Well, a-Craigslisting went I, and I found a couple of parts cars to help me put my driver back on the road. Found an '88 240GL sedan, and a '90 240DL wagon.

Actually, the wagon looks good enough to where I MIGHT want it to expend parts on it rather than harvest. (Sigh. Another mouth to feed...)

Engines and trans in both cars are total unknown quantity. The wagon apparently ran but leaked oil, the sedan is my cadaver for volvo-med-school, some kid had wanted to hot-rod it but only got as far as yanking the valve cover and chopping holes in the hood for a scoop, and then it sat outside in the woods for two years with the engine exposed and windows down. What a waste.

Anyway, both were full of trash, and while cleaning, I found that I couldn't drop the wagon's rear seat, because there's no handle to do it, just a slot with a plastic shaft(?) visible down in the slot. It runs away if I try to touch it.

So, two questions:
1. What diagnostics/feasibility checks do I start with? It was the guy's daily until he parked it, but I assume nothing.
2. How can I unlock the wagon's back seat?

Once I determine if it's feasile, I'll give the car a name.

Are you talking about the rare 3rd seat? I know nothing about the wagons, other than I prefer the looks of the sedan, and you might be able to fit your deer carcuss back there. Just make sure its really dead first (Chris Farley, David Spade movie).

So how many 240's do you have now? Did you ever flush the tranny on the "working" one?

==I mean the second seat. It can flip down to make a long back space (perhaps 2 deer?) -It has latches on the ends to lock it in seating position, and a little slider latch in the backside-center to unlock it and flip it down. That latch is what is broken.

==How many 240s...maybe I will say two and a half. One is whole, one is 70% and holding, one is 30% and falling fast as it gets cannibalized. I had one, and just bought two cheapies, one for parts and one to rehab if I can. If no-can rehab, more parts for me.

1. BLUE 1988 240GL sedan - totally buggered by a PO. Just for harvesting.
3. BLACK 1990 240DL wagon - I like this car. Body is great, paint's gone. The catalytic was stolen, and a seal leaks oil. Runs smooth, otherwise an unknown, but soon...soon I will know...
3. Teal-GREEN 1992 240GL sedan. (Dagmar, my Beloved, my Daily.) Flushed the tranny per our last talk, much quieter, after which maybe a little peep now and then, but then, she hit a deer last month. Ouch, a car with no face.

So, to sum up my convoluted color-coded game-plan, given at the outset that:
-blue has no headlights
-black has no cat and an oil leak
-green has no face

1. reshape green's facial structure (Check. Done Sunday.)
2. black headlights/grille/hood -> green (Check. Done today, welcome back Dagmar.)

assuming some result on black's leakage, engine, electricals:
3. New Euro headlights -> green
4. repair (teenager's hood-scoop hole in) blue hood, and -> black
5. black headlights back from green -> black
6. blue catalytic converter -> black
7. black joins the fray.

SO, my hope is after all is done, I can repaint everybody and have a sedan, and a wagon.

I think the wife is thankful that I have 8 acres with lots of hidden spots, so I can conduct this strange hobby out of direct sight of the house. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Dagmar, hjorten dödande maskin (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
du bör sprejlack att på motorhuven som en varning!

Jag skulle göra det.

However, what I think I will do instead, having now replaced my fluidic blinkers, is to change my sig.