I used to frequent the mercedesshop.com forums until the ex-wife destroyed my 1979 MB 280CE. I guess I just have a thing for solidly-built, easy-to-work-on, quality cars. I purchased a 1987 240 (I guess it's really a 245) this January and have been lurking on the site for approximately 6 weeks now. I've already developed an affinity for the wagon and would like to eventually get it running new. I plan to finish the zero-mile sometime this summer.

I live in Brooklyn, NY, so there's not much working space for shade tree dabblers. Some of the work I will have to have done by a professional. Any recommendations for Brooklyn/Queens Volvo techs?

I've spent the past month diagnosing, observing, and just generally building a to-do list on the "new" Volvo wagon. So far, I've done the most basic of things, oil change and filter, new tires, inspect brake pads and tranny fluid, and clean all the caked on brake dust from the wheels. (I'm wondering if they should be rebalanced after all the grime I took off them, hehe).

In the coming week, I plan to order the oil filler seal, flame trap kit, throttle body gasket, air filter, and airbox thermostat from fcpgroton. I hope to do these all at the same time, they're all somewhat interconnected. At the same time, I was planning on fixing the (complete) break in the heated air intake hose with duct tape.

Soon after that I hope to address the slight leak from the tranny and change the fluid. I'm sure I'll be posting with regards to that. But just to get started, what would be the correct thing to do? Swap the filter for a clean one first, and then flush? Or flush, then drop the pan and swap filters?

Also, there is some clunking in the steering/suspension system. Just over bumps and what not. It doesn't sound super-serious, but I'd like to get the car running new, so I thought I'd take the front suspension bushing kit from fcpgroton to a mechanic and have them swap everything. What do you guys think? I know it's just throwing parts at a problem, but these thing probably should be done anyway, seeing as the car has 180,xxx miles on it.

The PO rigged up a a pair of wires that goes from the center console (haven't dug that far deep yet) to a toggle switch at the knee bolster, into the engine compartment, to the reciever/drier and then to the fan. When I flick the switch I can hear a click on the reciever/drier, but I don't know what else it does. Any ideas?

The above problem I may be able to address sometime in the far future, since one of the fan wheels is noisy when the car is cold. How hard would it be to fix the noisy fan wheel? If it's as hard as the blower motor has been described, then I think I can just live with it.

Lastly, the cargo area is very dirty. Any way to clean it up real well, or as a last resort replace the capreting in the cargo area? I'm assuming the sides would have to replaced as well.

I know these are a lot of questions. I figured I would get them all out of the way with one "introduction" post. If it would help clarify thing up for future questioneers doing a search, I can break these up into different topics. I hope to repay the list be becoming a knowledgeable contributor.

Thank you all,
Edwin