Going a tad too fast

 

Mark Maynard, San Deigo Union-Tribune Automotive Editor, emailed and was asking about our 1981 262 C Berton. A dealer in his area has one with zero miles and Mark wanted to know if our Safe and Secure Coverage Program would apply to if it should this year. Sorry, Mark – it does not.

I, in my overt willingness to talk with Mark, told him I had one with manual transmission as a company car. A V6 and manual was an awesome combo - a rocket in its day. It was black with beige leather interior and just looked so sweet. I bought it, replaced the chrome bumpers for black 242 turbo ones, added European headlights, removed the emblems and blacked out all the chrome. Car looked nasty.

While going over Donner Summit one really cold winter night, heading to a dealer in Reno, NV,  I was speeding. In those days California Highway Patrol (CHP) did not use radar, they had to pace you to determine your speed. I saw the CHP car way back behind me. His headlights were a dead give-away. He followed me, pulled off onto an overpass and then came back down to catch me. I never saw him. But coming over a rise, the road ahead was blocked and looked like a parking lot of Christmas trees (well, not really, but two CHPs with lights full flare mode were waiting for me). I slowed down and pulled over.

In those days, the CHP had just changed to smog controlled cars. The guy chasing me couldn’t catch this little car from Sweden so he radioed ahead for his buds to assist. He complained more about lack of performance in his Dodge than he did about my speeding. We talked and in the end I got a much reduced ticked.

Mark offered his Volvo speeding story and has allowed us to reprint it.
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I had a similar ticketing experience in an 850T.

I was driving east on Interstate 8 way out by Pine Valley. I crested a long rise and opened her up briefly, then slowed for the Buckman Springs exit, which was maybe a mile down the hill.

I exited to the nice straight two-lane. Turned right and opened her up again. And while enjoying the brisk driving, I glanced in the rear view mirror and there was a small black vehicle waaay behind me. I thought, hmmmm, could it be a sheriff. I kept my eye on the object in the mirror and it was getting bigger fast. So I slowed down and sure ‘nuf, a Sheriff’s Ford Expedition barreled up as I was putting on my turn signal to pull to the side of the road.

Out in that part of the county, any car traveling at a high rate of speed is suspect for running drugs or illegals.

I was spotted by a helicopter and he was a bit peeved that he couldn’t catch me.

When I explained what I was doing, he said: Oh, so this is on the job training. And handed me a ticket.

That’s one of only two tickets I have in my testing career.

Mark
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Good week to you all.

Dan

Tags: Volvo