Say nice things about my Volvo.

There's a fine line between having an eccentric old European car and having a beater, and oh man I am hovering on it. The Volvo needs a new exhaust system, and that's something I can't tackle myself. The AWD components complicate things, and a lot of the parts aren't available anymore, so I need to find somebody competent and creative who I can trust to do it right.

Then there's the little things like a "lump" in the idle that I think might be a bad steering pump, pulley, alternator, etc. The AC doesn't work, and that requires taking apart the entire dashboard to fix - which risks breaking other no longer available parts. Due to having the windows open, the headliner is starting to sag, which once again is no longer available so my only option is to try and re-glue the one I have. Then there's the fuel pump, which requires cutting a hole under the back seat to change. They used a different gas tank on the AWD models but didn't put new access holes in the chassis to line up. The plastics in the cargo area are starting to crack. Finally there's a rust spot forming on the hood.

All relatively minor things when tackled individually but boy do they add up.

That said, the car is in incredibly good condition for it's age, and I just have to get to work on it - the problem is finding the time, space, and with regards to the exhaust, the right person to do it.