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"The goal is not to stand out but to improve the scene you are in."
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ReplyDeleteThank you for the reminder!
Will always miss the old brick. '88?
ReplyDeleteUmm... what do you mean? That Hinkley stands out!
ReplyDeleteSimple elegance. Thank you for the photos.
ReplyDeleteAnd yet, we do. We are usually the nicest dressed people out in the public.
ReplyDeleteIndeed. Hate to sound like an Old Fart(tm), but I just made a several-hours flight from home to another city, both in the U.S., and the clothing one sees onboard and in the terminal...
DeleteOn the other hand, (a) it's not at all difficult to dress above the norm, and (b) I've noticed that when you do, you get a bit more courtesy and sometimes service from the airline staff.
So I guess that makes it all win-win, hunh?
You usually receive better service if you are at least fairly well dressed. Or, put another way, being well dressed allows more leeway. For example, no telling how often I’ve been bushed and sought a seat. Slipping into any hotel lobby to sit for a spell is a given. We rest our bones and watch others, in jeans and sneakers often, enter. They are warmly but firmly greeted by the same staff, who seemingly ignored us, with the query, “may we help you?”
DeleteThat first photo, in particular, really makes me miss my old '76 Volvo 244DL, which still had considerable zip on the interstates even into the mid-1990s. 70mph before you realized it. A terrific car. How I wish I still had it.
ReplyDeleteBest Regards,
Heinz-Ulrich
I'm afraid I must respectfully quibble a bit. 240's did not have zip. It took them quite a while to get up to highway speed compared to almost everything else. But what they DID have was tremendous stability at speed, so that when you looked down and saw that you were going well past 70 mph, you were surprised because it felt like you were just dawdling along at about 50. It had a sweet spot between 65-75 that it could just cruise all day and it felt like you were just sitting in your favorite chair at home. Who would have thought, from a car aerodynamically shaped like a couple suitcases piled on each other?
DeleteDave at 12:27 PM:
DeleteYes, the 240 Series is a heavy, solid car but speedy enough when the inertia kicks in.
And you're right, aerodynamic it ain't -- but it's still better than the former East German car the Trabant (lovingly nicknamed the Trabi). After the wall came down the West Germans did a wind tunnel test on the Trabi and found it was even less aerodynamic than an upright piano -- not a good selling point.
I drove a Trabi on a guided tour of Berlin. It stranded me - they lack fuel gauges as well as aerodynamics.
DeleteI miss my Volvo too. A 1980something. Wonderful car.
ReplyDeleteMaryAnne
At first glance, I thought someone had taken a photo of my 1989 240DL with the identical Graphite Metallic paint job. But upon closer examination this pictured auto is immaculate … no evidence of scratches or even door dings. Repaint? Probably -- mine looks very good, but not this good.
ReplyDelete1988? It’s hard to tell the year without showing the newer rear seat headrests, and the absence of a sunroof (available only in 1990 models and beyond) indicates an earlier offering.
Last summer I had the local Volvo dealer put in a replacement (not new) engine, and that was just the beginning of my problems. Since then I’ve had to install two new fuel pumps – one inside the tank and one outside. Weirdly, the in-tank fuel pump is accessed through a hole in the trunk. By doing this the Swedish engineers made it a lot easier (and less expensive) to get at – no need to remove the whole fuel tank to change it. Smart. Then it was new fuel injectors, a new air control idle valve, and a new fuel injector regulator … what’s next? I know I’ve spent at least three times the car’s Blue Book value, but by doing so I feel I’ve save my beloved old classic from the junk yard. Anyway that’s what I hope.
Since the parts you describe sound un-Diesel, I would be willing to bet that many of your aging fuel system problems originated from ethanol in the gasoline. Make sure that any replacement parts are rated for ethanol. Also, be aware that one cannot be certain that the ethanol content stated on the pump is accurate. I have even seen "ethanol-free" tanks filled from the same truck and compartment as the other "up to 10% ethanol" tanks, etc. It's a travesty of a mockery of a sham. Will stop now. Good luck.
DeleteCoastwatcher, I completely agree. My husband and I drive 8 miles to fill-up our tanks and containers with ethanol-free fuel after having a bad experience with a damaged brand-new portable generator. It is truly a "travesty of a mockery of a sham" as you say. When I was a youngster, putting sugar in a gas tank was considered a crime.
DeleteCoastwatcher 12:39 PM:
DeleteYou're absolutely right -- ethanol destroyed my original engine. The mechanic told me it's poison to older Volvos like mine. I now use Lucas Ethanol Fuel Conditioner and run premium gas only. Seems to be working. Thanks.
For anybody else who's interested, RR's solution is the best available. Ethanol (ethyl alcohol) added to gasoline is bad for multiple reasons. The alcohol itself attacks sealing parts made of materials that aren't alcohol resistant, and since it is also hygroscopic (attracts water), it can contribute to corrosion of internal metal parts. Your fuel system has many places where tolerances are very tight by necessity for accurate fuel/air metering, and in an older vehicle, a fuel additive like Robert uses is probably the best way to try to minimize the adverse effects. Again, we're talking older cars here. And as Anon @ 1340 says, this stuff is deadly to small gas engines. Ethanol-free with as high of an octane rating as you can practically obtain is the way with these.
DeleteAnd yes, I can spell my name. I blame Ethanol and its pernicious effects. See how bad it is?
DeleteWe have two 1998 Volvo wagons. One red, one blue. One with 300k miles, one with something less than 100k miles. We just need a white one with 200k miles in order to be complete the oeuvre. They really are the best cars. Unfortunately, these old cars *do* stand out. The newer models look like Kias.
ReplyDeleteI know I write this often however I love my 1986 240 DL Volvo sedan! Yes, it does start out a little slow but I have gotten my car up to 65+ on I 95 and it drives as smooth as can be! Lisa
ReplyDeleteBeautifully stated! Seems like what a person needs to strive for in all of our possessions.......Understated elegance".
ReplyDeleteLove the Hinckley SW Jr. pictured. One of a few wooden versions still around. Classic!
ReplyDelete