Twelve years ago, ours was rear-ended by a Ram Charger in Marina Del Ray the day before my brother's wedding. The Ram Charger was nearly totaled. The Volvo sprung to its feet like a middleweight. I've seen it bumped, bruised and battered, so I figured fire wouldn't worry it. You imagine these cars to be capable of withstanding nuclear war.
Nuclear war is one thing.
An insurance appraiser is another. Last week, I started looking for a new car. New means new to us. Not new to the world. I was going private party.