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So, I've had my '86 240 wagon for about a year. I bought her in North Carolina and she has a 150k miles. My clutch just went out so I had that, the flywheel and the rear main seal replaced. Got her back from the shop and 3 days later I hear that telltale brake rumble that lets me know my pads are shot. My folks have a neighbor-mechanic who is replacing those. I'm $800 in on a $1800 car...with the clutch job, not counting the brakes which I figure will run another $150-200. Not that money matters, this is Volvo, right? She's maroon with that good ol' tan interior and that lovely chrome roof rack, right? So, my regular mechanic (the one who did the clutch) mentioned I have a pretty bad rust spot under the rear passenger seat. Eventually, it will eat it's way towards the center mount, so I should address it in the near future. My parent's neighbor also does quite a bit of welding so I ask him to look at the rust spot and tell me if it is something he can do.
His diagnosis? Well, the person who owned the car before me was the unfortunate victim of the "oh, your car is rusting? What you need is some undercoating!" So, I have inherited that layer of tar that trapped ALL the moisture in, not out. Neighbor-mechanic says, it's not just that one spot...the whole undercarriage is rusting. He would weld in a new panel, if there was anything solid to weld it to. Doing nothing leaves me to a future in which one day, my passengers might just fall thru the floor....from the underside, you can see the carpet on the rear passenger side.
What do I do? Cut my losses, buy a Honda? :( Move to Arizona and hope to halt the cancer? Enroll in a welding class?
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