Uncle Swedish Baklava,

Thank you so kindly.

I was sort of tricked walking out of the winterview Thursday. The HR Rep was rather final in her disapproval of me. The hiring manager seemed interested. Also, at the short interview end, the HR person tells me it is a two-step interview (tricked). I'm supposed to contact them, she says, like tomorrow, so I can get the offical go to hell rejection email.

I mean, it's only a job in a West Coast city. Been trying since like 1992 while at Chico State. In Vancouver, WA and adjacent environs, you CAN own a Volvo 240. Though in one day I counted only 14-18 Volvo 240s. In 1989, in Portland and other West Coast cities, it was ALL Volvo. I was going CRAZY, then. It was Volvo Nirvana!

So, while I'm sure I'm done with this tech writer jobby-job opportune, I would have not come in all hopped up on the funky earl grey tea and hunny and milk goofer. Or it was those little Starbuck's frappuccino coffee drinks you get in them glass bottles that make road tipping so much better. They could be less sweet, yet use cane sugar and not nasty corn syrup.

Oooph, I studied their products and systems and the greater marketplace they serve and compete in. It is financial systems, and I want to return. Nuts and bolts are my hobby (on my Volvos 240) and I want to join the Oregon Volvo Tuners (www.ovt.org). I'm sick and tired of industrial design, manufacturing engineering. I'm excellent at it, yet such causality, writing in the psychomotor domain day after day (assembly docs [these are generally called 'work instructions'; how condescending to the assembly technicians, and field install and maintenance guides). Also, the dating, I'm told, in Portland / Vancouver is so much better than any prior place I'd been in. I'd like to have a real gal-pal. My well-being needs others to care for. Hugs help.

I felt the need to do this for some time since I'm in no way as lithe as our Uncle Art B. and folks that can use the plywood engine bay cover to scramble on to, and easily withdraw and replace using a 10 mm spanner.

I did this method first on an LH 2.4 equipped Volvo 240, yet the poor wee 1989 or 1990 240 beastie had tired, sad, and sagging motor mounts and transmission mount. I think the right side (as you sit in the car) mount was broken, as usual, and it was well oil caked grimy nasty. Poor old Volvo 240. Made me sad. You just want to care for them and seem them happy, them RWD Volvos marching along the roadways safely with the crappy, new hackable cars.

The back of the engine was about touching the firewall on this 240. It was an auto transmission. I told the owner we could tackle these, too, yet it became apparent he merely wanted me to do the work for him for free. (I cleaned the PCV for him and some other odds n' ends), fixed some vacuum lines using my personal parts collection. He wanted me to do a complete brake job from fluid flush to brake pads and rotors. I'm not bonded in any way, so I said no like 20 times.

All three of my 240s are also suffering. No garage. Can't take care of them. I need to inspect and treat the rear axles and more.

These 240s are now almost like going over to your high school friend's house in 1981, and his dad has a classic 1955 Chevy Bell Air or 1939 Cadillac, and he laments all the systems, piping, and other stuff that needs treatment or replacement to keep it going.

I tried the method using the 4 X 8 and trimmed down plywood boards, but the board bent, and I'm at my knees protrude past the front cross member that has the hood latch, Stuff was moving around so I aborted. The CPS (RPM) sensor cable was showing shiny foil.

So, there was a scissor jack after I'd scrambled under his raised car for a look at stuff. It was awful. All greasy, the undercoating gone, no care.

I have no mobile device like that. No cell phone. No broadband. I have a Sony DSC-S30 and DCS-S50 cameras. The offset flash from front the objective lens makes this difficult. So, in image processing, I crank up the gamma. It was morning, the sun was to the east, and the front end of the Volvo 240 pointed west on the asphalt parking lot. So, much contrast these camera cannot handle.

Doubtful my 1950 Kodak Retina cameras would do better. Yet I have flash slaves and several older Vivitar 181/281 flashes I rebuilt with new NiCad batteries. So, next time, I'll try flashes connected to a flash slave that will respond when the digital camera flash, well, flashes.

Driving that 1992 240 GL with the iPd turbo exhaust is like wrasslin' some big truck without power steering. (Power steering has failed on this car. Hit the left front wheel on a curb and damage teh power steering like seven years ago. The rack is fine, though with new inner and outer tie rods.) The rumbling exhaust annoys. And the driver seat back adjust does not work well. There you go. Do not like the leather seats at all. Likes the cloth seats.

So, off to Minneapolis I go. Where you'll find KlausC and our Uncle Jarrod Stenberg.

Sick and tired of the west. The people suck here. You have Volvo 240s and other cool older cars, yet they are all neglected, until emissions test time comes around, and than, still they neglect them. And Spokane, WA is an evil hell hole.

Welp, new rear Bilsetin Touring shocks for the rumbley 1992 240 GL, and I have a fuel issue with the 1990 240 DL li'l red wagon, and .....

Yet, going east, I'll probably divest my self of all things Volvo. Minnesota is in the rust belt, I guess.

Not been on any road trips, save for job interviews in the last like 25 years. Though I'd meet some worthy, quality people to hang with out West. Ho-ho.

Thank you,

MacDuff.
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The Volvo 164: The Mightiest of All Volvo Automobiles in Perpetuity