[Clan]

Hello James
Yes you are right with the below:
79: Stubby bumpers, older badges, side-mounted interior light, different interior door handles, older fusebox, etc.
80: Stubby bumpers, later-style badges, front-mounted interior light, later interior door handles, newer fusebox, etc.
81: Longer (mk2-style) bumpers, and all of the little details from the 80MY car.
In those days ( i was there ! ) volvo model years changed not long before the number plate change in this country so yours would be a left over 1979 model year . What is the date of first registration ? 1979 was the first model year to have the manual gearbox and "volvo" type dash, 1978 was the DAF style.
I guess that silver 343 has a perfect rust-free body shell?
There was rapid development with the 343 from 1976 until the new shape came in 1982 changing it's DAF origins to Volvo ... and various details were carried over or deleted at each model year change ,..