ph: if you can get close enough to read the VIN through the front window, copy down all of the letters and numbers, then go to 'volvoworld.com' and wade thru their site until you get to the ;decode' section: it will tell you where the car was made, what model it is, what engine is in it, its "birthday year," and a few other goodies. There is another place at volvoworld where you can see what models were produced what year (under '700' information), what tranny it got, etc. Very useful site...but ya gotta get the VIN to narrow down the possibilities. Parts?: 'fcpgroton', 'alloemvolvoparts', 'ipd',brian leppin (someone will come up with his webssite, in Maryland, but he'll ship if you pay it; and there are others. Folks here will chime in until you begin to have a clearer idea of "what's what and who's who." Hang in there. BTW, this 'good mech' sounds more and more like a guy who wants the car himself, and/or just a flat-out jerk. $200 to diagnose a blown HG sounds way high, just my $.02 --PD.