Volvolution - Volvo Forum & Message Board

It is always a good thing when another Volvo blog shows up! Can Volvo nuts ever get enough Volvo? I bet most of us would find "loosening a lugnut" an interesting topic if it mentioned Volvo somewhere!

I was introduced to Volvo by my grandparents at the young age of 2 when they bought their first 122 in 1961(suprisingly I cannot remember this one). Then it was the 1965 122 gray wagon that my dad sprayed the roof white to help keep it a little cooler inside. That wagon made many summer trips to Door County Wisconsin. Aren't grandparents great!!! Then they progressed to a 1968 144s and then to their last car a 1970 142s. Remember the mustard color they offered in the 70's, yep that was this car. I took my drivers test in this one. It was and will always be a favorite of mine. Too bad it was destroyed in an accident. Maybe one day I'll find another one...

In around 1963 my Dad bought a 1957 444 that had a bad engine at the local Volvo dealer. They also had a wrecked 1961 so he bought that one too and swapped the engine and transmission and a few other parts and got a great running car out of the deal. I got to drive this car to college in the late 70's and it was very reliable and economical. We painted the car a very bright red that suited its personality a little better then the dull white that was on it originally. A sight impaired person could even see this red bomb driving by! They would also hear those twin SU's loudly sucking air too!

My first car after college was a 70 1800E. No Mustang's, Camaro's, or Challenger's for me. It never even crossed my mind to look at another make of car. This one even had air conditioning and leather seats, what luxury! There have been many other Volvo's in my life since, including a couple of V8 powered ones, and the current 940 Turbo wagon.

I am not a fan of the front wheel drive Volvo's, mainly do to the electronic complexity and lack of room in the engine compartment. Repairs and maintenance are so easy to do on the rear wheel drive cars. Parts for these older Volvos are very reasonable too. The styling of the new models are sleek to be sure. Just wish they offered some rwd models.

Hope this didn't bore you too much. John

Thanks for the link. I'll submit my latest post for consideration:

http://myblackbrick.com/2009/movie-bricks/typecasting-the-beater-brick/

It's about how worn out 240s show up in the movies and what they usually say about the characters who drive them.

jks2 wrote:"Cars and Clay, Not Just for Modeling"

One good way to ensure that your finish on your Volvo maintains its silky smooth surface is to clay your vehicle.
...
Give it a try, you'll be pleased with the results.

Great post. I was so happy after claying my 245. It took a while to do the roof since it's a wagon, but the car now feels better and looks glossier. It's really not that hard to do either.

Ever since I was born my Dad has worked on Volvos. He would come home after work and take a rollover and make it better than it was out of factory. He put his entire heart and soul into these cars. Growing up as a kid I began to grow a fondness for these cars. Whether it was the sleek body lines or five cylinder engines i don't know. But what I do know is that I was hooked.

I was so hooked that even before I had my license i bought myself my own car. The car is the one I drive today. A 1998 Volvo S70 N/A. $1,200 brought me that car home. I bought the car specifically needed work. I wanted my Volvo to not only for the pride, but to be one with it. I wanted to know all its quirks and little sounds it makes. I wanted it to be so when I drove it, we drove together.I searched and searched to replace every nut and bolt that the previous owner neglected. I spent every hour I could after school trying to bring this car up to the best it could be. And eventually it was ready.

The first day I drove it was a day of magic. I was late to hang out with my friends so I was in a bit of a rush. Immediately though I knew that this car would help me make up the time I needed. That little five cylinder N/A motor did what it had to taking me down back roads at a brief 75mph. It was a match made in heaven. The whole car just stuck to the road.

That is when I realized my life will never be without a Volvo. I am now a proud member of many Volvo enthusiast sites and always try to share my knowledge and love of Volvos to others. Anybody who asks me what car to buy I simply respond with a crisp and simple Volvo. It is the car for everyone and anyone, and by far my favorite car brand of all time.

Thank You Volvo

Some politicians have portrayed us as "latte-drinking... volvo-driving... freaks!".

(See video here) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4-vEwD_7Hk

But anyone who drives a 240 knows that DWL (Driving With Latte) would result in severe burns to the crotch. This is because it's incredibly difficult to find a brick that has cup holders.



Sure, Volvo OFFERED cup holders in some later models, but good luck finding one at your local Pick-N-Pull. The holy grail of Volvo 240 arm rests is the dual slide out, double-cup holder model, which offers two slots for both front and rear passengers. However, a couple 32oz. Mt. Dews would bend your $60 EBay find beyond repair.



Instead the thirsty among us have been left to our own devices. The indented circles on the inside door of your glove box just ain't gonna' cut it. You either put in some crappy aftermarket mini-bucket or you shove your latte into the door pocket. Or you go thirsty and urine-free, speeding past all highway rest stops.

http://www.slate.com/id/2096958

A few years ago Slate posted a short overview of the growth of the cupholder in the US auto industry. While American manufacturers developed holders in the armrests and between the seats of cars in the 80s, European car makers had no interest in giving up precious interior real estate for drinking, an activity that was meant to be enjoyed while stationary, preferably in front of a chic cafe... with Brigitte Bardot.



Things have changed. Back in 2004 Malcolm Gladwell interviewed cultural anthropologist G. Clotaire Rapaille about the seemingly irrational responses people have to products and the psychological basis for them. Speaking about cupholders, Rapaille asks and answers his own question:

What was the key element of safety when you were a child? It was that your mother fed you, and there was warm liquid. That's why cupholders are absolutely crucial for safety. If there is a car that has no cupholder, it is not safe. If I can put my coffee there, if I can have my food, if everything is round, if it's soft, and if I'm high, then I feel safe. It's amazing that intelligent, educated women will look at a car and the first thing they will look at is how many cupholders it has.

Pure marketing drivel. According to this genius, the heavy steel cage and collapsable front end of our 240s offers no protection because, without cup-holders, we're screwed.

Voting ends in about 2 hours!!

Will this be held again, i started to write one and then had a influx of patients, hate to trash out my writing.

Shortly, not sure when though.

Keep an eye out, we love contests.