Hi fellow MB diesel owners,

I recently relocated to Los Angeles, somewhere in between WestLA and Beverly Hills. The sort of place where the sound of the word "Mercedes" promptly inspires a mechanic to demand $150 just for opening the hood...

A few months have gone by and now my 1979 240D (my first MB diesel, bought in March 2005) desperately needs that I perform some maintenance work (cooling system servicing, manual transmission fluid, differential, etc.
- she also needs a good engine wash...)

Unfortunately, I live in a antiseptic building in which garage there are signs posted that read "working on your car is absolutely prohibited." Same goes for about every public parking lot that I've seen around here, it seems... Basically, I live in an expensive environment, but on a low budget.

However, I know there must be some place around here for guys like us who like to take personally care of their gems. So, would you kindly let me know of any places where this type of work can be done undisturbed? How do you go about doing maintenance work on your car? It would be great also to hear about any shortcuts you employ to get under your car, for instance places you can park your car in a way that facilitates reaching underneath it, etc. I have a basic set of tools I can use to take care of things, I just lack a proper environment where to do it.

Your help in this matter would be very greatly appreciated.

Rino

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1979 240D, W123, 105K miles, stick, white w/ tan interior.

Hi Rino,

Having wasted the best years of my life in higher learning institutions, a university campus is a good place to do this. Find out where the graduate student housing is located at say, UCLA. Grad student dorms have a tendency to be slums of the campus and there'll be some mechanics activity there (mainly survival stuff like brake jobs and lubes). If you find a big enough complex you might be able to blend in.

I worked on many a car in Escondido Village at Stanford. My friends from ME rebuilt automatic transmissions and engines there. Nobody says anything because they know it is either wrench the car or ride the bus. Behind my graduate research lab there was a huge loading dock area with lifts and a gantry rail. The faculty or campus cops never said anything about my "autoshop" back there because they knew I made it possible for a large number of their students to live on the lousey stipend they paid us.

My landlord of those years really hated me wrenching. He'd come out and say, what's that! I'd say calmly, that is a water pump, water enters on this side, hits the spinning impellers here and is ejected at a higher pressure on this side. What he meant was whats this damn mess in my driveway (I lived in a cottage on a rich f..k's estate).

Lets see, what else is creative? I'd put out a want ad at the local grocery store on those little cards. There must be some little old lady who would let you wrench for $100/day in her driveway the way social security is now. I know in SF there is actual shop space with compressed air and 220V for rent to guys doing short term projects, maybe there is something like that in LA? I found that on craigslist.

I feel for you. Been there done that. You're just going to have to get creative or make some gear head buddies. You can go stealth as well. Go to the neighboring apartment complex and find a door number you like. When security comes by say, "yeah, that's right, I live in 5A what are you going to do about it?" Fight those condo nazis at every turn.

One of these new aluminum floor jacks is a great way to go stealth. They are really light (35#). When they started getting cheap I dreamed of how I would have loved one of these while finding places around campus to change my oil. You know, if you keep your hood down, it is really hard for people to figure out what you are doing. Heck, you can say you're checking the oil.

Good luck,
Yoko

Go to Eat LA and do what they do. Work on them in the street. Drain the oil into the gutter. And leave all yor trash on the curb. Hell that's how they do it.

That sounds like a cool restaurant. I like BBQ King myself.

Rino, I live not far from you, in the miracle mile area. I live in a house and work on my driveway, and even then, I can tell that some of the neighbors are frowning as they pass by me wallowing in grease under the car. (except one guy across the street who brings me beer).


I've never been kicked out of an auto parts shop parking lot for doing repairs.

__________________
J. S. Park

'82 240D Manual 240D (sold)
'83 300D-T 230k (sold)
'84 300D-T 118k (sold)

BTW,

Is there a Los Angeles MB Diesel club? Anyone interested in getting together at a park or something and talking about our cars?

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J. S. Park

'82 240D Manual 240D (sold)
'83 300D-T 230k (sold)
'84 300D-T 118k (sold)

Even though you're not "supposed" to work on your car in the parking lot of a Pick-And-Pull type auto wrecking yard, the employees never seem to care. I've seen engine swaps happen in the parking lot. As a bonus, they have the proper facilities there for recycling coolant, oil, etc.

I had my first neighbor come by the other night and specifically take their childs stroller and themselves across the street (no crosswalk) to the other side and then cross back over after my driveway...

Around here...that gets you smoke blasted up your butt...snooty in my neighborhood = unacceptable.

We have some neighbors notorious for throwing a fit about noise. The other night I was tuning a dual carb Type III VW Squareback (anyone who knows those knows what I mean......) and it was taking some time. Most of the time was idle so it wasn't THAT loud. The engine is brand new and has a glass pack on it and a 1 over stock cam (mild).

The clock struck 10pm and they rang up the police. (city quiet time) Me, without my scanner, was with a smile when they showed up to my house. Atleast I didn't have to serve time this time!!!

Everyone else around my neighborhood loves VW and appreciates some college kids out in the driveway bringing an old beast back to life...some...don't...

Was that a 1st gear 3000RPM clutch drop I just did in front of your house? Nah

Normally I wouldn't complain but...he is out there at 7am since I was born mowing his lawn, running his leaf blower, vac. the cars, etc etc. on a Sunday morning... *sigh*


Weigh your options...try some stuff...try not to get evicted.

jsp, if you happen to plan a GTG, PM or email me i'll see if I can be there too. The weather seems to be cooling down so an outdoor meeting seems more reasonable now.

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1974 240D 3.0L 4(M) - 250K -OM617.910 + 300D FW + Rajay turbo power!
1977 6.9 3(A) - 84k

Hi Yoko,

I'll check out UCLA...

A little old lady letting me wrench in her driveway for $100 a day? LOL
I was hoping more for some MB Diesel owner in my area with private
garage space with whom to establish a mutually beneficial friendship...

I did consider an aluminum floor jack briefly some time ago, then read about
advice against relying exclusively on it here in the forum (being that car
might collapse on you while underneath if not secured also by other means)...

Thanks for your long and thoughtful response.

Rino

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1979 240D, W123, 105K miles, stick, white w/ tan interior.

Hi J. S.,

that's a great idea!!! Why not organize a get together on a Sunday, so that
we (MB owners in this area) can all meet and talk and more?

a private message is on the way...

Rino

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1979 240D, W123, 105K miles, stick, white w/ tan interior.

speedy300Dturbo: the auto wrecking yard idea seems doable...
Anyone knows of such places around the West LA area?


Brandon: I know the feeling... In my neighborhood, unfortunately, it is
totally unacceptable too...

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1979 240D, W123, 105K miles, stick, white w/ tan interior.

Head on over to my neighborhood. You can work in the street and nobody cares. It's a school zone too so people only go 20mph over the speed limit but the street is 5 lanes wide so you won't get clipped by passing cars with the doors open.

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1974 240D 3.0L 4(M) - 250K -OM617.910 + 300D FW + Rajay turbo power!
1977 6.9 3(A) - 84k

A water hose anywhere in sight? That would be fantastic...

Seriously, how do you get under your car when working in the street?

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1979 240D, W123, 105K miles, stick, white w/ tan interior.

To: Rino, diametricalbenz, and any others interested in getting together in L.A.

Weekends are bad for me, but a midweek evening would work. Yes, a restaurant with large parking lot would be nice. The only place I can think of with a large parking lot and owners who wouldn't mind this kind of thing is Tommy's at Beverly and Rampart. Of course we would have to be careful not to look like some kind of gang (but me being almost 40, wearing costco clothes, and driving a 240, not likely).

What do you think?

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J. S. Park

'82 240D Manual 240D (sold)
'83 300D-T 230k (sold)
'84 300D-T 118k (sold)

Haven't been to that Tommy's location but it sounds good. Suggest a day and time and I will see if I can make it. My work and other related work duties make my days strange but I think we can work something out.

A 240D gang? That is an amusing thought. They're not good getaway cars...not that I know that firsthand

__________________
1974 240D 3.0L 4(M) - 250K -OM617.910 + 300D FW + Rajay turbo power!
1977 6.9 3(A) - 84k