re: "...There would be so much crap under there that your average DIY home mechanic (which classic Volvo owners are known to be) would probably be hard pressed to appreciate it...."

That was an understatement. Have you lifted the hood of any modern car in the past few years? You can't even see the engine! All you see is this big shield (metal, plastic, whatever) almost filling the engine bay from edge to edge (where you can't even squeeze in your hand), and a few little do-dads (coolant overflow, washer bottle, and if you're lucky you might see a dipstick or two) around the perimeter.

Plus, you can't get any service/maintenance/repair (whatever you want to call them) manuals -- all you can get anywhere is a worthless Chilton (or whatever) with generic advice such as how to gap a sparkplug.