my brother josh has owned two volvo wagons in greenville. with one of them he became quite familiar (too familiar) with local volvo mechanics. the mechanic he trusts most has a diagnostic deal where he will check out a car you're serious about for $25 and tell you before you bought it what all it would eventually need done. volvos are my favorite too, but i do recommend this checkup-first thing highly. i know i was looking at a volvo in the area, and it had all this recent work done on it and had a terrific record anyway, but j took it in and his mechanic found some problem that would've been $900 to fix. we took that into consideration with the bid we were making on the car, and ended up deciding it wasn't worth it.
if you'd like to ask josh for names/contact info/advice:
jmcca767[at]bju[dot]edu

joy, that is just what i wanted to hear. i saw josh and joybeth in their shpif-ay wagon. mine will be older than that. in the 80's. i am looking at that european automotive services place inbetween haywood and pleasantburg. they have nice cars there. i will definately contact josh and ask him where to go and what to do. you are amazing joy! thanks for the info!

yeah, they now have a 95 black volvo wagon. but they used to have the sweetest safari yellow volvo wagon that was 20+ years old at the time. it had trekked all the way from california, just to be their car. they had cow-print (black and white splotches) seat covers, and it was the first car i ever drove through snow. my first time driving it we got stuck in a sudden blizzard on the interstate, so i had to turn over the wheel about fifteen minutes later when we reached the next exit. a lovely car. i would love to find something like it with fewer years and miles on it.

also - andrew miller and family might be able to hook you up with some helpful tips. andrew's dad has owned i know at least two volvos before, and they took very good care of them.
andrew[at]andriven[dot]com

also holly lauren bryant maybe could help you out - she goes to heritage, i think. she used to own the sweetest olive sedan before she went to austria. i wished i could buy it from her then, and i still wish it.

i just got an email from your brother, and he was a BIG help. he offered to call the auto place and get the inside scoop on the car i was looking at. a 1992 940 wagon with 100,000 miles on it. both your brother and the mechanic said it was in great condition mechanically and just needed a little work on cosmetics. something i could maybe tinker with. I AM SO EXCITED!!!

so I'm half expecting to wake up one morning, go to whatnot and find "hi. this is hillary and i'm moving out and looking for an apartment."

so getting a car..this is cool! I'll get you something cool to hang in the rear-view mirror. and do I get to help pick out seat covers??? this is so exciting!

don't worry about lunch btw....i slept in till 12:30

i am being inaugurated into the society of adulthood. =)

yeah, thanks gwen. i should have a car-warming party. =) you think it will fly?

dunno. you should put a donations can in the car though and i'll make you a guestbook.

that would be so cool! i could put it towards gas and maintenance! what a brilliant person you are grendolyn.

i try. ask heidi to show you the emails that have been flying this afternoon. and tell her hi.

hillary, i'm jealous. :) i used to live a couple doors down from the mccarnan's, and i always eyed their gold volvo wagon. i love those cars!! a couple months ago when josh totaled our car (not his fault!), i brought up the fact that i liked those cars, however he insists we never have a wagon! he is haunted to this day by memories of a family of 8 traveling around the country on deputation in a BIG wagon, and he refuses to ever own one. :)

COOL! I'll bring cake and chocolate and we'll brake her(or him) in with a tour of the city. Make sure there's a sun roof.

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