Non-Volvo car chat megathread

[volvolugnut]

[
The KG was designed by Ghia of Italy and built in the Karmann factory where VW convertibles were made. That’s one of the earlier “ low light” designs from the 50s, there was a second design from this up to 1970, then a third facelift from 1971-1974, which was the last of the run

My first car!

Sounds like you were a VW family first and then found Volvo? I laughed at your story of your mother 'purse strap' starting the VW.

volvolugnut

[abscate]

[
The KG was designed by Ghia of Italy and built in the Karmann factory where VW convertibles were made. That’s one of the earlier “ low light” designs from the 50s, there was a second design from this up to 1970, then a third facelift from 1971-1974, which was the last of the run

My first car!

Sounds like you were a VW family first and then found Volvo? I laughed at your story of your mother 'purse strap' starting the VW.

volvolugnut

The T5 was my first Volvo bought in late 99. We always had Bugs and Busses in our house, and still have a T4 camper and my Man Beetle. Dad was a space/aero engineer (Concorde, Saturn V, lem, space shuttle) but was the cheapest sob on cars I have ever met. I fight those genes every day.

[matthew1]

Dad was a space/aero engineer (Concorde, Saturn V, lem, space shuttle)

Too bad he didn't do anything exciting with his career

[RickHaleParker]

Dad was a space/aero engineer (Concorde, Saturn V, lem, space shuttle) but was the cheapest sob on cars I have ever met. I fight those genes every day.

Did 20 years in aerospace. The level of precision, accuracy and attention to detail is very high. By comparison automotive is sloppy. If somebody did aerospace like automotive they would be laughed out the door. Perhaps your dad figured it does not matter which car one drives they are all sloppy junk.

[volvolugnut]

The older we get , the more we are like our parents. It is hard to deny our nature and nurture. Fortunately, I got some very good habits from my dad. But also his short temper.

If you think automotive engineering is sloppy, oil field equipment is generally worse.

volvolugnut

[RickHaleParker]

But also his short temper.

From my dad I learned the term EFU (Engineering F**K Up). When I went to collage I already knew the need for a ECO.

[volvolugnut]

For anyone trying to read along here, an ECO is an Engineering Change Order (a record of a design change). An ECO usually quickly follows the EFU mentioned above. Denial, ego and company policy may delay the ECO.

volvolugnut

[RickHaleParker]

For anyone trying to read along here, an ECO is an Engineering Change Order (a record of a design change). An ECO usually quickly follows the EFU mentioned above. Denial, ego and company policy may delay the ECO.

volvolugnut

That is the diplomatic interpretation of ECO. Diplomacy makes it easier to get around denial, ego and company policy.
ECO = Engineering Correction Order. Correct the EFU.

[volvolugnut]

One large manufacturing plant where I worked for years had a manufacturing engineering section that often wanted to change designs to make parts easier to build. Their criteria for a change did not require the part to function well, only be cheaper or easier to build. Company policy was to ask the engineer who signed the drawing to make the change. If the design was old and the responsible engineer was unclear, they would 'shop for an answer they liked' by calling anyone they thought could be convinced to make the change.
Often times the history of the ECO (which should be clearly recorded in the change notice), became muddled. A favored change description was Revised and Redrawn. Short and totally obscure.
volvolugnut

[abscate]

Dad was a space/aero engineer (Concorde, Saturn V, lem, space shuttle) but was the cheapest sob on cars I have ever met. I fight those genes every day.

Did 20 years in aerospace. The level of precision, accuracy and attention to detail is very high. By comparison automotive is sloppy. If somebody did aerospace like automotive they would be laughed out the door. Perhaps your dad figured it does not matter which car one drives they are all sloppy junk.

Its a horrible business on the employees. It chews them up and spits them out. He had an absolutely sociopathic bosswho slept with his reports’ wives as a manner of conquest. There were suicides, therapy, you name it.

He was damn good at what he did, and , I quote the guy who did the Stealth fighter , “ dad Abscate was in the field of structural dynamics which none of us really understood”

He got away with calling his boss the AntiChrist in a meeting. He though he was getting fired, but the next day Nasa was in, and asked where he was, told the boss to go get him. When the boss protested, the guy told him he was the only one he trusted to be straight with him, and that he was a sniveling little (ECO: redacted verbiage NSFW)