Forgive me father for I have sinned, its been about 2 and a half years since I last logged in. Life ...... gets in the way etc etc.
Hope you have all been well.
How many NR's is Scott up to now? ;)
What is Uwe's bass count these days?
Is Dave still the lovable grumpy ol' bugger he was when I left?
Did ChrisP finally get that La la lies album finished and if so how did it go?
Has Rob done anymore Superfloor albums?
How are Bill, George, John and Al going?
How is Doc, did he ever finish that Billy Bo?
How is Mark? Did he ever upgrade from his Subaru outback?
Welcome back Bret!
Superfloor is in extended hybernation at the moment. We haven't officially disbanded, but the last gig was one year ago...
The last album we've released is Live It Up. That dates from 2012, so I think you've heard that?
In the meanwhile I've been busy with that other band, Definition Of Madmen. We've released an album called Evil Lullabies one year ago.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/ev...es/id922810014
Floor has a new eleven piece band called The Etta James Experience. They've been doing some nice gigs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcKC_SpMh7I
The rest of the gang will chime in to tell you how they've been.
Hey, nice to have you back! (But how the heck have YOU been???)
Al is fine, added a Gretsch THunderJet and a Dean Psycho Cabbie bass to the list. Unfortunately the band hasn't been able to get together all summer, so we're hoping to get weekly practice sesions and a gig lined up soon.
(http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j306/apowell1/Electric%20Basses/Gretsch%20G6128B%20Thunderjet/20130703_180939_zps07d006b9.jpg)
(http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j306/apowell1/Electric%20Basses/Dean%20Psycho%20Cabbie%20Bass/20150822_155352_zpsulprhdps.jpg)
Yo Bret!
Hope everything is wonderful for you!
I do have a new Outback, new is a relative term this one is only 9 years old, in very good shape - I don't think I'll ever need to own any other brand of car! This one loves Thunderbirds as much as the old blue one, which I still have, I simply couldn't sell it, love it too much!
(http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd306/veronicasteed/Mobile%20Uploads/1441658325_zps146bf704.jpg)
I has Ketteh now.......Once a stray, she's the sweetest thing! Her name is Latifa
(http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd306/veronicasteed/Mobile%20Uploads/1434600865_zps42bb1a1e.jpg)
Uwe and his wife Edith visited Seattle last year, he's a wonderful guy - The man has a sense of humor unmatched!
As we took this picture he said "I can't believe I'm touching your famous car!"
(http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd306/veronicasteed/Mobile%20Uploads/1412614205_zpse2e48ad8.jpg)
Hi Bret, just the other day I was wondering about you and your pet food business. Hope it's still doing well for you.
I had major health issues last year. Still recovering gradually and doing well enough. There's no remedy for my grumpiness though; it's a feature, not a bug. :)
If you take a look down in the Projects forum, you'll see that Doc is starting up the BillyBo project again.
Yo Geezer...!
Are the Crocs still a goer...?
I've found myself living in the Highlands, as of 5 weeks ago, already joined a band, and getting paid for driving round the Highlands, occasionally stopping to take a piccie... Oh yeah, and I finally finished the RD project, and fitted the Lollar in the PC... only took me 5 year... presently shedless though, mostly... :D
Even Uwe probably doesn't have a figure for how many instruments he's got...
Yes, we finished the La La Lies album! It was recorded in Belgium and Amsterdam. It did quite well, we did some big gigs, instore gigs, some national TV and a lot of national radio! We didn't reached the succes we hoped for. Band members made strange decisions and after a while the band exploded or imploded. So one album only. But I look back with a big smile. We reached almost anything I dreamed of before we started it. Coverage in all main magazines, TV, radio, all the big venues, support acts for big national and international bands. I'll post some vids here.
At the moment I only play with some singer-songwriters, I organise a lot and I still write for the magazines. And I have some band plans...
Rickenbacker:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW6Edcf6POA
Gretsch Billy-Bo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sb8-BgrLpc8
T-bird:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8dOUFbZx4c
And welcome back!
Quote from: Freuds_Cat on October 25, 2015, 07:15:29 AM
Forgive me father for I have sinned, its been about 2 and a half years since I last logged in. Life ...... gets in the way etc etc.
Hope you have all been well.
How many NR's is Scott up to now? ;)
What is Uwe's bass count these days?
Is Dave still the lovable grumpy ol' bugger he was when I left?
Did ChrisP finally get that La la lies album finished and if so how did it go?
Has Rob done anymore Superfloor albums?
How are Bill, George, John and Al going?
How is Doc, did he ever finish that Billy Bo?
How is Mark? Did he ever upgrade from his Subaru outback?
How was your time in jail?
We don't live all in your crooky lawyer world, Uwe.
Pah, second-oldest honourable profession in the world! We fill a need ...
:mrgreen:
I used to be a car salesman. I think that's even worse than lawyer, politican, hooker, Henry J or the guy who installs direction indicators on BMWs.
Quote from: uwe on October 26, 2015, 11:55:14 AM
Pah, second-oldest honourable profession in the world! We fill a need ...
I have a need......... :gay:
Quote from: Chris P. on October 26, 2015, 12:00:42 PM
:mrgreen:
I used to be a car salesman. I think that's even worse than lawyer, politican, hooker, Henry J or the guy who installs direction indicators on BMWs.
From car salesman to Warwick endorser - that closes the circle!!! :mrgreen:
All Warwicks have special secret technology so they perform especially well in magazine tests!!!
Quote from: uwe on October 26, 2015, 09:16:33 AMHow was your time in jail?
Now
that was uncalled for... or are you touting for the appeal business...? :mrgreen:
Probably scared him off already...
Quote from: uwe on October 26, 2015, 12:50:21 PM
From car salesman to Warwick endorser - that closes the circle!!! :mrgreen:
All Warwicks have special secret technology so they perform especially well in magazine tests!!!
He probably sold Volkswagens and told Warwick about the technology.
Quote from: uwe on October 26, 2015, 09:16:33 AM
How was your time in jail?
Hah! good to speak to you again too Uwe. :P
The prison system here has been corporatised in much the same way as the US and UK so it shouldn't surprise you to know that certain inmates have internet privileges.......... I get out in 2. 8)
i used to sell Opel cars :) No Volkswagen.
Good GM-boy!!!
I used to sell Chevy, Olds and VW. Made a good mix in the late 70's early 80's.
Quote from: Chris P. on October 27, 2015, 03:26:42 AM
i used to sell Opel cars :) No Volkswagen.
How unfortunate for you! :P
(http://www.opelfreunde-obertuerken.com/geschichte/bilder/prospekte/manta-a/manta-a.jpg)
It's still an Opel.
Heathen!
these were kind of cute. don't know how they were mechanically.
https://www.google.com/search?q=opel+gt+pictures&biw=1600&bih=775&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0CBwQsARqFQoTCNmJv5CR6MgCFQFUPgod1KYGUQ&dpr=1
Those were basicly a Kadett under the hood. Which is nothing to write home about.
Cute car though. Poor man's Corvette :mrgreen:
Quote from: nofi on October 29, 2015, 10:49:48 AM
these were kind of cute. don't know how they were mechanically.
https://www.google.com/search?q=opel+gt+pictures&biw=1600&bih=775&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0CBwQsARqFQoTCNmJv5CR6MgCFQFUPgod1KYGUQ&dpr=1
Opel GT? One of my cousins had one in the 70s, 40 years later you still don't want to ask her about it. It did provide a lot of work for mechanics, though since it was in the shop so much of the time. If someone ever offers to give you one, make sure they also give you enough money to call a tow truck to take it to the junkyard.
Quote from: Dave W on October 29, 2015, 02:57:42 PM
Opel GT? One of my cousins had one in the 70s, 40 years later you still don't want to ask her about it. It did provide a lot of work for mechanics, though since it was in the shop so much of the time. If someone ever offers to give you one, make sure they also give you enough money to call a tow truck to take it to the junkyard.
At least they were cheap...a good friend of mine bought a brand new Jag XJS V-12 when his band hit it big with their third album in '79. Luckily he was on tour most of the time, it lived at the Santa Monica Jag dealer's whenever he was on the road. The chief mechanic was a fan. He kept him stocked up with tickets and merch to basically rebuild the thing from the ground up, fixing all the things that been done wrong when it was built.
Quote from: dadagoboi on October 29, 2015, 04:21:08 PM
At least they were cheap...a good friend of mine bought a brand new Jag XJS V-12 when his band hit it big with their third album in '79. Luckily he was on tour most of the time, it lived at the Santa Monica Jag dealer's whenever he was on the road. The chief mechanic was a fan. He kept him stocked up with tickets and merch to basically rebuild the thing from the ground up, fixing all the things that been done wrong when it was built.
My older son had a Jag sedan, can't remember the model name but IIRC it was a V-12. It was a real money pit for him. I sold it for him while he was stationed in Korea for a year. He was very happy to be rid of it.
Quote from: Basvarken on October 29, 2015, 01:19:41 PM
Those were basicly a Kadett under the hood. Which is nothing to write home about.
Cute car though. Poor man's Corvette :mrgreen:
Hey, hey, hey! My dad took me to school with one one day - like a lot of GM employees, he always could take cars home so they could be tested in everyday usage. it was yellow and I was immensely proud. Plus, because it is a two seater, the neighborhood girl got to sit on my lap. This must have been around 2nd grade, it was all very innocent, I assure you, you lecherous louts!
They were easy to repair in do-it-yourself mode. And the "sleepy headlights" worked manually via a lever. :mrgreen:
But they left a lasting inprint with me. First new car I ever bought was this here:
(http://www.autowp.ru/pictures/volvo/480/autowp.ru_volvo_480_3.jpg)
And, alas!, like the GT, that was underengined too!!! :mrgreen:
But the 480 is a great Dutch design!
It was pretty - let's leave it at that!!! :mrgreen: Did turn me into a faithful Volvo customer though. I've been driving Volvos for a quarter of a century now.
Quote from: uwe on November 02, 2015, 12:17:57 PM
It was pretty - let's leave it at that!!! :mrgreen: Did turn me into a faithful Volvo customer though. I've been driving Volvos for a quarter of a century now.
Including the Chinese one's? :rolleyes: ;)
Quote from: Lightyear on November 02, 2015, 06:19:56 PM
Including the Chinese one's? :rolleyes: ;)
Are the Chinese ones exported to Europe? I don't think so.
I'm not sure that Chinese Volvos are yet being produced and if they were, I'd have no issue driving one.
(http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02570/china_2570511b.jpg)
I believe they are building plants there though and that initial plans are to use Chinese Volvos only for the domestic market there, but in a globalized world that of course doesn't make much sense in the long run.
When Ford took over Volvo Cars (as opposed to Volvo Trucks which remained in Swedish hands) in 2000, everyone said this is the end, quality will decline. It didn't, it actually improved. Yes, they stuck in Ford parts, but they stuck in late generation parts that had been tested a zillion times whereas the Volvo of old was sometimes stuck with a part that didn't quite work, yet the laws of scale could not justify a new, better design. Ford had a wealth of parts to choose from and generally picked the best for Volvo. It wasn't always oneway either:
"Volvo Group sold its car division Volvo Car Corporation to Ford Motor Company for $6.45 billion during 2000, it was placed within the Premier Automotive Group alongside Jaguar, Land Rover and Aston Martin. Volvo engineering resources and components would be used in various Ford, Land Rover and Aston Martin products, with the second generation Land Rover Freelander designed on the same platform as the second generation Volvo S80. The Volvo T5 petrol engine was used in the Ford Focus ST and RS performance models, and Volvo's satellite navigation system was used on certain Aston Martin Vanquish, DB9 and V8 Vantage models."
Same thing with the Chinese takeover in 2010: My current V 70 is already from the "Chinese era", it has the best workmanship overall. My brother works at Volvo, he says the difference between Ford and the Chinese is that the former would coyly ask whether an individual expensive part could not sometimes be replaced by a cheaper one "almost as good", while the Chinese say: "If the best quality costs that much and BMW and Mercedes use it, we are not going to settle for anything of lesser quality.". Their plan is for Volvo to eat away at BMW's and Daimler's current Chinese market shares which is why one of the Chinese plants will be dedicated to long versions, a big thing in China's upmarket cars segment of larger sedans (no, I will absolutely not discuss average leg length of the Chinese population here, but they have eaten more meat in recent decades there, so I've heard!). There is hardly a market for that in either Europe or the US where 75% of the Volvo cars sold are station wagons as opposed to Volvo sedans, SUVs not even counted in.
For Volvo to survive as a brand in the long run, it will need to be embedded in the loving arms of something larger. Look what happened to Saab after GM's arms weren't so loving anymore (but Saab's demise cannot be put on GM alone, that company's narrow product line and "10-years-behind-the-technology-of-others"-stance had been asking for trouble long before the GM takeover). In contrast, Ford gave Volvo its first SUV - and SUVs are now a mainstay of their portfolio (not that the XC 90 was a car to my taste - I had one once and quickly reverted from "that tank" back to station wagons, thank you, but it has a lot of fans).
Stop press: The 2016 follow-up to the V 70 station - it will be called V 90 - might actually look something like this if this scale model that supposedly crept out from a Chinese factory is to be believed (the real models might then come from China too after all).
(http://images.car.bauercdn.com/pagefiles/12336/1752x1168/0000volvov90toy.jpg?mode=max&quality=90&scale=down)
Not quite like that breathtaking study looked, but you can detect remnants of it ...
(http://images.car.bauercdn.com/pagefiles/12336/1752x1168/01.jpg?mode=max&quality=90&scale=down)
The slanted hatchback - something so far steadfastly refused by Volvo with their large stations - is a tribute to prevailing styling tastes, but to me a sheer waste of space. I sometimes need to fit in an 8x10 Ampeg fridge and a 1x18 subwoofer!!! Vertical right angle hatchbacks rule.
GM had to work really hard to drive Saab into the ground! My daughter has a 2008 9.3 Aero V6 XWD Turbo, and it's a really excellent car. Not as fancy in the dashboard as the BMWs it competed against, but it has power all day, handles great, is comfortable, and for the three years she has been driving it, has been highly reliable and trouble-free.
This is a really good car that required a high level of incompetent management to kill. Until the last few months there were intermittent rumors that the Chinese owners would resurrect it as an electric vehicle, but those rumors seem to have died out.
(http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j306/apowell1/Cars/2008%20Saab%209-3%20Aero%20V6%20AWD/20130725_191837_zps6bc6828a.jpg)
(http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j306/apowell1/Cars/2008%20Saab%209-3%20Aero%20V6%20AWD/20130725_191955_zpsa96a9284.jpg)
" ... and it's a really excellent car ...."
True, but it's built on an Opel/GM platform (the Epsilon platform, also used for the Opel Vectra and in its time probably the best GM platform ever) and has all sorts of Opel ingredients in it (30%)! It also looks like Opels used to look, nothing wrong with that (remember that I come from an Opel family and was raised on GM money), just like there is nothing wrong with a Volvo with Ford parts. To give GM its credit, they tried long and hard to turn Saab into something that might come out at least even, but it was bought as a lossmaker and it continued to be one during the whole of GM's tenure (10 years, so they tried). BMW gave up on Rover much quicker.
Looking back, it was probably a mistake to relase your daughter's nice 9.3 initially only as a sedan, traditionally, Saab drivers are - like the Volvo guys - hatchback fans. GM fell for market research at the time that station wagons were being squeezed out of the market between "soccer-mom SUVs" and true sedans. They forgot the "bassplayers with large rigs"-constituency :mrgreen: (the large Volvo SUV, btw, offered less loading room than the large Volvo station wagons, but it has to be said that its rear passenger seats were extremely spacious, truly a travel car for four adults, you can't have it all).
I always loved the "black panel" function on Saabs. Silly, but cool. And a nod to their aircraft heritage.
(http://pictures.topspeed.com/IMG/crop/200701/saab-60th-anniversar-18_600x0w.jpg)
My daughter's has that black panel function (turn off the dash lights) and the coolest cupholder known to civilization. That Saab is one very well made, great-handling car. There are some hard-to-service items, but that's hardly exclusive to Saab.
In 2008 and some previous years, they did make the 6.3 in a "Combi" (wagon) version, and the owners of those won't let go of them. You could get the wagon in the V6/turbo Aero version as well. Maybe that was too late, but wagons have been better sellers in Europe than in the US for a couple of decades now.
I'm the rebel in US terms with my 2008 6-speed manual BMW 328 x-drive wagon. It's a blast to drive!
(http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j306/apowell1/Cars/2008%20BMW%20E91%20328ixT%20Wagon/20150222_135424_zpslquxarl6.jpg)
pilgrim, please buy more cars. we have seen your stuff too many times. :)
I just hang onto them too long. Regrettable, but I seem to be able to keep them running.
Stick around for the traditional smoker shot in the back yard at Thanksgiving....
I never saw the point of all that space a sedan wastes opposed to a station wagon. There is also something appealingly basic and even archaic - form follows function - in the look of a hatchback, it's the truck driver in all of us! I've never owned a sedan in my life. Volkswagen Beetle doesn't count!!!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCvSLKn6B7k :mrgreen:
Worst car I ever owned by far was a 1974 Saab 99.
My sister had a Gremlin for a few years. It was in contention for anyone's worst car. I will say that the engine and drivetrain were pretty solid, but the body was continually falling apart and accessories like the wiper motor were frequently non-functional. She drove the thing for at least two years with string tied to the driver's side wiper and routed around the door seal into the driver's area; the wipers would move down, but not back up - so she had to pull the string every time she needed the wipers to cycle again. My dad changed that vacuum-driven wiper motor at least twice, and none of them worked right.
Here's a picture of my car about to destroy a little import at Great Lakes Dragaway. ;D
(https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/11904653_10205946089469861_6536704045850545229_n.jpg?oh=4d1a1b3339b46ff6e00210fff6661b4d&oe=56C89AAA)
Wait, what were we talking about again???
Vroooominess. We approve of vrooooominess!! :mrgreen:
Quote from: gearHed289 on November 05, 2015, 08:44:47 AM
Here's a picture of my car about to destroy a little import at Great Lakes Dragaway. ;D
(https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/11904653_10205946089469861_6536704045850545229_n.jpg?oh=4d1a1b3339b46ff6e00210fff6661b4d&oe=56C89AAA)
Wait, what were we talking about again???
I find it personally disappointing that your carbon (big)footprint
(http://www.angelfire.com/mi/dinosaurs/images/casts/bigfoot_yosemite_2008.jpg)
obviously means so very little to you, not that your penchant for all kinds of excessive, irresponsible hedonism hasn't worried me before. We really have to talk. 8)
And this thread's subject is sin, so you're perfectly on track! :mrgreen:
17 city/24 highway. Could be worse! We all have our vices...
Quote from: gearHed289 on November 06, 2015, 08:24:06 AM
17 city/24 highway. Could be worse! We all have our vices...
Heck, that's pretty close to the mileage my 6-cylinder BMW gets. Besides, a foot print in that color of blue is fully excusable.
I now feel sufficiently absolved with my 3 liter bi-turbo. An engine that makes no Swedish bones about the evident fact that it is not economic and never will be. Also features untampered with electronics, obviously, the Volkswagen licensing fees were just too expensive for Volvo. :mrgreen:
You guys are bad company. But at least good for not feeling alone.
"Could be worse!"
Of course, I can think of an example at the top of my head!
(http://www.wehr.brohltal.de/seiten/WKII3/seite1-Dateien/tiger.jpg)
Apparently the VW emissions scandal now involves gasoline engines too.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v104/davepix/humor/herbie.gif)
Quote from: uwe on November 06, 2015, 10:30:49 AM
That's gallons of course.
To the mile, that is... :mrgreen: (note colour of smiley)
The new Volvo S90 for the Detroit Auto Show ..., my the Chinese have lounded things quite a bit ... it's not a bad desingn but it could be a Jagaudibmw as well. 8)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHPC6KaB344
(http://i.auto-bild.de/ir_img/1/3/6/4/0/8/1/Volvo-S90-Detroit-Auto-Show-NAIAS-2016-Vorstellung-1200x800-8d6881f07e834058.jpg)
(http://i.auto-bild.de/ir_img/1/3/6/4/0/8/1/Volvo-S90-Detroit-Auto-Show-NAIAS-2016-Vorstellung-1200x800-9ad15f4c1e8ca2cd.jpg)
(http://i.auto-bild.de/ir_img/1/3/6/4/0/8/1/Volvo-S90-Detroit-Auto-Show-NAIAS-2016-Vorstellung-1200x800-0efa5ef7f2dc640a.jpg)
(http://i.auto-bild.de/ir_img/1/3/6/4/0/8/1/Volvo-S90-Detroit-Auto-Show-NAIAS-2016-Vorstellung-1200x800-47e5d1dc8ca703a8.jpg)
I like that, and I also find some strong BMW elements in the styling.