No 14" wheels for me. I was going to buy a really nice set on craigslist with dog dish hubcaps and supposedly good tires to upgrade from the 13" wheels currently on the car. I was going to buy them for $80.

Yesterday I told the seller I wanted to buy them and we agreed on meeting today at 2:30 at his home at 1484 S (street name will not be disclosed here) and to look for a big satellite dish and a tall tree. I told him I would be coming from Tacoma, so it would take maybe an hour to get there. I said I would call before I left to let him know I was on my way.

Today I called him before 1:00 to let him know I was going to be leaving; no answer, so I left a message. I called 3 more times and he did not answer his phone. So, I finally left him a message saying that I was on my way because otherwise I would not be able to get there on time for the appointment and beat rush hour traffic. I waited for him to return my call and then finally left (later than I wanted to).

I got to Seattle around 2:45. I think I passed 1484 S about 6 times and got lost in other streets, got on the freeway a couple times by accident, ended up on the wrong side of the freeway, before I found out how to pull in and park (I hate Seattle streets--not like in Utah where everything is on a grid system).

I got to 1484 S a little after 3:00. I saw the satellite dish and the big tree in front of a house that looked like it was abandoned. There was an apartment complex next to it with 1484 S written on it. I was really confused as to where to go. I knocked at the house a few times and no answer. The address on the house was 3426 or something like that, so it wasn't 1484 anyway. I knocked at a few of the doors at the 1484 S apartment complex and no one there knew anything about the wheels.

I walked around in the rain wondering what to do and tried to find a phone. I then drove to a pay phone and called the guy (still not answering his phone) and left a message. I finally left and got stuck in rush hour traffic that took 2 hours to get home.

So, needless to say, I am not happy. I cannot bring myself to endure another trip like that if the guy wants to meet again. If he wants to deliver them to me, then I will buy them.

This reminds me of the 3 hour trip I made one time to see a "good running W123 diesel Mercedes with 5 speed manual transmission for $300" after talking with the seller about it and asking him to look at the shifter carefully to be sure it was a 5 speed, not a 4 speed. He insisted it was 5 forward gears. I get there and the car won't start. Whatever, I don't care for the price just as long as it has the 5 speed transmission. Then I look at the shift knob and it shows 4 gears and reverse. The guy says, "Oh, I guess it is a 4 speed. I can get it started for you so you can test drive it." I said, "Don't bother, the transmission being different from what you said it was is a deal breaker."

The 200D did okay on the trip other than sometimes the brakes and clutch pedals felt a little strange sometimes (like cylinders need to be rebuilt) and shifting into reverse (or any gear, really) is a PAIN (probably need bushings at transmission end).

Maybe I will just get some cheap-o W123 14" steel wheels and full hubcaps. The car drives fine around town, it's just that on the freeway the engine doesn't like to do above 60-65 MPH and first gear seems very, very low. It's fine for driving to work, but for long trips, doing only 60 MPH the whole way is a drag.