Community Forums:

Here in Maine, weather and salt conditions are very similar to Scandinavia's, with the same detrimental effects. The consensus in these parts is that, if you can find an old Volvo that has spent it's life in the south eastern U.S., north of Florida and, at least, 100 miles away from the Atlantic or Gulf of Mexico coasts, you have the best chance of getting one with little or no rust and not fried to a crisp. My PV, which I bought in North Carolina and which originally came from Tennessee, was essentially rust-free, had about 80% of its original paint, and red upholstery that, though faded, could be brought back to it's original appearance with a can of vinyl spray paint. The rubber shows many cracks and will no doubt come apart when I remove the glass -- no leaks though. Of course, the dash padding had its traditional cracks, but that's normal for any 40-year-old Volvo, no matter where it has lived.
Bob S.