I love everything about my SL except...

[DanielG]

Ken posted some pictures in the thread dealing with hard top hoist -- when I saw them I thought it was a Jaguar sedan -- but he called it a Daimler. By the way, he has the neatest (meaning cleanest) garage in the Southern Hemisphere!

[flixbiz]

OK I see the pictures.
Daimler = Jag XJ with wrong side steering wheel! I understand now. Pretty car.

[DanielG]

Daimler = Jag XJ with wrong side steering wheel!

lol :p

[KenSilver]

Hi flixbix,

A Daimler is known as the Vanden Plas in the US. It's a high end Jaguar with all the options; burl walnut picnic tables, sunroof, special carpeting, extra wood, better leather etc. I have the 4 litre.

Here in New Zealand it cost NZ$25,000 (US$11,000) more than a new Jag in its day.

You can tell them apart from the standard Jag or Sovereign by the knurls on the grillwork front, and the boot (trunk).

Altogether one of the best limos made. Drives and rides like a dream.

No photos sorry, but you can do a search at http://www.jag-lovers.org/ or see part of it in my garage at MB hardtop hoist fitted today, and photos

Ken Silver
--------------
~1993 SL500, glistening black/grey on black leather, now in the shop for facelift painting lower body.
~1991 Daimler, shiny grey on grey leather, best in country!
~1991 Miata MX5, sparkling BRG on tan leather, wife's - (and my polishing)
~1992 Honda US s/wagon, black/grey
ex 350SL, 230E, 280E (and a lot of other makes not nearly as nice)

[DanielG]

Ken -- are there no trademark laws in NZ? Or is that just a slang name for the car?

[DanielG]

Well here is some history -- very interesting, I had not considered that the name Daimler could belong anywhere but on a Daimler-Benz product.

http://www.vandenplas.com/daimler/dhist.htm

[KenSilver]

G-Benz's post on his door dings reminded me about one time I parked my Daimler (aka Vanden Plas) in my regular supermarket car park.

Now, as an intro to my parking methods, I have to tell you that since parking carefully - some jealous people say obsessively - I have kept all my cars ding-free for the last 2 decades.

But I'm a little paranoid (you guessed?) about the business of parking my cars.

First off, I NEVER parallel park in anything less than 2 spaces. But I don't park in 2 spaces unless there's an acre of unused spaces around me... don't want to be selfish! And I park as far away from the store or entrance as I can.

This is easy since I rarely need to park during peak hours. That's the advantage of working on the net full-time... I can run my day as I want.

If I can't meet my self-imposed rules on paralleling, then I only park inline, nose-to-tail, but ONLY on the end of a street or parking line. That means there is a reduced 50/50 chance of someone backing or fronting into me at any one time.

Since the Daimler is one l-o-n-g car, I need all the space I can get, and I often park over the line away from the car in front/behind.

Same goes for parking buildings - I'm always alone on the 17th floor when it only fills up to the 8th.

End result? I'm fit as a fiddle from walking to my parking spots out in the backblocks.

Oh, and my cars stay unscathed and ding-free. Whereas my wife has had the Ding Doc attend to hers for about 12 dents in just 2 years.

Anyway, to continue the story, I was parked in the nearly empty supermarket park, in 2 spaces and a little askew to stop loonies from locking me out with the side of their car, when I heard a voice: "Excuse me!" from an old guy getting out of his car next door and looking annoyed, "You've parked at an ANGLE!" (Emphasis his).

What can you say to that? However, I had a gracious reply pre-prepared. "Oh yes," I cheerfully replied, "I guess I need a lot more practice."

Kept him quiet. And we parted on pleasant terms. Ding-free too.

Ken Silver
--------------
~1993 SL500, glistening black/grey on black leather, now in the shop for facelift painting lower body.
~1991 Daimler, shiny grey on grey leather, best in country!
~1991 Miata MX5, sparkling BRG on tan leather, wife's - (and my polishing)
~1992 Honda US s/wagon, black/grey
ex 350SL, 230E, 280E (and a lot of other makes not nearly as nice)

[CDNC36AMG]

Originally posted by KenSilver


First off, I NEVER parallel park in anything less than 2 spaces.

Hey Ken, you're the kind of guy I drive crazy. When I see someone parked in two spaces I've been known to place a note on the windshield that says "sorry, I didn't mean to cause that ding".

Makes guys go nutzzzzzzz looking for the damage.

[KenSilver]

CDNC36AMG - Thanks for the advance warning. Now I'll know where to send the Hertz inspectors when I next visit the States!