Officers!

 

 

John Switzer, Secretary  Switzarch@aol.com

Frank Mackison, Membership/Treasurer  fmackison@verizon.net

Paul Provencher, der Webmeister ppro@4x4icon.com

 

 

WWW.VOLVOCLUBDC.COM = WEB ADDRESS

 

HOPE EVERYONE HAS HAD A

MARVELOUS FOURTH! 

 

 

BITS   &   PIECES [assorted topics]

 

·                     Don’t forget: Stay Right, Pass Left, Buckle Up and WATCH THOSE MIRRORS!  And adjust your mirrors so that you don’t have to lean way over to make sure of what you are seeing and therefore stop watching the road ahead! Be smooooth!  IT IS IMPORTANT TO ADJUST THE SEAT AND STEERING WHEEL [when possible] SO THAT YOU ARE COMFORTABLE AND CAN OPERATE THE CONTROLS EASILY WITHOUT STRAIN; MAKE SURE YOU CAN EASILY REACH ALL THE IMPORTANT CONTROLS AND MAINTAIN CONTROL                            ANTICIPATE!    Keep your wits about you.  Stay alert!  Don’t watch just the car in front of you, look as far down the road as possible-         -------ANTICIPATE------try to see if something is developing way up ahead that you might have to avoid.  In these days of A/C and strong radio systems, an emergency vehicle can seem to ‘suddenly’ appear!!  Know the rules for reacting to an emergency vehicle and follow them [THE RULES, NOT THE EMERGENCY VEHICLES, OF COURSE!!].   I remember reading once, a long time ago, that fighter pilots were taught to keep scanning the sky all around them to avoid surprises [SITUATIONAL AWARENESS?].  It’s the same in a car but to a simpler degree. Just don’t stare straight ahead; look about at those mirrors---as it says ‘ANTICIPATE’!!                    When you know that you’ll need to exit the road you are on soon, don’t wait until the turn is right ahead; give a signal early, change to the correct lane and press on.  ANTICIPATE!!!  No one likes surprises, especially at 65+ MPH!  And if a tractor trailer signals that he wants to come over into your lane and it is clear for him to do so, flash your headlights and let him know you see him and it’s okeh for him to come over.  They do appreciate that and they will thank you.                                                                                 And make sure that, if you can, your driver’s seat is raised so that you can see out and can be seen.   It’s disconcerting to notice a car on ye olde DC Beltway that doesn’t seem to have a driver!!                                           If the driver’s eyes are level with the top of their steering wheel, they just might have a problem!!                      And this little reminder:  talking on a cell phone while driving has been shown to be the equivalent of being DUI.  Just use common sense!  Be mature and alert!  And if you wanna read a book: park the car!!  Stay at home!!  Somebody might be looking for a car just like yours one day and they can’t buy it if it’s all bent up and living in a junk yard!    Just don’t read while driving!!

·                     WHEN YOU PARK YOUR CAR ON ANY STREET, CHECK THE LEFT OUTSIDE MIRROR BEFORE YOU OPEN THAT DOOR!!  YESTERDAY, I SAW WHAT COULD HAPPEN WHEN YOU DON’T: THE DOOR COULD BE RIPPED FORWARD UNTIL IT’S FLAT AGAINST THE LEFT FRONT FENDER BY A CAR YOU DIDN’T KNOW WAS COMING ALONG.   NO WORD ON INJURIES AND NO SIGNS OF INJURIES, BUT A VERY CLOSE THING.  THE SIDE MIRRORS ARE NOT THERE JUST FOR DECORATION!!   ALWAYS KEEP YOUR WITS ABOUT YOU!

 

THE GIST OF THIS IS TO ENSURE THAT YOU DIG THE BASIC CONCEPT, DUDE!                     AND THAT IS:  DEVOTE 110% OF YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION TO THE ART OF DRIVING.  WE DON’T WANT TO LOSE YOU.

 

And bear in mind that there is something truly sad when you see a $50,000 car with only one headlight working.  What does that tell you about the driver / owner of that car?  When the ‘bulb out’ light comes on, find out ASAP which bulb is AWOL and get it replaced!  Period!  And do it in pairs; if one is ‘gone’, the other one is probably not far behind.  It’s for your own good [and mine, if we are sharing the road!]. 

 

WHATEVER YOU DO, THINK IT THROUGH!!!  Remember the olde carpenter’s motto, “Measure twice, cut once” and use the same theory when pulling out onto a busy road.  Look twice, both ways, and then come out.  It’s amazing how quickly someone can ‘pop up’ and cause confusion or worse.  Better to waste 6 seconds making sure then waste 6 hours filling out reports, if you get my drift!

 

 

·                      Don’t forget [or if you’re new to the Club]: We have a good selection of Regalia available to help you show your fealty to the Club and your ebullience for your Volvo.  Check with Ray Parsons or Frank Mackison for availability and prices of the sundry items.  These items will also be available, in limited quantities, at most meetings and at other slyly selected venues.

·                      Our E-mail address is now also available ONLY at this location SWTZARCH@aol.com .  The ‘mailbox’ is checked periodically and replies are sent ASAP.  If you come across a site that you think would be of interest to everyone, send an e-Mail I will pass it along.   Or a VOLVO picture or……………………………..?

·                      Side note---the classifieds are for members and others who have need to sell their Volvo or are looking for Volvo related items, etc.  If you call, please follow up on the call.  If you have to cancel a visit, call and let the advertiser know!  And when you use your WVC card to get a discount—make sure you SHOW the WVC card to the merchandiser.  Don’t forget to bring it with you.  Shops have every right to ask and see your WVC card to verify that it is current!  And they ought to!  Don’t expect them to assume you have your card with you.  And if your card is expired, they have EVERY right to refuse to give you a discount!  Just remember, ‘I was a member last year’ ain’t gonna wash!

·                      If you have been scurrying around looking for bits & pieces for your veteran Volvo, then add this ‘address’ to your list www.vp-autoparts.com  They just might have or can find exactly what you need,  the more sources the better!!  They are located in South Carolina!!  Just next door, as it were!!!  You can also put VINTAGE IMPORT PARTS onto you list of sources; Olef Malmberg is the owner and his web page is www.vintageimports.com !  And if you are in a performance state of mind, add www.v-performance.com/about.HTML to your list of those types of contacts.      And another good source of those essential bits & pieces is as close as eBay!!!  I just found a set of four wheel spacers for the 5x4.25” wheels; they didn’t sell at $125.00!!  Ron said he had never seen any before!  eBay is like ‘Alice’s Restaurant’, if you remember that song: anything you want, for sure!!!   And often, stuff you had no idea existed!!        And, of course, there is one more splendid source of Volvo related goodies: our old friends in Portland, Oregon, Import Parts Distributors or IPD!!!   Richard Gordon’s group has gone from mimeograph ‘catalogs’ to slick catalogs with tips and pictures and all sorts of neat ‘stuff’!  Old Volvo hands know them well; any one new to the brand needs to check them out at WWW.ipdusa.com   Always a good read!!                              I think their sway bars have been on every Volvo I’ve owned!   And once you’ve assembled all those trick pieces for your Volvo, you might need special tools to help with the job.                      That’s where WWW.eastwood.com   might be able to help.  Well worth checking into.  Another interesting site: www.griotsgarage.com ; and for tires, www.tirerack.com has always come through for me.

 

·                      FOOT BALL QUESTION:  Name the eight original AFL teams and which ones still exist and where??

 

·       “ NO GREAT ARTIST EVER  SEES THINGS AS THEY REALLY ARE.  IF HE DID, HE WOULD CEASE TO BE AN ARTIST”                                                                                                                                                                                                Oscar Wilde

·                   “Some cause happiness wherever they go, others whenever they go”                                Oscar Wilde

·                   “No animal should ever jump up on the dining room furniture unless it’s absolutely certain that it can hold its own in the conversation”                                                                                                                                Fran Lebowit                                                                                  

                    “Give me the luxuries of life and I will gladly do without the necessities.”                                                                                                        Frank Lloyd Wright

·                      “WE JUDGE OURSELVES BY WHAT WE FEEL CAPABLE OF DOING, / WHILE OTHERS JUDGE US BY WHAT WE HAVE ALREADY DONE.”                                  From ‘KAVANAGH’,  by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

·                      Gentlemen!!! Check your PSA on a regular schedule.  I can assure you it is well worth the ‘bother’!!                                   ‘Cause it ain’t a bother!!!!!!!!!!!!!!                                                                        As Vincent Price might have said, “what’s a little blood?”                                                                                                                                                       

                                                                 68 Down---32 to go

 

·                   AND IF YOU WANT AN IDEA OF HOW FAR BACK RACING GOES WITH VOLVO, READ THE LIST OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE WONDERFUL PV SERIES!  You will find the list at WWW.VOLVOADVENTURES.COM

·                     Speaking of Ross Converse and I have; Check WWW.CONVERSEENGINEERING.COM or if you are olde fashioned, call him at 207.693.4822 and he’ll be glad to get you more info about V8-ing your 200 thru 900 series VOLVO.    Well worth the investigation, besides, he’s an interesting guy!

 

·                     Who was WALKER SMITH, JR??? sports question

VOLVEMAIL

 

Who says there’s nothing new under the sun?   We’re going to try something new for you, namely a Volvo Email broadcast.  If you’d like to receive a monthly email reminder of forthcoming meetings, DIYs, picnics or other WVC events just send your email address to our new email reflector.  Address is:  switzarch@aol.com

The list is growing.  Look at the postage we can save

If all the issues went out

Via the e-mail route!

This will help us keep you posted on coming events and any items of special interest.  Once again, just send your email address to the address above and we’ll take care of getting you on the email list!

 

 

 

 

 

Part of the WVC crew at the IRISH INN; May 18, 2008

 

 

 

 

 HERE IS A PICTURE OF ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS P1800s EVER:

ART RILEY’S RACE CAR; TAKEN IN 2001 AT MONTEREY.

MANY THANKS TO STEVE KNOLL FOR SENDING IT ALONG!!

 

I have mentioned MARLBORO Race track several times;       if you would like to explore what used to happen just down MD Route 301 in Upper Marlboro, then visit Steve Knoll’s site devoted to the history of the Marlboro Speedway;  just check into www.laprecord.com and follow the various paths.  Marlboro was once one of the premiere sports car tracks in the USA and attracted some very ‘heavy hitters’ of the period, both American and European.  Sadly, the track is still there but its surroundings [“civilization”] have caught up with it.  Steve is a veteran of the GROUP 44 campaigns and so if you were a follower of Sports Car racing ‘back then’, you’ll understand. 

 

The 785 with its new MAZDA air dam.  Zoom, indeed!!!!

 

Classifieds

1.    WANTED: Tech. Articles! Include PARTS NUMBERS or SOURCES and so on, what you considered the tricky part of the job, etc.  Just make sure it is typed to reduce chances of Murphy’s Law coming into play.  And no job should be considered too small for an article!  Just send the article to Switzer, you can e-mail it to switzarch@aol.com ; just make sure it’s a Word Document. There is always room for an article or two. So, keep notes about what you are doing and pass it along! And, if an item you’ve advertised SELLS, tell Switz ASAP so he can edit it out.  

2. WINTER IS ON HOLIDAY SO CHECK THESE DEALS OUT:

(A)    Several pair of good to excellent GISLAVED NORD FROST II 185/65 R 15 snow tires, mounted on black Volvo steel wheels 6Jx15x43, p/n 6819704, with full plastic wheel covers.

(B)    Five extra 6Jx15x43 black Volvo steel wheels only, p/n 6819704, with full plastic wheel covers.

(C)    One new Volvo alloy wheel, 7.5Jx17x49, p/n 9499038, creampuff.

(D)    One new Volvo 10 slanted-spoke alloy wheel, 7Jx15Xet20, p/n 3524845, creampuff.

I will sell at very attractive price to a good Volvo home.

For any of above, contact Alan Marsh at (202) 966-6487, or through WVC website via DIY contact.

 

4.  I STILL have the IPD heavy duty all metal radiator for the 700 series and many of the other bits and pieces left over from the V8 conversion.  You can have the radiator for $150 and we can talk about all the other stuff.  Does the phrase ‘package deal’ mean anything to ya??

I am also considering disposing of [from the non Volvo side of my life] some surplus vintage stereo equipment, including a little something by Bang & Olufsen.  If you don’t know B&O, check www.beoworld.co.uk for an educational tour of this Danish Company.  The stereo option they have set up for the new Audi A8 is about $6400!  And very trick, as Rick Taylor would say!

YAMAHA R 90 260 WATT STEREO RECEIVER—NEEDS CLA                     $ 60.00

KLH MODEL 52 160 WATT STEREO RECEIVER---NEEDS CLA                  $ 45.00

UA-DUAL MODEL 1229Q PROFESSIONAL CHANGER---NEEDS CLA             $ 175.00      three speed: 33, 45, AND 78!

B&O BEOSOUND 2000 W/ REMOTE + manual---SUPERB                                      $ 755.00     [about $2500 when new in 1993]

Possible Shipping Costs are NOT included!!!  Could deliver to a DIY!!!

[CLA = Clean, Lube, and Adjust]       

If you are interested in any or all of the above, contact John Switzer at 410.886.2555 or eMail switzarch@aol.com .   

 

6.         1972 145           B20, rebuilt with Weber carb kit; IPD bits & pieces and boxes of parts.  Good project car.                 Very reasonable to a good home!  Contact Paul Reighard in Bethesda, MD at 301.530.0586 or via email at VGTLUX@yahoo.com   Let’s talk!!!

8.         1985 VOLVO 740 TURBO!!  180k WITH ONLY ABOUT 70k ON THE REBUILT TNGINE.  USED WELL THROUGH 2006, BUT NOT MUCH SINCE.  I’M HOPING TO FIND IT A GOOD HOME!!               CONTACT LOUIQA RASCHID AT LOUIQA@UMIACS.UMD.EDU FOR FURTHER INFO.  CAR IS IN HYATTSVILLE, MD., AS AM I!

9.         1988 240D SEDAN.  MINIMAL CRASH DAMAGE ON DRIVERS DOOR AREA [not MAJOR]; CAR DRIVES OKEH.  148 K; HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED AND HAS UPGRADED PIONEER RADIO SYSTEM.  LOOKING FOR BEST OFFER; COULD BE WONDERFUL FIRST CAR WITH A BIT OF WORK.  CAR IS IN D.C.; CONTACT GORDON GOURLAY AT 202.342.3736 [H] OR 202.230.4243 [C] AND LET’S TALK!!  OR TRY GORDONJGOURLAY@VERIZON.NET

10.   1968 122S station wagon for sale.  Excellent condition, runs fine,
although odometer doesn't work (probably about 300,000 miles), fuel
gauge not reliable (so frequent refueling recommended).  Very little
rust - has been repainted and spent most of its life in a garage.
Located in Pennsylvania Dutch country  near Strasburg, PA.  $3,500       
 Email aherr@wisc.edu or call 717-687-8909.

 

 11.This is a 1995 Volvo 850 Turbo T5R.  Those that are familiar with
Volvo's know that this is a limited edition (approx 15,000 vehicles
produced in two years - 1995 & 1996).  They only came in 2 colors (Black
or Yellow).  This one has several modifications.  It has a lowered
Eibach Suspension and Slotted & Drilled Rotors. It has practically brand
new Z-Rated 17-inch Low Profile Tires (Yokohama Parada Spec-2).  It also
has a Euro Sport Grill, Tinted windows, and Rain Guards.  The car runs
but needs a tune up and possibly a new/refurbished Turbo.  When it is
tuned up, this car is very fast.  I have had it for 8 years and have all
maintenance records.  It has 113K miles.   Clear Title.  If interested,
send an e-mail {terrance.judge@fcc.gov }   or call 240-832-9351 (Terrance).

 

 

Washington Volvo Club

DIY Schedule for 2008

  

 

July 12 DIY @ Don Beyer Volvo Falls Church,   OD: tbd

 

August 09 DIY @ DarCars Volvo,   OD: tbd

 

September 06 DIY @  Don Beyer Volvo Falls Church,   OD: Ken Brown

 

September 13 WVC/BMW Family Picnic

  Carderock, MD,   PoC: Alan Marsh

[ abm_16@verizon.net ]

 

October 04 DIY @ Herb Gordon Volvo,  OD: Chris Herrmann

[ cwhrrmnn@aol.com ]

 

November 08 DIY @ Martens Volvo,  OD: Ken Runevald

[ kruneveld@hotmail.com ]

 

December 06 DIY @ Don Beyer Volvo Falls Church,   OD: Tom Conti

 

YOU SHALL BE NOTIFIED ASAP OF ANY CHANGES OR ADDITIONS!!!  IF YOU’D LIKE TO ASSIST IN SETTING UP A REVIVED FIRANDE 2008, EMAIL ANY OF THESE FOLKS AND VOLUNTEER!   IF YOU’D LIKE TO ASSIST IN THE DIY PROGRAM, SAME ADMONITION!  VOLUNTEERING IS FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All DIY sessions start at 8 AM and end at 2 PM.

Technicians will offer advice but will not do the job for you.

                   

The Great Red Toad

 

 

 

 

 

 

Subject: Driving Safety and Important Car Safety and Maintenance Issues

By William Wyatt

 

THIS ARTICLE IS BEING RETAINED AND I’D HOPE NEW VISITORS AND MEMBERS IN GENERAL WILL TAKE HEED TO THE BASIC SUGGESTIONS.   ALL IMPORTANT BITS TO HELP KEEP YOU AND YOUR VOLVO PURRING ALONG FOR A LONG, LONG TIME!!!

 

This is a review of safety and maintenance issues that we have all discussed before, but it is a good time to review them again.  Remember, driving is a privilege, not a right, and that is the position the various States take. Also, safety is more than your driving skill, but it also rests on the material condition of your car. We all master to varying degrees, the motor skills to physically drive a car, but there is a wide variance in how we think and employ our minds while driving. Both are absolutely mandatory. The laws of motion (physics) are always present with a car, and like the sea, they will bite you or worse if you ignore them.

 

So in no particular order, here are the things you must think about and do:

 

1.       Never drive without a valid State driver’s license and the car registration with you or in the car. Know the name, address, and phone number of your car insurance company. Never drive a car if there is not current insurance of adequate amounts, especially for property and personal liability.

2.       Never start and move a car until all occupants have fastened their seat belts and are buckled in.

3.       If you are getting into a ‘strange’ car, make sure the seat, mirrors [ALL of them] are set correctly, and that you know where every important switch, etc. is before you move off.  

4.       Never begin to back up a car without fully knowing if there are things or people behind you. Get out and look if necessary.

5.       Check all gauges before driving (oil pressure, electrical charging [alternator], gas quantity, etc). Temperature should never reach the red part of the gauge later after the engine warms up.

6.       It is a good idea to stay over one fourth of a tank of gas at all times, and in the winter and while on an out of town road trip close to one half a tank or better.

7.       When you stop the car and get out, first turn all systems and items off, etc. Never get out of car without taking your keys with you. This is especially true when making a brief stop to buy gas, buy food, etc.

8.       If you leave the car parked, place the gears in park and set the parking brake.

9.       Always follow the State (Maryland, Virginia, Indiana, Florida, Zenda, or wherever) driving laws/rules carefully. Reread your state’s driving booklet from time to time to refresh yourself. The rules are written the way they are for good reason and are based on many years of experience with drivers.

10.    Read the car owner’s manual like you were studying for a test. Know your car. Keep this manual in the glove box of the car where it is handy.

11.    Objects in motion tend to remain in motion (laws of physics) and that is the best reason to not speed. Cars are heavy and with speed represent a large amount of momentum/energy.  Cars are hard to stop and control at higher speed. Slow down especially on wet, icy roads. Slow down at night. Don’t drive faster than what you can see with your headlights and stop if necessary.

12.    When you know you have to slow or stop at a light or for traffic, begin to slow gradually and do not make hard or crash stops. They’re dangerous, and quickly wear out your tires and brakes.

13.    If you car doesn’t have driving lights that are always on when you drive, turn on your headlights when you are on narrow or even two way roads or streets. It ensures people see you and encourages them to stay on their side of the road.

14.    Start off from traffic stops at a reasonable speed – no burning rubber or following too closely the car ahead of you. Fast starts use a lot of gas and rubber and wear out your car.

15.    Also, when starting off from a traffic stop with a car in front of you, do not take your eyes off the car in front, as they may begin to move and then stop for some reason. If you are not watching carefully, you will hit them when they stop. The slightest collision today with two cars is very expensive.

16.    If you have stopped in traffic to make a left turn across oncoming traffic, never begin to turn your wheel as if to turn until it is clear and you are ready to move forward. If your wheel was turned and someone struck you from behind, you would be pushed into oncoming traffic for a head on collision. Not good!!

17.    Never become distracted while driving. Your primary responsibility is for safe operation of the car. Things that distract are: eating/drinking, talking on a cell phone, dialing a cell phone, too much sightseeing out side windows, too much talk/interaction with others in the car. Remember, 60 mph is 88 ft per sec that your car is traveling and that adds up as you are distracted.

18.    Do not, I say again, do not drive if you are really tired or feel like you are beginning to doze off. This is lethal. Stop in a safe place (not on the shoulder of a highway) and take a nap. Also not in a closed car with an engine running as Carbon Dioxide is lethal too.

19.    Never let others drive your car except in a life threatening situation. This is an accident waiting to happen, and most “friends” will not care for the car or treat it the way you would. It also brings up insurance issues.

20.    If you are taking a trip or trying to find some location, be sure that you have road maps with you and be certain to look at them before the trip or while you are safely parked. Do not try to read road maps while you are driving.   Or consider getting a GPS unit for the beastie!

21.    Never pull out from a stop sign or stop light without quickly looking both left and right to insure that someone is not rapidly running the stop sign or red light. A broadside collision is always very serious for drivers and passengers. Today, more people run lights and signs than ever. Be very careful before you begin to move and cross the intersection.

22.    Always look and change lanes slowly. Use your turn signals well before you start to change lanes as this gives someone that you may not see a chance to give you room or warn you with their horn. Always use your turn signal.

23.    Do not follow closely behind large trucks. Just drop back or pass them when safe to do so. They frequently throw pieces of tires (retreads that come off) into the air and these pieces are heavy. They would smash your windshield and could cause serious injury and also cause you to lose control of you car. Don’t remain alongside an eighteen wheeler (truck) if you have an option. Drop back, or pass.

24.    Do not tailgate when driving. Allow some time to stop. You can not always see what the driver ahead sees, so you must be prepared.

25.    If you are tailgated by someone, you can try speeding up slightly to open distance, or you can slow down and they will probably pass you. If they persist, look for safe place to get off the road such as a well lighted and populated gas station or fast food stop.

26.    Know how to call the Police on your cell phone. If someone is driving aggressively or trying to play games or worse, call the police immediately and keep driving.

27.    If someone tries to pull you over on a highway or lonely road, especially at night, with flashing lights, turn on your flashing hazard lights and continue to drive slowly until you reach a lighted and populated safe place to stop. Police stopping cars will always be in uniform and show identification. Never submit to an unmarked car with someone not in uniform, flashing lights, or not. Keep driving. Back up if necessary and drive on, and don’t get blocked in by that car. Call police if you are uncertain and ask if they have a car making a stop, etc. for they always report their stops to their headquarters.

28.    When driving straight down a road, swerving quickly to avoid something in the road is an invitation to lose control of the car, run off the road into a ditch, a tree, or roll the vehicle. Cars only have so much stability, and with the higher center of gravity (especially in SUV’s), it doesn’t take much of a hard serve to roll one. Trees will not yield and can open up a car like a can opener. The point here: do not swerve to avoid an animal (deer, fox, squirrel, rabbit, dog, cat, bird, etc). Stop moving straight ahead if you can, but better to hit the animal than roll your car or run it off the road. You must also be aware of who is behind you and how close, but a crash stop might put him into the back of your car (not good). Thousands of animals are hit daily around the country. It’s sad, but don’t endanger yourself and your passengers trying to save a dog or whatever.

29.    This should have been at the top of the list – DO NOT DRIVE AND DRINK –DO NOT RIDE WITH SOMEONE WHO DRINKS AND DRIVES!!!!!! How can I say it more clearly? This also goes for driving when someone has been using drugs (legal or illegal). Driving requires a fully functioning brain that is fully alert. Drinkers do not acknowledge their impairment and think they’re just fine, which of course is not true.

30.    If you have a fender-bender, remain calm. It is important to get all the names of the parties and witnesses, addresses and phone numbers, license numbers, insurance companies. If the cars can be moved, get them well off the road out of traffic if possible. Notify the police of the accident and whether anyone appears to have been injured.

31.    This involves safety around a stopped or broken down car on the roadside. If your flashers work, turn them on. Moving cars (especially at night on highways) hit parked cars or trucks frequently, and you and any passengers do not want to be in a stopped car on the edge of a high speed roadside. Take a flash light and phone, a coat, if weather is bad, and move away from the car and road. A car or truck moving at 60 or 70 mph and hitting a stopped car is a disaster. Police have this problem when stopping cars and many have been lost this way.

32.    Know how to change a tire, but if you can’t, call for help. Insure the jack and wrench are [minimal tool kit is a real plus!  See #42] in the car, and that the spare is inflated. When changing a tire, try to move the car (even on the flat) as far away from the road and traffic as you can. If at night, put out some flares down the road toward oncoming traffic.

33.    Now for some maintenance items. Oil acts as a lubricant in the engine, a cooling medium in the engine, and a cleaning agent. With time it can be contaminated with acid formed from combustion products and water. It also becomes dirty. It ought to be changed every 3000 miles in city driving, maybe 4000 or 5000 with highway driving. Of course, the oil filter should be changed too. Follow the car manufacturer’s advice about the type oil (usually 10-20-30 wt will do for most cars. Buy good quality oil and the foregoing will do much to extend the life of your engine.

34.    NEVER OPEN A HOT RADIATOR AS THE COOLANT CAN FLASH TO STEAM AS THE PRESSURE IS RELEASED AND CAN CAUSE SERIOUS BURNS. Keep the coolant at the recommended level and insure antifreeze has been added to the correct amount. This acts as an anti freezing agent and also a corrosion inhibitor. Never drive the car if the radiator is blowing white steam out or the temp gauge on the dash is showing that you are approaching or in the red (overheated) zone. You can destroy your engine.

35.    Tires are vital to your safety. Ample tread on your tires is vital to safe traction (stopping, preventing skidding, and for acceleration). The deeper the tread the better traction you will have in snow. Tire Pressure is also important. Under inflated tires will wear on the inner and outer edges. Over inflated tires will wear in the center. Most cars recommend between 32 and 35 psi except for heaving loaded vehicles like some SUV’s that might be towing a heavy trailer. Read your owner’s manual and see what is recommended. In slippery weather (snow, ice) lowering tire pressure a bit can help gain traction. This also works in very soft sand (try 15 psi) but you must remember to aid pressure before driving on the road again. Under inflated tires tend to overheat and can blowout causing a loss of control. Tire alignment is also important to insure good tire wear. Hitting pot holes can sometimes cause misalignment on unbalanced wheels. Tires are important to safe driving. That is not where you want to cut corners and save money.

36.    Only add hydraulic fluid to your brakes or steering systems as recommended. The wrong fluid can eat up your seals and cause an expensive repair.

37.    Transmissions today must have an adequate level of transmission fluid. The level is checked with the car parked, warm, and idling.  By the way, oil quantity is checked with the engine turned off. Know which filler cap is for engine oil and which one is for the transmission and do not mix them up.

38.    More filling stations now carry diesel fuel. You must make certain that you are only adding gasoline to your gasoline car. There is no need to buy higher quality gasoline than recommended. The octane rating of the regular gasoline is usually more than adequate except for some of the high performance and more expensive cars. What does your manual call for? If it calls for regular, using premium will not improve the performance of your car.  It’s all a matter of the engine’s combustion control system and the compression ratio, something that you can’t change [easily], so follow the Manufacturers recommendations.

39.    Don’t forget that there is an air filter that ought to be changed every 5000 or 6000 miles. Your engine needs air to operate, and clean air is best.

40.    Keep you headlights and tail tights clean. Wipe them off when you get gas just as you clean your windscreen.

41.    Do not use cruise control on slick icy snowy roads as your antilock brakes mechanism could get messed up/confused and not function property.   Cruise control is only for dry roads.

42.    There are certain things I carry in the car regularly, spare radiator coolant, spare engine oil, a roll of paper towels, a first aid kit, jack and wrench, spare tire,  spare windshield washer, a roll of electrical tape, duct tape (it’s good to wrap a leaking radiator hose) a couple of blocks of wood for tire chocks, some simple hand tools, a flash light or two, roadside flares, my cell phone charger to plug in,  some bottles of drinking water, etc. In the winter, keep plenty of gasoline in the tank, a spare blanket, a small shovel, and a bag of cat litter for tire traction. I also carry a crowbar in the trunk (once I came upon an accident and a man was injured and jammed in his car with doors that wouldn’t open and the engine was on fire, so I’ve always had a crowbar since then in the trunk to be able to pry open a door or break a window, etc)

43.    Keep a file on your car’s history: repairs, modifications, etc.  This will be a guide for a new owner if you ever decide to sell the car.   This is especially true if you are the ‘original’ owner.  It’s a simple habit to get into and could be worthwhile later.

44.    If you restore your Volvo, make sure you develop a separate file on the restoration work done and those costs.  If an older car, get a certified appraisal when the work is completed and make sure your Insurance agent gets a copy along with photos of the finished car.  Also discuss getting the car insured for that appraised amount to protect your investment.  Why take chances?  Over the 30 plus years of doing this I have had several instances where a newly restored PV or 122 is totaled or ‘banged up’ just after a full restoration and it turns out the owner can’t recoup anywhere near the monies spent.   $350 for a car you just invested $ 5000 in is not good!   

 

 

Well every body, this is just a review of things I suspect you know, but driving is a “thinking game”.   Use your brain and maintain your car and you can drive zillions of miles safely Just ask Irv!!]. Think ahead of situations and what you would do. For example, an unusual situation that happens sometimes –a run away car with a stuck accelerator wide open. What would you do? Turn ignition off and use all the brakes you can and keep car in gear as it will help slow/stop it once engine stops running. Can you think of other weird situations? In aviation, pilots always think ahead and worry about the “what if’s” and what might be their response. Make up your own situations, and think about your possible actions.

 

Drive defensively figuring the other person will or might do something accidentally or dumb. What do you do then? Keep your eyes and mind on the road and your hands on the steering wheel. Buckle up and do not speed.  And eat breakfast at home!!