Do you find yourself checking out other bricks,can you tell what year it is from 100 yards away,do you speed up to see one or slow down till it catchs up,have you circled a parking lot to see one closer up. Please tell me that it's not only me!I can only say that I love cars,but my wife and others say I'm obsessed.Do I NEED professional help? It's been this way since I was 6 or 7 and could tell a car at night by the lights,not so easy now that soo many cars look the same.Let's hear it from other car lovers.I dont want my wife to be completely right.There has to more!
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83 242 DL , 92-965, 94-965

COMPLETELY!!! I will never own another brand of car. I did build an 87 Stepside Chevy from the ground up but that's my weekend toy. As far as cars go, nothing but Volvo. I bought my first one in 95, an 87 760 GLE after a (yes, I know, this is blasphemy) chrysler had left me stranded for the second time on a trip. I called Chrysler and told them where they could come and pick up THEIR car. And, unless something in this forum changes my mind, I don't plan on owning anything newer than the 740 series. Maybe a 940. I understand that they are not much different mechanically than the 740. At one time I owned 5 Volvos, had one totaled out from under me TWICE! Paid $600 for the car, put about 400 more into it and got a total of $4700 from two different insurance companies. I even sold Volvos for six months in Little Rock. Was at a Volvo/Toyota dealership. Had a man and his wife come in to test drive an Avalon. His wife was looking at a beautiful pearl white S90 on the showroom so I started talking with her about the car. She said her husband had already said "He wouldn't have a Volvo if someone gave it to him". God I love a challenge!! I got them into an S90 for a test drive. He drove it around one block and asked what I would take for the pearl white one on the showroom. Two hours later they drove off after paying cash for the car. These damn cars are addictive!

Completely obsessed - it is a (welcomed) disease for me. It all started in 1985 when I was in 6th grade and panicked when I overheard my father (a Chrysler man at the time) tell my mother he picked out a Plymouth Voyager and plans to get it over the weekend. Visions of getting picked up from lacrosse practice in a disposable hunk of junk for the next 5 years freaked me out. I gave my Dad all the facts about why a 240 Wagon was the way to go. He looked it over and just to amuse me he stopped at the Volvo dealer on the way to the Chrysler/Plymouth dealer and test drove a used 1983 245 DL (hunter green with tan and a 5-speed - gorgeous car!). That's all it took.....he put a down payment on it that day and picked up 2 days later. As a family, we've never looked back. My first car (at age 14) was a 1964 PV544, and then a 1980 242GT, a 1984 245DL, a 1982 242DL, a 1986 745T, a 1991 780, a 1994 855T, a 1995 855GLT, a 1992 944T, a 1974 164E and now my 1993 245. I still have the 1991 780 Turbo (with a M46 manual tranny) and share a 1964 PV544 with my Father. My Mom has driven a 1987 744GLE and moved into a 1993 244Classic (we'll never get her out of it!), my father moved on to a 1986 745GLE (which saved his life!), and then a 1987 745GLE, a 1993 960 and now a sweet 1998 V90. I won't even list all the Volvos my sisters and their husbands have had..........too many. In high school and college while my friends flipped burgers and scooped ice cream, I was a service advisor a the Volvo dealership - it was great. How did I get that job so young? I challenged the Service Manager to a Volvo trivia game and if I won he had to give me a job - I beat him bad! Even showed him up on trivia about Volvos he had owned........

That's all for now.

Definately a finatic here. The family has had 5 240's, 2 740's, a 940, and now 2 850's. I love them, and as long as I can keep them running, I'll be driving them. And yes, I too will always stop and talk to another Volvo driver, turn my head with the passing of one, and drool over a well kept machine. Why anyone would want another kind of car is beyond me. My wife thinks I'm crazy and can't understand. It's nice know that someone out there does.

Sam

Today i parked next to a guy in a beat-up silver 240 wagon, and got out of my car at the same time as him. "dude, I totally dig your car!!" i said with a huge grin. but the guy just stared at me like i had boogers all over my face or something, and walked off. i think he thought i was just making fun of him.... little did he know about my volvo fetish! which now includes making comments to random strangers about their HOT 240s. rrooowrrr.

my family is nuts about Volvos... If you look in the driveway, you always end up seeing 3 Volvos of various types. I think in 10 years we have had at least 8 different Volvos. The models I remember are 240, 740, 850, 940T. I read the Volvo website at least once a week to check out the cars and hope to eventually get an XC90 or an XC70. The R series is cool, but I really like the look of the XCs.

Thanks all,it looks like I'm in good company. Good try there INVAR,but I think I'll keep 'em another day or two.
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83 242 DL , 92-965, 94-965

I'm with ya man :) I'm a car nut too. Drives my sisters and my mom crazy. Dad doesn't mind because I keep the cars in good shape. We have a '93 Acura Vigor that dad bought new and I'm EXTREEMLY pickey with it. I'm glad to hear there's others out there just like me =D
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Chris. Halifax N.S. '91 745Ti, 280K km and '91 745 NA, 352K km.

Still got every one I ever owned - but then that's only three. The 83 was purchased 20 yrs ago, so it gets the long service award. Daughter now has it for college commute, loves it, won't consider anything else, thinks the 940 is "numb". Son has the 81, has 'pimped' it with dark glass, big stereo, badly wants an S60-R (?). Wife is tired of my running commentary on trips, about other Volvos we see. I even take note of those Volvo highway tractor-trailers.
I went to the Volvo Trucks website and bought a bunch of Volvo-logo stuff, ball caps, t-shirts, a couple of key rings (their full retail is cheaper than eBay!). Surf the brickboard numerous times daily.... Yeah - always look at the odo on parked 240's, been caught once or twice, but the owners seem to understand the affliction. Guess it's hopeless - but nice to have company.
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Bob (81-244GL B21F, 83-244DL B23F, 94-944 B230FD)

I KNEW IT,I'm not the only one!Volvoholic's unite. I'm on my 5'th right now and about to reaquire my 1'st 1 with a bad turbo(anyone got a T-3 garrett they want to sell,83 245t)and I currently have 3 on the road. After a serious accident the brick suddenly became very appealing.My daughter and wife both drive one as I feel this is the way to roll and they both could care less.There are a few other select makes that I check out but not many.I drove a 69 nova(SS clone) for 12 yrs. and even traded my 3 series bmw of 7 yrs. for the 94 960.There's tons of bricks here in Louisville but there's no organized meet or club, if people who are in car clubs can enjoy getting together why cant Volvo owners do the same,we can be just as crazy.My nova didn't really fit in the club in houston because it was a driver,the rest were trailer queens and how many volvo owners do the same as in letting it sit in the garage under covers,I'm willing to bet 99% are rolling restorations.As for the 780,I always loved that car even before I got bitten by the bug,the only negative I've ever heard about this car is the PRV V-6 and parts availability/price.I guess I dont have it as bad as some so that's reassuring!!!!I lost my 84 242t over the winter by some dumba$$ rearending me and his ins. company totaled it,but I kept it,got a salvage title and sold it to another volvo lover(he said he had seen and wanted this car for 2 yrs)he just happened to have an ad on the turbo brick bd. on the wanted section and was from Lou. also.The only thing I did was take the turbo rims off and put them on the 83 242dl,Idont know if he ever got it on the road but it was drivable and had to be repaired as a result of the salvage title.I still like the 242t.Enough rambling,thanks for the responses Dave
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83 242 DL , 92-965, 94-965

Definately obsessed.

On my fourth volvo now, currently own two, and puzzled about what I'm going to do with my 92 244 w/ only 126K on the odometer. Feel kind of like a failure, not having gotten it up over 200K.

I always notice them, will speed up, slow down 'til I'm satisfied, check out the odometers in parked cars. Scan brickboard 5,6, 7? times a day.

Now I'm even craving an amazon or 100 series. And kind of hoping it already has 300K + miles on it. (ouch! Why hit myself in the head with a hammer!)

So, no. You're not the only one.

Markus
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When walk by an old Volvo in a parking lot I stop to check out the miles. I know I know. That's not the healthiest habit but I can't help it.
When I was stopped at a light I had a passenger tell me "stop looking at that old wagon next to us. Its not a woman".
I can hear an old diesel Mercedes from a mile away. I swear i'm going to own one of those too soon.
I'm already planning what i'm going to need to transplant a B6284FT from an S80 T6 into my 960, even thought my car only has 85K miles.
I look at the brickboard more than once a day. That's the most telling sign of all. I need help. Volvoholics anonimous maybe?
My dream car is an LS6 powered 240 sedan.

94 965 85K

At a glance, I can tell you what year Mustang I just passed ('65 - '73, after that, who cares?). Not so much w/Volvos but yeah, I'll check 'em out...
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Bob Kraushaar '94 945T, '91 940T(back from retirement), '88 240, '84 242T, '94 F-150, '89 560 SL, '68 Shelby GT-500 KR

I also plead guilty to checking out 240's especially the wagons. Guilty to sometimes checking out the odometer of parked ones as I go by, guilty to parking next to other 240's unless they are trashed ones, guilty to visually checking out other 240's that I see on the road. Also, this would not be understood except by other Volvo fans, I am apt to point out good looking to 240 wagons to m best friends when I am with them. They know how I feel about my car and so are very good humored about my doing this. In addition I am protective about my car when I park it, choosing to park further out in a lot and away from the land barges, large pickups and old beaters.

1980 240 wagon

Hmmm... I could be guilty of that. All those things. I guess it's not just me.
Of course, I was brought home in a '68 145S wagon.... and my wife's first car was a '75 164E.... but I've only got 4 of them now! I swear I can quit any time I want.
So, now, the '87 I just sold is coming back to live with us- the owner is going to be renting one of our apartments.... and we got my wife's friend a great '88 245 (232K miles, looks and runs beautifully) .... and one of my other neighbors is getting a (sort of free) 88 745.... and my brother's got an 89 745 after his first car, a '76 244.
They seem to be contagious.
Last week we helped run a big fundraiser for a local non-profit arts group... we helped with the valet parking.... we formed a line of Volvos on a nearby street! I think we had 8 of them, a couple of 850 wagons, a V70, a 745 and a pile of 240's. There sure are a lot of them around here!
We're fortunate that we've got 4 local independent shops, just within 20 miles or so, that are all- Volvo or at least the majority of their business, plus a good local dealer. And FCP Groton in the next town.... how's that for support?

Now if I could just get one with working A/C....
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Rob Bareiss, New London CT ::: '87 244DL/M47- 221K, 88 744GLE- 202K, 91 244 181K, 88 244GL 145K

Oh fer sure! It's not just you! Me too... only not all the way back to 6 or 7.

I always look to see what model it is... and like to try and guess if it's a 740 or a 940. And of course, we've all noticed that Volvo owners like to park side by side... a mutual compliment kind of thing.

Yeah... the Volvo... the car for people who hate cars! That's the truth.
How obsessed am I? Well I can tell you this... it just plain makes me feel better to go out to the carport and just hang out with my 1995 940 T. Call it obsession... call it therapy... call it every red blooded american male's priveledge! I ain't about to change or apologize!

Yes, you have a problem.

The only solution is to give away all your bricks, for free.

Send em over here. ;)
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Kenric Tam
1990 Volvo 740 base sedan (B230F)
My Volvo 'Project'

Juat as bad. I have three now - my wife in one of them. She is not that hip on Volvo - but is gracious toward me in my obsession.

Yes, I find myself speeding up - slowing down - turning about - to look at any model Volvo - pretty much. I really am fond of 240's, 7X & 9X. We have very little of the older makes than those here in AL - but I have run across a couple of nice Bertone's.

I said my wife was not that hip, but actually she may be. She is in a really nice 94 940T now - but every time she sees a pre 85 model 240 or 245 - she does a double take.

Maybe she does have the bug after all.

Andrew in AL
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'91 940T (198K) , '94 940T (145K) , '92 745T (170K)

You describing my wife? I got the bug a year or 2 later than you. At night I could identify fords by the exhaust rumble and chrysler products by the exhaust pitch change during upshifts. Rode my bike to two different towns in suburban DC (1953 what is now the beltway was two lane road) to look at the new cars and get the brochures. Has not always been volvos though. You and I are on the 20% side of the 80/20 rule.

I am not aware of any known treatment.

Yeah, I'll check out Volvos around the area here in SoCal. Always look at the driver too. Sometimes we exchange that look like "nice car". Still, I consider 780's to be more rare than unicorns. And yes, if I spot a stranded motorist in a Volvo, I'll stop by to try to help.

I infected my whole family with the volvo disease! Two sisters drive them, one niece, brother-in-law and me! 49 since 1979 - age 22 now 48. My 19 year-old niece told me the other day she will probably drive them the rest of her life. She spots 240s on tv and while driving. However, my trusty 88 240 (188K) broke down today for the first time in 5 years of ownership - and left me stranded. Tow truck is picking it up now. Hey, I can't hold a grudge - that car has never let me down - had the click - flat battery syndrome. How many new cars can go 5 years without a "stranding" type breakdown? Had a nice 3 mile walk home in pleasant weather. IF it had only done the no-start at home before I left today! LOL No problem, after the walk home, an 88 740 is waiting for me to drive it until the 240 lives again! No AC in the 740 - which is a pain, but it rolls!

Bob Weber
Hamilton Ohio
49 Volvos since 1979

I think im beyond help!!!!!
How many guys would admit to spending over $70 on a 960 sales brochure to try to complete thier set of them?
One good thing to come out of my obsession though is the fact that my wife has finally buckled and weve bought her a 95 850 T5-R
Yes ive just started to collect brochures for them too :o)