Dear fellow volvo lovers!

My first post on this forum! Thought I'd start with my brief volvo story and my current plans.

I grew up in USA with a 1988 240 wagon, for as long as I can remember. My Mom bought it new when my younger sister was born (a Volvo had saved her life when she was in her 20's, so it was a natural choice).

Once, we had an accident in it... on ice, coming to a stop, Mom couldn't stop so she guided the car into the snowbank along side the road. Then BANG, a toyota truck smashed into the back. The truck was totalled, and the rear hatch of our 240 stopped opening from the outside (that was later fixed). Other than pretty bad whiplash for my Mom, we (including the car) were fine.

I learned how to drive when I was 10, in the Volvo. Till this day, I can't stand it when I have to rev the engine while releasing the clutch in first on level ground to stop it from stalling... the Volvo was so easy to drive!

That wonderful car was with us for 10 years, after which we had to sell it (very sadly) as we were moving. We drove that thing across the USA and back, hauling a pop-up camper that was 2' wider and about as long as the car!

Fast forward 16 years, now I'm in Sweden, the land of Volvos! And I need a car! So I found a score: 1990 dark red volvo 240... with the same color interior as we had before! It was as if we had never sold it! This is Lucy... she carried me and my mom across Europe, from Sweden to Portugal, and back, and then some.

But I've grown, and find that I don't fit so well inside Lucy... even with the seat fully back, I still feel cramped up, not like when I was 10!

So enter Amanda, my first experience with 740s. I wanted to get a car I could fit in, so I went to the local junk yard, and test-sat in a few older Mercedes and other cars... only the 740 was really comfortable. After scouring the second hand forums for a long time, I finally found her: a well-maintained 740 with high miles, but good interior, needing a few easy fixes.

Now I'm moving back to the States, and want to bring Lucy and Amanda with me. I'd appreciate any feedback on that! I have some questions that I will ask in other places on this forum.

Thanks for reading thus far! Hoping to find the info I need from all the "experts" here.... and maybe I will learn enough to contribute back!

P.S. If you need anything from Sweden (volvo parts, I mean) I'd be happy to arrange it! I'm planning to move back in July.