My first Volvo, a 1986 240-DL wagon, saved my life last Thursday when someone turned left in front of me as I was going thru a green light at 40 mph. After colliding with the first car sending it 50 feet down the road, the car behind me hit my passenger side rear quarter panel, deploying his airbags and sending him careening down a side street. I ended up on top of the sidewalk over a 12" high storm drain. I had 3 flat tires, a completely smashed front end, and had left hundreds of pieces of Volvo strewn all over the intersection. My beloved car which I had just finished fixing up -- new brakes, tailgate wiring, hinges, door handle rebuilds, etc. had given its life. I had my seatbelt on so I'm just a little sore. The insurance adjuster took pics of the demolished hulk today and said it was the worst he's seen this year. All the doors to the passenger compartment still work. I see now why the Volvo has had a reputation for safety.

Having fallen in love with the Volvo wagon's roomy cargo space, which perfectly accommodates my need to occasionally haul equipment around, I started looking for another Volvo to replace it. On Saturday I bought for $750, a 1990 740-GL (non-turbo)station wagon, same color as my old one, with one (not very mechanically inclined) owner. Unlike my first Volvo, which had been meticulously maintained by its previous owner, this one was a bit rough, needing 2 taillights, 2 front marker lights and a passenger side mirror as well as some engine work (obvious camshaft seal oil leak). I figured that with only 179k miles on it, it still had a lot of potential. For $750 to get a working Volvo station wagon that runs isn't too bad, I figure. I will be asking questions on the 700 section for some specific issues with my "new" Volvo, which I plan to restore to decent working condition ASAP.

I have done quite a bit of lurking and reading on this site to fix my 245, but also to help me select the new 740. Thanks to all who have written. I have benefitted greatly from your experiences.

So goes my first (and probably last) 200 section post.