The advantage of fixing you car is you will know for sure what its condition is. If you were to buy used for the amount of repairs, what else would you wind up putting into that car in short order?

Unless your car inspecting skills are way better than your maintenance/repair skills (but I doubt it)

None of your repairs strike me as difficult. You can usually borrow or rent special tools (front suspension) from auto parts chains. Replacing ball joints and tie rod ends is easy. Strut cartridges, more difficult.

And yu already have found an economical parts supplier.

A word of advice: Think in terms of servicing/maintaining/replacing "entire systems" of the car. (ex. exhaust, brakes, etc.)

Instead of replacing just the word out brake pads, for example, consider also replacing the rotors; pressing the caliper pistons back in to lubricate them and assure functioning; change brake fluid; replace/upgrade flex hoses; etc.

Instead of replacing the one side with a ball joint.... yes, freshen the entire front suspension.

I plan to freshen (that's how to think about it -- "freshening" each system) at least two systems on each of my four cars each Spring/Summer.

For example: engine(hoses, belts,flame trap, clean throttle body, clean Idle Control Valve, etc)/body paint (chip repair and polishing),

or exhaust/suspension bushings, or brakes/cooling system.

This is in addition to factory rrecommended milage-based service intervals.

Breakdowns are the third tier.... sunroof gears will get out of alignment, seat heaters will quit working, etc.

Add these nagging things to the list and get after them.

You only have yourself to please.

In the past I made the mistake of putting off repairs, only to rush to do them in order to make the car more "sellable".

Who benefitted from these repairs, once done?

Yeah, the OTHER GUY!

Repair things when they break. Service entire systems, don't just replace the one broken part. Do the preventative maintenance on time.

Trust me, you will make yourself very happy to have these things fresh again for yourself.

Final word: Aim to keep your car in a condition such that you wouldn't hesitate to suddenly drop everything, jump in the car. and drive it cross country. Keep it that reliable.

I take my own advice.....

Last September I broke a turbo hose on my 740 during a track event I was driving in at Pocono International. Couldn't find the bad hose in time for another event the following Saturday.

Slapped the wheel/tire sets onto my '86 240DL, checked the fluids, and, with 215,000 miles on the car, drove in the second event with the Bayshore Corvair Club, having the time of my life! No mechanical failures whatsoever.

One guy came up to me afterward saying" "I didn't know a Volvo could handle so well!"

Good Luck (is no luck, at all...)
--
'Can't understand why people abort Volvos, either' '89 740 Turbo, 122,000 miles