There is nothing that makes me feel more low on self esteem than visiting a Mercedes Dealer to get Parts--posh clients in nice clothes, suits and designer dresses, sitting around waiting for their $60,000 cars and reading the Wall Street Journal, and throwing each other surreptitious glances to see if a prospective business partner or contact is sitting there----lawyers, bankers, spoiled Kids, new money, old money, businessmen, doctors---in I come in Black socks, High Tops, T shirt and Grease all over my face--- when I was younger I used to feel I had One up on them--I could make my own Car and they had to buy it--but I'm 44 now, I guess I know how the world runs... I never wanted power, money or expensive clothes--just wanted to have a good time without hurting anyone...Maybe I should see a Shrink..hey anyway I'm 44 and I still can run a 6 minute mile at 215 pounds...

I hear you. Good thing Smythe in San Jose has the parts counter in a separate building.

Sixto
95 S420
87 300SDL

I buy Benz because I love them, not because I have some deepseated need to show off how much money I can spend.

I also generally know at least as much about the parts I'm getting than the guy behind the counter does, and I long ago learned that apperances can be decieving.

If it makes you feel better, you can always remind yourself that those Suits don't OWN the cars, they lease them (as in rent, since they can't afford them), have a mortgage that would make a strong man faint 30 years ago, and average $40,000 in credit card debt. If they fish through their wallet looking at credit cards at check-out time, double it.

After all, it ain't the flash boys that make the world go round, it's the plain ordinary people who go to work every day....

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

Purchased, leased or stolen, it takes a heck of a cashflow position to have an MB serviced at an MB dealership.

Sixto
95 S420
87 300SDL

Bullshi.... Don't even think about the fact that those people wear fancy clothes and drive $60K cars. Most of them are in debt up to their eyeballs and never will actually own their own M/B. They either lease the damn thing or the bank owns it and they make the payments on it. Their credit cards are in the same sad shape. They have $25K in debt and they make the minimum payment. They have to go to the stealer and get ripped off to fix their car (after the warranty expires) because they cannot even open the hood to check the damn dipstick!

I'll bet that you don't owe a damn thing on your M/B and that you probably don't have any credit card debt, either! Hold your head high and laugh all the way to the bank at those ass*****. I do.

The flashy people never have any money, it is the guy in ordinary cloths that probably paid cash for a new S-class.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Hattman makes a good point,

In my experience, those with money (not multiple morts, 12 credit cards) appear to be quite ordinary. They may have a nice car, nice house etc, but much of their hard earned income is working for them. Not in $1000 suits, hair gel, $150 hair cuts etc. Maybe it's the midwest...

No. Why do I have to feel uncomfortable around them? I don't care what they (people with the newer Benzes) think. I'm just there to pick up my part(s), and go home. Anyway, at Star Motors, the parts dept is in the back, away from the snobs in the front.
-Joe

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'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

People are people, they are no different. The only difference is 3# of grey matter between their ears.

Some live in debt over their heads, only 90 days away from bankruptcy, only to impress people they don't even know or like.

Others, live within their means and know that if everything fails tomorrow they will just pick themselves up again.

There are those who are very successful, and have failed many times, that recognize that it is about character. Try striking up a conversation with someone like that sometime and you will see what I mean.

No, I have no problem here other than knowing that as I pay at the dealership I am spending far more than I would be with Phil (FastLane) for convenience only...

I own 2 - 60K autos that combined I bought for less than 3K and you know what? They run because I care not because I can afford them...

I look at those guys and say "Man, I sure am glad that I am what I am." A diesel nut in my late 40's. Why I have yet to explain other than this forum has given me the insight to own a car like I own.
Now what bugs me is they might think they are doing better than me... but you know what? I'll be buying their perceived "dead" car in 5 years and I'll be having a ball driving that which they have thrown away because they have no sense of value.

My two cents.

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'99 S420 - Mommies
'72 280SE 4.5 - looking to breathe life into it
'84 300SD Grey - Sold
'85 300SD Silver - Sold
'78 Ski Nautique

Eugene Mercedes in Eugene OR treats you like a king even if you park right in front of their showroom window in your mud covered MB with a red hood one black door and the rest brush painted barn roof silver..............

william Rogers..........

I love walking into my local dealership covered in Diesel fuel and grease. You have to walk right through the middle of the showroom to get to the parts counter and I don't miss a chance to look at every prospective customer and say "how y'all doing today?, MB sure does make some fine cars don't they? - I bought mine here last year and I only have to work on it 2 or 3 days a week"

there are a lot of people out there who are socially successful, and financially successful and have a great career and can afford this car new...there are also a lot of people out there without a computer, dreams or education and or have a debilitating handicap..I know it sounds corny but just being here in the States, I have been more than fortunate and at least I have some ability and the chance to work on a Mercedes

.......and you can be damn proud of that.

Looks can definitely be deceiving.

I used to sell cars at a one of those "high-octane" dealers off a maojor hwy in New Jersey.

One fine Saturday, near closing time, two customers pull in;

An elderly gentleman wearing overalls, and what appeared to be a business exec.

There were two of us doing nothing at the time and I took the older guy and Steve(veteran slesperson, know it all) takes the exec. He was always "pre-judging" potential customers based on their "look".

30 minutes later, the older guy(retired,pension,paid off house, no debt) is signing a lease for a brand new Grand Cherokee(think battle tanks of mid-80' are, about 30 k at the time) and the exec was so far in debt he couldn't finance a loaf of bread.

I made $1000.00 and Steve got nothing.

Appearance is not always everything.

.02

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Enough about me, how are you doing?