Hello again, big day for the car!!!!!! =fingers crossed=

For the AAA: what happens, depends on the member ship year on your card,
they count from that: ie, for instance if it says 11-21-06- 11-21-07 that would be the "year" you have.....

You get three calls per year on the CSAA card:

For tows, out of gas, battery jump, anything:

So----for save them all for the Volvo. For the Mercedes, You have lifetime free Roadside:

I think I mentioned it to you before (but if not) just call 1-800-FORMERCEDES and they will send out to you (for free) a Mercedes ML or tow truck from the dealer. You get a free jumpstart, tire change, or couple of gallons of gas if you run out. (Once I told them to get me a new battery and they installed one in the rain, for only the cost of the battery - no labor charge, no trip to the dealer or Autozone - great!!!!)

But if you have it towed, it will be to the Mercedes dealer - NOT to a shop like MrMB.. guess why.

Best of all, you are Automatically covered. Just have proof you own the Mercedes. It covers ANY car ...as long as it as a Mercedes.....no matter how old.....I don't think it matters if it is a gray market Euro one....(though for an OLD gray market car, you are not going to be on the top ten on the Mercedes Benz "Dealer's Hit Parade"

And it is a LIFETIME service .....you can call them 100 times a year......
After the first call to them, you are in the computer, so next time they will just verify what is there, before they call

Out in the country, they contract the tow truck. You might even get the SAME ONE the AAA would use. Ask me how I know.....

That's why I say....use 1-800FORMERCEDES instead of AAA

For towing, have it FLATBEDDED every time. Otherwise, if it is on the "hook" from the rear the rear diff. fluid will get overheated and cooked, More in you owners manual about that.


FOR AAA: After THREE calls to them for their Roadside, you will get a letter memorializing when and where you had them, and the date and place where they came, and for what car (but not what they were for) and advising you

1. You had your 3 bites at the apple (for free)

2. You PAY them for fourth one - will be billed to you - but they will still come

3. Four is the limit for a membership year. And for a tow, you pay whatever the tow truck asks for over a 5 mile tow - directly to the driver.

Also - They MIGHT cancel your AAA member ship and probably will, if you get SEVEN bites of the apple off them in ONE membership year, or TWELVE, total, in TWO consecutive membership years.

And the reason I know..........ahem.........is because I got a letter from them like that.........(hides face).......it is right here. I called on the Subaru Outback three times so far this year for service from AAA. Used MB roadside for the Mercedes

And I have to make it all the way to Christmas..............it is so far away.

I haven't used that car for a week. Need to get groceries, will it start?

Save your Apple bites for the Volvo. Use MB roadside for the Mercedes calls.
Unless for a tow - Mr MB and Enrique is better and cheaper than a Mercedes and I think is only place they Mercedes MB ROadside tows you - to the Mercedes dealer - which might not want to fix the car or deal with it well
-----Probably half the Mercedes dealer techs were not even BORN when the car was new in '83. I exaggerate, but you DO get the point....

Hope this isn't too late.........For the Mercedes, bite the Mercedes Roadside apple.... it is free......you get as many free bites as you need.

For the other car, use the AAA, and count the bites.

For the older cars, I would think that the EXTENDED (AAA Plus) towing you can get for higher yearly dues is worth it. I only used it once (When the Mercedes muffler dropped off its hangars - but it was worth it, as it was FAR over 5 miles away from where I needed to go)

Just a thought.

Thanks for the tips about hotels around, maybe there is a car rental place around. It is not like SF where I am from, bus every few mintues and you can walk most places you need. I often walked home from the Volvo shop that I used. Never heard of the town you live in and thought I knew most of them.

Best of luck.

For plug wires, use BERU, they are best. Ask Enrique though what he thinks

From your pictures, and description, it sounds like a VERY powerful, unique car in excellent shape, even with the miles, (which mean little on a battleaxe like a 500SEC) with choice gray market parts on it.

It is amazing it came complete with all those books and some records through an AUCTION to some curbstoner. And has a good pedigree - ONE owner only, the curbstoner and the auction got skipped in the chain of title, so probably you get recorded on DMV records as the second owner - remarkable for an '83. Usually they have been through 4 or 5, at least by now

MORE amazing, the car was right near you a few miles away, and the seller, tried to help. Though of course he lied about the ownership at first, which was mean.

When I first saw your post about it here, I ALMOST thought it looked fishy and was going to tell you to run away, but then I read it again and studied my pink slip and it looked like MAYBE it could work if the papers were signed off legally. Those charities like that are registered dealers too and have to be careful. Otherwise their dealer license gets pulled.

Looks like the car REALLY was meant for you.

I'd definately go to a junkyard this weekend and get the two license plate brackets and screws for them there. As I mentioned above, with a screwdriver crescent wrench and rattle can of WD40 with luck you could maybe find a pair for under $20 if you pull them.

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)