The SAAB died

[EERO]

...and we had to get ourselves a new car. Both my wife and I drive sixty miles a day in our commutes. We bought ourselves a semi-practical toy to complement the Passat wagon. Would anyone car to guess what we got?

No, Tim, it wasn't a Bentley.

Hint, it wasn't a very expensive toy.

[TimD]

Not a Bentley? You mean there are other makes of car?

[EERO]

Originally posted by TimD
Not a Bentley? You mean there are other makes of car?

Tim, I believe the correct term is "Motor Car".

And, No, there areno other species. However some of us make do with transport of a more plebian nature.

[TimD]

Mm, tell me about it - I drive a Vauxhall for my sins.


By the way, my guess for a new EERO automotive toy is a second VW - new shape Beetle perhaps?

[Red]

Originally posted by TimD
Not a Bentley? You mean there are other makes of car?

Hmmm, let me try a lucky guess.... Aston-Martin?

[MichaelC]

Mazda MX5. That's at least semi practical, and good fun to use as a weekend car, but also throughly usable as an every-day car.

End Mazda commerical.

[EERO]

Tim, close but no guitar.

Hint no.2, the Passat is a wagon (In white)

the baby shows a decided family resemblence.

[Gerard]

I think EERO bought himself a VW Jetta. No?

[Sparky]

Time to do my Uri Gellar bit...

I think it's a '90 VW Golf GTi, possibly a five door in white.

[Liz]

A midnight blue Lamborghini Diablo.

Oh, wait, that's MY car.

Some kind of a Dodge Minivan with a television and Warner Brothers characters on the front quarter panel.

[EERO]

Mr. Sparky Gellar, you are even closer than Tim, but color and year are wrong. Its a black 2000 Golf with the 1,8 liter Turbo. My wife says that she feels very single driving it. I must limit her time behind the wheel before she runs off with some himbo.


The little thing does look awfully cute beside the Passat.

[EERO]

Some kind of a Dodge Minivan with a television and Warner Brothers characters on the front quarter panel.

Liz, you will burn for that.





Gerard, I thought Jettas were called "Boras" in Europe.
Am I wrong?

[Gerard]

No EERO, as always, you're right.
They were called Jettas a couple of years ago but for some reasons they are now called Boras.

As for the 2000 Golf, I don't now why but I've always thought they looked best in black.

[TimD]

I had two Golfs in my driving career - darned fine cars. And my uncle swears by Passats. He's had five.

I looked at buying an '86 Jetta not so very long ago.

I walked away from the deal when I went to take it on a test drive, and the drivers door handle came off in my hand...

[Airhead]

My guess was going to be a Triumph motorcycle. Maybe a Trophy, due to the semi practicle criteria. But a new Golf would fit the bill. I have planned one to replace the family car (in Australia thats a 6 cylinder Ford of 4 litres with four doors) when the kids are out the door. Regarding the Golf, is that a turbo desiel or petrol motor?

[EERO]

Over here, AMoffat, we call that nectar "Gasoline"
My sister has a Bug with the Turbo Diesal, and its pretty quick. But the 1.8T in the Passat and Golf is high octane burin' little sprout, (93) Its not quite the VR6, the 2.8 litre V6, but it stills pumps out decent power. The normally aspirated 2 litre 4 cyl. is still pretty brisk.

What I really like about the cars is how carefully the ergonomics have been considered; everything falls to haned perfectly.

[Liz]

The best cars make you feel single. That's what I dislike about minivans ... they make you feel so ... un-single.

However, I don't mind the odd Warner Brothers chararcter. Not on the Lamborghini. I could probably be arrested for that.

May you drive it many happy miles in peace and safety.

[Airhead]

I totally agree Liz,

That's why the best cars are motorcycles! Even if you have company you can't here the complaints and a thick jacket can take the sting out of being punched in the ribs. The imagry gets spoiled when I cart my kids around on the pillion seat though.

To EERO, the Golf with gas sounds great. Gas down here, literally is gas, ie. Liquid Petroleum Gas or LPG. I guess a family car in the States is four doors, V8 and what 5.7 litres?

[EERO]

TIME WARP!!!!!


Hey, Moffat, The beheamouth you describe rusted out about 15 years ago; everybody drives Accords and Camrys now if they drive cars. Otherwise its a hulking SUV for those white-knuckle rides to the Grocery Store.

[Airhead]

What??

Camry's and Accords. That sounds downright UNAMERICAN!

[Liz]

Poster put out by Chrysler: "Buy what America Builds!"

Poster put out by Toyota: "Build what America Buys!"

I'm too big a coward to ride pilion on a bike these days, and too blind to drive one myself. But those were the days all right.

[Airhead]

Liz,

Neat ad from Toyota.

EERO,

why did the Saab die, what model was it, how many miles had it done?. How come you ain't into American stuff?

My friends 1995 BMW 320i has been in the shop for months at a time on five occassions with a bung ECU. This I have found hard to believe and while I have a BMW motorcycle have been cured of the desire for BMW car ownership of late.

[EERO]

The Ex-SAAB, the SAAB which is no more,the SAAB which has gone to meet its maker....

It was a 1989 900S with 112,000 miles. It suffered from chronic cooling system problems, whose origans were never traced correctly until it was too late.
About a year ago in this forum, there was a long discussion about SAABs, and it seemed that I was the only "proud" owner of one here. The late vehicle in question had formerly been owned by my mother-in-law. By the time it passed to us, it was already elderly, but I was informed it still had some life left in it. As much as I hated it, my wife adored it and she was the one driving home late from work when it blew its head gasket, pumping steam and oil smoke into the passenger compartment. The cost of geting it fixed was greater than the value of the car and we decided that it deserved a burial with honors.


On the question of "American Iron", my parent's last American car was a 1955 Chevrolet Bel Aire two-door wagon, in a "Lovely" two-tone green paint scheme. Since 1960, my parents have had 3 Renaults, including a Dauphine, 6 SAABs( various 99's, a 900, a Sonnett and a 95 wagon), 2 Volvos, 2 [Acura] Integras, and a Subaru Forester.

Having lived in New York until 5 years ago, I didn't get my first car until 1995. It was a Saturn, to have been replaced by the aforementioned SAAB, the Passat and the Golf.

[Airhead]

EERO,

what do the folks think of the Forrester. Subaru seem to be an "aspirational brand" these days. Funkier than Honda, cheaper than BMW & Audi

[EERO]

I have no idea why they bought the Forester. i thought they would go for the Legacy GT or an Audi A4 Avant Quattro.
They were a little impulsive and here in the States, Subarus are perceived as "Granola-eaters" cars.