November 13, 2013

The End of an Era--Epilogue

Well, the ol' fella finally sold. I paid $1,800 for it seven years ago, drove it about 70,000 miles, and wound up getting $1,700 for it. In addition to the $1,300 I got from the insurance company when the dude ran into the back of me on the interstate a few months ago, I figure I did okay. "Okay," being a very malleable term of art that means I didn't pay someone else to take it away.

I never did quite get it to the level of perfection I initially envisioned, said vision to have included such things as a suspension upgrade, maybe some paint, and a 427 side-oiler with a Detroit Locker and a close-ratio toploader. Oh, and maybe a nice set of new wiper blades.

But, still, it was fun for a long time, and made the days go quicker when it came time to putter about with it. Now it's time for someone else to see if they can get it to 300,000 miles. Only has 18,000 more to go, so I figure it won't be too long.

Posted by Terry Oglesby at November 13, 2013 09:45 PM
Comments

Say it's not so! What's prompted the need to send the lump o' Swedish iron off to a new owner?

Posted by: Diane at April 24, 2013 07:24 AM

A lot, I think--first, Youngest is now driving and despite the obvious allure of a 27-year-old concrete block on wheels, it's probably better for her to drive something a bit newer. I mean, I can replace a burnt-out overdrive relay on the side of the road, but she can't.

And there is the whole deal with whether it's prudent to spend money to fix the back end where it got rear-ended a couple of months ago. SO, there's that.

And then we had to get another car anyway, because the OTHER Volvo we had (1993 940 with only 198,000 miles on the odometer), on the day after Youngest got her license, was hit by a lady turning left coming through an intersection, totalling it.

So, another reason to take that insurance money and put it with the insurance money from the old Volvo, and get something a little more decent-ish, and then sell the old one, and have something in the bank. Or something like that.

Basically, it's just time.

Posted by: Terry Oglesby at April 24, 2013 08:16 AM

I have a nice 1961 Mini for sale. I'll throw in the extra engine (NOS)and transmission, a number of "special" tools required to work on fine British motorcars, several books on exploiting the potential hidden under the unassuming coachwork and a tow bar to get it home.

Good paint on most of the coachwork, brakes? and an engineering diagram to help sort out the many obvious but uncompleted "improvements" I started.

Just a short two hours north of Trussville.

Posted by: Larry Anderson at November 18, 2013 01:16 PM

OooooOOOOOOHHHHHhhhh! Tell you what--I'll trade you a big cardboard box full of assorted Volvo parts, three instrument panel circuit boards, a chrome Volvo grille, a set of alloy wheels (only two are bent), a crankshaft nut removal tool, and a NOS, new in box, VDO ambient temperature gauge AND a Volvo branded dial indicator in a beautiful wooden box!

Posted by: Terry Oglesby at November 18, 2013 02:22 PM

I admit the trade is tempting but I'm not really sure how to get to Trussville.

Posted by: Larry Anderson at November 22, 2013 10:32 AM

I'll meet you halfway, in Bug Tussle.

Posted by: Terry Oglesby at November 22, 2013 01:16 PM