I have owned this 1991 560SEC AMG since the mid '90's when I bought it near new. It was the top of the line model and I wanted the last year of it. It once belonged to the owner of the Beverly Hills Hotel, who I spoke to, his wife made him get rid of it, saying it was "too flashy for Beverly Hills and I want a new BMW!" But he got to keep his Porsche 911 though.





After the AMG mods were finally all installed, on my 91 coupe, it emits a lusty roar on start up, and when you take off.















The humorless California Highway Patrol wrote me a ticket for the front plate;





















Setting up for Nor Cal AMG criminal street race last summer.. (West Sacramento)
















The Harley riders around, ALWAYS turn and look at it. They are into noise, too, (they like setting off the BMW car alarms when they take off.)
I didn't plan for it to be noisy but it just turned out like that, and was supposed to be a quiet cruiser, but the Remus muffler and AMG mods made it different. I am used to it, but the 80+ year old retired neighbors don't like it, especially when I go out, now and then, for coffee at 5am and they get their beauty sleep ruined by it.

It is no longer a "standard" 560SEC. It is a LOT faster, and the dyno numbers last year proved it.







Just turned out like that, and while it was not my initial intention, now it looks mean, sounds terrifying, feels untidy in the corners, and when asked, can accellerate like a bat out of hell straight up to 150+ (only tried it a few times, no more of that stuff) - all the while, sucking up Persian Perrier like there is no tomorrow.

It has got me into so much trouble I bought the Grand Marquis for a daily driver.

The Mercedes still remains a very competent and comfortable driver, but about to revert to collector, ( not daily driver) status any more, though I covered over 40,000 recreational
miles with it in 2009, and had LOTS of fun with it.


~~~

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

Jim, what's that little doodad sticking up on the left hand side of your front bumper? It looks like some sort of little antenna or something.

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" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

Jeez, Jim. You had me worried. It read more like and obituary than a (semi-)retirement notice!!!

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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)

Before install:



During:



It's called a "parking pole" and while it's an official Mercedes Benz accessory, and quite rare, it was ONLY ever sold in Japan, and for the W124 and W126 models only.

Here is one that was mounted on an Almandine red 560SEC for sale at a used car dealer in Yokohama last year.



Left hand drive Mercedes Benz cars were a VERY coveted and prestigious vehicle to own in right hand drive Japan, in the 1980's and 1990's - and some cars over there had them.

They do EXACTLY what you think they do; help you find the front of the car at a glance when you park.

There were TWO models, that were available the one like mine and an identical one, with a plastic tristar on the top that lit up at night!

Very cool, *but* it had rubber wire running down the side, and after some years it got yellowed and did not look so good. (not cool)


They are worth about $300-$400 if you can even find one - but I got it for free, from a kind Member of benzworld in Atlanta, who responded to a respecful request.

Thanks for asking. People who see it always look puzzled and often ask me about it on the street.

__________________
1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

Hey Jim,

Looking good but what's with the newer License Plate?







It could be (at least for him, the car maybe could survive) if he continues to do this...



from here.
Jim B.'s Mercedes adventures in So Cal junkyards & Mercedes show. (many pic's



.

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1983 123.133 California
- GreaseCar Veg System

In July 2009 I found out that the alphanumeric series "JFB" (my personal initials) were issued out of the Santa Barbara field office, and a few were still left, so I drove down there and got a sequential pair.


One for my '08 Subaru Outback, and the other for the Mercedes.








When I traded in the Outback this year for my Mercury, despite the dealers
protest, I removed and kept the Outback's "JFB" plates to hang in the garage, (as you can see, I've done this kind of thing, before.)



Then I got rid of the Outback and bought this:



After a few months I decided I didn't like the color and bought THIS.



It was an Avis rental return with just 13,000 miles, and for just $5 less than the old one. The bottle of Pilsner Urquell is empty!! I swear it is the only bottle of beer I drank all this year, as seen here on vacation at Incline Village NV. a couple of weeks ago.









That wasn't ME under there.

That was a friend, in Walnut CA, installing my burlwood shift knob. He has promised not to do it again.

It could kill you.

__________________
1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)