The Passing Lane Newsletter - March 2012

2012 XXX Swedish Car Show

The Pacific Northwest has always been inundated with Volvo cars. Many regional Volvo enthusiast groups gather on weekends to show off their latest project or restoration. These types of gatherings and groups grow rapidly with the help of Volvo enthusiast internet forums. The internet and specific car forums help “spread the word” when it comes to creating a common gathering area for Volvo owners to converse and show off their ride.

Volvo car gatherings happen all over the world almost every weekend between friends and fellow enthusiasts. In the NW we have a few shows that are well worth attending. The XXX Swedish Car Show has proved to be one of them. Issaquah Washington’s XXX Root Beer Drive-In hosts many car shows throughout the summer. With over 100 cars that attend, you get to see every flavor of Volvo. Volvos that range from Vintage models to new cars right off the showroom floor. The 6th Annual XXX Swedish Car Show was truly remarkable to be a part of. We were amazed at all the Swedish Steel owners who rolled out their prize possessions during the winter month of February.

Customer Feature

My “Love Affair” or as many people would say “Obsession” with Volvo began with the day I was born, April 9, 1985; or at least I would like to think it started that day. See I was almost born in my dad’s 1984 Volvo 244 Turbo as my dad raced my mom to the hospital. My mother pleaded with him to take the Buick station wagon because it was a comfier ride and was an automatic, but my dad insisted on his manual 244 Turbo which was quicker. To make a long story short my father was able to get me to the hospital with 15 minutes to spare before I was born.

Throughout my childhood I was brought up Volvo and exposed to Volvo’s at every turn. For two reasons: one because my parents loved them and secondly, because two of my uncle’s worked for Volvo Cars North America (VCNA). From a very young age I was taught how to wrench, admire and appreciate what owning a Volvo is all about, “A Lifestyle.” Not many people could understand why a 3 year old would tell people that one day I will own a Volvo or that they are the best cars in the world. But I do have a video clip of me propped up on the hood of my uncle’s bright red 1987 740 Turbo stating that “I want to be just like you Tio Joe;” my uncle Joe is one my uncles who works for VCNA.

In 1992, it was me at the Ford dealership in tears telling the salesman that he cannot have our 1989 740 Turbo; my parents had traded it in for a Ford “Custom” Van…..yea I know lame! But it wasn’t too much longer before they picked up the first car I learned to drive in; a 1994 940 Turbo. I remember specifically being the one who took it upon himself to go wash the car on a summer day, instead of enjoying the pool with the rest of my family; mind you this was at the age of 12.

As my parents own stable grew to love Volvo’s, so did mine after using the family car (1994 940 Turbo); my first purchase was a 2004 S40 1.9T LSE. While all my friends were off with their Mustangs’ and Civics’, I was appreciating the turbo four-banger my Volvo had to offer and never felt embarrassed about driving a Volvo. After having a flawless four years of ownership/modifying (with IPD parts of course) with the S40, I had the opportunity to purchase a Sonic Blue 2007 S60R GT. The ‘R’ is the perfect model of what anyone can ask for in one nicely put together package: Luxury, Comfort & Sport! The BMW and Audi drivers can have their M3’s and S4’s, respectively, but I’ll take this perfect and quirky blend of Swedish delight.

The S60R really showed my enthusiast side of my Volvo passion beyond the brand name. This was really a car that I enjoyed to drive and modifying this halo car really brought out sport feel of the car. In the five years of owning the R, I had performed many modifications from a ECM tune, 3” Downpipe, larger front mounted intercooler, intake, a slew of IPD suspension/cosmetic upgrades and a few of my own personal touches.

But the story doesn’t stop there, I was recently approached about selling the gem of a car that I had built and learned to love. After thinking long and hard, the deal was too hard to pass up and now another Volvo enthusiast can enjoy this truly beautiful piece of engineering that the Volvo S60R/V70R are to Volvo’s performance heritage. So that leads me to my new and exciting Volvo adventure, that of the new 2012 S60 T6 AWD R-Design. I have been ever-so attracted to the new S60 since it was launched and then when my younger brother replaced his 2006 S60 2.5T FWD for the new 2012 S60 T6 AWD R-Design. So, naturally as the big brother I have to go get one too, but with more options, haha!

I took delivery of a Ice White/off-black leather with climate & multimedia pkgs., PCC and BLIS. Once again, Volvo has delivered a beautiful blend of all the things I loved about the S60R and has kept me grinning from ear to ear when behind the wheel. Right now the new Volvo sits stock other than a few Volvo accessories and KN drop-in filter. I hope to install IPD parts/accessories as they continue to develop them for this new platform. Until then, I will enjoy the sweet sounds of the 3.0L I6 Turbo as I effortlessly tackle some spirited driving.

I am a true Volvo for Life enthusiast!

Wanted: Your Volvo Story

We’ve increased our customer features lately and we’ve had great responses from our readers because of it. We’d like to continue to provide the Volvo community with interesting reader content so we are pleading, yes, even begging for articles. If you have a souped up 850 wagon that you want the world to know about or even if you’re in the middle of your S70 series project and want to show off your progress, let us know and we’d love to feature you and your ride. If you own a S60 series and have a great trick or tech tip you’ve discovered, send it on over and we’ll share it with our readers.

If one of the items on your bucket list is to be published in one of ipd’s famous newsletters, here’s your chance. Don’t deny it, you know it’s there; if it’s not, add it now and send in your story so you can check it off your list. Even if you think it’s not print worthy, that’s okay, let us be the judge of that because we still want to hear your story. Tell us about how you caught the Volvo bug, the remedies you’ve tried to get rid of it and what finally put you over the edge to finally just give up and let the bug take it’s hold.

Some pictures of you and your Volvo would be great to include along with how your experience with ipd went. It would be great to also include any ipd upgrades you’ve added and how our customer service staff treated you.

We look forward to hearing your story and the opportunity to share it with other sick Volvo lovers who have caught the same bug.

Send submissions to bryan@ipdusa.com