The insurance company wrote off my 964, and I bought it back as salvage. It'll be a few months before I get that car pieced back together, and my SC's transmission is on my workbench waiting for me to do 1st & 2nd gears.
I have my Big Dumb Truck ('04 chev), but that's not a vehivle I can really use for client appointments, etc. Just too ugly. The e500 is my wifes, and she really needs it, and I can't rightly put her in the Big Dumb Truck either.
So last Sunday, as I was mulling over what to do car-wise, my cousin calls me and says "Hey, do you know anyone who'd want a 96 Volvo for $1000?"
"What color?" I aasked. I hate white cars. It was red, and it was mine in about 20 minutes. I beat him down $200, because I gave him a good deal on a catamaran a couple years ago.
It was essentially a good, rust free car with a host of small issues that plague $1000 cars... bad tires, exhaust leak, screeching heater fan, tons of rattles. I spend a few hours tightening loose dash clips, replacing the heater fan, welded up the exhaust. Bought a set of good used winter tires on rims, and got the thing inspected.
It's heavy, asthmatic, and absolutely no fun to drive at all... but within a couple days I was starting to like it. Rock solid, steady on the highway, comfortable and very quiet. I was just starting to think I could really enjoy this thing for a few months, then pass it onto my brother or a friend once I get one of the 911s back together.
I was at my dad's yesterday to help him paint, and he was throroughly impressed with the car. Remarked that it may have been the first sensible car purchase I've ever made.
I headed home at about 10pm, and got about 3 miles down the road before I hit an icy spot on a sharp turn.
"Failed to negotiate the corner", as they say. I ended up going off the road, very sideways, and slid down an embankment and the car hit a tree just as it started to roll. I hit the tree HARD
Anyway, I'm sore as hell, VERY inconvenienced, but also very glad I didn't buy a Tercel instead. What a tough car. Best $800 I ever spent.