I love this thread - especially the part about neighbors thinking people that work on car are from the 1950s
:laugh3:

But the thing that I am surprised no one has mentioed is that all this is on a MB forum. Yes those cars of conspicuous consumption, not green 'yotas, or even the hippie-loved (and not so green) VWs, but MB! I love that MB owners are among the progressive repair and reuse, don't replace folks!

You guys rock!

This is why I bought my car -- right here (and some notion about being able to find fuel when oil dries up for good).

HOA's
 

I have a pathological hatred of "suburb Nazis". Unfortunately I can see the other side of the story. The trick is to find the kind of place where you have a two or three acre property and everyone is so far away from everyone else that nothing they do ever bothers anybody. And that also has excellent schools, and plenty of employment opportunity. That aint happening in the city... at least not in this one, unless you are a millionaire. My g/f and I are looking for houses right now and the only places we can find that in all honesty look like decent long term abodes are all in HOA's. I really hate that, but it doesn't look like there's much I will be able to do about it.

- Peter.

You also have to take into account how much your time is worth;

Say you make $250,000 a year, I'll use a 50 hour 50 week work year. Thats probably low, but whatever. $250,000/2,500=$100 an hour. So you would be better off working and paying someone to fix your car. You have to figure out what your time is worth, and what your free time is worth. If you are like a lot of people and work 60-80 hours 5-6 days a week, on your day off you don't want to be working on an old car. More so when you can spend $400 or so a month to lease something decent like a 325I.

Everyone is different, not everyone wants their car to be a hobby.

Personaly I'd rather play golf, fish, sail, skeet shoot, ski, or hang out with friends and family during my time off, vs busting my knuckles on some old part. Been their done that. Not to mention cars are the worst place in the world to put money. You know what they say, if it floats, fly's, drives or ****s rent it.:D

Hope your PA town is more tolerant than Reading. Went up there a few years ago to buy some spare DKW parts from a guy in Reading, He told me how the local zoning authorities came down on him like a ton-o-bricks for pouring a 4' x 4' concrete slab at his back door without a permit!
I'm just glad I found out about the latest Fairfax County ordinance before I shelled out $2000+ to have one of those 8' x 20' steel storage containers delivered. I'll just have to stick-build a shed to replace what's left of the old one in my backyard.

Happy Motoring, Mark

Well, if you ever want some help working on your Benz, I'll be happy to swing by and bring a local microbrew. As I wrenching noob, I won't be a lot of help but at least I can improve your impression of our local folk. I can also show off my "new" 300SD. :D

I honestly do not mind having a local garage work on my car.........BUT my problem has been that I have not found anyone that does as good if not better job than me for the stuff that I do. I am always afraid that something will get messed up as has been the case. So, until then, I will continue to work on my vehicles as time and knowledge permits. Fortunately, I still really enjoy the work.

Exactly. I am the same way. The dealer around here is o.k., but has broken stuff in the past, and then they charge you some more to fix what they broke. When I break something, its my fault, and the time...doesn't cost more.

Oh, and I surely will never be a person that works 60-80 hours a week...I'd rather be in a lower pay bracket. Those people work work work, are burned to a crisp by the time they retire(or die of stress/heart attack before that point), and have nothing but a pile of money (depending how they spend it, many don't even have that) to show for it. I'll take the lower-stress/lower-pay lifestyle. :) Its 100% possible to live perfectly comfortable and perfectly happy in the sub 100k (even sub 70k) pay bracket.

The best way I found to deal with annoying neighbors in a development with an HOA is to become president of that very same HOA. You'd be surprise how many people love to complain, but how few actually are willing to get off their keister and do something about it.

I prefer to ignore them completely. They have very little legal authority, all they can really do is file a civil suit and they are very unlikely to do that over normal day-to-day BS.

It is possible to be happy in the sub 30k pay bracket. I know. Buying stuff doesn't make you happy. It entertains you for a brief time before you get a hankering to buy something else newer or better.

My neighbors are totally different from me - one never wears a shirt and rides a harley, one pees on the side of his garage in broad daylight and blasts AC/DC in his driveway, and the other seems to collect ATVs and snowmobiles, but none of them look at me funny when I am all greasy rolling around under my SD in the driveway. I don't know what they say about me, but they're cool with me.

Personally, I rent a house and buy most things second hand, but at the moment, I have no real debt. What HAS put a dent in my happiness is starting to work full time, but I am trying to learn to manage myself internally so that I can be happy even when I am not doing things that are "fun."

I guess it shouldn't be a surprise on a forum about fixing old MBs, but it is cool to see so many people who value having a skill and investing in things that last. I grew up that way so I guess it is just how it has always been for me. My parents recently finally replaced their washer and dryer which had been in the house since before I was born (I'm 27). They still have their goldenrod refrigerator which also has been there my whole life.

Learning to do things for yourself is worth the time spent and money saved, because there very well may come a day when you don't have the money to pay someone else to do it, and no money will be able to teach you how to do it then, even if you do have it.

One must have balance in their life.

Its all about balancing work, in with your personal life. Acheive harmony and your golden.

I don't care if you make $30k a year or $1m you can still lead a balanced life.

.

Well that strategy went to hell :hanged:

Someone in the neighborhood turned me in for having "junk" cars in the back.

We have an acre per lot and they are in the back !!!

I guess it is impossible to keep everyone in the neighborhood happy.

At least the planning and zoning guy was apologetic.
He really did not want to do this to me, but he said his hands were tied
legally, and that the person had been calling repeatedly.

I have a good Idea who it is.
We have one of those neighbors about 5 houses down, who calls about everything.
I think if you farted on her she would find someone to call.

O well, now I get to buy shipping containers and put them out back.
Lets see how she likes those.

Have Fun Everyone !!
RichC
:joker:

And hope your area doesn't have regulations like the latest here in Fairfax County. Last summer the county board of supervisors passed a new ordinance, outlawing storage containers anywhere on residential property for any period longer than 30 days! I put up one of those $200 10' x 20' tube & tarp garages-in-a-box.
Those haven't been outlawed yet!

Happy Motoring, Mark

I would never move to an area with a HOA. If I did I would pretty much give them the big middle finger.

As long as we live our cookie cutter lives, drive cookie cutter cars, live in cookie cutter houses and do as all the other Lemmings, every thing will be just fine. But just step over the line, and some Socialist, or Communist will turn you in.
In America the land of the free etc... I guess we really aren`t. You buy your home, but it is really yours as long as as the County gets their rent money, (Property tax). Then have to get permission to do any thing to your property, in another tax called permit fees.

Iam a DIY, but the hair stands up on the back of my neck when someone trys to DITM (do it to me).

Iam lucky I guess, I rent now have owned two other houses but this is only temporary. only been 20 yrs so far. but I can pull engines, paint the vehicles with out any complaints from the landlord. OH, I live on 15 acres so I guess that helps some.
If we owned this place it would look like Pick N Pull :D. this would be a Mercedes rehabilitation center.
Lucky me I have a very understanding wife :gorgeous:.

WOW WE JUST HAD AN EARTH QUAKE!!!! FOR REAL. have to wait to see how big, shook pretty good for about 10 sec. maybe a 4.5??

Charlie

Looks like a 5.4....glad you're okay! :)

http://origin.mercurynews.com/news/ci_7325191

We are fine, I was at the computer, and all of a sudden things started creaking and shaking. we are alright, nothing broke or fell over. does wake you right up:eek:.
the monitor was bouncing back and forth along with the frig. the house did some good creaking and popping.

the 89 quake did some damage here. that was I think 8.9?
the news earlier said 5.6, but will find out more details at 11.

Just glad I wasn`t under the car like I was 3 weeks ago when I was replacing the engine. Up on jack stands and all.

Charlie