Aluminum Trunk Lids
 

I posted this enquiry on the TurboBricks forum some time ago and it went off in the typical direction of a lot of answers to a question I didn't ask, so I will try here. While checking for gasket information to address my water in the trunk problem, I found this reference to an aluminum trunk lid that appears to have been used on some 1978 240s.

https://parts.volvocarsannapolis.com...1/1213755.html

The pre 1979 240 trunk lid is the same as the 140 trunk lid with the possible exception of metric fasteners. This would make for a nice weight reduction on a 140 if you could find one of these trunk lids. However, that presumes that they actually exist. Has anybody actually seen one of these aluminum trunk lids? If so, do you know what years (aside from the above 1978 listing) they came on and which models might have received them?

Thanks

Hmm. i confess i've never heard of an ally boot/trunk lid, either. It seems a most un-Volvo fitting. However. . . Stateside, the emphasis was always on performance rather than mpg, so it's poss that Volvo made ally lids for stateside cars only, weight saving, bit more acceleration? Here in UK, ally bits were for sportscars only. Ask Volvo themselves, or chase up some retired dealers? Let us know any results. Cheers.

On the Volvo 745, alloy rear tailgates were standard , at least in North America. I also know that some 240s received an alloy front hood. I can't remember whether it was the flat hood or the 'sculptured' hood.

in the 100's of early 240's I have worked on and the ones I have stripped not one had a alloy boot lid.
740/940/960 estates do have alloy tailgate
the 960 has a alloy bonnet

Again never seen any 240 with a alloy bonnet

I’ve read that some variant of the 240/260 had a aluminum trunk lid. Possibly they are interchangeable with the 140 series?

Apparently police and ambulance , so not likely in N. America.

Aluminum hoods in 240 diesel models , trying to overcome the weight of the Diesel engines.

Some respondents have reported that they have fit 1979 240 trunk lids on to the 140 without major problems, the only minor issue being the metric fasteners on the 240s.

I have come to the conclusion that the aluminum trunks are rare, perhaps bordering on non existent since nobody has reported laying hands on one. Since they might be the equivalent of vapor ware, I probably won't expend any more effort trying t chase one down.

It is odd that the North American parts website does this reference to the aluminum trunk lid.

The 140 and early 240 boot lids are interchangeable

The alloy option for police would make sense and I think you said they were listed for 164? If so that really fits in as the 164 was a common motorway police car

The 140, 164, and 240 /260 up to 1978 all share the same part number for the trunk, 1203554 which was at some point updated to 1255079. The 164 parts catalog on GCP.se only lists the 1203554 part number so no special parts for a police vehicle. Also, I found no reference to special vehicles such as 'Police Specials' in the 164 parts catalogue; but, Volvo could have dropped support for those vehicles when they last updated the catalogue. Those vehicles usually have short lives.

If there was an aluminum boot lid I can find no reference to a distinct part number. I suppose it is possible that there was a run of aluminum boot lids (for some bizarre reason) and they ended up wit the same part number. If that is the case, without a model and VIN range to focus on that makes my search for an aluminum boot lid the equivalent of the blind pig rooting around for a truffle. Time to move on!

How about GRP or carbon fiber?

I suspect that if Volvo did make alloy front and rear lids they would have found their way into the R-Sport catalogue but maybe fibreglass ones are there instead.