This morning there was a 5 minute mini-blizzard, which dropped a negligible amount of snow. By noon it was just about all gone so I decided to go to town to run some errands. On the way out to the main road, there were a couple of patches where it hadn't melted yet, but they didn't seem to be particularly slippery. Unfortunately, it turned out to be otherwise, just a couple miles later. There was a long straight, completely exposed to the west, where snow had drifted and become packed down, in a thin layer. I was going about 45, (in a place where the speed limit is 55) and when I put it in OD, not realizing how little traction there was, the back end stepped out. I caught it, and it swung back the other way, too far. I tried to catch it again, but couldn't---it seesawed back and forth a couple more times, swinging wider on each one, left the road to the right, travelling almost completely sideways, and knocked down a mailbox before being brought to a sudden stop by a utility pole. The engine had stalled, and the door wouldn't open, so I climbed over the console and out the passenger side to survey the damage. A guy came running up, asking if I was OK. He had been coming down the next driveway in his big 4X4 truck, and saw the whole thing. He simply could not believe that I was unhurt, and kept asking if I was sure I was OK. I apologized for smashing his mailbox, and helped him pick up the pieces, and he said not to worry about it. The pole, of course, was completely undamaged, though its hole in the ground was ovaled out a little. The guy asked me if I wanted to use his phone, and I said no, that I had my cell. While I was trying to figure out who to call, I was looking over the car---nothing dripping, or dragging on the ground, no smell of gas, or anything else, and despite the deep indentation in the left side, right at the B pillar, all four wheels were still pointing pretty much in the same direction, so I said to him, let's see if it starts up, and I'll drive it home if it does--I only live a couple miles away. The guy, a young guy, who seemed like a bit of a redneck, was even more astounded at this point---all he could think of to say was that I might well miss out on a big expensive ticket that way. (I realized later that, technically, this could be considered leaving the scene of an accident, but if no other vehicles were involved, and the damage is less than $500, it does not have to be reported, and as I only paid $425 for the car two years ago, less the value of the salvage, I think I have a pretty good case if it comes to that) I climbed back in from the wrong side, and only then, when I got into the drivers seat, did I start to realize how badly distorted the car was. The seat was twisted to the right and about 3" narrower than it is supposed to be. I pushed in the clutch, turned the key, and it fired right up, nice and quiet, exhaust still intact, so I put it in reverse, and with only minor difficulty, backed it up and got back out on the road, where I had considerable trouble getting moving. I noticed that the guy had decided to leave his truck where it was, and walk back to his house. What appeared to be "just a little snow" was some of the slipperiest stuff I've ever had the misfortune to try to drive on. Right at this moment, another car came along, and somehow we managed to avoid each other without further incident. I made it home without difficulty, surprised at how straight the car still tracked, despite the steering wheel being almost 1/4 turn off center.

On closer examination, I discovered that the entire body structure was distorted. The impact was on the left side, right at the B pillar. The rocker panel was completely crushed, and pushed in approximately a foot, the roof only by a couple of inches. This was due to the fact that the pole was located on a gradual uphill slope, so the lower part of the car made contact with it first. Perhaps more subtle yet serious was the damage to the right side of the car. I immediately noticed that the door gaps had become wider than normal, but it wasn't until some time later that I realized that the entire side of the car was bowed out, by maybe an inch or so. Both right doors and the tailgate still work more or less normally. The window in the left rear door shattered, the one in the drivers door remained intact. The windshield is cracked. Much of the interior is ruined, including the headliner, which I redid a couple of years ago. (I have pictures of all this, but don't know how to post them)

To sum up, through my own stupidity (speed too fast for conditions, though it was not apparent until it was too late) I have ruined a beautifully preserved all original (except for M46 swap) 20 year old car with only 144K on it. I am impressed with how well it withstood the impact, which I estimate to have been at 35-40 MPH, (you don't slow down much, sliding on ice) but am fully aware how different the outcome could have been if the point of impact had been a foot further forward, or if the pole had been on a downhill slope, and the roof had taken the worst of the impact. However, it is said, any crash you can walk away from is a good one, and I didn't just walk away, I drove away from this one. On the other hand, 14 years ago I demolished my favorite 72 145 in a very similar crash, and it held up quite a bit better, though I may not have been going quite as fast, and the impact was at a little more of an angle, which dissipated the force more gradually.

Anyway, I am now in the market for another Volvo, most likely a 740, 88 or later, or a 940, a wagon, stick strongly preferred, not red, black or metallic gray, ideally a "flat top" with neither sunroof nor roof rack, though if the right late 245, blue on blue, came along, I could easily be tempted to switch loyalties. I live in an area with a good supply of Volvos, so hopefully it won't be too long before I find something. I have an 87, the same color and interior, but it needs too much work (heater core, among other things) to make it roadworthy---it would take several weeks to do it right---so I'll try to find something I can start driving right away.

The wrecked car will be parted out, as the mechanical components all seem to be unharmed, and many of the usual wear items have been replaced in the two years I've had it. Depending on what I find as a replacement, I will probably be offering a lot of parts for sale, cheap, before too long. Watch this space, and the classifieds, for details.