1990 760 -- Headlight Substitute for the Destitute?

Apr 03, 2004 12 Replies

The headlight on my 1990 760 got busted while parked on the street. No note from the guilty, no nothing. So I have to replace it. But of course the price on this thing is astronomical (over $300). I'm pretty poor right now and since my Volvo isn't in the best shape anyway (body-wise that is, mechanically it's sound), I was hoping to get suggestions for substituting this headlight with another.



It's just the headlight glass that was shattered--the foglight next to it is fine as is the turn signal.



Thanks.


Where are you located?

RS

Dunst> The headlight on my 1990 760 got busted while parked on the street. No

You can replace the glass on it's own with genuine Volvo headlamps.

Cheers, Peter.

Perhaps you could try

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A great assortment of aftermarket replacements. The lens you are looking for is $89.

RF

I've seen these occasionally at salvage yards, ebay is another possible source.

I'm on the west side of LA in California.

I'm sorry for being ignorant, but there's a difference between the horribly expensive headlights I've been seeing and headlamps?

Hi Dunstin,

The only difference is: "headlights" is UK English, and "headlamps" is N. American English. They both cost the same........... too much!

Andy I.

Different across-pond talk that's all. AFAIA all Volvo front light units have replaceable glass lenses. Try IPD in Portland Oregon

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Cheers, Peter.

Unfortunately for us on this side of the "pond" American law forbids replacing the headlight lens without the reflector assembly. Very few car companies bring "unamerican" headlights to Canada, so we suffer too. Our headlights for these cars don't look like what you're used to "over there."

That is why IPD are allowed to sell "European lights" over there as replacements for the awful lights that American (& Canadian?) law dictates should be fitted. I think American law states that the headlights should be sealed beam units, correct this if wrong please.

Cheers, Peter.

: > Different across-pond talk that's all. AFAIA all Volvo front light units have : > replaceable glass lenses. Try IPD in Portland Oregon

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: >

: > Cheers, Peter. : >

: : Unfortunately for us on this side of the "pond" American law forbids : replacing the headlight lens without the reflector assembly. Very few : car companies bring "unamerican" headlights to Canada, so we suffer : too. Our headlights : for these cars don't look like what you're used to "over there." : : -- : Mike F. : Thornhill (near Toronto), Ont. : : NOTE: new address!! : Replace tt with t (twice!) and remove parentheses to email me directly. : (But I check the newsgroup more often than this email address.)

They don't have to be sealed in the sense old lights were sealed, lens, reflector and bulb all one piece. Now, however the lens and reflector have to be sold as a unit, the theory being that a replacement lens will not keep the proper orientation with the reflector. So the early attempts at this were like sealed beams, but with a replaceable bulb. Our current cars now have lights just like real European lights, but with a different lens. On Volvos this lens is held on with the same clips as yours are, but 1 or 2 of them are glued in place, theoretically making it impossible to change the lens. However this glue doesn't seem to accomplish anything except making the reinstall of that clip annoying. Thus lenses are available aftermarket.

As far as I know the lights that IPD (and the aftermarket lenses) are all illegal in the US, as is any light without a DOT marking. However, in practice there's no problem running them.

And in Canada, European headlights have always been legal, however for cost reasons, the car companies just bring one type to North America. When we had Ladas in Canada, they had real European lights (they weren't sold in the US so there were no DOT lights), and I know SAABs in the late 80s and early 90s had different and better lights in Canada than in the US.

Thanks for the enlightenment, Mike.

Cheers, Peter.

"Mike F" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@allsttream.nett... : Peter Milnes wrote: : >

: > That is why IPD are allowed to sell "European lights" over there as replacements : > for the awful lights that American (& Canadian?) law dictates should be fitted. : > I think American law states that the headlights should be sealed beam units, : > correct this if wrong please. : >

: > Cheers, Peter. : >

: : They don't have to be sealed in the sense old lights were sealed, lens, : reflector and bulb all one piece. Now, however the lens and reflector : have to be sold as a unit, the theory being that a replacement lens will : not keep the proper orientation with the reflector. So the early : attempts at this were like sealed beams, but with a replaceable bulb. : Our current cars now have lights just like real European lights, but : with a different lens. On Volvos this lens is held on with the same : clips as yours are, but 1 or 2 of them are glued in place, theoretically : making it impossible to change the lens. However this glue doesn't seem : to accomplish anything except making the reinstall of that clip : annoying. Thus lenses are available aftermarket. : : As far as I know the lights that IPD (and the aftermarket lenses) are : all illegal in the US, as is any light without a DOT marking. However, : in practice there's no problem running them. : : And in Canada, European headlights have always been legal, however for : cost reasons, the car companies just bring one type to North America. : When we had Ladas in Canada, they had real European lights (they weren't : sold in the US so there were no DOT lights), and I know SAABs in the : late 80s and early 90s had different and better lights in Canada than in : the US. : : -- : Mike F. : Thornhill (near Toronto), Ont. : : NOTE: new address!! : Replace tt with t (twice!) and remove parentheses to email me directly. : (But I check the newsgroup more often than this email address.)

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