I live in Midland, Tx and can offer you a place to stay. We've got two comfortable couches and plenty of tools and a quiet street if you need to do any work on the car. The place where I work makes Biodiesel, and its some of the best I've ever put in my car. 2.50 per gallon, too.

If your Ausie roommate wants to see Texas, then Midland is a good start. Lots of oil field stuff to see from the highways, and the speed limits are higher. gets up to 80mph on the I-20 and I-10 west of Midland and two lane roads are 70 or 75. Lots of long horn cattle, and tumbleweeds, etc.

I made the trip to between Midland and San Francisco several times before I moved here, once on motorcycle 4 times in the 240D. I'd go down to LA and take I-10 and I-20 over to Texas. The desert in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas is quite a sight at sunset.
If you're going to Phoenix anyway, you might as well take the southern route, and Midland is right on the way. And Its pretty much a 5-6 hour shot from Phoenix to LA. PM me if you're interested.

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'82 240D 224K miles manual transmission
mods: wooden 4by4 bumper, EGR delete and older EX manifold without EGR port, glass pack muffler (cheapest replacement muffler), rebuilt bosch injectors with Monark nozzles

working on: aux electric fuel pump, coolant/fuel heat exchanger/filter head, afterglow, low oil pressure buzzer/LED

Yeah, but I-5 ... sucks ... and stinks

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'82 240D 224K miles manual transmission
mods: wooden 4by4 bumper, EGR delete and older EX manifold without EGR port, glass pack muffler (cheapest replacement muffler), rebuilt bosch injectors with Monark nozzles

working on: aux electric fuel pump, coolant/fuel heat exchanger/filter head, afterglow, low oil pressure buzzer/LED

Just stay on the I-15 all the way to a cutoff road to cut over directly to San Clemente.

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1983 300D, the "Avocado"
1976 240D, 4-spd the "Pumpkin", SOLD to Pierre
1984 190D, 2.2L, 5-spd, my intro to MBZ diesels, crashed into in 2002

When in AZ, take SR 87 down from Holbrook off the 40, if Phoenix is on your list of stops just stay on 87 till you get to Mesa. If not, jump on the 260 west out of Payson and cross I-17, pass through Jerome, go to Prescott, then take 89 south to Wickenburg. From there you can take highway 60 out to the 10 near the CA line. Google it; these are all amazing mountain byways, the sort which don't seem at all like you're in Arizona.

Oh, and IMHO, this is all you need to carry: Several spare fuses, Leatherman tool, factory W123 jack/tool set. 1 gallon Rotella for top-ups, 1 gallon ATF, 1 gallon water. Any more than this is overkill!

(Either you or the Benz can drink the water as needed, and the ATF can go in the trans if you need to top up, or in the fuel tank if you're stranded!)

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1985 300TD
1984 380SL
1983 280SE (full Euro, trunk triangle and all!)

Formerly owned:
1986 420SEL
1984 300D
1983 300D
1981 300SD
1976 300D

But what happens when you realize you dont have your wallet and you get stopped? Yes it can get verified but it is a lot easier to pull out the photo copy and say I left my liscence on the gas pump.

Put youself in the cops position, You stop a guy who claims that he is the owner but has no photo ID on him? I am just saying.....

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86 300SDL. 250,xxx on #14 Head. One eye always on temp gauge.. Cruising towards 300K

I've been on that mountain road before. Definitely a challenge if I recall correctly. Jerome was such a goofy town too. My destination in Arizona is Scottsdale.

I will post a more detailed map before the day comes. I'm surprised Jimbo hasn't posted in this yet

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-Typos courtesy of my mobile phone.

That's a lot of parts to carry with you! Don't be like me and do as much PM before you leave.!

I went on a 2 month long spring ski trip to Colorado 10 years ago. On my way back in the mid west my alternator stopped charging. I made it to Autozone, borrowed their tools and found the brushes were a bit on the short side and not making good contact. I didn't want to wait 3 days for an alternator to come in so I stretched the springs on the brushes a bit, put it back and it started charging and made it all the way home.

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

If you are going through Phoenix, stop in Chandler off I-10 for a grease fill up at the

http://www.heartattackgrill.com/


Charlie

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there were three HP ratings on the OM616...

1) Not much power
2) Even less power
3) Not nearly enough power!! 240D w/auto

Anyone that thinks a 240D is slow drives too fast.

80 240D Naturally Exasperated, 4-Spd 388k DD 150mph spedo 3:58 Diff

We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics. Funny how that works

OMG, I wish I still ate meat.

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CC: NSA

All things are burning, know this and be released.

82 Benz 240 D, Kuan Yin
12 Ford Escape 4wd

You're four times

It's hard to

more likely to

concentrate on

have an accident

two things

when you're on

at the same time.

a cell phone.

www.kiva.org It's not like there's anything wrong with feeling good, is there?

Hi Okay, I've done the coast to coast thing about two dozen times, never in the same vehicle twice, always on a tight schedule except the last, because of being in the Corps and on orders, except the last, and your mental preparation is sufficient to get the job done. I've made the trip in a couple of pickups I would have signed the title on, left it on the dash, and hitchhiked to the next bus stop several times, I've done it on an old/young then, Harley sportster, on a 37 flathead Harley, in many various cars, and seldom had the luxury of planning the vehicle for the trip. You've got things separated out between need to do, and peace of mind things, make sure the need to do get done, let your mind linger on the peace of mind things, and do what you end up being sure you want to do, and from the sound of it, knowing your car, you will make it fine. My last two times were to help a sister out of a mean separation and support in court, I drove my wife's mustang, did nothing to prepare, had the fuel filler seal at the tank, essential break in two, leaving me filling the tank no more than three quarters full, but that did nothing but leave me with some fuel vapors when I stopped, didn't change the time between gas stops, and each time, (second having replaced the seal) went without problems, with just a tune up to prepare.
I took my wife and son and two dogs, to my parent's fiftieth wedding anniversary and wanted to show wife and son their country they had never experienced, so I bought a used chevy van, almost twenty years old, with about 150K on it, did brakes, shocks and struts, filter and fluid in the trans, oil and filter, fresh flush and antifreeze, full tune up everything except the electronic ignition module, took them from here in eastern North Carolina, through the Black hills of S.D., spent a day there, spent a day at my sisters in Idaho, and got to Bellingham Washington in six days with the ignition module going out on the road. A trooper pulled up behind me within five minutes, got a tow within ten, got the ignition tore apart while on the roll back truck, rolled the van off, bought a module, borrowed the tool (torx) to take off the module and replace it, and was back on the road with less than forty minutes lost. 19 days of driving total, 9700 miles, one oil change at my parents, and one on the road in the parking lot of Walmart because jiffy lube was a two hour wait, and averaged 19 miles to the gallon doing the speed limit all the way.
You shouldn't have any problems, and you should fully enjoy the trip, it's one every American should take on occasion, just to see what their Country looks like. mad jack

I drove from CO to IA yesterday, today I'll be driving from IA to NY. I'll be driving back home in two weeks, about 3000 miles round trip. Changed the oil before I left home.

me thinks a gps, cellphone and AAA are the best bet. Especially if the phone is "smart" and can access the forum.

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77' 300D, "Cartman" SOLD @ 150K (didn't know what I had)
83' 300SD, "The Superdon" 325k+ @ 28mpg
95 E320 wagon, "Millennium Falcon" 231k+ @ 24 Mpg
95 E300D, "Sherley" 308k @ 33.69 Mpg, currently anticipating a head
99 Suzuki Intruder "Trudy" @ 45 mpg