I no longer tell people what I drive -- I've gotten tired of prying the starry-eyed youngsters off my wallet.

Most of them seem to think my 300D is new, too. Nice that a 16 year old car looks new.

I don't have any money.

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

I use to get this when I was driving an older BMW. People asked me.... "DID YOU GET A RAISE".

I told them the truth. "NOOO" I sold my NEW Hyndai to get a real car and saved BUNDLES of $$$

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"Know other lessons I need to learn? TELL me. Tired of learning'em the hard way".

Glow Plug Wait: [i} Time of silence in homage Rudolph Diesel. Longer you own a diesel. more honor you give". [/i]

Life; SNAFU Situation Normal All Fouled Up, & FUBAR: Fouled Up Beyond All Repair

-Now: Snafued Jeep TJ w/OM617 2Be daily driver & building SS M1079 w/Ambo boxed /live in Adv. Truck, Diesel KLR conversion
-Sold 62 UNIMOG Camper w/617 Turbo, 85 300SD

peter I aggree thats another reason mercedes are a good buy THEY AGE VERY WELL a 15 or 20 year old benz looks really good look around at others brands of the same vintage they look like ****. being smart does have its advantages.

People just act funny when they find out you have a Benz, regardless of the age of the car. They think it's like a 91 or something slightly new because of the body style production years (1979 to 1994, 94 in South Africa), when in reality, it's 22 years old. My teacher jokes around, and told someone, "hey, Joe got a 99 Benz!" He's cool though. But some people, they think I'm rich or something. The truth is, I'm not. We got it used in 1988 for a low price, and it's probably worth $2,500 now. There are only a handful of people I know who don't hate me because I drive a Benz. They like the concept of a classic Benz being driven to HS. They call it, the "big body benz." I have a friend who drives a 94 Lexus to school, and the people don't really like him either. They're what us younger generations call "playa haters", or, people who hate you because you have something nice that they don't have. For instance, my dad drove me to school in my Benz about a month ago, and a friend of mine saw me. He asked, "was that your Benz?" I said yeah. He said "you need to go to Maaco and get it repainted." I told him "at least I have a car to drive", and asked him, "where's yours?" His reply... "CARMAX!!!". Carmax is full of nothing but overpriced, raggedy used cars. I think he was just jealous because I have a Benz. Well, some people at school are jealous, they just don't know that I know, I can sense it, but when I come up to the school in a few months with a shiny new paintjob and my tires glistening, and chrome shining, they'll be SICK!!! My only friend will probably be Jesus by then.:p And I once got funny looks from a girl when I driving through the church parking lot trying to leave. I was smoking, klattering, typical diesel stuff. She gave me a funny look. I said to myself, at least I don't have to wait for my mom to pick me up. That's my experiences.

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'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

It doesn't help any, when the last James Bond film to feature Mercedes in Tomorrow Never Dies were two W126's chasing a brand new BMW 750iL. This was in 1998, long after the W140 came out.

Yes, people think I am driving a brand new S-Class.

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1987 300SDL (324000)

1986 Porsche 951 (944 Turbo) (166000)

1978 Porsche 924 (99000)

1996 Nissan Pathfinder R50 (201000)

I hate it when people find out that I drive A MERCEDES then they go WOW what do you do.They think Iam rolling in A brand new s55 amg or an sl 55amg or something really expensive something you would see on MTV.well I do drive A MERCEDES and its 20 years old with over 300,000 miles on it but its still a MERCEDES! my 20 year old car is worth more to me than A brend new kia,hundia daewoo or saturn, are their car clubs for these brands do they hold their value can you still get parts for them 10 or 15 years down the road? MY 2,000 dollars is going to go A lot farther than their 10 or 15,000 .I cant help it if their stupid.By the way look at unimogs their total work horses and whats on the front of the grill thats right A STAR! so when someone asks you that question find out what they drive and tell them that they got ripped off, after all its not how much money you have its HOW SMART YOU ARE WITH YOUR MONEY!!!

AW! come on now you know in your heart of hearts that you really love it or you would be driving a Dodge Dart or a Chevy S10 Blazer.And don't try snow me with how relieable they are we all know better than that..............
William Rogers........

74 240 D
81 SD
86 Euro 500SE with a Euro 420 engine

and I love all three ,think I will get a bumper sticker for them that reads.

MY OTHER CAR IS A MERCEDES

People tend to think that you are a snob if you drive a Mercedes. Whenever they ask what I drive, I always make sure I say "Diesel Mercedes." Most people can't believe those cars have diesels engines. When I try to point out how well they are built, people always like to compare the options and features on their brand new cars with my '85. I always have to let them know my car is almost 20 years old and they should compare it to their car's predecessor of twenty years ago. Usually they shut up after that.

Scott

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Scott
1982 Mercedes 240D, 4 speed, 275,000
1988 Porsche 944 Turbo S (70,000)
1987 Porsche 911 Coupe 109,000 (sold)
1998 Mercedes E300 TurboDiesel 147,000 (sold)
1985 Mercedes 300D 227,000 (totaled by inattentive driver with no insurance!)
1997 Mercedes E300 Diesel 236,000 (sold)
1995 Ducati 900SS (sold)
1987 VW Jetta GLI 157,000 (sold)
1986 Camaro 125,000 (sold - P.O.S.)
1977 Corvette L82 125,000 (sold)
1965 Pontiac GTO 15,000 restored (sold)

You ought to be in the ministry and drive a Mercedes. The first Sunday morning that I drove my MB to church there were little groups huddled together after the service discussing MY SALARY! Two people even quit attending because they thought the pastor was making too much money. Some of them paid more for their riding lawn mowers than I paid for my '82 240D. I love my MB but it has been the source of irritation to some of my "holier than thou members".

Kevin

First car that I kept as a driver in college was a 1963 300SE, back in 1973. Sold it for what I paid plus repair costs. Same for various 108 and 116 chassis. My son (16 yr.old) got my 86 190D2.5 as a first car. We determined that the rice burners were out, that we needed something easy to work on, safe, dependable, and low cost when he said how about the diesel? He's OK with the performance as long as the stereo works (no Becker here). Choice between 15 yr old MB or 5 yr old anything else is easy as in another 5 yr the Benz will still be worth about the same (no beaters) where the other will be trash and valued accordingly.

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Hanno
'79 6.9 Sold (after 27 years)
'83 280SL, 5 spd.
'94 E320 Sdn. 5 spd conversion
'02 E320 Sdn.(on loan to mom!)
'87 300E (5 spd. conversion) Sold
'05 E500 Wagon

[QUOTE]Originally posted by oilslick
there were little groups huddled together after the service discussing MY SALARY!QUOTE]

I don't know why I let things like that get to me but they do. After I bought my '97 I heard lots of comments like that including "Rich Kid." (I'm not that young anymore) In a way, I'm almost embarrased to drive it because of those kinds of reactions. The funniest thing about it all is that I paid less than $10,000 for my '97 which is less than what most of these other people paid for their cars!

Scott

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Scott
1982 Mercedes 240D, 4 speed, 275,000
1988 Porsche 944 Turbo S (70,000)
1987 Porsche 911 Coupe 109,000 (sold)
1998 Mercedes E300 TurboDiesel 147,000 (sold)
1985 Mercedes 300D 227,000 (totaled by inattentive driver with no insurance!)
1997 Mercedes E300 Diesel 236,000 (sold)
1995 Ducati 900SS (sold)
1987 VW Jetta GLI 157,000 (sold)
1986 Camaro 125,000 (sold - P.O.S.)
1977 Corvette L82 125,000 (sold)
1965 Pontiac GTO 15,000 restored (sold)

I get a nice little jolt of pride in driving my Benzos as well as being asked about them...but, the icing on the cake is telling someone: "I don't own a car that's less than 20 years old."

However, one of my all-time favories was, when one of the suits here at the saltmine pulled into the parking place next to me in his black S-class gasser. I commented about what a sharp-looking car it was and he lamented that he was having problems with the electrical system. Then, he asked where I had mine serviced. "Oh, I do all of the work on my two," was my reply.

His astonished "You can work on Mercedes?" made my day.

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

Hey Kevin:

Try being a youth pastor and having five of them as daily drivers. This will really get the congregation going!
I just get in their face and say, 'I paid less for all five than you did for your stinkin domestic'.
That last phrase works real well in a church setting.

Don

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DAILY DRIVERS:
'84 300DT 298k (Aubrey's)
'99.5 Jetta TDI IV 251k (Julie's)
'97 Jetta TDI 127k (Amber's)
'97 Jetta TDI 186k (Matt's)
'96 Passat TDI 237k (Don's
'84 300D 211k Mint (Arne- Undergoing Greasecar Conversion)

SOLD:
'82 240D 229k (Matt's - Converted-300DT w/ 4 speed

Have you ever just wanted to say to the "preacher police"... "GET LIFE"? When I bought my pontoon boat I thought they were going to cast demons out of me or something. I am C.O.G (Cleveland, TN) and some of our people, although they are good people, can be so.................silly! One of the older men in the congregation wanted to have my ordination revoked because I bought a boat. Basically I just get crucifixes held to my forehead now for owning a MB and being an ordained Sr. Pastor.

Kevin

Oilslick:

Interesting commentary on America that pastors are supposed to be dirt poor and subservient to the wealthy in the congregation, eh? Or that being frugal and driving a solid, reliable automobile is somehow snobby.

That attitude is why I don't attend anymore -- I get quite enough abuse from moneygrubbers at work, no need to get more exposure on my one quiet day!

Peter

__________________
1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!