a good source for these interior parts, or does one need to resort to a "pick-a-part" yard with a good selection of 240s? (none such yards around us).

Also wondering if anyone recommends a particular seat cover set (front and back) that aren't too expensive, but will cover the torn upholstery nicely.

Thanks in advance for the help!

-Brent

 

sources for factory parts: TascaParts.com, Volvo Parts - Authentic OEM Volvo Parts direct from Volvo Parts Webstore | VolvoPartsWebstore.com ... these are both dealers that do mail order discount OEM parts businesses on the side. expect 1-2 week delivery times for stuff thats stocked stateside, and sometimes much longer for stuff that has to come from .EU. if you want faster service, find a volvo dealer that has a decent parts guy, and pay full price, you can usually get parts that are stocked by Volvo NA in a couple days.

sources for aftermarket stuff (quality from fine to crap depending on what it is, so caveat emptor): Volvo Parts, Accessories and Performance Specialist Since 1963, Car Parts - OEM & Genuine European Replacement Parts Catalog

neither tasca nor volvopartswebstore seem to have 240 parts well indexed, so it really helps to get your hands on the old "VADIS" CDROM, this was the parts counter software and database circa 2003, and has detailed parts diagrams of 240s up to everythign they made in 2003. find the PN in VADIS, then look it up on either of those sites. VADIS can be found at various download kinda sites (eg, its not technically legal to distribute, but noone seems to care much). Learning to install it and use it is a bit tricky.

 

seat covers; wVolvo Seat Covers - Custom Volvo Seat Covers are supposed to have good made-to-order covers that are custom cut to fit the specific model cars.... get the 'full custom' seats. the Dorchester fabric is pretty close to factory fabric.

suggestion: pick up a pair of 'hog ring pliers' at a hardware store, and a baggie of 1/2" hogrings, use these to secure the lower edge of the covers to the seat frames. you can leave your original covers on or take them off. for best results, strip off the original covers, rebuild any broken springs, wires, add some proper density foam where the old foam is worn, and THEN install the new covers, then they will be like new.

 

Congrats on the purchase.....

 

Thanks for the quick and detailed answers! I am learning that the tan interior is the most sensitive to UV damage, and it is definitely apparent with the brittleness of the interior in this car! Anyway, just thought I'd add that I found what appears to be a great source for interior parts:
Volvo 240 Interior Parts (1975-1993) | Voluparts

 

One important thing not to overlook in the Father/Daughter or Son scenario is a lecture re overheating the Volvo (or any other car). Make sure they understand that once the gauge starts to approach the RED it is time to pull over IMMEDIATELY or the Volvo will perish... This of course presumes that someone will be watching the gauge and not working the phone, and I guess that's a bigger challenge.

 

Right....off the phone and occasional gauge peep.......

 

Driving the car home (about a 300 mile trip) in 90 degree weather, she told me the gauge never crept up past the 1/2 way point. (I was following in our other car) so it seems that the cooling system is in good shape.

Good to know that this is something to keep an eye on though. I'll be taking it to the local Volvo specialist for a complete assessment within the next couple of weeks to make sure there are no major safety or reliability issues.

I did notice that the AC doesn't work - the compressor comes on with the switch, but no cold air. I'm hoping that it just needs a recharge, but I'm figuring that it will probably be more than that. (and if so, I probably won't worry about it since we only need AC a couple days a year around here)

 

240's came with R12 based A/C, and R12 has been phased out since like 1995 or something... so if this car hasn't had an R134a conversion kit installed on it, you'll need to get that done before it can be charged.