Northern California Drive - May 22nd - Roll Call - Page 6 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

ROLLGUY · #76 05-22-2010, 10:55 AM

I would love to join the NorCal folks sometime, but today I will be with the SoCal folks at the No County San Diego GTG. I will follow this thread and maybe join you in the future. It is nice to see that Jim and maybe Dieselchater (Buzz) will be there, as they have attended a few SoCal events. Please post photos and let us know how it went....Rich

Rooster300SD · #77 05-22-2010, 08:57 PM

We had a great ride in the Delta today. Six cars showed up and
we had an absolutely beautiful ride with a couple of trips on the
ferry, which was an added bonus. Everyone was super nice and no
fistfights erupted at Foster's Bighorn Inn. Jim B is going to collect and
post all the photos.

SirNik, too bad you couldn't make it this time. Thanks for getting this thing rolling for everyone. Charlie has a whole photo album on his manual tranny
install. He's a real friendly guy and I know he could help you with your project.

Anyways, til next time.........

Jeff

Jim B. · #78 05-22-2010, 10:08 PM

Attendees:

1. Jeff "Rooster300SD", 1984 300SD

2. Jim, "Jim B" , 1990 560SEC (just repossessed)

3. Mike, "BioPower", 1999 E300 turbodiesel

4. Mike, "Beater", 1990 300SEL, with g/f

5. Chris, 1989 190E, with friend Brandon Lau

6. Charlie, "Charmalu", 1980 240D, with wife Adele

We met in downtown Rio Vista, and chatted for about 2 hours!! A fine assortment of older Mercedes Benzes, no two models alike, no two colors alike.

What a wonderful road going assortment of fine cars and caring owners.

Nik, I am so sorry you couldn't make it. Chris took over the leadership part of the drive and I followed and assisted as necessary... It was a wonderful route, cleverly planned (THANKS Nik!!!) and the roads were mostly 2 lane so all six cars stuck together in a caravan, headlights on, with occasional roadside stops to let other cars behind, go by.

As it was a Diesel Drive, but this time with 50% gassers, we cruised along at about 40-50 mph, taking in the small towns, like Isleton, Locke and Walnut Grove, and enjoying views of the marshlands, spring wildflowers, the levee, and the river.

The two ferry rides were simply... awesome...though of coursem too short!!!

We enjoyed a great lunch at Foster's Bighorn at the end, www.fostersbighorn.com and what a surprise *that* was for first timers!!!!

Yikes!!!

I did not have my camera, but others did, so I will post up the pic's from others as they arrive by email.

Unbelievably the weather held, till the end, and at the VERY MOMENT the gathering broke up, he heavens opened and it poured rain !!!

All in all a great time. We are not on as grand a scale as SO Cal, but we came from ALL OVER Nor Cal, and never would have been together without this.

We need another GTG !!

First photos in are from Mike "Beater" .. Thanks!!

As soon as I can fix the Photobucket login problem, I will start posting them on here!!!

Beater · #79 05-22-2010, 11:32 PM

We really enjoyed this first time GTG experience! Great to see everyone's rides, quite an eclectic collection, and interesting to learn about some other models, alternative fuels and all. Thanks for letting us gas folks join in.

Jim B. · #80 05-23-2010, 12:14 AM

Morning meet up at the market in Rio Vista, CA.

We gabbed for about 2 1/2 hours!!!

Jeff's "Rooster300SD" 1984 300SD, it has almost 500,000 miles on it.

You heard me.

And look how beautiful!

Charlie "charmalu" and Adele came up from Santa Cruz, in this classic beauty, a 1980 240D manual. What a classic. Last year of the lovely painted hubcaps over steelies!! Oldest car here today but what a gem!!!

Jim B. · #81 05-23-2010, 12:21 AM

The river road, and the levee gave us a sublime view of the countryside, small towns like Walnut Grove and Isleton; the spring wildflowers blooming, fantastic river views, and 40 mph cruising.

This of course, created tailbacks, and every now and then, we'd pull over and let the fast ones go by....an opportunity to stretch, and enjoy the view and gab, and for a photo op... This was near Courtland,...

All right boys, time to turn on the headlights again and SADDLE UP !!!

~~~~~

Next stop, the ferry crossings. Nik you did a heck of a job setting this one up.

Ima come back, next time with a date. It would be romantic as hell. I didn't ask anyone out cause I thought iit would rain and mess things up...

Jim B. · #82 05-23-2010, 12:32 AM

Brandon on the ferry ..

Jim B.'s SMOKE on the WATER (Smoke Silver '90 560SEC) and Mike's white '90 300SEL alongside

The ferry. It's public, and due to inflation and the high cost of living, it's now TWICE AS FREE as it was before!!!

Mike's 300SEL off the ferry. Are those Lorinsers on there?? They sure look great.

This is really beautiful country by the river road.

Next river crossing,

Next: the official line up of the cars in Rio Vista

Bondavi · #83 05-23-2010, 12:40 AM

SO who ate bison?

Jim B. · #84 05-23-2010, 12:51 AM

Left to right:

Jim B. 1990 Smoke Silver 1990 560 SEC The famous Repossessed car!!

See amazing story on BW, , over 300 posts and 8,000 hits.

link to repossession story of "the SMOKE", lots of pictures too :

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w126-s-se-sec-sel-sd/1518603-stealth-reposession-1990-smoke-1990-sec.html

Biopower 1999 E300 turbo diesel,

charmalu 1980 240D manual,

Rooster300SD 1984 300SD,

mb190e 1989 190E

Beater 1990 300SEL

lined up in Rio Vista, after lunch, in Foster's Big Horn, for more gabbing..

As if pre ordained, after a perfect day, we broke up at 3.30 pm.

And it began raining like crazy!!!

A perfect day!!!

Jim B. · #85 05-23-2010, 01:44 AM

thanks Jon!!!

Rooster300SD · #86 05-23-2010, 10:17 AM

Great Pix, everyone!
Thanks for putting these up, Jim.
Just one correction, though, my car has
done 250K not 500K . I wish!!

Get back to me in a couple of years......

Jeff

winecountryone · #87 05-23-2010, 09:43 PM

Damn,just saw all the posts on this SUNDAY.Too late must be my middle name!

Looks like a fun route,please PM me if you all do this again in the near future.I could bring the SL (under represented by the pics posted) or chime in with the diesel gang in my trusty 240D (all 67 screaming ponies and 305K miles!)

Maybe you could post about this in the vintage forum as well.
If anyone is interested in a wine country drive please let me know.I have a fun route we used to run with the miata group.It's hilly so not the best for anemic diesels like the 240's but could be adjusted depending on vehicle makeup.Plenty of side roads to explore as well.I grew up in the Napa valley and know lots of good roads and stopover points!

Jim B. · #88 05-23-2010, 10:23 PM

I just got in from ANOTHER drive today and am too tired after my day today, to post up the rest of the pictures.

There are quite a few more, from Chris and Jon that I will get to after some rest.

~~~~

The wine country tour took place AFTER we spent all morning on at the Very interesting Sacramento British car club meet in Woodland at the Yolo County fairgrounds, which the Euro Sunday internet club caravaned to from a starting point in the Roseville Galleria area. There must have been at least 50 cars that went, and we zipped out of there at 7:30am sharp to caravan down there. It was good fun..

It was a really good car show. Invaded mostly by GERMAN cars though from Euro Sunday. (Us and the later ones that showed up).

.

Afterwards, we went on a wine country tour:

A Volvo S60 borrowed from the guy's father, led, for part of the way, but mostly it was (remembering as best possible), a screaming banzai fast run, - (these guys REALLY haul ass!) with an Orange Porsche Boxter leading, followed by a brand new Nissan GTR coupe, (borrowed from his father who did not know the kid was going to do this with it), a BMW M3, myself in the repossessed SMOKE '90 560SEC, a BMW 330xi station wagon, a classic '72 Lanborghini, a new Mini Cooper, an Aston Martin Vantage convertible, and a full-on, raced Prepped Porsche 944.

This one was the opposite of yesterday's cruise, a balls to the wall fast run this time.

The old 20 year old Mercedes acquitted itself very well, in stock condition but it did NOT like being caned through the sharp twisting turns, it leaned and wallowed on its new Firestones, these cars are highway cruisers and DON'T like carving canyons, and they let you know it. VERY unlike my black AMG which does a lot better.

I had never been on these roads - they were fun.

There are a LOT of good roads for driving and cruising around here, I think...
for us to try.

This one was mMade more interesting and VERY challenging by all those cyclists, every one of them
pasty white people clad in those colorful little suits and helmets that make them look like aliens from an under funded planet - on both sides of the rode, having THEIR kind of fun

I believe it went from Woodland up Russell Blvd and involved Highway121 and 128, with some SERIOUSLY challenging twisties and came past Lake Berryesa and wound through some beautful scenery and came out to highway 29 and Rutherford, where we went to the Robert Mondavi parking lot and met up.

At my suggestion we went to the Oakville Grocery store and bought gourmet picnic lunches that we then took up the road to St Helena about 11 miles and ate in the V. Sattui shaded picnic area.

Great place for a date, which I had no time to ask for one. It was about 65*, just perfect weather.

So that is my excuse for not putting up the rest of the pictures.

The SMOKE ran good, too, she sretched her legs come down 80 from Newcastle to Rocklin that stretch like a bowling alley that is pretty deserted in the morning.

She * MAY * have touched a buck and a quarter on that stretch.

Depends on who was asking.

More pic's of the drive from Chris jon, and possibly others, will be coming up soon. Stay tuned.

dantheman67 · #89 05-23-2010, 11:52 PM

Hey Jim,

I just read your "Hollywood Script" of the Smoke Reposession on Benzworld-- the whole deal.

Nice!

I'm bummed I missed this meet, and all of you, cuz of Finals. Such is life though, and will be keeping an open eye for future meets.

Daniel

SirNik84 · #90 05-24-2010, 12:18 PM

Glad to hear the meet went well! I'm seriously bummed that I did not get to attend! glad you guys enjoyed the drive!

My dad and I were successful in rescuing his truck. on the way up to Weed we stopped at Conant Rd. kind of a family tradition.

I'm glad I got to spend time with my dad... But now we need to get started planning another MB meet!