And We're Back

In 2012, I was disgusted. The final straw? The radiator. Four months after spending too much money on a special ramp to tow the Viggen to Colorado, the radiator went out. After all we'd been through, I had to concede that ours was a relationship of give and take. I did all the giving, Vig did all the taking. So I said, "enough is enough," and I let my baby go.

I've spent the last 2+ years driving a perfectly lovely Lexus. (We won't talk about the fact that after taking over the Lexus, the tranny went out. Hmm, maybe it's me.)

Anyway, fast forward to March 2015. We're Back! Not the Viggen. I hope the Vig lived out the rest of it's days peacefully. I've moved on. To a 2005 9-3 Arc. It's beautiful, and fast, and smooth. And as my 12-year old says, much to my dismay, "It's sexy."

Yes, that's my Florida plate. I will be applying for my CO version on Monday. I'm hoping that the second time's a charm, and that this sexy beast treats me well.

Irony

Alanis Morissette didn't know what the f*%# she was talking about. A black fly in your chardonnay is not ironic. Want to understand irony? Read on...

Prologue

I've always been wary of parking blocks. I've ALWAYS parked a good foot away from them. When I bought a car with 17" rims I learned to park even further away from parking blocks and curbs. (In case you're not following already, 17" rims mean a very low profile vehicle. If you're still not following, this means a car that has very little distance between the bottom of the car and the ground.)

Chapter 1

Three months after buying the car of my dreams (this was 2+ years ago) I went to meet the hubby and kids for dinner. In my rush, I neglected to notice the bright yellow parking block at the top of my chosen parking spot. CRUNCH. That was the sound of my bumper riding over the bright yellow parking block.

Unfortunately, instinct cannot always be trusted, as my first instinct, the one I followed, was the instinct that screamed "REVERSE! REVERSE!" CRUNCH. That was the sound of my bumper being mangled by the bright yellow parking block. My future was not as bright as that parking block.

Before

Chapter 2

Fast forward 2+ years: April 19, 2010. I have saved the funds for a new front bumper. I have purchased said bumper and have taken the car to my car guy so he can restore the Viggen to its original glory. I have gone to Denver, leaving my car in good hands (meaning hands that obviously aren't mine). In a week my car guy has restored my beautiful car to (almost) its original luster. The engine is in tip-top shape. The body looks good. All in all, me and the Vig were once again on the same page.

While there are still a few small things to fix, in general, RAG TAAP life was good. I was so thrilled to have finally fixed my beautiful baby I went to the auto shop and loaded up on stuff to clean and detail the inside. And then I actually cleaned and detailed the inside. (Two kids are hell on a car's interior.) Have I already mentioned that RAG TAAP life was good?

Chapter 3

Fast forward a measly four hours which begins the RAG TAAP taxi service. Literally four hours after picking up the Vig from the body shop, I had to pick up my mother and then the Goose. I stopped to pick up mom and employed the parking brake to keep the car, well, braked. While I moved some cords to underneath the floor mat, the car started to roll. To wrap up a long story, the parking brake apparently was not working, as the Vig rolled forward. And over a parking block.

Yes, four hours after getting my car back from being fixed because of driving over a parking block, my car rolled over a parking block. If that's not ironic, I don't know what is.


Chapter 4

Thank God for tequila. After having a complete emotional meltdown, I decided to take matters into my own hands (my good friend Jose helped me with this decision). I went out to the garage, grabbed my trusty drill, and in 20 minutes had the right-side bumper fixed and looking like new. (There was no body damage--it was just pulled from the fender.)

Epilogue

It is now the next day. Today I will be calling my mechanic to ask him why my parking brake doesn't work so well. In the meantime, I will now be backing in to all parking spaces. I do not want to go through this again.

After

A spring letter to the Viggen

My dear RAG TAAP,

It's that time of year again. The flowers are thinking of blooming, the days are getting just a little longer, and I'm shelling out money for an ACC compressor. Again. Ain't spring grand? It's like deja vu; I swear I just did this less than two years ago. Oh, that's right. I DID!

So, is this going to be a trend, my little RAG TAAP? Am I going to have to replace the ACC compressor every spring, after you've blown up in October? If so, please let me know now so I can start saving for next year. Parts don't get cheaper the older you get; there is no AARP discount for over-the-hill SAAB parts. And contrary to popular belief, I don't have a money tree growing in the backyard!!!

Oh, and could you NOT snap the serpentine belt while I'm waiting for the compressor in the mail? That would be greatly appreciated. And it would keep me from driving you off of the nearest cliff.

Yours truly,

Me

Here's what I'm dishing out more cash for. Oh joy.

Saved by the Spyker

It appears that the SAAB brand has been given a reprieve. According to CNN Money, the Dutch car builder Spyker will be dishing out a lot of money and preferred stock to take over the sinking SAAB name. This is being backed up by a guarantee from the Swedish government for an European Investment Bank loan to SAAB.

It will be interesting to see what the dawning Spyker chapter in SAAB's history will unveil.

The Saab Aero-X

The Spyker C8 Spyder

Read the CNN Money article

Revenge of the Saab, Part 4

Yesterday was another visit to the mechanics for Rag Taap. I am having, yet again, ACC problems. In fact, I'm having the exact ACC problem I had 2 years ago and fixed August 08—the AC compressor. Rather then tell my story regarding this fucking problem again, you can read about it here:

• Revenge of the Saab, Part 1
• Revenge of the Saab, Part 2
• Revenge of the Saab, Part 3

Driving to Tampa in October, the new AC compressor died. Which means I get to a) do it all over again and spend over $500 so my entire engine doesn't sieze up, and b) spend more money to replace the anti-frost switch, which my mechanic thinks is the culprit (it's not working, so too much frost built up and "broke" the compressor). Of course, it would have been nice if, last August, my mechanic would have told me this. Fuck.

Unlike last year, my mechanic says I can drive the car, but should do so with the AC off (D'uh). Even then there is no guarantee that the ruined compressor won't snap the serpentine belt before I can get it fixed. Ah, the joys of auto ownership.

Merry Christmas to me. I guess I will be asking Santa for a new ACC compressor and some labor $$.

Have I said Fuck yet?