Well mike loosing the old vw bus is a great start, I highly recommend a 740wagon for its ride and comfort. My advise on buying a used volvo is to have it looked at buy an Independent repair shop whom works on these cars and knows what to look for. You want that used volvo, that had that owner who kept on top of maintenance other wise you could pay dearly . Volvos are great cars but very high maintenance. They are just like women, you take care of them and they take care of you. I have a 86 740wgn that i bought from a customer at our shop, and I've put my share of money and time into it. It's a good daily driver and parts are alot cheaper than anything new out there today. You dont have to put on the hydraulic mounts ,the solid ones on the earlier models work fine, But there is always going to be somthing to do I guarantee it, still cheaper than new car payments.Good luck .....AaronC NAPA