Looks like it's 1 April 1986 when they became legally required.

http://www.motuk.co.uk/manual_140.htm

Hell Driver wrote:For example if you took the seat belts out of a 1995 escort I'm sure you'd not get the MOT, but they can't make you put them in a 1969 escort. Then again how do the lads in the stripped out 300's get on with no rear belts?

That's a bad example as a 1969 car would. Without consulting the book, front anchorages were mandatory from June 1964 and front belts from June 1965. Some class of light goods was 1967 and 3 wheelers over 254kg from September 1970.

You've answered the second bit yourseld ok. No seat, no belt.

In answer to your other question about side repeaters, (I'm on the moby, so crap at cut and paste) see Schedule 7 of the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989. There is slightly different requirements pre/post 1986.

I've just noticed your MOT link Just remember the MOT just covers testable items and not necessarily all the legally required bits. Best stick with the regs for a definitive answer.

volvomania wrote:By later wings I mean wings produced after 1981-83, not sure exactly when as I need to look this up (there is actually a service bulletin around detailing it all)
At that time it was decided to make 1 "generic" wing for the MkI (76-78) and MkII (79-81) and let the panelbeater drill the holes for the MkII. Cheaper for them to produce (no holes)/less warehouse space/no mix-ups possible.
Original MkI wings are recognized by the reddish colour of the paint, these are after 1981 as Volvo had changed to black (and even later to a flat dull greenish colour).

Out of my head I know they did something similar for the "nose cone" and some other parts.

I looked it up this morning: the service bulletin is dated Nov 1986 and states "As of this date" so it was even later than I thought.

Hell Driver wrote:

trabitom99 wrote: That'd be unusual. No one "forces" you to fit rear seat belts or a third rear brake light or daytime running lights, even if all these are required these days. Over here US cars need some conversions, like orange indicators rather than red ones, but I'd be surprised if the MOT man makes you fit indicators on the wings.

I thought if you take any of these things out of a car which had them at a date on or after they were required by law then they would make you put them back in?

OK I understand, I thought you meant fitting them to a car which didn't originally have them ... At a guess if you fitted earlier style wings and decals on a '79 model, I don't think an MOT tester would notice anything was missing.

volvomania wrote:

volvomania wrote:By later wings I mean wings produced after 1981-83, not sure exactly when as I need to look this up (there is actually a service bulletin around detailing it all)
At that time it was decided to make 1 "generic" wing for the MkI (76-78) and MkII (79-81) and let the panelbeater drill the holes for the MkII. Cheaper for them to produce (no holes)/less warehouse space/no mix-ups possible.
Original MkI wings are recognized by the reddish colour of the paint, these are after 1981 as Volvo had changed to black (and even later to a flat dull greenish colour).

Out of my head I know they did something similar for the "nose cone" and some other parts.

I looked it up this morning: the service bulletin is dated Nov 1986 and states "As of this date" so it was even later than I thought.

Those service bulletins are a mine of useful information, particularly on the changes from model year to model year. I try and snap 'em up, if ever I see them on the bay ...

Cheers

Tom

Just a small update, I refitted the clock this morning, and happily, all went without a hitch and it works perfectly:

volvomania wrote:Looking at the condition of the car (still awaiting the VIN) it looks to be in a slightly worse condition then my 79-er.

Have you got some pictures of your car? And sorry I forgot about the VIN, it's 0437414.

S10NPH wrote:the VIN, it's 0437414.

What's the bit before it? There's a bit more to the full blown number XLB343nnnaa

Sorry, that's all that was on my V5. Here's the whole thing:

I had a letter from the DVLA, not long after buying and MOTing Abby. The V5C had just the end serial number on and the MOT had the full VIN, hence the discrepancy on the paperwork. Had to fill a form in and send it back. Now the V5C wears the full VIN. It all depends on what the MOT man puts in the computer.

The BB is 343500LC (50 Engine, 0 CVT, L MY78, C I can't remember )

I've not worked out why Volvo VIN decoders say 9 is for CVT, when every CVT I've looked at has been a 0 (RHD CVT?)

Mine says 52 engine and CC and car is registered at spring of 1981, actually next month is birthday for the car according to registration document, but C is MY82?

0 between 52 and CC.

There has been bit over 200 000 343 made between S10NPH's and my 343.

XLB343520CC that is, LHD vario, has rear seatbelts, front seatbelts and wing indicators, not opening rear windows and 3dr bodystyle.

One bit was safety devices code I think, maybe second C?

Abby, the '82MY RHD B14.2 CVT Rear belts, heated driver's seat, headlamp washers/wipers, opening rear side windows.


Model Year letter must have been adjusted at some point may be:

1976 = J?
1977 = K?
1978 = L (ref: AAU 783T / ZV 9860 -343DL AT Black Beauty)
1979 = M (ref: BHX 190T - 343DL MT)
1980 = A (ref: PGH 590V -345DL MT)
1981 = B
1982 = C (ref: ABW 64Y - 343DL AT)
1983 = D (ref: UJR 803Y - 360GLS MT)
1984 = E
1985 = F
1986 = G
1987 = H
1988 = J (ref: 88-D-14183 - 340DL MT)
1989 = K (ref: F163 JGT)
1990 = L
1991 = M?

(AT = automatic transmission / MT = manual transmission)
Top right column, market code "15" is UK (and IRL as it's on the Irish dizzler)

1978 has 500LC. 50 = B14.0E, 0 = AT
1979 has 501MC. 50 = B14.1E, 1 = MT4
1980 has 501AC. 50 = B14.1E, 1= MT4
1982 has 500CC. 50 = B14.2E, 0 = AT
1983 has 213DC. 21 = B??, 3 = MT5
1988 has 723JC. 72 = D16, 3 = MT5 (M47II?)
1989 has 530KC. 53 = B14.4E, 0 = AT

Also VIN number on stamped on plate begins and ends with a five pointed star stamp on that MY82 example, on later examples I see a Volvo roundel stamped at the start/end.

This is the one from my 1980 345:

Today I have been mostly fitting a radio:

And it works: http://youtu.be/vEX2Hmd89tE (although I hadn't raised the aerial off the roof so it wasn't picking up all stations).

Thanks Oliver for my early birthday present

Looks great!

Tom

Hi Sion.
Looks fantastic in origionall kit. Well done. Unfortunatly because i listen to a lot of rock music
and you just don't get much of that on the radio, i fitted a CD player to mine.
Cheers Mark.

Looks great!

Now you can enjoy a bit of BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, Absolute Radio, BBC 5 Live and BBC Radio 4.

Just the last two would do me, but how on earth are you going to manage without BBC Radio 2? :p