<p>Ha, you all thought I was talking about my kid didn’t you! I said goodbye to my Volvo tonight. My 1993 940 in mint, mint condition that was hit by a semi in Chicago 2 weeks ago. My S and I were on our way to a college visit, missed our plane, missed a bunch of stuff, but we walked away and unbelievably the car still was in running condition with only body damage, but insurance company says “no dice” we won’t repair it. I’ve turned down three settlement offers and I’m at the end I think, Monday will be the end. I had that car longer than I had my third son, so I’m in mourning. Bought a different 1993 940 - turbo this time - today from a young guy who was an ME (Mechanical Engineer) with Bosch and rennovating a farmhouse about 45 miles from where I live but he has a St. Bernard and a young son who had 2 clay balls clenched in his fist, so the car is trashed on the inside. Sons say, “mom” get it detailed and you’ll be fine". But mom isn’t sure tan leather and Marine Blue and a CD player fits her personality but the guy had the radio on MPR so I hope all is well. Dad says, “you can pull all the parts off your car and this one will be just as good”. Mom says, “why can’t the insurance company just fix my old one?”. Mechanic says “if the compression is good you’ll be fine and you’ll looove the Turbo”. Everyone knows all a woman needs is a good husband and a good mechanic. Mom isn’t so sure about everything, she just wants to go out the front door and hop in her car. The shifter knob was broken on the new/old car and it just didn’t feel right in my hand. Dang, how can you get so attached to a hunk of metal. My injured vehicle is parked behind an apartment house we own and I went to say farewell. It looked so forlorn with the left side all crushed in and the now empty airbag hanging out. It will be a long night letting go.</p>
<p>A good friend of mine has a 1994 240 (?) Volvo wagon that was broadsided in an accident about 2 years ago. Insurance company said no to the paying for repairs, but friend could not part with her "baby.’ Had it fixed and, 2 years later, is still driving it and loving it. With Volvos, there is life after death.</p>
<p>
Oh, you CAN!!! I’ve been there. When my oldest son was four months old, we bought the only new car we have ever bought, a 1987 Suburban, fairly stripped down, really more like a truck. Dh and I said, “We will make babies to fill this up!” And we did. Five siblings for our son. And each of the babes was brought home from the hospital, nestled in snuggly, cotton-candy soft blankets and tucked safely in their car seats in our Suburban. </p>
<p>If we had had a video in fast motion of all of the changes that car had seen, babies born, becoming toddlers, more babies, more toddlers, preschool kidlets, school age kids…all of them shuffled in and out of that car for many, many years. It protected us beautifully in the only accident we were ever involved in…the three kids, all in carseats, and I walked away from the broadside hit…</p>
<p>After about 16-17 years, it finally gave out. Selling it was difficult, as I felt that it had “seen” so many of our family memories being made…<em>sniff</em></p>
<p>Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I can relate, and I’m <em>SO</em> sorry that your beloved Volvo got wrecked and that you are having to part with it. I’m sure it carries as many memories for you as “Old Yeller” carried for us. Best of luck getting a new car! ~berurah</p>
<p>I still have my 1969 Mach I Mustang I bought in HS (in 1971) so I understand the attachment to the metal.</p>
<p>I used to have a 1997 Volvo 850 turbo wagon. You will love the turbo.<br>
We had 2 cars and H needed a truck so I had to let the Volly go. I always felt safe driving my Volly. Hope your new/old one works out well for you.</p>
<p>I had a 1988 Volvo 245 station wagon for 13 years. I loved that car, and it never broke down, but I finally had to admit that it was time to replace it. For one thing, it didn’t have airbags, and retrofitting was not a possibility (I looked into it). Couldn’t sell it, so I donated it to charity and took the tax deduction.</p>
<p>momofthreeboys,
So sorry to hear about your Volvo! I can totally understand your attachment. I have a 1990 Volvo 740GL with 190,000+ miles on it. It is my favorite car and we do own a much newer Volvo. The turning radius is “sweet” as my kids would say and I feel comfortable parking it anywhere. I’m sure you’ll grow to enjoy and love your “new” Volvo.</p>
<p>have the turbo pressure-tested…if oil is changed regularly, a volvo turbo will last a long, long time. But, if dirty oil has been allowed to circulate for months, the turbo’s life span can be only 150,000 miles, according to my '89 turbo mechanic.</p>
<p>my mother had a volvo that wasn’t worth repairing- so the insurance company gave her the money that they would have given her to buy another car & she had her volvo fixed so that it was driveable- pocketing the difference.
It isn’t pretty- but it is still a good car
She had to get new registration etc- as it was “totaled”, ( and she didn’t do this because she was attached but because she doesn’t have much money) but it is still able to be liscensed
But I would agree Volvos have an reputation for being very dependable cars</p>
<p>Thanks you guys. I’m feeling better this morning. Scheduled the Marine Blue new/old 940 at the detailer Thursday to get the kid crub and St. Bernard hair removed. Scheduled the new/old one at my mechanics on Friday. Made a list of parts for the garage to pull off my old one before the insurance company hauls mine away. Tee hee, heck what are they going to do? - sue me? - so it’s missing a bunch of stuff that was there when they “totalled it”. It’s parked at our apartments I’ll just tell them some shady people stripped it in the middle of the night. Anybody need a front or back right tail light assembly? How about a 6 hour old brand new catalytic converter? My mechanic, too, said about 150,000 on the Turbo so I’ve steeled myself for that sometime in the next year or so. Guess I’ll squeeze the insurance company just alittle bit harder one last time on Monday. Left a love note for my H asking for sheepskin seat covers for Christmas. If I truly never fall in love with Marine Blue, I’ll give it to my second son when he graduates from high school in two years and find another Volvo to love. And the Turbo does give it some get up & go. Everything always looks better in the morning and the new/old is now going to be known as “Marine Blue” so I guess I’m attaching.</p>
<p>It does take some time- it is a big transition because we spend so much time in our car.
A few years ago I gave up my well used- but not well loved blue mini van that we had bought when my youngest was a 2 year old and when we took it for a test drive, she refused to get out.
It served us well, if you don’t count the three times we had to replace the transmission or that the moon roof leaked, but our kids had grown up with it & there were a lot of memories.
We didn’t have a lot of money to get a new car- & I was determined to get something that my husband picked ( I had picked the mini van), because of the " I told you so" I got out of him everytime there was something wrong with it.
So he wanted a Jeep Liberty- I thought it was ridiculous that a Jeep would be an automatic- but we didn’t want to add $$$ and special order it.
It did take me a while to get used to it, it handles much differently- it doesn’t have a moon roof or electric seat adjustments & storage space is cut down so much we had to get a cargo box- but it has its own little perks.
The windows in the back actually roll down all the way and the doors open on both sides & having a much shorter wheel base I can actually make U turns
so I know that soon you will wonder how you even put up with driving such an old thing ;)</p>
<p>New car? What’s that? Don’t remember, last new car I got was when I was single…next one probably won’t come along until S#3 gets out of college. Let me see, 2016…oh gosh can’t wait! The irony, H just called me 10 minutes ago and his ancient Ford F150 that he’s been driving while a dicker around finding a car is stuck in 4th gear - 2 hours from here/home at our cabin. Off to rescue him with his car. When it rains it pours. Senior son is going to have to lend me his Taurus and shudder, ride the bus, for a couple days! Good thing I’m a tough old broad.</p>
<p>Yes you can get attached to a car! Our first car was a Toyota Tercel hatchback that we bought just before our first child was born (yeah, we got the house first then the car. Yay for living on the bus line.) It served us well for 10+ years, then when we needed something larger we sold it to a friend who needed a car, cheap. Not 6 months later it was totalled when a teenager ran into it while it was parked on her street! We were SO sad. What an unjust end to a nifty little car.</p>
<p>My dad had a 1960-something white mercedes 190 sedan, which I drove most of my senior year in high school. I swear that car hugged me every time I got into it.</p>