My 19 year old daughter crashed her own last month. Fortunately I had two more, not including the fourth one I just purchased last weekend. Since the accident, Elliott, has been driving my bright red prized'94 Turbo ... although reluctantly. She's been lobbying for a big flashy SUV; proof the apple can fall far from the tree. However, after receiving a few compliments, including most recently, a young man - a complete stranger - attracted to her bright red car, stopping her in Harvard Square and waxing poetic about the virtues of the 940, I'm sensing a tiny bit of weakening in her resolve, not to be like her father.

The truth is my tall and attractive daughter looks pretty cool in the car, or is it just me living in the past. And some of her, less rich and more preppy friends, recognize it.

So, this afternoon she came to visit and we went canoeing on the Charles River in Needham, where we continued our car replacement discussion. I didn't tell her, I would like to avoid spending $20,000 right now to make her happy, but that's how I really feel. Besides, this forum has helped me develop some ability with the 940 and I think I can keep my fleet going for a long time. Problem is, if she doesn't drive one of them, I've got an extra on my hands, in addition to one she wrecked, which has become my parts car.

To my surprise she presented me with an opportunity: She said, she might consider keeping the 940, if I would consider installing speakers that would allow her to blast her ear drums into the next county. Hmmm. She said she was afraid she would end up blowing out the OEM speakers in the car at the volume she likes.

Of course this means she's been running the speakers at full blast and its still not loud enough for her. This troubles me for another reason, because with the radio that loud, she's missing important cues, such as, safety warnings, horns, squealing brakes, creaming children, etc.

Still, its an opportunity.

Any one have any experience with driving the sound system to a new level of intensity? It was always adequate for me, but my ears still function as they were intended. I jokingly said I'd get big stage speakers and install them in the way back of the wagon, but I realize this would not work. And, although I have little experience in the audio world, I do know that the speakers have to be matched, somewhat, to the power output of the radio. Presumably, Volvo, already engineer to system in the 940 for the optimum performance.

I guess what I'm looking for is that Eureka! type idea that someone might have. It makes no sense pulling out wiring and cobbling speakers into the almost pristine interior of the car, just so she can get a little more noise.

And, although I believe it is illegal, what about head phones? I imagine there are head phones available that would give her a lot of sound right at her ears and still allow for extraneous noise and danger signals to be heard.

There's my problem. Ideas anyone?


Bob Franklin