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My Volvo Saved My Life....

33K views 12 replies 2 participants last post by  VolvoCub 
G
#1 ·
Hey, guys...I just have to relate this story once again. The last time
was about three years ago, OK?
My Mom and Dad were involved in the middle of a (If I can remember
correctly) 67 car pile up on the road about 10 miles from Bakersfield,
California. That stretch of highway is famous for its' dust storms
where, visibility becomes ZERO, instantaneously(did I spell that right?)
AnyHoo, somehow or other, newscam helicopters showed up with, of course,
cameras.
They taped my Mom, telling the media-guy that "My Volvo saved my life".
Well, to make a long and laborious post a bit more pallatible. ...Volvo
gave my Mom a new car, paid for the trip to Sweden to see it come off
the line....AND paid her an incredible amount of money to show the
file-footage from the T.V. station.

Great cars, Volvo...I've been driving your products since 1967 with my
first new Volvo from Keyes Motors Volvo in Van Nuys, Ca.
However....something tells me that the current vehicles just don't
measure up to the crashworthiness of the old ones.
I still have my '84 Two Door Turbo...I luv it. Those FAT, blonde Lexus
drivers will never how I actually was able to pass them on the inside of
an onramp. Original turbo, too... It will outlive my '03 XC70
 
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G
#3 ·
"........................................................"
<jbincyberia@cox.nospam.net> wrote:

>[snip]
>Great cars, Volvo...I've been driving your products since 1967 with my
>first new Volvo from Keyes Motors Volvo in Van Nuys, Ca.
>[snip]


I am a graduate of Poly High (class of '69) and LA Valley College.
Worked for two years at the Montgomery Wards in Van Nuys and was the
Asst. Sales Manager of "Cycle World" on Reseda for a couple of years.

Cruised Van Nuys Blvd in varois vehicles when you could still do that-
best was a friend's 1937 Studebaker 4 door that had about 17,000 miles
on it. It was Grandma's and she passed away, and they drove it back to
California from Kansas. Was 100% original (paint, carpets, upholstery,
etc.).


__ __
Randy & \ \/ /alerie's
\__/olvos
'90 245 Estate - '93 965 Estate
"Shelby" & "Kate"
 
G
#4 ·
~^ beancounter ~^ wrote:
> how much $$ ??
>
>
>
> "paid her an incredible amount of money "
>

Well, they sent my mom five checks for about $25.800 each.
Not bad for screaming hysterically that her '78 or 79 Volvo saved her life!
Oh, and just one more thing...My dad, always with a camera, took photos
of the accident. As I look at them, there is a double trailer gravel
truck wedged up against the passenger side up to the front door, at
which point there was some small car that is unidentifiable. A Cadillac
right behind, shortened my mom's wagon by about two feet. On the left
side there is a Pontiac, probably about ten years old at the time, and
behind that was a pickup truck firmly about one foot into the back
drivers' side door.
To get out, my mom cranked open the sunroof and they stepped and crawled
over several other cars that were strewned across two other lanes to the
side of the road. There were a number of fires and a lot of people died
in their cars, both from the accident and from the fire.
I haven't yet learned how to scan to a Mac...but when I do, I'm going to
put them on links so that people can see them. My dad took 32, 35Mm.
Photos. Unbelievable site. Actually, I'm thinking of buying another
Windows machine. At least I'm comfortable with Windows.

The last time that I posted this, I was called a liar. I truly hope that
it doesn't happen again. I'm feeling a little down right now because my
parent's anniversary just passed and both of their birthdays are coming up.

Sorry, guys, for dumping on you like this.

Yours,

JIM in Las Vegas.
 
G
#5 ·
$25 ??, five checks...sheeze...



"Well, to make a long and laborious post a bit more pallatible.
....Volvo
gave my Mom a new car, paid for the trip to Sweden to see it come off
the line....AND paid her an incredible amount of money to show the
file-footage from the T.V. station. "
 
G
#6 ·
Randy G. wrote:
> "........................................................"
> <jbincyberia@cox.nospam.net> wrote:
>
>
>>[snip]
>>Great cars, Volvo...I've been driving your products since 1967 with my
>>first new Volvo from Keyes Motors Volvo in Van Nuys, Ca.
>>[snip]

>
>
> I am a graduate of Poly High (class of '69) and LA Valley College.
> Worked for two years at the Montgomery Wards in Van Nuys and was the
> Asst. Sales Manager of "Cycle World" on Reseda for a couple of years.
>
> Cruised Van Nuys Blvd in varois vehicles when you could still do that-
> best was a friend's 1937 Studebaker 4 door that had about 17,000 miles
> on it. It was Grandma's and she passed away, and they drove it back to
> California from Kansas. Was 100% original (paint, carpets, upholstery,
> etc.).
>
>
> __ __
> Randy & \ \/ /alerie's
> \__/olvos
> '90 245 Estate - '93 965 Estate
> "Shelby" & "Kate"


Who knows, Randy...We might have met.
At the time that I bought my first Volvo at Keyes, I also had a '57
Oldsmobile with tri-power. I can't remember the displacement. Maybe I
should do a Google search. At that time we lived on Valley Vista, West
of Beverly Glen.
In those days, cruising meant having a great car. The Volvo just didn't
cut it at ALL...Oh, by the way, it was a 123 GT. The only one that Keyes
got that year. But with the Olds, I could leave 75 feet of rubber
easily, from the intersection of VNB heading South from Victory. Then,
we'd head to Bob's or even to Corky's where, there was at least parking.
You know...I have to say something about auto repair in those days.
When in line for "car service"...you know the drive in part of Bob's,
the line moved so slowly that often I's start my car twenty or thirty
times before getting a spot...(Uhhh, MY cars always started on the first
click). And the auto repair comment is thus...I looked under my XC 70
the other day and, if I actually had to replace my starter myself, I
think that it would be a nightmare. Even my old '84 Two door
Turbo...It's wedged in there pretty good. But, if you burned out your
starter in 1967, all it took was a couple of hours under the car on home
made ramps (Pep Boys didn't have them in those days) and unbolt the old
one and install the new.

ANYway, ThankYou for jogging my memory.
I don't think that I'll watch T.V. tonight. I'll just sit on the sofa
and try to remember my friends and happenings back in those REALLY great
days. That I can't return to.
 
G
#7 ·
Randy G. wrote:
> "........................................................"
> <jbincyberia@cox.nospam.net> wrote:
>
>
>>[snip]
>>Great cars, Volvo...I've been driving your products since 1967 with my
>>first new Volvo from Keyes Motors Volvo in Van Nuys, Ca.
>>[snip]

>
>
> I am a graduate of Poly High (class of '69) and LA Valley College.
> Worked for two years at the Montgomery Wards in Van Nuys and was the
> Asst. Sales Manager of "Cycle World" on Reseda for a couple of years.
>
> Cruised Van Nuys Blvd in varois vehicles when you could still do that-
> best was a friend's 1937 Studebaker 4 door that had about 17,000 miles
> on it. It was Grandma's and she passed away, and they drove it back to
> California from Kansas. Was 100% original (paint, carpets, upholstery,
> etc.).
>
>
> __ __
> Randy & \ \/ /alerie's
> \__/olvos
> '90 245 Estate - '93 965 Estate
> "Shelby" & "Kate"

Just one more thing...the most important thing, actually.
You graduated in '69, right on the cusp of when things began to change.
Drugs came in after that, vandalism, you name it. Great times were gone
forever. By '75...forget it! They were putting down flares and road
blocks at every intersection.
Poly and Grant were pretty good rivals in those days. I graduated from
Grant in Summer of "63.
I remember Cycle World...I think it's still in business. Who knows how
many owners it's had since then. I bought a full-suspension Cannondale
downhill mountain bike several years ago that I still ride almost daily.
If I remember correctly, Cycle World carried Schwinn. You must have had
some contact with Jack Kemp on Laurel Canyon and Chandler. That was one
of my hangouts.
Anyway, as I said, I'm going to be doing a lot of thinking tonight, and
hopefully remembering.....

Yours,

JIM in Las Vegas.
 
G
#8 ·
~^ beancounter ~^ wrote:
> $25 ??, five checks...sheeze...
>
>
>
> "Well, to make a long and laborious post a bit more pallatible.
> ...Volvo
> gave my Mom a new car, paid for the trip to Sweden to see it come off
> the line....AND paid her an incredible amount of money to show the
> file-footage from the T.V. station. "
>


HEY...Bean..
It was a national ad. and they ran it for a whole year. Volvo also ran
it in Canada and Argentina, of all places. The next year, they ran it
just before Christmas for about three months. That year it ran at the
same time that Volvo ran the ad showing a dark green Volvo wagon, coming
up the road with a camera very close to the front of the car, at which
point the narrator stated "Volvo". Then the camera panned gradually down
the side to a huge cabin-cruiser being towed by the Volvo. Then the
narrator said..."The Working Car For The Leisure Class".
That ad. still makes me crazy when I think of it!
 
G
#10 ·
i drove our early 90's 240 wagon to boston (from
boulder, co) and towed back a 20 foot boston whaler
w/a 250 hp outboard....i wouldn't have wanted to pull
anything bigger... ;-) .. i cruised right @ 55mph the
whole way (aprox 2 days).....i had the towing package from
IPD....the boat and trailer weighed in at aprox 3,500
lbs......



"the camera panned gradually down
the side to a huge cabin-cruiser being towed by the Volvo"
 
G
#11 ·
"........................................................"
<jbincyberia@cox.nospam.net> wrote:

>Just one more thing...the most important thing, actually.
>You graduated in '69, right on the cusp of when things began to change.
>Drugs came in after that, vandalism, you name it. Great times were gone
>forever. By '75...forget it! They were putting down flares and road
>blocks at every intersection.
>


Ya.. I was a sort of Hippy type and my brother ran with the Brandford
Park Boys, a "little bother" club (gang) of the Lynchmen. He carried
around the newspaper clipping of the drive-by they did... Ya, he was a
great guy.. :-(

>Poly and Grant were pretty good rivals in those days. I graduated from
>Grant in Summer of "63.
>I remember Cycle World...I think it's still in business. Who knows how
>many owners it's had since then.
>

Quite a few. It was "Sam's Cycle World" (Sam was a real jerk, not only
to the employees, but he was doing a _LOT_ of under-the-table business
that the IRS never knew about) and then Fred Faustman bought it (he
was the manager) and then he finally sold it. I was the Asst. Sales
Manager from about '86-'88 and worked there for three summers before
that when I was a teacher. It was a great place back then- quality
bikes and real enthusiasts.

>I bought a full-suspension Cannondale
>downhill mountain bike several years ago that I still ride almost daily.
>If I remember correctly, Cycle World carried Schwinn.
>

Not when I was there. The Schwinn Shop was just up the street towards
the College.

>You must have had
>some contact with Jack Kemp on Laurel Canyon and Chandler. That was one
>of my hangouts.
>Anyway, as I said, I'm going to be doing a lot of thinking tonight, and
>hopefully remembering.....
>


I did go into Jack's shop a few times. I did race one season at the
Encino Velodrome in the 18-35 class.. I was 34 at the time and spent
Saturday nights getting my ass kicked by the kids.

We each still have out 1971 Schwinns we bought new and picked up when
we returned from our Honeymoon in Burbank where we had an apt. for a
few months before we moved for my schooling in San Jose. We also each
have Fat Chance moutain bikes (the year before index shifting cae
out!) And we each have Trek Road bikes.. I have an all Campy 770 and
the wife has a 720 touring frame that is so long I can get my XL-sized
fist between the seat tube and the front of the rear tire! To top off
the collection we have a custom made Landshark road tandem. John
Slawta was our shop's out-of-house custom frame builder, so I designed
the frame with him and then I built the bike from scratch once he
finished the frame (including the wheels!).

>JIM in Las Vegas.


From the Valley to VEGAS!?


__ __
Randy & \ \/ /alerie's
\__/olvos
'90 245 Estate - '93 965 Estate
"Shelby" & "Kate"
 
#12 ·
Hi there,

I understand that it was quite a while when you wrote this post, but I was wondering if you could put me in touch with your mother about this story?

I work for LIV, the Volvo magazine, and would like to contact her for our regular 'A Volvo Saved My Life feature'.

It would be much appreciated if you could get in touch with me at:
joe.curran@redwoodgroup.net asap.

Kind regards,

Joe Curran
LIV magazine
 
#13 ·
Well mine is not a Saved my life story but think it fun.
I was coming home from work late on a Friday evening. Was in the right lane turning right (Canada). A drunk did not want to wait for the other car turrning left and thought he would go arround me on the right (AKA the sidewalk). At the last second I saw headlights in my side mirror. Was a bit stunned cuz this was a sidewalk, I jerrked out of the turn at the last min. We did hit. There was the most minor of scrapes on my front right fender. His car was not so well off, it ripped the mouldings off, his door handle, and his rear bumper. I had NO parts to pick up. Even my new headlight and front turn indicaters were not scratched. Sadly I only got 5 of the 6 licence plate #'s (as he took off) so police were not albe to help.
 
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