My cars have role models now. As a vintage Volvo owner I have, of course, been dreaming of all the various cool things I want to do to my cars; how much to keep original, how much of a performance look to give them each, etc. Well, I found this wagon on the Oregon Volvo Tuners site, and though some you may scratch your heads, this pretty much sums it all up for me---it just doesn't any better---a little '60s race car glam, some faded American hot rod bits, and just a little touch of '90s Euro-tuner/alternative rocker thrown in to round it all out.(I would perhaps keep it a little cleaner in the grill area though, and just one color please!):



And when I can finally afford to paint it, this is the selected color:



As for Faye Valentine, she is going to stay an ivory/off white color when I paint her, same color as the one below, and unless I find a REALLY good deal on some REALLY cool rims, she will keep her red and polished aluminum steelies; but in terms of trim, those sweet clear turn lights and finish quality, this one from Sweden sets the standard for my Faye. (I'm not going to air-bag the suspension though!):

Well, I have answered some of my own questions---way too much time researching online---about some of the Volvo parts I have been looking for: VLVworld and Skandix both carry the clear turn lenses; they are spendy, but worth it I think when I finally get a new paint job. I also found the right steering wheel hub for the pre-'73 140: it is made by the Italian company Volanti Luisi, part number 7702, and fits Momo wheels. This is exciting because, despite my earlier complaints I have been able to find used Momo wheels on ebay for pretty cheap on occasion...we'll see.