A decade or so ago, my brother found my sister a nice clean 244GL with the Coffin Hood, and she drove it for a couple years, as happy as the proverbial clam.

One fine day a driver in a privileged class violated traffic laws (just a suggestion, really, in Cali) and hit my sister's 244GL in the rear. It was not a very violent collision, she was shaken but unhurt.

What was remarkable was that she wound up the back seat of the 244, but still in her seat. The driver seat rails broke loose from those large steel cross sections to which the seat rails are bolted. On inspection, there was rust hidden in there and that's why the seat broke loose. I've been unable to find out if that car came from a rusty state or beach town.

Has anyone else experienced this? I know of no non-destructive way to inspect that area, because it's closed off. Of course, if rust is showing elsewhere I would not buy that car. All our Volvos in the family now are from TX or the southwest in general. No rust showing.