December 2023 Update

Since Rhode Island is the smallest state, as luck would have it, I crossed paths with my old Volvo. Coincidentally, it was almost a "full circle" moment, since I found the car at Tomasso's, the shop that did the sketchy repair to my brake valve, the FIRST time. 

I'll admit to have been missing the car a lot within the past few months after selling it, so I took sometime to soak in the moment by walking around the car, checking out what was once my prized first classic. The exterior looked the same, with the dull silver paint and pealing clear coat. The Virgo rims were still dusty, and the right headlamp still looked loose. It was just as I remembered it. 

Then I looked inside. This was the moment when my heart sank. The entire dash had been ripped apart. The radio was gone, the climate control system was now just a mess of wires and loose switches dangling all around the center console. I looked toward the odometer, to see how many miles were on it, and it read 272,775, which meant the car hadn't been driven at all in the past three months. I recall selling it with slightly less miles. Then I looked at the passenger seat, and it all came together. There was an extensive list written down on the back of an envelope, reading various repairs to be completed, like front and rear struts, the shifter, and much more. 

Although I can't truthfully say what was wrong with the car, it didn't look like it was doing too well since I had sold it last. Maybe I did dodge a bullet when I sold it, but the only people that know that are the folks at Tomasso and its new owner.