Okay, this has always been a thing with me.

When I owned my 1986 300E it had, I think, 3 previous owners but I had the records and address of the first owner. He lived in San Juan Capistrano, California which is a pretty nice area. Looked him up and turned out he still lived there. I always wanted to drive over there knock on the door and be like "Hey, do you remember driving a 300E" or something along the lines of that, then he go out to the front and see it.

Personally, if someone did that with me 30 years from now with my 240D I'd think that would be so cool. I know everyone thinks differently but I'd like to know what happened to the car I drove 20 years ago.

Since I have all records of this 220D I always wanted to do that, problem is I know the original owner died already, I have the craigslist ad and the mans son writes: "This is a 1970 220-D that belonged to my dad" I wanted to go by the house but it is and has been a PO Box the entire time they owned the car. The son listed his phone number and i've always been so temped to call and let them know the car is in good hands and that it's running again. But never have. I google mapped the PO Box to at least go to the post office it's at so the 220 could see it's past home one last time. I know the man that owned it took care of it due to the condition it was in. He even wrote the PO Box and his name on the hubcap in case it fell off someone could mail it back lol Names on it were "Gunter A R or Pauline"

I wish he was still alive so he could see his car running again and looking it's best. What keeps me from calling his son, his name is "Roger" is I don't want to spark like sad feelings or angry feelings or anything. I don't know where the car stood for them but he seems really cool about it in the ad. He posted it for his sister from Northern California. So I don't know what to do. What do you all think?

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2007 BMW 328XI

I'd understand how some people might get creeped-out by something like that. Maybe you can send a short email or letter with a picture of the car, and leave it at that. Give them the option to contact you, if they want to take it any further.

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1985 380SE Blue/Blue - 230,000 miles
2012 Subaru Forester 5-speed
2005 Toyota Sienna
2004 Chrysler Sebring convertible
1999 Toyota Tacoma

Don't just show up . . . the risks of miscalculating the interests or emotions of a fellow human being are astronomically high. Frankly, I suspect that the reason you're contemplating such a visit is not so much about the feelings of the previous owner(s) as it is about some sense of pride in yourself.

yeah that's what I don't want to do. Either way though I can't show up at their house. It's only the PO Box. I'm wondering if they still have it or if a different person has it now. The only thing I would do is drive to the post office where the PO Box is, drive around Mecca where the car is from or call the son, but even that i've be very hesitant about.

I don't want to come off as weird or stalker status or anything, it's just cool to know the history of the car and the people who owned it.

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2007 BMW 328XI

Yeah, i'd send a letter to the PO Box, suck getting it back though with "Return to Sender" lol

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2007 BMW 328XI

call the son.

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1985 300TD Turbo Euro-wagon
1979 280CE 225,200 miles
1985 300D Turbo 264,000 miles
1976 240D 190,000 miles
1979 300TD 220,000

GONE but not forgotten
1976 300D 195,300 miles
1983 300D Turbo 175,000 miles

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...e485-1-2-1.jpg

This thread just inspired me to call up the original owners of my 1985 300D. They had the car for the first 18 years of its life. We talked on the phone for about 10 minutes about all the places it had been, and how much his wife enjoyed it. From his business profile he looks to be quite an entrepreneur.

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/conrad-masterson/7/64a/9b

He's going to look and see if he has any photos of it from back in the day and send them to me.

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1985 500SL Euro w/ AMG bits 130k
1984 300SD Turbodiesel 192k
1980 240D Stick China 188k
2001 CLK55 AMG 101k
2007 S600 Biturbo 149k Overheated Project, IT'S ALIVE!!!

See, now that is awesome!

I've decided i'm going to call the son. The original owners wife "Pauline" signed it over to the classic car dealership in 2007. I have a copy of the original title with her signature releasing it. That's so awesome tyler that you've actually talked to them and they're totally cool about it. I'd love to know where the 220 has been and stuff!

I can only hope the son is nice and will be cool about it. I'll let you all know what happens. Probably call him tomorrow midday.

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2007 BMW 328XI

i think vw had radio commercial about this, somewhat uh "tongue in cheek", about happy owner(s) of "pre-owned" vws. there was an element of obsessive creepiness about it, but, i don't think you have reached it. (yet?)

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"The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread."

think you'll sleep tonight?

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1985 300TD Turbo Euro-wagon
1979 280CE 225,200 miles
1985 300D Turbo 264,000 miles
1976 240D 190,000 miles
1979 300TD 220,000

GONE but not forgotten
1976 300D 195,300 miles
1983 300D Turbo 175,000 miles

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...e485-1-2-1.jpg

Yeah I've defiantly thought about doing the same thing

MTI is right though, you definitely want to go through phone/mail first.

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1982 300GD Carmine Red (DB3535) Cabriolet Parting Out
1990 300SEL Smoke Silver (Parting out)
1991 350SDL Blackberry Metallic (481)

"The thing is Bob, its not that I'm lazy...its that I just don't care."

well I have often thought about this too. Im pretty sure I have found the PO's to my 79 280CE. I found the wife but I think her husband passed away.

Should I send her a letter with a picture of the car or call her?

I think i'll drive over to the house were my car lived most of its life when I get a chance.

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1985 300TD Turbo Euro-wagon
1979 280CE 225,200 miles
1985 300D Turbo 264,000 miles
1976 240D 190,000 miles
1979 300TD 220,000

GONE but not forgotten
1976 300D 195,300 miles
1983 300D Turbo 175,000 miles

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...e485-1-2-1.jpg

My 300cd has an interesting history.

It was bought new in 1980 as a special order by a businessman who founded a (publicly traded) fortune 500 company here in St. Louis. I'm not sure if P.O #1 is alive or not, he didn't keep the car very long. Odd color combination, gold and henna leather, just about every option.

Previous owner II bought the 300cd and kept it for about 20 years, sold it to his best friend, P.O III. There is a metal data plate that came with the car with the 2nd P.O's address on it. I bought the car in 2007 from the third owner, who was moving cross country.

When I bought the car I removed all the floormats to clean. Under a plastic vacuum cover under the drivers seat, I found a very worn gold 1921 engagement ring. It wasn't the 3rd previous owner's, but he said it belonged to his best friend, the 2nd P.O.

The second previous owner lived at the same address as the data card in the glovebox. I drove the car and ring over to him. He had worn the engagement ring every day since his father had died, but he lost the ring years ago, he had even dug up his front yard looking for it and he thought it was lost forever. Needless to say he was happy to get the ring back!

He told me a few stories about driving cross country with the car, one time in Michigan the fuel in the tank gelled and it had to be towed to a shop to warm up. He insisted on giving me some gas money too

I did send an email to P.O #3 as a 1 year update of my ownership of the car, but now his email address doesn't function. I may send a letter with a picture to the second previous owner, he was a nice guy.

The previous owner of my Subie XT was stuck in 10 year Subaru father/son project car hell and was probably just happy to have the garage space back The subaru was bought new in California, the original owners address is in the owners manual/warranty booklet.

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1980 240d
1999 SL500

My 300D's previous and original owner is my grandmother. Sometimes I dream of driving to their place in Ridgecrest on another road trip (albeit a short one from SoCal).

The 300TE was originally from Texas, as I found out. The person we got it from lives in SoCal also, I wanted to show him the new pics of the car as it is now.

I found the AAA card of the (probably) first owner of the 190E. Maybe when I've fixed it up more

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http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7271/7...144c3fc1dc.jpg

These kindof things are fun. Drop a note or email first though.

I sold my nintey one three hundred d to a fellow here, and after talking it turned out that he had bought an eighty three three hundred d from me about ten years earlier.

He has or had an eighty three euro two eighty sl five speed that I want to go see one of these days if he still has it too. At one time I had thought of buying one but at present the Miata fills the two seat slot here. I imagine he takes pretty good care of it as one day I called to test drive it and he refused since it had rained that morning!

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.