Not ready for the junk yard yet
Waiting for the results of the yearly inspection of my 1985 Volvo wagon is like waiting for a biopsy report as I wonder whether it will make it just one more year. This time around it failed on two counts: front brakes and a cracked left front “marker” light.
The brakes are no surprise because I just assume that with a Volvo you repair the brakes every year. For some reason they seem to eat them up as no other car does.
I figured the cracked lens on the light would be a few bucks to replace. But then I remembered Volvos are never cheap. The independent mechanic near our house said he could get a new or used light for $225. To me that sounded like a lot of money for a small piece of plastic.
I decided to check the Internet and sure enough I found Lamar Automotive, a junk yard in Pittsburgh, Kansas, where I spoke to a nice mid-western guy named Don who seemed to live, speak, and breathe Volvos. He had the same light assembly for a mere $75.
So last week I took a pink slip on the inspection, meaning I had 10 days to complete it, and ordered the part from Don in Kansas. The little box came yesterday and the old wagon is once again legal.
While I had it in, I asked them to repair the sagging glove compartment, which they glued and taped, sending it home like this for the glue to dry.
I applied a fresh batch of duct tape to the trim on the right side of the car, which would otherwise have fallen off a long time ago.
Even though this is one of those cars that would probably qualify for the Fed $4,500 voucher toward the purchase of a more fuel-efficient car, I would give it up with reluctance because it is so dependable. And I never have that new-car worry about someone banging a door into it. At 24 years, it just doesn’t matter any longer.
posted by Barbara at 2:25 PM
16 Comments:
Love it! And love your ingenuity in procuring the part so much more cheaply. This Internet IS good for something, isn't it? :-)
I have a Toyota with more than 290,000 miles on it, a senior vehicle if there ever was one. I well understand the dreaded callback from the "doctor!" Here's to you and your Volvo.
F.
Anon -- The Internet has totally revolutionized the way we find things, including looking for parts and people. You and I would probably never have crossed Cyber-paths if it hadn't been for the Internet!
I've always had a soft spot for really old cars. I truly love the reaction of people when I tell them mine is 24 years old.
Yay!!! for passing inspection. :)
LA -- Always a YAY when you're good for another year. I feel the same way about PAP tests and mammograms.
My first car was the same age as I was and had been in the family as long as I had been (my parent's last new car).
My beloved Chevy Astro had 260K miles on it (I had put 230K of them myself) when it finally left the driveway. Once someone broke the window and I didn't have the money to fix it right away. My dad had a piece of plexiglass that he ducttaped in place. Luckily it was a silver van, so when I replaced the window, most of friends didn't even notice!!! After that, I said I wouldn't have any other color car than a duct tape colored one!
Recently, with Dr. R., he would buy older Audi's and replace the electrical harness. He would go to pick 'n pulls and get the parts. As the cars got older and older, the Audi's got harder and harder to find. When he found one that was the same age as our cars, he would scavenge parts that he knew we would need down the road (so to speak). When we sold them to Pick 'n Pull, I think that they are being used by other people, like organ donors (my hope, anyway).
Everytime we take Dr. R's convertible to be smogged, I always tease him and ask him if she studied hard!
I'm curious how much you spend to repair the car each year, and how many times you take it in, on average. I once had an early 80s hand-me-down Toyota Celica. I really liked that car, but around year 8, it started to have a lot of problems. Each problem wasn't necessarily so bad or costly, but the combo of time and money needed to fix it (plus the feeling that maybe it could break down at a very bad time or location) finally led me to part with it. I guess it boils down to one's tolerance.
Kelly -- Sounds like I need a lesson from Mr. R on pick 'n pulls!
Can you tell me what smogging a convertible is?
MC -- The Volvo was in for service in November and again this month for a whopping total of $1,000 including all the standard oil change stuff, dealing with a power steering problem, and removing and replacing the front wheel bearings (actually not the brakes as I had thought). We've owned the car since 1996 and have yet to put any real money into it. This run may be almost over for all I know, but I see no reason to bail out just yet.
Oh wow. So did you install the light yourself? can you do that or does a mechanic have to?
Lemmonex -- Some people could install the light themselves, but I don't know crap about working on cars, so I had to pay the guys who wanted $225 for the part to do it for me. I don't think too many people walk in with the parts they need; they seemed somewhat amazed at my Internet resourcefulness.
My whole family has been driving Volvo cars since ages, and we just love them! There is none as secure and dependable. Yay for keeping yours!
Bravo to you for making it last! Volvos are incredibly reliable cars...
Barbar, you shame me. I though 9 years for the Junkster was a long time.
in California, a car has to be "smogged" in order to determine that the smog devices are working properly. What they do, basically is put the car on a rotating treadmill and analyze what comes out it's tailpipe. If it doesn't meet standards, you have to fix it until it passes. They do this to all cars, not just convertibles. You can make your tests better by performing tune-ups and other mechanical services before you bring it in to be tested. In the case of some older cars, a certain amount of prayer has been known to help as well!
I rememeber the nerves surrounding the yearly inspection of the first car I got when I moved out to NJ from Manhattan. It was a car that had been passed down from my grandparents and finally found its way into my arms (it turns out the next in line was my twin brother - the last owner). The car was a 1985 Buick - at least I think it was '85 - and the car was massive. There was ALWAYS something wrong. My favorite was that the gas tank needed an attachment that made the opeining smaller?
Unlike you, I was not a bit sorry to see it go when I finally got my first car (or the first car that I shopped and bought myself) which was a 1998 (first year they made them) VW Beetle.
or maybe it was a 1978, that is probably more like it.
What's the Fed's $4,500 for getting a more fuel efficient car?
Would love to do that, but I have 3 VERY active girls (spend nite parties, Girl Scouts, church---so a sedan would NOT meet my needs!)
Thanks, Tina
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