Contemplating a Mercedes

[Adhesive]

cleaning it properly to my standard of cleanliness... the shop tried cleaning it but it's just not the type of cleaning I consider appropriate.

Ah, a man after my own heart.


Here's a C4 vette that my father-in-law's friend was working on the last time I visited his shop. Not sure about hte yellow lenses.

[waruta]

[Coligny]

Mufflers of course. I ran straight pipes from the headers, but I don't think that's gonna fly in Japan. Whatever you do, change the headers at least, and then put in some dummy O2 plugs, and change the ECU.

Muwahahahahahah... I think even for the truck they don't give a flying fuck... I had one dumper stop by me a the red light... I thought I was gonna lose all me panels from the shock waves when he gunned it at the green...

[Tsuru]

Since we're now talking about our own cars, let me run this past you real quick:





Now, this is a Volvo S60. If everything goes to plan this year the old and tired kimchi-express is going to be history and this will take its place on the driveway. That's 3000lb of gasoline powered, safe Swedish speed & luxury to haul the new family around and piss off the eco-mentalists at the same time.

I know there's not too many of them around in Japan, but what do you guys think?

[Adhesive]

I know there's not too many of them around in Japan, but what do you guys think?

Well, I've always had a soft spot for Swedish cars, particularly Saab (Still looking for a clean SPG), but this particular Volvo is so common among a certain crowd here in the States that I would honestly have a hard time driving one. In Japan, however, it would be an entirely different matter, but I'm still not too sure about the reliability or performance, and I question how much Ford was involved in its production.

[Tsuru]

Please don't tell me the soccer-moms have soiled its rep...

(I thought they all drove SUVs?)

[Samurai_Jerk]

Please don't tell me the soccer-moms have soiled its rep...

(I thought they all drove SUVs?)

I didn't know anyone but women drove Volvos.

[Tsuru]

Goddamnit.

Well screw you guys, I'm getting one anyway! Ha!

[Tsuru]

Well, I've always had a soft spot for Swedish cars, particularly Saab (Still looking for a clean SPG), but this particular Volvo is so common among a certain crowd here in the States that I would honestly have a hard time driving one. In Japan, however, it would be an entirely different matter, but I'm still not too sure about the reliability or performance, and I question how much Ford was involved in its production.

To respond to your question in a little more detail: I think GM was much more deeply involved with Saab than Ford is with Volvo, I will give you two examples:

All Saabs since the second-gen 900 have had GM chassis', and I can't say it did them much good in the end. Their turbo engines are rock solid and will run well into the apocalypse, but the rest of the car, particularly the handling leaves something to be desired in that price range. I did look at a 9-5 briefly but decided a big Volvo was the better option.
In the case of Volvo, my S60 is on its own Volvo-developed chassis which it shares only with the V70, XC90 and S80 and its superb 5-cylinder engine is actually being used to power the high-performance Ford models (Focus ST, Mondeo ST220). Ford even dropped their own V6 from the Mondeo altogether in favor of the Volvo I5, that should tell you something about how good it is.

So why not buy a European Ford or something else German? Wellll......

[FG Lurker]

what do you guys think?

Nothing says, "My life is over and now totally boring" like driving a Volvo.

[ythd]xK_XWH7Ryd4[/ythd]

[dimwit]

I think you are all being a bit unfair to Tsuru. My wife drives a Volvo and my son doesn't play soccer (he plays hockey). For me, driving an expensive import is a way of telling the Tanaka and Watanabes what social you belong to. I have more respect for one of my neighbor who collects 1960's shitbox Toyotas.

[Coligny]

I know there's not too many of them around in Japan, but what do you guys think?

Since I'm a total poseur i'd go for the XC70 or XC90... If I was also a total masochist i'd go for the first gen Audi Allroad Quattro... (newgen is around 7 milliuns yens... I can buy 4 more Nissan Note for that price and still have some serious cheezeburger muney... and plenty of fake racing stickers)...

Now in Japan... if the car have to be operationnal every day...
Nissan or Honda whatevar'
(before the totoya fiasco I would have loved a Subaru Imprezza Hatch... which are surprisingly cheap too... but now... not so much anymore...)

If price reliability and common sense were not in the line:

Alpine Renault A310 Pack GT 1982, dreaming of it since I wuz a kitten...
actually learning to drive stick to beg one from me bitch for me next birfthday

[FG Lurker]

I think you are all being a bit unfair to Tsuru. My wife drives a Volvo and my son doesn't play soccer (he plays hockey).

I'm shocked, SHOCKED that someone who actually bought a Volvo doesn't see things quite the same way as someone who wouldn't be caught dead owning one. ]For me, driving an expensive import is a way of telling the Tanaka and Watanabes what social you belong to. I have more respect for one of my neighbor who collects 1960's shitbox Toyotas.[/QUOTE]
I'm afraid you lost me here. Since when was a Volvo not an insanely overpriced import?

[Tsuru]

God I'm glad I don't live in American suburbia... where one's choice of car defines who you are. If I did I should probably buy a debadged BMW M5 or something.

Anyway, I maintain that having a Volvo is still better than owning any Benz that's not a CLS. Around where I live, that's pretty much the ultimate poseur's car short of a cheap Korean SUV. Driving a Volvo in these parts is your way of saying you just want all the car you could ever need and keeping up with the Jansens is something you are not interested in. Bonus points if you own a house with a garage and are prepared to work on your turbobrick yourself.... like me!

[Coligny]

[quote="Tsuru"]God I'm glad I don't live in American suburbia... where one's choice of car defines who you are. ]


Dude... i want picshure of your garage... daguerreotype or it don't exist as we say...
I have to postpone my rear fog light/halogen back up ramp install until it get warmer. I nearly froze 2 fingers trying to replace a fuse... had to go to the garage because of this... pathetic... And don't get me started on the bird shit carpet bombing. I don't know how the paint managed to survive to this...

[Tsuru]

Dude... i want picshure of your garage... daguerreotype or it don't exist as we say...
I have to postpone my rear fog light/halogen back up ramp install until it get warmer. I nearly froze 2 fingers trying to replace a fuse... had to go to the garage because of this... pathetic... And don't get me started on the bird shit carpet bombing. I don't know how the paint managed to survive to this...

Don't make any illusions, it's barely big enough to work on my current car and I don't heat it as all the expensive heat generated by its single radiator escapes through the single sheet of steel that is the garage door in around 2 nanoseconds. It is an integral part of the house, but all the insulation and fireproofing is in the interior walls and ceiling which means if I don't heat the place it it's the same temperature inside as outside
But ya know, it's dry and a place where men can be men. It's off limits to the Mrs and all of her shit, all my tools and spare parts are in there of course, I got myself a nice little workbench, an old laptop PC as a jukebox and the beer is always within reach

[FG Lurker]

God I'm glad I don't live in American suburbia... where one's choice of car defines who you are. ]
You realize that you have completely contradicted yourself, right?

If I did I should probably buy a debadged BMW M5 or something.

Now that would be a great choice! I'd love a debadged RS6, or an M5.

[Tsuru]

:lol: You realize that you have completely contradicted yourself, right?

What am I supposed to say to a bunch of people who think my favourite car is a girl's car because it's popular with the desperate housewife demographic in a place where I don't live? Fuck them (or rather, don't).

[Coligny]

:lol: You realize that you have completely contradicted yourself, right?


Now that would be a great choice! I'd love a debadged RS6.

2 tons, 5 liter V10 of 572 Bhp...

That's not a car, it's a blitzkrieg on wheels...

I always believed it was more entertaining to try to be fast in a small slow car. Rather than slow in a fast car... Audi RS lineup is designed for the german autobahn... Bellow 100kph they feel like elephants in a ceramic store...

[Adhesive]

What am I supposed to say to a bunch of people who think my favourite car is a girl's car because it's popular with the desperate housewife demographic in a place where I don't live? Fuck them (or rather, don't).

True, but FG is kind of like your home-away-from-home, and unfortunately you share it with a bunch of us Yanks who will no doubt mock you relentlessly if you go with a Volvo.

But seriously, the s60 is a decent car, my sister actually leased one...and she said it fit the kids and all of her grocery bags...sorry.

OK, all kidding aside, Aren't you in the EU? What about an Audi?

If I was in Japan, I'd go for a Legacy GT, just to cement my hentai status.

[waruta]

If I was in Japan, I'd go for a Legacy GT, just to cement my hentai status.

I would be looking at the WRX STi for that....or, just to show that you were really young and a true hentai, any Silvia (S13-15), GT-R32/34 in drift tune, then proceed to lay on the full length hentai stickers...in bright pink.

[dimwit]

I'm afraid you lost me here. Since when was a Volvo not an insanely overpriced import?

It is. But in this case it is my wife's car. I paid nothing for it and therefore I have only thhe right to mildly chuckle about it. Otherwise I get the frying pan.

In all seriousness, it is a nice car for the mountains but WAAAAAAY overpriced.

[FG Lurker]

What am I supposed to say to a bunch of people who think my favourite car is a girl's car because it's popular with the desperate housewife demographic in a place where I don't live? Fuck them (or rather, don't).

Even your own description of what a Volvo is can be summarized as "a boring and uninspiring car"... I suggest looking at something a bit less bland.

[Tsuru]

True, but FG is kind of like your home-away-from-home, and unfortunately you share it with a bunch of us Yanks who will no doubt mock you relentlessly if you go with a Volvo.

But seriously, the s60 is a decent car, my sister actually leased one...and she said it fit the kids and all of her grocery bags...sorry.

OK, all kidding aside, Aren't you in the EU? What about an Audi?

If I was in Japan, I'd go for a Legacy GT, just to cement my hentai status.

Subarus are great cars and did look at a Legacy, but the 4-cylinder boxer has its issues with the head gaskets and the thing is so heavy I get raped by the taxman everytime I even sit down in it. It is second to none in the snow though, so seeing how much of it we're getting this winter it's a tempting option.

Of all German cars I'm not tempted by an Audi at all, as to most people an A4 or even an A3 is the new VW Golf (Rabbit for you Seppos), and when the miles rack up they are about as dependable as the American banking sector. I'd rather get an Impreza or an Alfa Romeo than an Audi. Audis and BMWs are nice to drive when they work, but there's just so many dodgy ones around at overly inflated prices it would be incredibly unwise to get one. Reliability in a car is pretty much my no.1 priority, and both the S60 and 2nd gen V70 combine this with great comfort and fantastic design both inside and out, and great engineering (and fuck you for not seeing that). There is a reason people just keep on driving them until they are well into 300kkm and sometimes even 400kkm territory, and I have to say I have never even seen an Audi or Bimmer for sale that did that much.

[FG Lurker]

I don't think anyone is disputing that Volvos are decent reliable cars. They're just boring as hell.

[Tsuru]

They're just boring as hell.

It's got an excellent surround sound system with more speakers than my living room.

[FG Lurker]

It's got an excellent surround sound system with more speakers than my living room.

Tsuru, it's bland. It's fine if you like it, but it's a bland car. (Obviously there are lots of people who like bland cars, Volvo is still around and Toyota sold nearly 10 million mostly bland cars last year...)

[Yokohammer]

I know some people will disagree with me on this, but the last thing I want in a car is "excitement." A good car is one that gets me where I'm going comfortably, quietly, reliably, and safely. A good sound system helps.

As long as it includes the above criteria, "bland" is OK.

Getting old I guess.

[FG Lurker]

I know some people will disagree with me on this, but the last thing I want in a car is "excitement." A good car is one that gets me where I'm going comfortably, quietly, reliably, and safely. A good sound system helps.

As long as it includes the above criteria, "bland" is OK.

My mother would agree with you 100%.

Getting old I guess.

Yep, I'd say so. Not sure what Tsuru's excuse is though, I suspect he's closer to my age than yours. Maybe not though and that's why he's looking at cars for old men...

[Tsuru]

Well FGL, I know we agree on a lot of things but it's clear cars isn't one of them. I really have to bite my tongue not to call you a snobby cunt, but then again if you actually did get an RS6 or M5 (or any car for that matter) it would probably be an automatic anyway so I'm not going to bother.

But do tell me again how bland my Volvo is.