I hope I get this right this time. B-Border's (eg Klaus) are all too aware of my complaining about not finding the right car. I looked for another 850 for two years, and spent a lot of time trying to find a nice V70. Never happened. I just bought this car:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=005&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT&viewitem=&item=150275960548&rd=1

Yes it is a lot of money, but it only has 57K and change miles. It is *very* clean. Only driven on sunny days (at least in the past two years. I get my old seats back (yeah! but I forgot to check the seatback cables - boo!)

The owner upgraded the computer, intake and exhaust, but did nothing to the suspension (whew). He also upgraded the wheels and tires, and I hope I am not back to rubbing in the wheel wells. Been there done that with the '95 854T.

He changed out the grill, took "Volvo" off the back, tinted the windows (my car had that) and painted the calipers. That is about it. Oh yeah, there is a brace from tower to tower. No body mods, no odd headlights or tailights.

I was reluctant at first because I don't need a "tuner", I don't have to corner at 120 mph, etc. It was quite a premium to pay for some stuff I don't need, but the car is in really nice shape. And it was only 15 miles away from me. I just missed my T5 so much I had to have another.

Now if only the AC will continue to run, the RMS doesn't leak, yada yada yada.

So the finish on the knobs and buttons in this year is odd, isn't it? The first owner must have had lots of jewelery - there are little nicks (and a LOT of them) all over the climate control buttons. The radio volume knob it pitted as well. I saw the same year car nearby, and the window switches had lots of pitting.

I'm just so tickled I spent 1,000's more for this car than I should have, and I'm going to lose 1,000's when I sell my '05 V70 - I could just cry! Is this loyalty or what? You only go around once - it might as well be in comfort.

Don

ps I keep telling myself this nightmare evens out with the 3 years 45K miles of ownership of my '95, at a total cost with depreciation and maintenace of about $3,000.