That's rough ...:( ... do you get any help from insurance? If you're doing it yourself make sure to hit up the parts forum ... you could save a lot, or at least a little, hopefully, on parts $$$.

Somewhere here in the forum there is a discussion about fixing the seat with pool noodles. No really!! Lots of positive response. Might be the quick easy temporary fix. And as we all know, there is nothing so permanent as a temporary repair.:D

Check the oil cooler, keep an eye on it.

No insurance other than liability. Can't afford collision (unemployed). Been looking on this forum & elsewhere for parts prices. It's really amazing the range of prices out there for the same item.

Moon161- I gotcha! That is very high on my list of suspects. Thanks!

I am unemployed now. There is $250 worth of engine, tranny, and diff mounts sitting in my garage. As soon as I start receiving unemployment benefits (just got laid off a couple weeks ago) I will buy a jack and jackstands and install those.

I also found out today while I was watching the dudes at Discount rotate my wheels that I have a torn CV boot and my brakes are just about done. :-(

Pretty much unemployed with the lack of hours....

....Flex disks, I've been meaning to do these for ages. I saw a pic the other day of what can happen when they fail. It did some major damage, even broke some of the tranny. Hopefully they'll get done soon.

http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/i...9e888ae27e.jpg
:eek: ... my 240D survived major damage, fortunately we were going nice and slow when this happened. Hope you have a chance to get them done soon. I need to do them on my 300D, even though they don't look cracked yet.

Recycled
 

for new members

Yeah, definately not my favorite subject. Laid-off 2 years ago. 150 year old company I had been with for 10 years closed its doors. I can tell you with all certainty that you don't want to be over 50 and looking for work.

I had a very nice 560SL that was a casualty of my unemployment. I had a company car which of course is gone. I've been driving my daughter's car, but she is now back at her home in Iowa. I really don't need all the crap with my 350SD, but at least when it's done I'll sell off the extra parts.

I know of what you speak. Not long ago, I went through this situation of getting calls and phone interviews and once the personal interview came around, and they see how old you are, never getting a call back. There definitely is age discrimination out there. Look at it this way, in a few years you may be their boss and many interviewers are subliminally hesitant about that fact.

I finally decided that doing it on my own may be a better route to take. Working part time, sub-contract, for two different outfits and starting another business of my own may be a roller coaster but it sure beats the depression of the alternative unemployment and waiting for an answer. Take your time and add only what you can handle easily. I like finding things that I can work my own schedule because I loathe "punching a clock". Some days I work early, some late and some, not at all if I feel like going fishing. Sure money is tight at times and you'll probably have the IRS breathing down your neck (nearly every small business out there is/has dealt with them. As the commercials say "they are not your friend")

If you like wrenching, there are always folks here on the forum looking for parts for these old MB's. Do it honest and always cover your costs in the price and be sure to pay yourself, whatever you do.

There was always age discrimination in the Work Place.

Security Guard companies do not mind hiring older Folks like myself.

But, the job is boring, pay is low, Coworkers unreliable,the supervisors are not very good either.
They almost always have a lot of overtime because people just do not come to work when they are supposed to.
I have tried it 3 times. Stayed 3months at one place, 1 year at another and almost 2 at one place.

There is a big shortage of Supervisors in the Security Industry. The Pay is low and the Employees are not reliable when it comes to showing up to work. Supervisors get blamed for what the Employees do.

If you have the funds, time and interest and can learn something serious like being an Nurse, X-ray Tech, Respiratory Therapist, Physical Therapist and so on you may find the age issue

Well it is two and a half years since this thread originated. I do not really know if the employment scene is better or worse now. I do not take the pulse of it. If better I assume only marginally so.

The noticiable thing to me is the price increases since then up here in Canada. On many things they seem quite pronounced. . Everyone has to make a living. Yet with many prices that are now current and I expect to still inflate further. It is no joke for many families.

They say that necessity is the mother of invention. For some people they will have to invent a way to make a living if the present senario continues. There is little doubt that more and more general manufacturing is still increasing outside north american borders.

All I am pretty certain of is that it took a lot of years to arrive at this point. It will take a lot of years I suspect to climb back out even if it is possible.

I would tell any young person starting out to get whatever mainstream career education they want, but to learn some sort of trade as well. Something always needed and that can be done for cash: tow truck driver, barber, roofer, basic plumbing, even being decent at putting paint on walls.

Something one can turn to when the wolf is in the front yard.

Better statistically, which is to say the jobs aren't what we used to refer to as good jobs.

Absolutely. The price of food has only begun its rise, from what I can tell. I am single but overextended due to my own stupidity. I cannot imagine what working people with a family are having to do to get by, between the price of food and the ridiculous property and rental markets in some part of the country.

Possible but it will take so much time. We have become accustomed to having piles of personal possessions, the ownership of which is only possible at Chinese-labour prices. But then we get Chinese quality, which means the whole exercise is a dog eating its tail as the stuff isn't remotely durable or repairable.

I heard an interesting reflection the other day: the 'personal storage facility' industry didn't exist 20 years ago in Canada. Now they're springing up everywhere.

We're drowning in our cr@p.

Sorry I guess I took this even further off topic. I had never actually seen this thread before and it's very sobering.

Yes developing misc skills that are always markatable is a good ideal. Too many young people do not bother now. They seem to be almost totally involved with developing social skills alone. A lot of my generation did develop various skills for many reasons as well at the same time.