Sounds like what happened to me. I spent 200 on the alternator and 500 on tires and dumped the dear old car (175K mi) as fast as I could. Lucky for me, Honda Civics are so popular with the kiddies.
I guess I learned that resale value is important so that you can get the next car. And for resale value, the thing still has to run.

If you love Volvos, there's a guy in Long Valley: "Long Valley Garage" 908-876-3730. Hours Mon--Fri 730a--6p. http://longvalleyvillageassoc.com/directory.php?cat_id=2&catname=Automotive