[whitedavidp]

Hello and thanks in advance for any help anyone can provide. I am posting outside of the US for a reason and hope you will bear with me...

I am the original owner of a 1983 242 DL. As it ages, parts are getting more difficult to find. Right now, with water getting into the trunk (you call it the boot?) I am thinking I require new tail light assemblies. Mine are original and are a bit beat given their many years of service.

Volvo lists the correct part as made by Bosch (right side is 1235588). While hard to find, these are sometimes available but VERY EXPENSIVE.

There are also listings for some alternative 5-lens units in the Volvo parts fiche I have found. One example is made by Hella (right side is 1234670). The alternatives are often far less expensive. So I am trying to find out if I can substitute with relative ease. I would anticipate the need to re-wire my harness/connector as it seems that the reverse and brake light positions are swapped.

In the photos attached, I show the inside of both the "correct" Bosch (with white plastic) and the alternative Hella. The seem quite similar overall and generally speaking they seem to be physically compatible/interchangeable. But to my untrained eye the connector for the wiring harness seems maybe a bit different.

I wonder if someone actually has any experience swapping between Hella and Bosch and could enlighten me on how that went? At the least, I am hoping that someone might be able to snap a few photos and take a few measurements of the connector they use with their Hella units so I can compare with those on my Bosch units.

I really cannot understand why Volvo would go to the trouble to have different connectors/wiring harnesses. But I also cannot understand why there are so many different model numbers listed for the same part. So I really could use some advice/information.

Thanks in advance and happy new year!