Okay, it's not that sad just a bummer. I got a flat on the way to the market yesterday. My first thought was to get a ride home and pick up my compressor and plug kit so that I could drive home and further investigate the situation. Unfortunately something cut the sidewall so that idea was out. I really didn't have the time to screw around because of where I had to park it so I made the decision.

I took a deep breath and took out the jack, tore open the plastic bag holding the tool kit roll and pulled out the OEM Pirelli spare exposing them all to sunlight for the first time. I even had to pull the little wire-tied warning tag off the spare.



A few observations:

• Boy are those Bundts purty and shiny when they're brand new.
• Boy do my Bundts look like crap.
• The tools in the kit sure are nice compared to what passes for a tool kit in a newer car.
• As whacky as I thought the car jack/jack hole interaction was, it was good to be able to get the right angle even though the car was on a slight decline.
• What a great concept full-size spare tires are. (In theory anyway, it was full size before the tires were replaced with 205's)

On a positive note, for the first time since I've owned it I took a little time crawling around underneath the car and every thing looks solid (I only took it for a spin, for $100 I was taking it no matter what). There is a very slow diesel drip somewhere around the tank, it's definitely been bottomed out a couple times in its prior life and I couldn't tell in a cursory inspection if it was from one of those impacts or coming down somewhere further up.

One last thing which seems inherently obvious but I didn't think of it, check your spare tire pressure boys and girls! It was only through pure chit luck that there was about 15-20 lbs. in my spare which was sufficient to get to the service station about a mile down the hill so that I could fill it up the rest of the way.

I did notice that there are no balancing weights on the wheel anywhere yet in my short highway run home I didn't notice any vibrations whatsoever. Where the wheels and tires back then just built to closer tolerances thus more in balance or is it just coincidence?

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1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)

After my crappy Sunday two weekends ago...you're just plain ol' lucky...

You're right though...check the spare's pressure EVERY TIME YOU CHECK YOUR OTHER TIRES.

I'm heading out to check to be sure all my parts are in the trunk, where they belong...and I'm checking to see if there's a date code on my spare...'cause if there ain't, it ain't staying in the trunk...since I just bought 4 new ones a month or two back, one more ain't breaking my piggybank...

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M. G. Burg
'10 - Dakota SXT - Daily Ride / ≈ 172.5K
.'76 - 450SLC - 107.024.12 / < .89.20 K
..'77 - 280E - 123.033.12 / > 128.20 K
...'67 - El Camino - 283ci / > 207.00 K
....'75 - Yamaha - 650XS / < 21.00 K
.....'87 - G20 Sportvan / > 206.00 K
......'85 - 4WINNS 160 I.O. / 140hp
.......'74 - Honda CT70 / Real 125
.
“I didn’t really say everything I said.”
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ Yogi Berra ~

This calls for a group hug.

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"It's normal for these things to empty your wallet and break your heart in the process."
2012 SLK 350
1987 420 SEL

Ahh damn you had to use it!


Carefull with that original spare, I wouldn't trust it.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

As cool as it is to have a virgin spare, you used it for its purpose. Plus, you got to use something on your car for the first time. That's pretty cool in itself.

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Chad
2006 Nissan Pathfinder LE
1998 Acura 3.0 CL
OBK#44
"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work." - Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

SOLD
1985 300TD - Red Dragon
1986 300SDL - Coda
1991 - 300TE
1995 - E320
1985 300CD - Gladys

You were really pushing it using a 28 year old spare tire. Might've resulted in a second flat.

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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.

yea, the spare probably lost some of the german air in it from being used...

That's not the main issue. The rubber deteriorates over the years. Not only could a flat have resulted, but a blowout as well.

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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.

As long as you drive slow its probably fine.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I don't know how much deterioration there is under the spare cover in the car over the years, probably some. But no checks, cracks, it's rubbery and pliable and still smells like a tire. A 28yo German manufactured tire is probably at least as good as the 4yo Korean Kuhmos on there now. I drove around in an Explorer with the Firestones of Death on it and survived unscathed (put 40K on them before getting my free replacements). If it were the same size as the rest of the tires I'd probably leave it on.

I can't stop looking at it. It's so shiny it's mesmerizing.

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1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)

If I had a virgin spare and all that I would have had someone pick me up and use another jack and lug wrench.. .


One time in the Wal-Mart parking lot I was walking into the store and a lady slammed her hand in her truck door, she's freaking out and her sister is freaking out. I'm like.. ****, do I open my virgin German market first aid kit and see if I have gauze or let wal mart's first aid kit do the work... Thankfully WM got on the ball...

Almost had to open one of my 3 first aid kits.

I got the German Euro First Aid Kid with all the cool drugs....


Mine are stil virgin. I jacked the lugwrench and tool kit out of a car that I was parting... I got its spare too.

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-Justin

91 560 SEC AMG - other dogs dd
01 Honda S2000 - dogs dd
07 MB ML320 CDI - dd
16 Lexus IS250 - wifes dd

it's automatic.

Don't bother opening those first aid kits. I opened mine just for fun and everything is baked and shot. They are just for looks at this point.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I figured something would still be good. at least the gauze. The German kit is in a black plastic case and everything is still sealed air tight in the plastic.

I know, I know. That was my first thought, but I really was in a bind time-wise the Mrs. never would have found my stuff in the garage and my brother is fairly useless. Plus being a relative MB newb the curiosity really got the best of me. Had it been a Saturday or Sunday I would have kept the chastity belt on. I was almost like Christmas opening all of that stuff, except it was kind of melancholy.

If it was an original Concours quality car I never would have touched it. But I figured by the time I'm done with it, it'll have a couple of new fenders and a few Euro touches so what the hell.

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1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)