Drive Big

"Jonee" (Jonee) 06/21/2016 at 14:43 • Filed to: None

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It’s always fun to see a humongous Cadillac still in service. This thing looked well loved and it really is astonishingly large next to modern cars. I dig the hood ornament, too.

I also spotted this cool Merc with a nice stripe-dots decal thing going on the other day.

Very 70's-80's and it looked sharp with that green paint. Also: I’m a terrible iPhone photographer I’m realizing.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Jonee 06/21/2016 at 14:56

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Both of those are fantastically cool machines. Nice finds!

Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch > Jonee 06/21/2016 at 15:03

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That Merc is sweet. I’ll always think that big Cadillacs of that era need horns on the grille (even if I hate them).

Jonee > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch 06/21/2016 at 15:10

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It’s amazing those horns are barely wider than the car. And those are some long horns.

Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch > Jonee 06/21/2016 at 15:11

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Oh yeah, both are huge.

Malanga > Jonee 06/21/2016 at 15:36

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What Cadillac is that if you don't mind me asking?

Jonee > Malanga 06/21/2016 at 17:54

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It’s a Sedan Deville. ‘69 or ‘70 maybe? ‘68 still had stacked headlights.

Malanga > Jonee 06/21/2016 at 18:15

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Thanks. I looked at all the Devilles, Sevilles, etc but only saw the stacked light Deville

Jobjoris > Jonee 06/24/2016 at 04:42

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I really love that green R107, I’m a big fan of those. It was the Ewing-4 for a reason.

Those stripe-dots though...

Jonee > Jobjoris 06/27/2016 at 01:43

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It’s a great color for that car. That one was nice and shiny. A friend of mine used to have a brown one. Gorgeous also.

It was a weird choice, but somehow it worked in person.

Jobjoris > Jonee 06/27/2016 at 03:21

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Was it Bobby’s or Pam’s ride? Brown or green are the colors for the R107. Why did he ditch it?

Jonee > Jobjoris 06/27/2016 at 23:02

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That was Bobby’s car. It was a very manly red.

It started to get worn out and needed work, so he sold it and got a BMW wagon. I liked driving that 560. It had an epic hood and some real German oomph.

Jobjoris > Jonee 06/28/2016 at 04:11

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How I was impressed by Pamela in my younger years. What was Pam’s ride?

It was a 560 SL? Awesome!!! Those accelerators were like on/off buttons, the 500SL was way more refined. At least, in the W126.

Jonee > Jobjoris 06/29/2016 at 00:25

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Looks like she had a ‘Vette. I’m surprised I didn’t remember that. She did drive the Merc a lot, though, so I guess it was just the Ewing car pool.

Yeah, it was a big monster that car. It may have been a grey market import even. It had seen a lot of action, so it was probably down a lot in the power department. I’d love to drive it again after a refresh.

Jobjoris > Jonee 06/29/2016 at 04:46

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Me neither! And that R107 was “only” a 450! I’d expect more capacity for those oil-dollars!!! No fan of the C3 actually anyway.

A friend in high school drove his father in law’s W126 420 SE all the time. That was a true youngsters car hahaha.

Jonee > Jobjoris 06/30/2016 at 02:32

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I guess we only got the 450 and then the 380. But, a lot of people imported the bigger engined ones themselves. Yeah, we’ve discussed the C3. I love the chrome bumpered ones.

A lot of people inherited W126's. It was an old person’s car that became a young person’s car.

Jobjoris > Jonee 06/30/2016 at 04:32

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Your experience with straight lines, big empty roads and speeds limits a toddler could reach on it’s tricycle makes everything beyond 120hp preposterous. I’m suprised you didn’t get limited to the 280SL in the first place!

Haha... It’s actually pretty popular amongst entrepreneurs around here due to tax-limitations.

Jonee > Jobjoris 07/01/2016 at 01:52

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We like our big motors, though. They probably couldn’t get the 500 to be emissions compliant, but I’m not sure how people got the imported ones registered. Things were different back then. That actually might be the car that got the 25 year rule passed. I remember Mercedes being big proponents of the law because their dealerships were losing customers to the grey market.

Entrepreneurs drive 25 year old Mercedes? Is that why there’s a tax break?

Jobjoris > Jonee 07/01/2016 at 03:49

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Haha, no they buy these because there’s some sort of loophole in our tax regulations. If you buy/lease your car within your company one has to add 25% of the MRSP to your total income and pay taxes over that. But to support small, new businesses there’s this law you can get a 15 year old car and you’ll have to add 35% of the current value to your income. Many used German low-mileage Benzes 15 years old or older get imported here. We’re cheap.

Jonee > Jobjoris 07/02/2016 at 04:01

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Huh, that's an interesting loophole. But, why is it a larger percentage and how does that save on taxes with the older car? It's almost like how our old cars go to Mexico when they can no longer pass emissions here.

Jobjoris > Jonee 07/02/2016 at 05:27

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Situation new car 50k / income 50k

0.25* 50k (a normal Volvo V60 would cost this easily, mine is 75k but I’ve got no “bijtelling” due to very low emission, this rule was cancelled due to popularity) = 12.5k. Added to the income would make total income 62,5K. As everything over 40K is taxed with 51% (!!!!) the driving the car would cost you 6K a year, 500 euro a month.

Situation old car 10k / income 50k

0.35* 10k (you still can get decent/awesome/low mileage W126's for that kind of money, I used a C280 for a while in this regulation that was about 2K) = 3.5k. Added to the income would make total income 53,5K. Again, with 51% the car would cost you 1.8K a year, or 150 euro a month.

It even was 25% before but due to the popularity the government had to increase it as many stinky German 190D’s were imported. There were specialized companies for these selling/maintaining these.

Jonee > Jobjoris 07/05/2016 at 01:30

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I get it now. Thanks for spelling it out. Interesting. I guess that’s better than driving a cheap Opel, or something. That’s a pretty low income threshold for that tax rate.

Jobjoris > Jonee 07/05/2016 at 02:50

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Of course it was way too successful so they increased it from 25 to 35%. And there used to be another old-car profit... Up until then after 25 years no road tax was needed anymore for a car. That’s been lifted to 40 years as well.

For your information: I don’t know ANYONE ever making use of these rules - except for my self on the 15 year old car, I drove an old C280 for a while - so you can imagine how much money the government didn’t get. Especially because driving an old car regularly does cost way more when it comes to maintenance and as a result gives other companies bigger turn-over. To be taxed.

Jonee > Jobjoris 07/06/2016 at 01:51

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Wow, 40 years. They weren’t kidding around when they closed that loophole. You generally save on registration fees here with an older car, but it’s not too significant unless you get “antique car” plates which saves you on registration and insurance, but you can only drive the car a certain number of miles.

Yeah, most people don’t want to drive an old car.

Jobjoris > Jonee 07/06/2016 at 05:59

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Yeah, and it was slightly different for the cars after 85, that went up to 30. So my Porsche got 27 years. And after it was and turned taxed free I could use that advantage for a year. Then it was turned back and now I have to pay again.

I only want to drive old cars...

Jonee > Jobjoris 07/11/2016 at 00:00

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That’s lame. You should have been grandfathered in since the car was always registered to you.

Yeah, me too. Every time I get in the Le Car or any old car I wonder why I bother with anything built this century.

Jobjoris > Jonee 07/11/2016 at 03:50

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It is lame. I didn’t buy the thing for cheapness but for the love of it. And I’ve paid years of road taxes while barely using it. I do have some discount (I pay 50% but then I’m not allowed to drive it November-Februari) which is only for petrol cars, not diesel/LPG. But there was plenty of people stopping their hobby and in the end the rule barely had effect on the governmental budget. Of course.

Jonee > Jobjoris 07/13/2016 at 15:49

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Interesting. The November to February thing is for vintage cars? What if you want to drive it all year? Can you choose to pay the full amount and get full access?

Jobjoris > Jonee 07/13/2016 at 17:40

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Yep, by default. If you want more you’d have to register it and pay the full amount. I don’t know anyone who’d do that with our winters though.

Jonee > Jobjoris 07/17/2016 at 20:45

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What if you had a Rodeo, or a Rancho, or some other classic 4X4?

Jobjoris > Jonee 07/18/2016 at 12:13

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I’m sure you’d get hazard pay for using those in the winter. How would those start with temperatures below zero?

Jonee > Jobjoris 07/18/2016 at 23:51

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You don't heat your garages?

Jobjoris > Jonee 07/19/2016 at 16:22

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No. Why would I?

Jonee > Jobjoris 07/20/2016 at 03:14

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So you can start your Rancho in the winter. All the fancy money pits have heated garages.

Jobjoris > Jonee 07/20/2016 at 15:24

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So I can drive it to where? Another heated garage? I can only take it to... My own heated garage. I can’t use it for groceries or getting at clients, now can I? It won’t start there. ;-)

Jonee > Jobjoris 07/22/2016 at 01:05

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Well, it’s not going to freeze instantaneously. Or, you can take it out for some fun 4X4ing in the snow and then go home. And, if you’re going to a place with a parking garage, I don’t think it’s going to be cold enough for it to be a problem. When I drove my 360 in the winter in Boston, I would take the battery with me. No kidding.

Jobjoris > Jonee 07/22/2016 at 15:40

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HAHAHAHA, you took the battery with you? That must have been awesome. A great way to start conversation with TOTAL strangers. Must have been a success with the ladies!

Jonee > Jobjoris 07/23/2016 at 01:31

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A few times I brought a trickle charger, too. Like when I was working nights and it was really cold. That thing would go dead in that weather. I did work at the top of a hill, so if I didn’t feel like bothering with the battery, I would just coast down and pop start it. It’s just a small, garden tractor battery, so Boston being a college town, people wouldn’t really look twice. They probably figured I was just doing some experiment or making art.

Jobjoris > Jonee 07/23/2016 at 15:11

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But couldn’t you just replace it with a new, more modern battery? Or did you get used to all the attention and just couldn’t miss that?

Jonee > Jobjoris 07/24/2016 at 22:33

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It was a modern battery, it was just small. A big battery won’t fit in the tiny spot under that little bonnet. I suppose you could put the battery in the cabin and run long cables, but that’s extra weight. With 25 horsepower, that means something.

Jobjoris > Jonee 07/25/2016 at 15:31

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Was it 6 volts? A modern Motorbike still starts around 0 celsius? Or are we talking -20? Coldest I ever rode my bike (a Honda CBX550) was around -11 celsius. In snow. Not doing that again!

Jonee > Jobjoris 07/26/2016 at 00:13

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It was 12 volts, but its little generator wasn’t very strong, so I doubt the battery ever got fully charged. Definitely below zero Celsius. We’re talking around 0º F. The little heater didn’t work too well, either, so it was similar to being on a motorbike. It did keep the snow off me, though.

Jobjoris > Jonee 07/26/2016 at 05:26

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Wooha! 0 F is about -20C! That’s real cold. Volvo temperature! It did keep snow out AND, not that unimportant, kept you from that utterly cold wind. That same year I did track a Gijs’ Mehari in the winter as well with it’s tent hahaha...

Jonee > Jobjoris 07/26/2016 at 23:21

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Yeah, it could get cold in Boston. I also spent a semester up in Maine where one week it never got above 0. At night it could be -20ºF (-29C). It was completely ridiculous and I have no idea why people live there.

We used to take my mom’s old CJ-5 with the flappy rag top out in the winter. That, at least, had doors and four wheel drive, but it was still pretty drafty.

Jobjoris > Jonee 07/27/2016 at 16:31

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I have no issue with cold whatsoever actually. Just not on a bike. Or a Méhari. And there should be a period with sun in it. Not just 7 days of snow and no visibility.

Jonee > Jobjoris 07/28/2016 at 01:13

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Does that describe the Dutch winter? That sounds like Maine. Or, Syracuse (N.Y.).

Jobjoris > Jonee 07/28/2016 at 14:03

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No, totally not! Ours are about rain and 2 times 3 or 4 days of snow. Terrible. Depressing. I prefer snow all the way.

Jonee > Jobjoris 07/29/2016 at 00:44

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Yeah, rain in the winter is depressing. I hate it. Snow, I love. I didn’t know you had that few days of snow. Snowy winters are becoming rare in the northeast. 2 winters ago they were blanketed, but last year was dry. One cool thing in L.A. is that it snows in the mountains, but it’ll be 75ºF in town.

Jobjoris > Jonee 07/31/2016 at 06:43

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Yeah, it’s a real sea-climate . Due to that warm stream of ocean water temperatures hardly go way below zero.

I returned to the Netherlands over the Arlberg pass/Flexenpass. Zürs/Lech will finally be joined for skiing without having to use a bus! IT’S FINALLY HAPPENING!!!!

Jonee > Jobjoris 08/02/2016 at 00:21

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Oh, that’s exciting. Your favorite mountain. Is that a new pass, or newly opened to automobiles?

Jobjoris > Jonee 08/02/2016 at 04:15

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Mount Verbeeten is my favorite one. Just outside the Galzig Bahn. But it’s not a road that’s been finished, just a new lift to connect two separated areas ! And the Flexenpass is just outside the Zürs/Lech-part. I drove through Sankt Anton. Of course.

Jonee > Jobjoris 08/02/2016 at 23:06

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Oh, I see. That’s pretty cool. And, perfect for the mountain exploration expeditions you like to lead when you ski. I’m not sure I want to know where Mount Verbeeten rises.

Jobjoris > Jonee 08/03/2016 at 04:27

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“Rises” is just a Euphemism! It’s certainly 3 meters of height compared to the gleich-weg next to it! I certainly want to take Josje there some day. She loved the mountains.

Jonee > Jobjoris 08/04/2016 at 02:12

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Great picture. So, there’s really a Verbeeten Hill? Where? Arlberg? I’ve loved the mountains since I was a kid, too. I’ve always thought I’d retire to some mountain retreat.

Jobjoris > Jonee 08/04/2016 at 09:45

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Well, it’s a joke amongst friends. It showed I had to go wax my skies because I was really having a hard time getting on top of a small off-piste part. That’s why they named it after me. Looking on the map it’s up with the Gampen from Skt Anton and then get the Kapall-lift. On top of that keep the right.

We told Josje she’d meet Heidi. And boy did she/we. Some Austrian waitress with a Dirndl and some UNITS!!!! I didn’t dare take a picture of her with Krista next to me ;-)

Jonee > Jobjoris 08/05/2016 at 00:03

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Ah, very funny. I’ll remember that next time I’m on the Kapall lift. We have a part of the mountain at Aspen named for my cousin who used to ski with us. He once led us down a trail that went nowhere on which he wiped out spectacularly.

Haha. That’s hilarious. It sounds like something out of a Bond movie. Where is this restaurant? Josje really got the full Alpine experience.

Jobjoris > Jonee 08/05/2016 at 05:06

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No footage?

It’s on the top of the Flexenpass. She was wearing some sort of Horst Tappert / Derrick sunglasses that was totally weird. BUT THOSE UNITS!!!!

Jonee > Jobjoris 08/06/2016 at 03:03

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No footage unfortunately. It also earned him the nickname, “Bozo,” though.

That is a beautiful view. I’m surprised you tore your eyes away from the Dirndl. Or, do those mountains represent said units?

Jobjoris > Jonee 08/06/2016 at 06:42

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Did bozo end up buzzin’ in jail eventually?

You don’t know my wife. I only had like half a second to enjoy the view of those UNITS.

I did leave a note I’ll be back in the winter...

Jonee > Jobjoris 08/08/2016 at 22:28

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Actually, Bozo ended up at an Ivy League school and became a stock broker. But, then he went broke when he opened a restaurant, so Bozo struck again in the end.

Haha. Try to get a picture of those units next time.

Jobjoris > Jonee 08/09/2016 at 02:40

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How did he name his restaurant, Buzzin’ Bozo’s ? I feel there’s lots of great stories to share about Bozo!

The bare naked units or the units covered in cloth?

Jonee > Jobjoris 08/09/2016 at 02:53

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Buzzin’ Bozo’s would have been much better than whatever he did pick. Who could forget that name? It was something Italian, I can’t remember what it was called. He’s a pretty regular guy, actually. Lives in Florida now. Couple kids. I think he works for a sports team, or something.

Hey, you’re married. Better make sure they’re covered. Unless the photographer can get away with some “arty” shots.

Jobjoris > Jonee 08/09/2016 at 04:06

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Florida? You should look ‘m up! And try that Georges Irat nearby...

I’m European. According to your new leader-to-be shooting nude pictures is highly fashionable!

Jonee > Jobjoris 08/10/2016 at 02:39

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It would make a good excuse to visit. I think he has a big house, so maybe he could store the car until I arrange shipping. Actually, maybe that’s what we’ll drive to Philly.

One reason to vote for him, I guess. I could see him passing a law requiring all women under the age of 40 to have topless passport and driver’s license photos.

Jobjoris > Jonee 08/10/2016 at 04:40

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So I’ll have to fly to Florida? ;-)

Hahaha. He’d better get a commission to determine if a woman is worthy to be held up on this law!

Jonee > Jobjoris 08/10/2016 at 23:54

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Man, wouldn’t that be fun? I can put in a few hundred at least for the car if you’ll cover the rest. We can keep it at my parents’ so you’ll have easier access.

That’s a good point. I think he’ll want to head that committee.