Comments on: Beauty Isn’t Just Skin Deep http://brucegarrett.com/brucelog/1490 Bruce Garrett's Weblog. Essays and musings on my life and my world. Wed, 16 May 2012 22:55:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Bob C http://brucegarrett.com/brucelog/1490/comment-page-1#comment-72704 Bob C Tue, 26 Aug 2008 21:53:01 +0000 http://brucegarrett.com/brucelog/?p=1490#comment-72704 Looking at pics of the newest Volvos, I don't really care much for the design of the bodies. It is always interesting to watch the evolution of....ooops, I mean "GOD'S CREATION" car body styles. From a 69 Camero to a 83 Camero, it is visually very different, but certain lines about it still say "Camero". The same with mustangs, except for the early/mid 80's ones. I suppose you can still see the "Volvo Lines" in the newer models. But somehow the evolution of the...dammit again! I mean "GOD'S INTELLIGENT CREATION" just seems....wrong. One thing about Volvos is that they have a fairly distinct styling. But now air-resistance is a much bigger deal. So I can understand the changes demanded to cut down the resistance profile. If I came into the cash, I would be REALLY tempted to buy something along the lines of a fully restored older volvo: http://www.volvop1800club.se/eng/main.htm But I'm sure that the up-keep on something like that would be monsterous....especially if I actually drove it daily. It seems like for the last 20 or so years, when a large American manufacturer takes over some other line, or manufacturer, the quality just drops off. I don't know if Volvos are still made in Sweden or not. I hope they are, because those workers and tradesmen tend to be very skilled and meticulous and take a lot of pride in their workmanship. (Like Mercedes) (It's a Euro thing, we wouldn't understand)  But one thing I heard is that Ford switched to using a cheaper, thinner steel for the bodies. And has gone cheap-o on a lot of the other parts. Volvos are heavy, and that affects mileage, but it is also what helps Volvos win any accident.  The Woman who owns "my" coffeeshop for me has a Mercedes, I'm spacing on the model, but it's probably only a few years old. She also just got a new BMW. (Hmm...I didn't think coffee business was that good these days!?) I talked to her about cars yesterday, she said she actually liked the Mercedes better, although the BMW is really nice. Her daughter drives the Mercedes now. But she wanted a 4-door so she can haul around her growing collection of grandkids (And she can easily pass for 30!) And I think she said she just couldn't lay out the cash for anther Mercedes, or something like that.  But what I really think I want is a conglomeration: This: http://www.fanboy.com/images/buck-rodgers-toy.jpg Plus this: http://www.plentywood.com/images/Car%20Club/1959%20Cadillac.JPG (Or this: http://www.seriouswheels.com/pics-1950-1959/1959-Cadillac-Cyclone-Concept-lawn-1600x1200.jpg ) Equals this: http://lh6.ggpht.com/_e-wL9EN2pJ8/SAptenudJ7I/AAAAAAAAANY/LeNEhmm8kGU/Mike_Myers006.jpg http://www.volocars.com/contentimages/contentimages/img_1856692548.jpg I guess I'll have to have one made for me! I have an uncle who works for an electric car company (They ended up making glorified golf carts, and claim tht the "battery technology just isnt here yet"....uh...yes it is) I tried to sell him on the idea that if they made a car that looked like a cross between a Dr Seuss car and a Buck Rogers car, then people, especially boomers and younger boomers would buy them. He doesnt believe me, but then again, he's a holy roller who thinks the battery technology doesnt exist, and I think he still believes that Tinky Winky blew up the WTC. There is a guy in Wichita KS who builds (Or retrofits, more accurately) electric cars. And most of them drive just like any other car. Neil Young recently went to him and had his 1958 T-Bird converted to all-electric. (At a cost of nearly $100,000, but it was VERY specialized and customized work) I dunno...maybe Delorians are the way to go?  Looking at pics of the newest Volvos, I don’t really care much for the design of the bodies. It is always interesting to watch the evolution of….ooops, I mean "GOD’S CREATION" car body styles. From a 69 Camero to a 83 Camero, it is visually very different, but certain lines about it still say "Camero". The same with mustangs, except for the early/mid 80’s ones.
I suppose you can still see the "Volvo Lines" in the newer models. But somehow the evolution of the…dammit again! I mean "GOD’S INTELLIGENT CREATION" just seems….wrong. One thing about Volvos is that they have a fairly distinct styling.
But now air-resistance is a much bigger deal. So I can understand the changes demanded to cut down the resistance profile.
If I came into the cash, I would be REALLY tempted to buy something along the lines of a fully restored older volvo:
http://www.volvop1800club.se/eng/main.htm
But I’m sure that the up-keep on something like that would be monsterous….especially if I actually drove it daily.
It seems like for the last 20 or so years, when a large American manufacturer takes over some other line, or manufacturer, the quality just drops off.
I don’t know if Volvos are still made in Sweden or not. I hope they are, because those workers and tradesmen tend to be very skilled and meticulous and take a lot of pride in their workmanship. (Like Mercedes) (It’s a Euro thing, we wouldn’t understand) 
But one thing I heard is that Ford switched to using a cheaper, thinner steel for the bodies. And has gone cheap-o on a lot of the other parts. Volvos are heavy, and that affects mileage, but it is also what helps Volvos win any accident. 
The Woman who owns "my" coffeeshop for me has a Mercedes, I’m spacing on the model, but it’s probably only a few years old. She also just got a new BMW. (Hmm…I didn’t think coffee business was that good these days!?) I talked to her about cars yesterday, she said she actually liked the Mercedes better, although the BMW is really nice. Her daughter drives the Mercedes now. But she wanted a 4-door so she can haul around her growing collection of grandkids (And she can easily pass for 30!) And I think she said she just couldn’t lay out the cash for anther Mercedes, or something like that. 
But what I really think I want is a conglomeration:
This:
http://www.fanboy.com/images/buck-rodgers-toy.jpg
Plus this:
http://www.plentywood.com/images/Car%20Club/1959%20Cadillac.JPG
(Or this: http://www.seriouswheels.com/pics-1950-1959/1959-Cadillac-Cyclone-Concept-lawn-1600×1200.jpg )
Equals this:
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_e-wL9EN2pJ8/SAptenudJ7I/AAAAAAAAANY/LeNEhmm8kGU/Mike_Myers006.jpg
http://www.volocars.com/contentimages/contentimages/img_1856692548.jpg
I guess I’ll have to have one made for me!
I have an uncle who works for an electric car company (They ended up making glorified golf carts, and claim tht the "battery technology just isnt here yet"….uh…yes it is) I tried to sell him on the idea that if they made a car that looked like a cross between a Dr Seuss car and a Buck Rogers car, then people, especially boomers and younger boomers would buy them. He doesnt believe me, but then again, he’s a holy roller who thinks the battery technology doesnt exist, and I think he still believes that Tinky Winky blew up the WTC.
There is a guy in Wichita KS who builds (Or retrofits, more accurately) electric cars. And most of them drive just like any other car. Neil Young recently went to him and had his 1958 T-Bird converted to all-electric. (At a cost of nearly $100,000, but it was VERY specialized and customized work)
I dunno…maybe Delorians are the way to go? 

]]> By: Bruce http://brucegarrett.com/brucelog/1490/comment-page-1#comment-72702 Bruce Tue, 26 Aug 2008 21:10:49 +0000 http://brucegarrett.com/brucelog/?p=1490#comment-72702 <p>Never say never.  Time was I thought I'd never be able to buy another car, let alone a new one.</p> <p>But Volvos are good, solidly built cars too, and if you came into money you could easily stick with that brand and not regret it.  At least the pre-Ford ones.  I don't know anything about the stuff they're making now.  I have a couple friends back here on the east coast who own pre-Ford's and yes, they are just about bomb proof.  And they're the only other cars besides Mercedes that I'd want to have around me in an accident.  Volvo is the only other company I can think of offhand that made passenger safety as big a part of their design process as Mercedes. </p> Never say never.  Time was I thought I’d never be able to buy another car, let alone a new one.

But Volvos are good, solidly built cars too, and if you came into money you could easily stick with that brand and not regret it.  At least the pre-Ford ones.  I don’t know anything about the stuff they’re making now.  I have a couple friends back here on the east coast who own pre-Ford’s and yes, they are just about bomb proof.  And they’re the only other cars besides Mercedes that I’d want to have around me in an accident.  Volvo is the only other company I can think of offhand that made passenger safety as big a part of their design process as Mercedes. 

]]> By: Bob C http://brucegarrett.com/brucelog/1490/comment-page-1#comment-72637 Bob C Mon, 25 Aug 2008 03:15:37 +0000 http://brucegarrett.com/brucelog/?p=1490#comment-72637 I'll never be able to afford a 3-pointed star.....At least not one attached to an actual Mercedes. I've got this Volvo wagon, and the price was certainly right ($150 bucks!) And its ONLY got 350,000+ miles on it. And it runs absolutely flawlessly.....99% of the time. The people I bought it from took meticulous care of it. But Volvos are very well engineered, built very well (At least pre-Ford ones) and pretty simple and straight forward. Its the 2nd Volvo I've owned. I loved the other one too, the only reason I sold it was because a friend pestered and nagged me to sell it to him. I got 5 times what I paid for it from him. (Still regretted it)  Hondas are pretty decent cars too, as far as longevity. I'm pretty impressed with your Mercedes. That one time you asked me to drive it scared the shit out of me! I figured that I'm the guy with the kind of luck that driving it down a block and across a parking lot would have been the exact moment 3 drunks in a stolen garbage truck would come flying into your car. I’ll never be able to afford a 3-pointed star…..At least not one attached to an actual Mercedes.
I’ve got this Volvo wagon, and the price was certainly right ($150 bucks!) And its ONLY got 350,000+ miles on it.
And it runs absolutely flawlessly…..99% of the time. The people I bought it from took meticulous care of it.
But Volvos are very well engineered, built very well (At least pre-Ford ones) and pretty simple and straight forward. Its the 2nd Volvo I’ve owned. I loved the other one too, the only reason I sold it was because a friend pestered and nagged me to sell it to him. I got 5 times what I paid for it from him. (Still regretted it)
 Hondas are pretty decent cars too, as far as longevity.
I’m pretty impressed with your Mercedes. That one time you asked me to drive it scared the shit out of me! I figured that I’m the guy with the kind of luck that driving it down a block and across a parking lot would have been the exact moment 3 drunks in a stolen garbage truck would come flying into your car.

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