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I have a maintenance schedule for my family's 7 volvos that is semi-annual.
The schedule includes oil and filter change, belt check, elec. system check, brake system check, all fluids topped off if low. Change tires on certain ones.
Then there is miliage/timed services such as diff/tranny fluid, ball joints, tie rods, suspension bushings, brake fluid.
And last but not least: Full system rebuilds. I do this only when it's a "newer" Volvo with an incomplete history or when one of our orig. cars hits a major milestone, ei: 100K on front suspension including struts, bushings, wheel bearings, rotors, pads, sway bar endlinks, brake hoses, etc.
Doing the fuel system including in-tank pump (inspect sending unit) fuel filter, injector cleaning, new FPR.
Basically I replace parts before they break. Only 1 car has given us a problem and thanks to the BB, I was able to solve it. All of the others have always started and ran flawlessly. I will admit that there has been a couple of times the cars have needed trivial roadside repairs but the car ALWAYS got us home with out major problems.
I do what some of the other Bricksters do and scavenge newer parts from donors in the yards. I've found rebuilt heads, starters, front bushings FPR, RSR, struts, tail lamps, IPD stuff.
When my sister bought her '87 744 GLE M46. It was an orig. owner w/ all of the records but the car was tired. It needed new wiring harness', tail lamps, marker lamps, various interior trim pieces, belts and a tune up. I took the car to my dad's; went into his basement where our cache is and pulled all of the parts I needed to "rebuild" the car into DD status. When stock gets low or I find a good buy then I build up the inventory.
I'm also trying to stockpile parts that I know aren't available anymore and the donor cars are drying up.
As long as gas is available and not too expensive than an alternative. I will be driving my Volvos till the day I die. That's a long way off.
BTW: I've found that living in the city parking in line with SUVs; you always need to keep a spare grill. D#%n spare tire carriers!
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