240 Door Vinyl Stripe Kits ![]() |
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UPDATED: December 20, 2024
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2-Door (Coupe) Kit |
4-Door (Sedan) Kit |
Wagon Kit |
B or C-Pillar for Wagon |
Bulk Lengths |
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INSTALLATION GUIDE: CLICK HERE |
240 OUTER DOOR BLACK VINYL STRIPE KITS![]() |
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I N S T A L L A T I O N G U I D E Your feedback is welcome. Please email. |
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![]() These stripes were always made from matte black vinyl that was
installed over the paint either by the factory or by a dealer.
These stripes first appeared on 240 Turbo
and GLT models beginning in 1981 (on all colors except for black cars. Black cars did not get door stripes). Later these stripes appeared on many other 240 sedans/saloons and wagons/estates through the end of the 1993 production.
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Planning for Your STRIPE WIDTH | ||||||||||||||||||
The width of these stripes varied over the years. Early cars had wider stripes and later cars had more narrow stripes. These stripes began circa 1981 at about 2.5 inches (up to almost 3 inches wide in some instances). Beginning about 1986 these stripes were often found to be about 2 inches wide or LESS. So some planning can be important when you decide to install new stripes. The kits offered here provide vinyl stripe material that is WIDER than you will need. The below instructions will show you how to adjust, install and then TRIM your new stripes at the top so that ANY WIDTH you choose can be done. ![]() |
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WIDTH OPTIONS for your car. Explanation of CURVED Bottom Edge or STRAIGHT Bottom Edge. |
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<<< These images will help to explain the most common differences in stripe width. On any typical 240, the BOTTOM edge of the stripe at front of the front door will usually line up with the gap between the fender and windshield cowl as seen in this photo. STRAIGHT Bottom Edge: Most later NARROW stripes have a bottom edge that will usually be straight, as shown in this photo as "STRAIGHT bottom edge." CURVED Bottom Edge: Some earlier WIDER stripes have a bottom edge that will curve at the front as shown in this photo as a "CURVED bottom edge." Stripe kits offered here may be ordered with a STRAIGHT edge or CURVED edge at the front. |
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![]() <<< Here is the front of the front door on an EXAMPLE 1987 244. Take note that this car has fairly narrow door stripes. |
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![]() <<< Same car. This measurement is at the rear of the front door. The stripe at this location is 2 inches wide. If a door strip changes in width by about 1/4 inch like this one does, it's not something you will notice when you stand back. So there's no need to worry about precision in the width. It will be much more important to make sure the bottom edge stays even or level as this one does while it moves from one door to another. |
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![]() A stripe that narrows slightly as it moves rearward may not be common, but the point of showing you these measurements is to show that perfect precision isn't that important (since it wasn't important at the factory). You are free to install your stripes any width you prefer. There is one other thing to mention about this image. As you can see, there is a small gap with a little bit of white paint peeking out near the drip rail. This would not be noticeable on a darker colored car, but it's something that can be avoided with some planning. Have a close look behind that drip rail and you'll see where it connects to the body. This is a small obstacle that you will need to watch for (and trim around), so that this gap can be avoided. |
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When
you take measurements of your car before removing old stripes, feel
free to email me if you have questions or if you find anything unusual. CONTACT |
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REMOVING OLD
DOOR
VINYL And Installation Steps |
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![]() <<< The best recommendation, which works VERY WELL, is to buy a VINYL ERASER WHEEL which will fit on your drill. A pneumatic drill is shown here, but any drill will work. Vinyl eraser wheels are easy to find on-line. Here's one for about $15 from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Remover-Stickers-Minutes-Wheel-toolkit/dp/B00VFACQRE/ Here's a YouTube video on using this eraser wheel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=IJLIvxmB7e4. You can find more videos by searching for "vinyl erasure wheel." It is possible to go through TWO of these eraser wheels on a large job like a 245 wagon/estate. Work slowly and try not to allow too much heat to build up on the paint. If the paint become too hot to touch, it may be getting too hot. This erasure wheel will buff the vinyl off and it'll do a much better job that any other method. In fact it will usually remove the vinyl without leaving any damage to the paint underneath. And if there is still some glue residue on the paint after, you may do some final cleaning with a mild solvent, such as Goo-Gone or some paint polish, rubbing compound or cleaner wax. |
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Take your time
to clean your paint surface well. It should be smooth to the touch. If there are any chips, deep scratches or raised bumps in the paint, they will show when the vinyl is put on. So do everything you can for a smooth surface. |
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![]() The surface of your paint needs to be VERY SMOOTH to the touch before installing new vinyl. If there are any raised bumps that you can feel or small pieces of old vinyl that can be felt by touch, those bumps will probably show as imperfections after the vinyl is installed. So take your time and get things prepared smooth and clean. |
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![]() The window scraper trim strip has a metal tab that wraps around the end of the door. On early models built before 1986, this tab hooks around the door on the front AND rear of the front doors. On front doors for later 240s (built after 1986), there is a tab at the rear only, because the front end of this strip tucks under the mirror on a later model. Carefully, use a flat screwdriver to bend these tabs out just a little and away from the door. It will not take much bending. |
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![]() More complete instructions for removing or replacing the window scraper trim CAN BE FOUND HERE. |
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![]() You may find more info on removing wagon side glass near the bottom of this page or CLICK HERE. You may consider covering this fixed trim with some masking tape to protect it while you're removing your old vinyl. |
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![]() Water/Soap Solution: Mix a spray bottle with water and a few drops of dish soap. Something like Dawn dish soap works well. Dish soap only. Do not use dishwasher soap. There are a number of YouTube videos showing the installation of vinyl decals using the WET method. One is shown below. |
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Here's
a video showing both the dry and wet method. This is NOT a Volvo, however the concept for installation will be the same. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hS-AVKWGYYY |
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WARNING:
If you're using the WET method, it is not recommended that you wet the vinyl until after removing the paper backing. One customer experienced a problem doing this with the backing becoming impossible to remove from the back of the vinyl. |
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![]() When installing these pieces, install them one door at a time or one piece at a time. |
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![]() When you're ready to begin installation, peel the backing off the vinyl stripe and then spray the adhesive side of the stripe with the soapy water solution. Also spray the car paint surface. Lay the vinyl stripe on the car, adhesive side down, and slide it into place. Then spray the top surface of the stripe (to lubricate the surface) and carefully squeegee or smooth it down while pushing out any trapped water or air pockets, beginning in the center and moving outward. If needed, you may still lift sections of the vinyl and re-spray underneath and begin again in case things begin drying before you finish positioning, but once you begin squeezing out the water, the adhesive will begin to get stronger. The soapy water being sprayed on the top surface of the vinyl is there to lubricate the surface and will help minimize scratches in the vinyl from the squeegee. If you don't have a felt-lined squeegee, use what you have. You can also wrap a squeegee in a soft cloth to help minimize scratches. Once the vinyl is in position and begins to set, trimming the edges can begin. |
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![]() Use your water/soap solution to wet things down. |
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![]() This is a 1984 240 with a wider stripe. |
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INSTALLATION GUIDE 245 (wagon/estate) B and C Pillars Your feedback is welcome. Please email. |
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B-Pillar Vinyl Pieces (1 piece per side) The below image shows the general shape of the B-pillar pieces (left and right sides respectively). These pieces will come as two pieces trimmed to the proper width. They will have some extra length, so the top and bottom will need to be trimmed to fit. Also note that there is a slight taper on the front edge (facing the front of the car). The taper begins at the dashed line shown below and the front edge tapers as it goes up from that dashed line. The dashed line position shown below should be at the approximate level of the window scrapers or top of the door/bottom of window. You should try a trial fit to test/verify positioning of these before peeling the back and installing. |
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![]() The vinyl should be installed as shown above. Over the years, I have found TWO DIFFERENT original factory installation styles for this B-pillar (and C-Pillar) vinyl. These images ABOVE show an installation of vinyl onto a B-pillar that was painted body color. ![]() Some OTHER original factory installations have been found as shown ABOVE, where the B-pillar (and C-pillar) were painted black first, then the vinyl was added. Installers who have done this restoration recommend using Würth brand black trim paint to paint the black area. |
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C-Pillar Vinyl Pieces (2 pieces per side) The below images show the general shape of the C-pillar pieces (left and right sides respectively). The top horizontal pieces will come trimmed as shown with a slight taper along the length. They will have a little extra length, so you will need to trim the ends to the length as you need it. The vertical pieces will come as two 4 inch wide pieces and these will also need the top/bottom trimmed to fit during installation. Please note that the overwhelming consensus from looking at original cars has been that the top horizontal stripe always overlaps the vertical stripe. If you find something different on an original car, please let me know.
C-pillar vinyl installation. Similar to as mentioned above for the B-pillar, TWO DIFFERENT original factory installation styles of installation for this C-pillar vinyl have appeared over the years. ![]() One method ABOVE shows how the factory installed the vinyl over body pillars that were painted body color. This second installation style shown BELOW shows a car on which the factory first painted the pillar area BLACK. ![]() The ORIGINAL C-pillar vinyl was installed at the factory BEFORE the rear side glass windows and trim was installed, so the vinyl wraps around the pillar and UNDER the rubber seal for these rear side windows. ![]() REMOVING SIDE GLASS So it appears the "proper" and most professional way to replace that vertical black vinyl piece will be to first remove the glass and seal. If you choose to do this, there are a couple methods. One method is done by feeding a piece of piano wire between the seal and body and move it along the perimeter of the window to release the grip of the rubber from the body. Then the seal can be folded from the inside and the glass and seal can be slowly and gently pushed outward. This method puts less force on the glass, so less risk of breaking it. Another method is outlined here: https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=41014 Here are the steps: First remove the embedded metal trim molding on the outside if it is fitted to the rubber seal. Get some 1/4 inch nylon rope and a can of silicone spray lube. Spray the rubber seal on inside liberally and liberally coat the rope. Fold one of the top corners of the seal and put the rope in the rubber seal all the way round the window. Use some 6 inch long pieces of 2 x 2 wood to push the window out at the back vertical edge while pulling the rope to fold over the rubber seal to allow window to go out. Once the back edge seal is outside the metal edge, then go forward along top edge and then down the front edge. You will need a second person before you get too far to be sure the glass doesn't fall out and break. Use the 2 x 2 to push outward (with not too great force) to ease the rubber seal past the edge. Once the second side is started, the removal usually gets much easier pretty quickly. Install by setting the seal over the bottom edge with rope already in the seal on the other three sides. Use silicone spray liberally, Lubrication is your friend in this job on removal and installation. Pull the rope inside to get the rubber seal edge to go over the metal edge. Have an assistant on the outside pushing in with a 2 x 2 gently in the area you are working with rope. Get a plastic trim tool, generally referred as a "bone tool." It is used to pop off moldings and trim but it is great at helping the rubber over metal edge without harming paint or molding like a metal tool might. |
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VIDEOS PART 1: This video demonstrates techniques for the removal of the Volvo 240 wagon rear side glass. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGHge1Q0NIg |
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PART 2: This video demonstrates techniques for the removal of the Volvo 240 wagon rear side glass. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy-D7iUhrVE |
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PART 3: This video demonstrates techniques for the re-installation of the Volvo 240 wagon rear side glass. https://youtu.be/L7nHKUWA8tE |
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This video demonstrates the removal and installation of a VERY similar window in a Jeep Cherokee. Same techniques will apply. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBXAIkRCBAs |
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Another method for the Volvo 240 Wagon is shown in the below VIDEO where a bit more brute force is used from the inside. If you do not have experience in removing this sealed side glass, using someone who has actual experience would probably be a good idea. |
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How to Remove the Rear Cargo / Quarter Panel Window on a Volvo 240. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1KaS4LgMII |
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If you have any
comments or if you can help to improve this
information, or if you can provide photos of your
installation process,
please email me. CONTACT |
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