New Saab Parts

Well... FWIW; I'm with David on this one. Maybe it's different in the USA but where I am it is a matter of bad image, BMW drivers are regarded as 'pimps, crooks and criminals'. The cars are OK, it's the wrong people that drive them.

--------- MH '72 97 '77 96 '78 95 '79 96 '87 900T8

Reply to
MH
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Don't worry, that's the thing, Americans and irony just are two words that don't usually fit in the same sentence.

:)

Like he said, you'd have to have watched the programme mentioned. Then again, if I said "do you have a Lightning" in your front garden, you'd probably think I was referring to a P38 maybe?

David.

Reply to
David Taylor

Don't worry Fred, it's not personal, just a language thing. :)

Regards

David.

Reply to
David Taylor

In article , Fred.Wills@allspam spouted forth into alt.autos.saab...

It was a jest as in, at least in the UK, "the stereotypical BMW driver is so bad, that BMW, in the 7 series replaced all thw switches and controls with one Knob and that isn't the driver" type comment.

While yes Saab and BMW are prestige marques, the cars have a bad reputation for the quality of driver they attract. Probablye no more than a lot of brands, but when your car is so big and flash that it stands out. It just makes a bad driver look worse.

Some close to me joked that "BMW have had a product recall recentley, every model they had made had a design flaw, that meant that the indicators/turn signals failed to work as soon as the engine was started".

I realise that the BMW stereotype arogant git is no truer than the Saab sterotypical teacher with tweed sports coat and suede patches.

The 3 BMW drivers that I know personally, one had a brand new £40k+ M3 that he thought made him god and made sure he demonstrated that by parking sideways across to parking spaces at work (one of which was allocated to someone else). That was when he couldn't park in the MDs space (The MD had the cheek to park his Ferrari there, making an important salesman walk 30 feet to the office).

The second has a debadged older 3 series saloon, drives well and fairly courteously, but too fast treating every traffic light as a drag start.

The third was in a very battered 318i compact of a fairly old age. The car had 175000 miles on it, needed £800 spent on it to pass an MOT, before the MOT, the passenger window didn't work, the sunroof had to be pulled shut from halfway because the motor wouldn't wind it back, the drivers side door mirror was missing (illegal in the UK) and he couldn't afford to replace it, and someone stole the drivers side turn signal (not the lense but the whole unit leaving a loose bulb and connector dangling). The driver of this car thought that his was only marginally less superior to the M3, and almost on par with the MD's Ferrari, and the other directors Porsche Carrera 4 and Merc C36 AMG.

Of most of the BMW drivers I've known, Arrogance certainly plays a part in the makeup.

I actually like some of the earler 3 and 5 series cars. Unfortunatley they have been known in the UK as small time drug dealer and minor gangster cars when getting old and battered, and as salesmans warships when in better condition.

The same is happening with early 190E and 200E Mercs. I see so many of them with blacked out windows, slammed to the floor suspension, and stupidly big chrome alloys on that mustn't leave any room for suspension travel, and then look round them, and see rust scabs on the arches. Imagine spending £500-700 for wheels, plus the cost of the tyres, and the added cost of the window tints, and not spending a couple of hundred for a body shop to sort some arch scabbbing first.

Oh agreed.

Oh, I don't dismiss BMWs are decent cars (I know the engineering is top notch), and I'm sure like yourself, other drivers are decent, just the bad element of BMW drivers seem to be so loud with such "Big" attitudes that they make the decent guys like yourself look bad too.

Reply to
MeatballTurbo

Four, actually, but yeah.

See? There you go, great example. Unobtrusive mention there of what Laura does - she's an active participant in the group, and oh by the way has a business. If I needed help with that, I've already got a favorable opinion of her based on her contributions to the group, so I'd be likely to click the link & see what kind of stuff she does.

Being pushy & saying "Hi, I'm selling all this stuff" is the equivalent of barging into a party & trying to sell life insurance to everybody.

Dave "By the way, that John guy in RAMVA has restoration stuff too" Hinz

Reply to
Dave Hinz

I prefer the geek reputation over a pimp reputation anytime.

-------- MH '72 97 '77 96 '78 95 '79 96 '87 900T8

Reply to
MH

Maybe I am not a sensitive type, but when I drive my BMWs I have never been accused of being snobbish (that I am aware of) and when driving the SAABs I have never heard I am a geek.

And I do live in the Northeast of the US. Perhaps you meant NE as in NY, NJ area? Things are certainly a lot different in the metroplex than up here in New Hampshire.

By the way, SAABs are extremelt popular in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont as compared to other areas of the country and nobody is considered geekish for driving one. Just sensible...

-Fred W

Reply to
Fred W.

In the UK, it's generally considered bad form to let someone in a BMW out of a side street.

Just not the done thing.

:)

David.

Reply to
David Taylor

In article , snipped-for-privacy@bigfoot.com spouted forth into alt.autos.saab...

And at the same time, expect them to try to get out anyway, whether you have left them a space or not.

Reply to
MeatballTurbo

Is this more brittish humor or are you being serious. I seriously don't know. I mean, I used to watch all the Monte Pythons and Benny Hills and they would have me rolling on the floor... maybe this is the "New" Brit humo(u)r?

Any way, in case you weren't kidding, wouldn't that make you the prime "wanker" for treating a driver differently based on the car he is in?

-Fred W

Reply to
Fred W.

Actually Fred it is generally accepted that BMW drivers are prime wankers. These are the guys who hang a foot off your tail in the third lane of the motorway with headlights blazing when you are already doing 80mph+ Usually with a mobile phone to their ear. (does anyone else find that odd? £30,000 of car and they can't be bothered to pay a couple of hundered for a hands free kit?!)

As for SAAB drivers, well the UK image is one of older company directors. A gentlemans car if you like. As for me I'm 37 married with kids, own a SAAB

900 (so does my wife.) So stereotypes don't always fit.

I always let SAAB drivers out, I will usually let a Merc' driver out (impecable manners - always say thankyou) Would rather end up in a pile of burning twisted metal than give way to a beemer driver...;-)

Al

p.s. Benny Hill not really seen as funny by UK anymore, but we'll always love Monty Python.

Reply to
Alistair Dore

Benny Hill humour isn't really quality British. Yes as far as origin goes, it qualifies but it's way way to obvious to be true Brit humour. I guess that's why the Americans can understand Benny Hill! :)

In answer to the question, it's not Saab drivers that don't let BMW's out, it's EVERYONE although I have to confess, I don't know what came over me this afternoon, I let a 5 series past me on a dual carriageway although it was a diesel so I guess that's ok.

Nope, it's just the way it is, most Beamer drivers suck, they just need to accept it and move on. Life's like that sometimes :)

David.

Reply to
David Taylor

Well, you're a unique guy. You drive a Saab. That tells me you are an intelligent individual who chooses his cars for what they do, not how they impress. (Please ignore all of our BMW jokes, they're not for you :-).

I disagree. You must be hanging out with other geeks. It's OK, I hang with geeks sometimes too. I might even be one. (BTW: sensible is a geekish quality)

Reply to
Bob

Ok, I'll ignore them. But is "unique" really a compliment?

Oh no... I guess I'm a geek then. Damn. How do I break the news to my wife and kids...

;-)

-Fred W

Reply to
Fred W.

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