[AGL] city driving and real driving

[hpo]

Thanks for remembering my old 63 Volov with -SU Carbs which I loved 
to tune and succeeded doing on yours also. Alas it went the way of Artists
Vehicle - neglected- not enough cash. A group of Mormon missionary trainees,
blinded by the rising sun in El Paso did the first good thing-sliced of the front 
bumber and I got a new paint job to boot. After many years of proud service
thereafter, up and including towing my goods with a 4x4 U-haul, (it rolled like on rails 
in 81/2 hours 630 miles)from El Paso to Austin to attend Grad School.

The Car served (bless it) many a year in Austin, 11 in total but my style of driving let the 
first engine prefer the peace of a wrecking yard where I found its successor for a mere 150 quids. 
I laughed all the way to the bank on that one and the 150,000 miles I further drove the car. Now
however,  showing signs of overuse etc., loaded with a bucket full of parking tickets from 402 E 6th,-
I never paid for parking in front of my house-. 
The dear Volov 122s was confiscated by our Municipal Police Force and since I didn´t have the 250 bucks 
to pay for the tickets it began to looked like permanent a loss to me-  

But alas theer was a light a the end of the tunnel- a mechanic I met just wanted the engine and I had an 
engine in it, you won´t believe this, it was engine No 3.  A fine  2,0 litre, not just a mere 1.8 l as before.
I did have to go  to the Del Valley junkyard for this improved motor.  My driving style tsks--
This 2 liter baby had only 18,000 miles on it but my car+s body and especiall the brakes, shocks, steering,
passenger seat and exhaust after over 450,000 miles were not up to serving any longer so.... 

It was hard to keep the mechanic interested when he first saw the car with a flat tire in the police
pound on 7th Street, I persuaded him to listen to the motor, a clever trick, since i loved the tinker and this one 
was another really good motor.-
So... even after 6 weeks in auto jail this dear car engine did what it was uspposed to do when the ignition key was turned.
It started up instantly and purrred as only a finely tuned Volvo could do. 

The mechanic rolled his eyes in disbelief and I felt his heart beat thicken. Cautiously  I asked him to prepay 
and wait until I had made arrangement with the constabulary. 

The City DA took my case poisonally and after pleading and nearly begging, got him to release the vehicle,
I say motor for a mere 125,00 USD  instead of the 350,00 USD. I walked home with 200,00 in my pocket.
My pain was lessened.
He was happy, The DA was happy and i was somehow real happy. It was just before X-mas.
So it went,
hans 
berlin


>>> - - - - - - - - - - - - ->


     Hans-Peter Otto
Freelance Photojournalist
    Reichstrasse 101
14052 Berlin, Germany      

Mobil   +49    172 321 5956
 Tel     +49    30 667 75450
Skype            hpoPhotog

 
On Thursday, November 30, 2006, at 04:47PM, "Michael Eisenstadt" <michaele at ando.pair.com> wrote:

>Have you?

>

>Actually now that i think about it, Frances driving

>can get you killed. She gave me a lift in the VW

>bus she once had. That got totalled. I was driven

>around fairly often with her at the wheel of her

>BMW 3000 series. Did Barney wreak that car?

>

>Years and years later Frances was driving a geriatric

>Ford Galaxie? and it was at that point that i wouldnt

>accept a lift anymore. Some years later she got her Mercedes and her driving 

>COMPLETELY CHANGED. It was remarkable.

>

>Apparently Frances totalled the Mercedes while

>multi-tasking rendering her carless in Gaza. After

>a whilst, she Artie Osborned/Belmer Wrighted herself

>a new $900 Volvo. The Volvo's suspension needs thousands of dollars of 

>repairs to make it roadworthy

>but it is perfectly safe to drive around for errands in.

>

>Ach, Hans! Where are our Volvo 122s of yesteryear?

>Ou sont les neiges d'antan?

>

>----- Original Message ----- 

>From: "Wayne Johnson" <cadaobh at shentel.net>

>To: "survivors' reminiscences about Austin Ghetto Daze in the 60s" 

><austin-ghetto-list at pairlist.net>

>Sent: Thursday, November 30, 2006 9:07 AM

>Subject: Re: [AGL] city driving and real driving

>

>

>> Mike.

>>

>> You actually have ridden.....in a car.....with Frances.....while

>> Frances.....herself.....was driving?

>>

>> wow.

>>

>> :-)

>>

>> wgJ

>>

>> 

>

>

>