240 Door Vinyl Stripe Kits  |
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UPDATED: December 29, 2020 CONTACT VIEW CART |
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If you have any comments or if you can help to improve this information, such as providing photos of your installation process to improve this page, please email me. CONTACT
| 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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 <<< If you own a 240 with old,
cracked door vinyl, this page will help with that.
To those of you who thought this black part was painted
on, NO, it was NEVER painted. These stripes were always made from black vinyl that was
installed over the paint either by the factory or by a dealer.
These stripes first appeared on 240 Turbo
models beginning in 1981 (on all colors except for black cars. Black cars did not get these door stripes). Later it
also appeared on many other 240 sedans/saloons and wagons/estates through the 1993
year 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. They began in early years (circa 1981) at about 2.5 to 3 inches wide. Beginning about 1986 they were often found to be about 2 inches wide or less. So some planning will be important when you decide to install new stripes. These kits offered here will allow you to adjust and install new stripes in ANY WIDTH you need. |
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 WIDTH OPTIONSMost NARROW stripes have a bottom edge that will usually appear straight as shown in this photo. A WIDER stripe bottom edge will curve outward or down as shown in this photo by the curved bottom edge. Stripe kits offered here by default will have the curved bottom edge and can be used for stripes up to or more than 3 inches wide if needed. If you are planning for a narrow stripe or straight bottom edge at the front, you may simply adjust the position or turn the stripe around 180 degrees, using the front left stripe on the front right door, etc. If you want, you may also order a set WITHOUT this curved bottom edge. That option may be selected in the order menu. |
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 If you haven't yet removed the old stripes, now is a good time to take measurements of your original ones and take some notes. <<< Here is the front of the front door on a 1987 244. Take note that this car has fairly narrow door stripes. |
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 <<< When measuring from the outer edge of the metal trim strip that holds the rubber window scraper, the width of this stripe near the front mirror is about 1.75 inches. 240 door stripes don't usually get much narrower than this. |
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 <<<
Same car. This measurement is at the rear of the front door. This
stripes at this location is 2 inches wide. If a door strip changes
in width by 1/4 inch like this one, it's
not something you will notice when you stand back. So there's no
need to worry about precision. It will be much more important to
make sure the bottom edge stays even as this one does while it moves from one door to another. |
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 <<< Here is the front of the back door. If you're wondering
why this measurement is more than 1/4 inch narrower than the front door only a few inches away, it's because the metal scraper
trim piece sticks out a bit more. Yes, that's right. 240s are not
always made as precisely as you thought. The difference
here will never be noticed as long as the bottom edge of the stripe is even as in this photo. |
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 <<< So by now you should understand that the stripes on a 240 do not have a
100% consistent width. Here at the rear of the back door the width
drops to under 1.5 inches. Again, the important thing here is an
even transition of the bottom edge at the door gaps. |
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 <<< Here is the front of the rear stripe. The width is slight under 1.5 inches on this car. |
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 <<< And the width near the back of this 244 has dropped to just over 1.25 inches. A stripe that narrows slightly as it moves rearward may not be very 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 at the rear. 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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 <<< Here's another view of the back on this 244. |
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| OLD
DOOR
VINYL REMOVAL |
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 You
may be tempted to try scraping off or sanding off your old door
vinyl. Or you might be tempted to use a heat gun to melt it. These methods are up to you, but are NOT recommended.<<< 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. 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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 <<< Keep this in mind. This surface pictured here is NOT quite ready yet. 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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 For the front doors, it is recommended to remove the
side mirrors before starting. This will give you more room to work and trim vinyl. |
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 On some early 240s the mirrors are small and
may not interfere when installing vinyl, but still will likely get in the way of removing the
window scraper trim and removing old vinyl. So removing the mirrors is just plain recommended. |
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 Next step is to remove the window
rubber scraper molding metal strips. Those
simply pry UP and
OFF. 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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 <<< Now
place the blade of a flat tool under the metal
strip near the rear of the door. Be careful to
avoid damaging your car paint below the tool. You can
help avoid damage by placing a piece of cardboard or
other material under the tool to protect the door.More complete instructions for removing or replacing the window scraper trim can be found HERE. |
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 <<<
If you have a WAGON/ESTATE, you DO NOT need to remove the fixed trim and rubber seal around this
REAR SIDE GLASS. Removing this fixed
glass trim is a difficult task, so it is recommend to
leave it in place unless you have experience or will have a professional
do this part. You may cover that trim with some masking tape to protect it while you're removing your old vinyl. |
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 If you have a 4-door sedan/saloon, you can optionally remove this rear window frame by drilling out three rivets.
This is optional, but recommended because it will give you more room to work. Removing this trim will allow you to
work on the fender-top areas without interference. When done, the frame
can be reinstalled using rivets (black rivets would be good) or some ordinary
screws. 
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 If you have a 2-door coupe, you can remove this window and frame by
first removing the screw shown here by the arrow. That screw is a
large Phillips type. If it has never been removed before, it will be
tight (Volvo used a thread-lock adhesive). After this screw is
removed, the entire window may be lifted out by pulling it outward a few inches, then toward the
rear of the car. Use both hands and be CAREFUL that you don't drop it! That would be bad.
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| Most 240 door stripes are between 2 and 3 inches wide. When measuring the width of your stripes, measure from
the window scraper metal trim strip to the bottom of the
black vinyl stripe. 240
Turbos and other early 240s normally got 3 inch wide stripes. Some cars had a more narrow
stripe (usually 240s made after 1985). In the last few years of production,
there were 240s with 2 inch wide stripes. |
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 The best and recommended installation method is
the WET method, however these stripes can be done wet or dry. The wet method involves
wetting the paint surface and the rear vinyl adhesive surface
with slightly soapy water. The water/soap solution allows you
to slide the vinyl into the precise position and them to
squeeze out any air pockets in a very forgiving manor. Mix a 16 ounce spray bottle
with water and 1/4 teaspoon or less of dish soap. Something like Dawn 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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 When your car is ready for
the new stripes, you can use some masking tape to mark positions
along the door where you want the BOTTOM EDGE of the
new stripe to be. I recommend laying down a straight masking tape line and then stand back and evaluate hoe it looks.
This will help keep your new stripes straight and even
during installation. When installing these, install them one door at a time or one piece at a time. |
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 <<< This plastic squeegee has felt on one edge.
The felt edge helps prevent scratches on the black vinyl
surface when you're smoothing it out.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. 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, 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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 <<< This view is the FRONT of the front door of a later 240 near the
A-pillar. The side mirror and the window scraper trim were removed before installation.Use your water/soap solution to wet things down. |
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 <<< Lay the new vinyl stripe down. The stripe is initially wider than needed,
so it will be trimmed AFTER it has been placed into position. Move or slide the vinyl
into it's final position and use your squeegee to squeeze out water,
beginning in the center and moving outward. Yes, the door handle is
missing on this door in this photo (because this car just got painted), but it does not need to be removed for this
installation. |
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 <<< Use
your knife to trim the excess vinyl at the top. Trim it in a place
under the scraper trim, so the scraper trim will cover the edge of the vinyl when
it's reinstalled. |
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 <<<
In this photo the front end of this stripe has been trimmed so that
there is a
small amount of vinyl to be folded over the door edge. Using some
heat from a hair dryer can help to draw out water and flatten out the
edges of the vinyl in some circumstances if water seems to be trapped
under. Some heat can also help when forming the trimmed end over the
door edge.
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 On some installations where the stripe is not
very wide, some people prefer to reduce or eliminate this gradual curve
up at the front. This can be done easily by either moving the
stripe forward to reduce it or by flipping the stripe 180 degrees to
eliminate it completely and install it with a straight bottom edge. |
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 <<< The
final result can be beautiful! The stripes this later 240 sedan/saloon
got were made to be 2 inches wide. The width may be set to whatever you
like. |
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 <<< It may be hard to see in this pic,
but there is a gradual curve on the FRONT bottom edge of the front door stripe
here on a wider stripe. This is an EARLY 240 with a wider stripe. |
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 <<< Another EARLY 240. Here's a pic showing
how the rear piece on a 4-door car curves upward and how it lines up with
the back edge of the rain gutter trim. |
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 <<<
Here's
a pic showing how the old REAR PIECE on a WAGON/ESTATE model curves upward
and
how it lines up with the end of the rubber window
trim.
Removing the window glass and rubber trim on a
wagon/estate is
difficult and for most installations this will be done with that glass
and rubber seal in place. in these cases after installing this piece you
will need to carefully
trim the vinyl where it meets the rubber seal as
closely as you can.
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 <<<
Again a photo from an EARLY 4-door.
Here's a view of how the vinyl is wrapped or folded over the edge and trimmed on
the rear fender piece behind the rear door. After you
install the vinyl, you should trim it to about 1/4 to 3/8 inch
below the fender outer surface. |
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 <<< Here a view of the front end of a WAGON/ESTATE REAR STRIPE
near the back of the rear door. The vinyl is wrapped or folded over
and trimmed on the rear fender piece behind the rear
door. You should trim it to about
1/4 to 1/2 inch below the fender outer surface. |
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 <<< This image applies to any
240 door where the door appears like this with an
overhang. The vinyl is trimmed and folded over the edge and under
the overhang. Again, it will be important to first
clean this underside
area well so the vinyl adheres to the surface under
there and stays that way. |
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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 (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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| 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.
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| If you have any
comments or if you can help to improve this
information, such as providing photos of your
installation process to improve this page,
please email me. CONTACT |
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