It’s been too long since the last post on the forum. Apparently we’re on the downside of the pandemic, but time will tell.

Still have the (long) list of things to do on the 1800E.

Is everyone ok?

Yeah, the place has pretty much died. I haven't touched a car that belongs on here for months either so I haven't had anything to contribute.

A friend of mine mentioned that I'm like the last guy to get shot in WWII: our family got COVID a few weeks ago and I'm still not breathing right, super dozy, and I'm not sure if it's got anything to do with my back but my back has been right painful lately. Between this and getting my father's property emptied, all his equipment sold, and getting him settled into a dementia-friendly facility, my spirit & energy are pretty sapped. My garage is pretty saturated with his stuff too, so that doesn't help the productivity.

I still have a huge list of things to do on the Canadian, I don't think I'll even attempt to do any of them this year. I have too many other cars that I can't get to. The S60R is in the shop right now getting a new rear windshield since some butthole decided that one of the front windows of our house and the back window of both my wife's and my cars looked better with holes in them. I have a really cool VW Fox that needs paint & reassembly, and a couple of mechanical bits & then I could take it autocrossing and such, but that's not looking likely either.

I'm just hoping for a summer with reasonable weather and without any drama, for all of us.

Matt, hope your Covid effects pass soon. I’ve been through the dementia journey, caregiving and all that entails. I remember the days of reminding myself just “keep putting one foot in front of the other”, to get through it. I wish you and your family well.

As to the 1800E, despite all the lockdowns/self isolation, i.e. time on my hands, not a lot has happened. Very drivable, some maintenance and upgrades for me to do, and other jobs to find others to do, such as rebuild diff, and replace crossmember (which I have).

Matt,

Sorry to hear about your dad and Covid situation, that's a lot to go through, I hope you recover soon.

On my end I have been Volvoless since 2015 but still consider the 1997 960 wagon the best car I have owned. Our household has been spared from Covid so far but we're still limiting our public exposure to reduce the risk for an immuno-compromized family member.

Work has kept me away from car related projects for the past years. It's taking me an eternity to track down a driveline rumble on the Sequoia -- been chasing it since August but then again I'm not driving much since my business is based out of my home. Thankfully my work involves spending time in the machine shop and I picked an '87 Honda Aero 50 that I tinker with to maintain my sanity.

Family travel is on hold for now but we've decided our next trip will be to Calgary and the Rockies, projected for summer 2023. Daughter, now 18, wants to visit where she was born and do some hiking in the mountains.

RT

18??? Holy!

Good to hear from you, Rick. I'm glad you folk are well.

The Covid thing passed without an issue - we all suffered a really bad cold for a week, and came out of it at our own pace (me the slowest, as usual). The Dad thing continues to shift - he's been in the hospital again with a couple of UTIs for longer than he spent in his new apartment, and he remains incredibly confused and delusional. We're hanging on to see how many of his senses return before they decide what level of care he needs at this point. It's exhausting but it's also alright - what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, they say. Deep breaths, one day at a time, try not to picture the next 10 years of my life.

But really, I'm not complaining too much. Heading out to visit John Paulsen tonight as they're planning on starting up a Mk2 Sprite I built an engine for, so I'm getting a nice night off. I have a set of BMW motorcycle cylinder heads on my bench belonging to Chris Morrison, requiring a valve job & head surface lapping, then I'll be rebuilding and installing some BMW E36 sport seats into my 122. New leather from Lseat, power & heat & the whole shebang. Toss another 100 lbs into the car, why don't ya? It's a cruiser. Some suspension & brake work coming up for the S60R, and I might even be able to get onto the Fox this winter for NEXT summer. One day at a time.