Parts Catalog Accessories Catalog How To Articles Tech Forums
Call Pelican Parts at 888-280-7799
Shopping Cart Cart | Project List | Order Status | Help



Go Back   PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum > Mercedes-Benz Tech Information and Support > Diesel Discussion

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #16  
Old 04-17-2006, 01:57 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: NJ
Posts: 1,182
The self sacrifice of a 123 convinced my wife to give the green light on a 126. .

Airbags and crumple zones are good when hitting solid objects but it's nice to have mass.

I feel safer in my 126 than I do in the 03 wrx, 94 legend or 78 530i.

__________________
82 300D....went to MB heaven
90 350 SDL....excercising con rods
Reply With Quote
  #17  
Old 04-17-2006, 02:05 PM
rudolfgreen's Avatar
registered cruiser
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: HI
Posts: 556
if idiots think a few mph over the speed limit is too slow..
than just move a little bit slower.
Reply With Quote
  #18  
Old 04-17-2006, 02:08 PM
Hatterasguy's Avatar
Zero
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Milford, CT
Posts: 19,318
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian Carlton
I've got a good story about CT.

I've been commuting to CT for the business for about 16 years. Back in 1991, the state decided to rebuild the I-95 freeway and all the ramps in the area of Bridgeport.......about a 4 mile stretch or so. It was a big project and involved the addition of several lanes and some service roads.

They started construction on this section sometime in 1993-1994 time period.

Would you believe it........if I told you that they are still working on it.........12 years later?

They are no where near done. Expecialy since that girl smacked a fuel truck causing it to jack knife and burn down a recently completed bridge. These construction projects will be going on forever.

NJ is the worst though, it seems like everytime I see another car "drafting" it has a NJ plate on it.

SOP is 95mph in the left lane 2ft from the guy in front of you.
__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200
Reply With Quote
  #19  
Old 04-17-2006, 02:34 PM
deniss's Avatar
'84 300SD W126/OM617
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Central NJ, USA
Posts: 452
Ok, I'm from NJ and it's not that much worse than elsewhere. I've lived in Missouri, California, driven cross-country, driven in PA, VA, MD, DE, NC, SC, NY, and others. Of those, Midwest drivers have been more calm and friendly. But when it comes to NorthEast, it's all the same mess - more agressive drivers all over the mid-Atlantic! NJ drivers are bad, but they are not any worse than PA or NY or VA drivers that I've encountered on Interstates.

It's best not to get into any road comminication with anyone and try to yield to the worst tailgaters. I don't like being who are aggressive on the road, but rather than try to voice my frustration with them, I try to just let them by and keep my driving low-stress.

I haven't seen myself being treated more negatively on the road just because I'm in a Benz - it's all about the same, I think. Just depends who you run into and how you handle it.

I was at the DMV recently and saw a few classic Benzes on the parking lot getting registered :-D
Reply With Quote
  #20  
Old 04-17-2006, 02:36 PM
mbzkid's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 360
The only time I feel unsafe is when I pass traffic. The benz makes me drive fast on the highway for some reason which leads to big differences in speed.

I just wish everyone could drive "right." Drive right, pass left.
__________________
1976 BMW 2002- 100k
1995 BMW 325i 175k
1984 Mercedes Benz 300D Turbo Diesel- 270,000 mi

1981 Mercedes Benz 240D- Estimated 300,000+ mi Returned to the earth
Reply With Quote
  #21  
Old 04-17-2006, 02:45 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: NJ
Posts: 1,182
Quote:
Originally Posted by mbzkid
The only time I feel unsafe is when I pass traffic. The benz makes me drive fast on the highway for some reason which leads to big differences in speed.

I just wish everyone could drive "right." Drive right, pass left.
I used to drive my 123 faster than I do my 126.
The 126 puts me in grandpa/limo mode.
A smile and a wave goes a long way in keeping stress levels low.
__________________
82 300D....went to MB heaven
90 350 SDL....excercising con rods
Reply With Quote
  #22  
Old 04-17-2006, 03:30 PM
mbzkid's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 360
I usually let the tailgaters pass and let them run "rabbit." The best radar detector money can buy.
__________________
1976 BMW 2002- 100k
1995 BMW 325i 175k
1984 Mercedes Benz 300D Turbo Diesel- 270,000 mi

1981 Mercedes Benz 240D- Estimated 300,000+ mi Returned to the earth
Reply With Quote
  #23  
Old 04-17-2006, 03:39 PM
Cabernet red, actually
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Willamette Valley, OR
Posts: 503
To get back to the point of this thread, I DO feel a lot safer in my w123 than I would in a modern-day plastic car. Although I should say that I saw the aftermath of a Corvette-U-Haul accident recently and the crumple zones on the 'Vette looked like they really worked; by the look of the cabin the guy could have walked out, amazingly.

And even if there weren't so many SUVs on the road there would still be 18-wheelers, and around here they've got the long load trucks carrying up to three trailers. Man, I HATE those things! There's just too much wind turbulence when you try and pass them, let alone if it's raining.

But back to drivers in the various parts of the country; ever hear of the Rhode Island slide? That's what you get when you realize you're not in the right lane, you realize you're about to pass your exit, and you make a mad turn for it anyway.
__________________
Ralph

1985 300D Turbo, CA model
248,650 miles and counting...
Reply With Quote
  #24  
Old 04-17-2006, 03:51 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Seattle
Posts: 35
Somebody on your back flashing headlights.. Hell yeah, that would be me! If you're in the left lane and you have lots of space in front of you and the right lane is moving at the same speed as you - MOVE OVER. Now tailgating is just plain rude and unsafe, but I don't see any problem if I ask somebody to give way via headlights. It actually works about half of the time. The other half the nut in front just gets a bit nuttier and gets him/herself closer to their grave by generating all the negativity they generate.

Now I don't know about a 240D with a slushbox, but my newly acquired 240D 4-speed doesn't give me a slightest bit of trouble on the interstate or local highways. Yes it's slow. You need to drive it differently than a modern car. But if you're aware of what's going on around you and actually pay attention to what others are doing and where they want to go, and cooperate - everything will be fine. I drove slow cars before and I've never had anyone get mad at me for going too slow. Not a single time.

So I guess my answer to the question in this thread is - it depends. If you want to drive as if you were in a 6000lbs SUV and didn't give a damn about other drivers - hell yeah, W123 is not good for that. If you drive it like it needs to be driven though, it's just fine on any road.
__________________
'81 M-B 240D 4-speed 132Kmi
'98 BMW 528i 5-speed/sport 125Kmi
'93 VW Eurovan GL 5-speed 166Kmi
'00 Hon RC51
'04 Suz SV650 track dog
'89 Yam FZR250R
Reply With Quote
  #25  
Old 04-17-2006, 03:52 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Seattle
Posts: 35
Quote:
Originally Posted by mbzkid
I usually let the tailgaters pass and let them run "rabbit." The best radar detector money can buy.

I call them "sponsors".
__________________
'81 M-B 240D 4-speed 132Kmi
'98 BMW 528i 5-speed/sport 125Kmi
'93 VW Eurovan GL 5-speed 166Kmi
'00 Hon RC51
'04 Suz SV650 track dog
'89 Yam FZR250R
Reply With Quote
  #26  
Old 04-17-2006, 03:56 PM
Cabernet red, actually
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Willamette Valley, OR
Posts: 503
Quote:
Originally Posted by dakh
If you're in the left lane and you have lots of space in front of you and the right lane is moving at the same speed as you - MOVE OVER.
Amen to that.

Congrats on the purchase, BTW.
__________________
Ralph

1985 300D Turbo, CA model
248,650 miles and counting...
Reply With Quote
  #27  
Old 04-17-2006, 04:01 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Seattle
Posts: 35
Quote:
Originally Posted by Maroon 300D
To get back to the point of this thread, I DO feel a lot safer in my w123 than I would in a modern-day plastic car. Although I should say that I saw the aftermath of a Corvette-U-Haul accident recently and the crumple zones on the 'Vette looked like they really worked; by the look of the cabin the guy could have walked out, amazingly.
I think you're kidding yourself. Crash protection got way better since w123 was designed. I wouldn't be surprised if the cheapest Korean econobox sold today is safer in a lot of situations than a w123. It will have airbags, crumple zones and all the knowledge that we got from 25 years of research and testing going for it, and that's a lot.

Quote:
And even if there weren't so many SUVs on the road there would still be 18-wheelers, and around here they've got the long load trucks carrying up to three trailers. Man, I HATE those things! There's just too much wind turbulence when you try and pass them, let alone if it's raining.
Unlike the SUV's, those big rigs are driven by very well trained pros who don't have kids in the back seat, attitude problems, etc. When have you last seen a serious accident with an 18-wheeler? The only bad one I remember is on hwy 17 in Santa Cruz mountains when an 18-wheeler's breaks failed and he crashed into a pile of cars. But those are very rare.

Quote:
But back to drivers in the various parts of the country; ever hear of the Rhode Island slide? That's what you get when you realize you're not in the right lane, you realize you're about to pass your exit, and you make a mad turn for it anyway.
I lived all over US and I don't think it's specific to any particular area. Driving habits do differ a lot, but this thing is pretty much universal
__________________
'81 M-B 240D 4-speed 132Kmi
'98 BMW 528i 5-speed/sport 125Kmi
'93 VW Eurovan GL 5-speed 166Kmi
'00 Hon RC51
'04 Suz SV650 track dog
'89 Yam FZR250R
Reply With Quote
  #28  
Old 04-17-2006, 04:03 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Topsham, ME
Posts: 106
Quote:
Originally Posted by Maroon 300D
ever hear of the Rhode Island slide? That's what you get when you realize you're not in the right lane, you realize you're about to pass your exit, and you make a mad turn for it anyway.
I was following a friend of mine in Dallas, TX and he pulled one of those, so I had to as well, 4 busy lanes of traffic and me in a little VW jetta pulling a U-Haul trailer. Not to mention the off ramp was kinda tight, I sware I had that trailer on one wheel all the way around the off ramp. I proptly pulled over, yelled at my friend and proceded to smoke an entire pack of cigs.
__________________
2003 VW Passat GLS 1.8t wagon 73k mi
1998 Dodge Dakota Sport 228k mi
1974 VW Karmann Ghia Coupe 74k mi (for sale)
Reply With Quote
  #29  
Old 04-17-2006, 04:10 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Seattle
Posts: 35
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian Carlton
It will consist of a small tank of diesel fuel (with some added waste crankcase oil), a pump, and two nozzles that are mounted to the rear bumper.

What do you plan for the ignition part of the deal? I think just a coil with decent current on it would work, but it will take a little while for it to heat up - might miss the target..
__________________
'81 M-B 240D 4-speed 132Kmi
'98 BMW 528i 5-speed/sport 125Kmi
'93 VW Eurovan GL 5-speed 166Kmi
'00 Hon RC51
'04 Suz SV650 track dog
'89 Yam FZR250R
Reply With Quote
  #30  
Old 04-17-2006, 04:32 PM
Old300D's Avatar
Biodiesel Fiend
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 1,883
Quote:
Originally Posted by dakh
What do you plan for the ignition part of the deal? I think just a coil with decent current on it would work, but it will take a little while for it to heat up - might miss the target..
Ignition? I thought the idea was to oil the road and make the tailgater lose control.


__________________
'83 240D with 617.952 and 2.88
'01 VW Beetle TDI
'05 Jeep Liberty CRD
'89 Toyota 4x4, needs 2L-T
'78 280Z with L28ET - 12.86@110
Oil Burner Kartel #35

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b1...oD/bioclip.jpg
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On




All times are GMT -4. The time now is 12:45 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2024 Pelican Parts, LLC - Posts may be archived for display on the Peach Parts or Pelican Parts Website -    DMCA Registered Agent Contact Page