Monday, May 30, 2022

Car history

My dad's post on car history, prompted me to make a similar page.

After getting my driver's license, I was driving my dad's Volvo 343. Not a lot of power, so quite boring to drive.

As a conscripted hussar in the Dutch Cavalry, I learned to drive this DAF YA-4442. Six-wheel drive! Picture taken on an exercise in Hohenfels, Germany.

I bought a Peugeot 309 GLD (1.9L Diesel) from my colleage Arjan who worked at Nuson. Very reliable, and loads of torque from the engine.

To get my next car, I had to deal with a hostile salesman! When I asked to test drive the Suzuki Swift GLX 16V, the salesmen responded with a "Why?" Confounded, I replied "To buy it?" This car was high-revving, and boy, it was fast. It weighed next to nothing, but had a 100HP engine. It was a little rocket! I had to scrap it when the bottom turned to rust.

Its replacement was the worst financial decision I ever made: I wanted a classic Chevy Camaro. To finance it, I sold my stock portfolio comprised of ARM Holdings (!) and Samsung. I was a very early investor in those companies, and it would have been worth a fortune today! This was a decade before the iPhone! Instead, I got a car that cost me an arm and a leg to maintain and repair. Oof.

In Canada, I got a 2012 Subaru Forrester with 2.5L boxer engine. Costly repairs include a new clutch at 70K km. It is currently also leaking oil. A fun way to explore British Columbia, though!

My next car will definitely be electric.

1 comment:

Bram Stolk Sr said...

Volgens mij heb je ook nog een Mazda gehad, en een VW Beetle.
Ik wist niet dat ikzelf volgens jou ook nog een Volvo 343 heb gehad, kenteken?