dan: I got a bone to pick with my Brick brethren, nothing personal, just a different perspective.If you are indeed on a limited budget, then you know that "I NEED a car, I WANT a Corvette" is the position you're in, hopefully temporarily. Do yourself a favor and go to 'kellybluebook' where you can punch in the numbers for different years and models of Volvos. You might be surprised at what you find in your zip code. That pricing information can serve as a guide when you start going through your local newspaper(s) AND The Auto Trader magazine (I highly suggest doing BOTH). Just for grins, I looked up the value of my '86 745 GLE TurboDiesel: $735 for a trade-in to a dealer, $1,050 to a private-party buyer. Hmmmmph!My car runs like a champ, in spite of all the bad-mouthing of the ZF tranny (no, I do NOT rev it in neutral, nor in 'Park'); it is worth much more to me than the $1000-or-so that a 3rd party might give me for it, IF selling it were a consideration. It rides great, has a great kickdown, gets 30+mpg on the hiway, is as solid as a 'Brick' outhouse. I hope from this that you have gathered that there are deals to be found, IF you have the information to make a clear decision, and are patient. I might also suggest looking at 240's, as there are a BUNCH of them around. Buy a good-condition (I say forget what the body looks like, except for rust) mechanically-sound car, or one that is within your ability to repair and maintain, via the pick-n-pull yards for cheaper parts, save the money you'll need to buy a 'better' car in a few years, and know that you're not only driving a safe car, also a cult classic (so to speak), but that this site is available for help, humor and support. Good Luck, amigo.--PD. (BTW, go to 'volvoworld.com' to look up the various years of 700/200 cars, their engines and tranny info, and keep all of that in mind---no, better write it all down!---when making your purchasing decision. As previously well-stated, maintenance/records are "A+ necessary" in this process: undocumented cars should be a dead giveaway of poor/no maintenance: RUN, danny boy, from those deals!)