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#46
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Negative. Long story short, it was out of commission starting about 1.5 years due to some poor repairs. Went to another shop where it was fixed (bondavi orchestrated/organized the whole shebang), and finally was put back on the road. David reached out to me to help deliver the car to Jim, which I was more than happy to do.
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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. |
#47
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Davids post from benzwhirled:
Quote:
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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. |
#48
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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. Last edited by iwrock; 05-29-2015 at 12:19 PM. |
#49
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good he got his car back, thank you
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hum..... 1987 300TD 311,000M Stolen. Presumed destroyed |
#50
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Fantastic getting the backstory and news on Jim and the 560SEC AMG Coupe. Thanks for the great pictures too!
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#51
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Thanks so much for the update on Jim. I'm sorry to hear he's declining; that's the worst part of getting old. I can't imagine being banned from driving.
Nice to see that you guys are coming through for him in his time of need. It must be really hard on all of you. We are helping out a friend of ours who has inoperable breast cancer, (she's like a grandmother to my sister and me), and it's really hard watching her decline as time goes on.
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"Senior Luna, your sense of humor is still loco... but we love it, anyway." -rickymay ____ "Your sense of humor is still loco... " -MBeige ____ "Señor Luna, your sense of humor is quite järjetön" -Delibes 1982 300SD -- 211k, Texas car, tranny issues ____ 1979 240D 4-speed 234k -- turbo and tuned IP, third world taxi hot rod 2 Samuel 12:13: "David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die." |
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Just learned a short while ago that Jim passed away today at 6:05pm.
RIP buddy - and condolences to Charla and family. Jim - you will be missed. Thanks for the memories, generosity, and sincere friendship.
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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. |
#53
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Damn.... RIP Jim,
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hum..... 1987 300TD 311,000M Stolen. Presumed destroyed |
#54
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Very sad day. I miss him already...
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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!!! |
#55
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12:01 a.m. PT Feb 7, 2008
"I've always owned American cars all my life," said Jim Baubel. "I was a complete American car nut and I was quite adamant in my stance that they were the best thing going." That is, until he got up close and personal with a Mercedes Benz coupe. Baubel, who clerked for several judges in the Bay Area before retiring to Nevada County, had always admired the Mercedes coupe, so he jumped at the chance to drive a judge's new 1984 Mercedes 500 SEC to Denver, Colorado, where the judge and family were vacationing for several weeks during the holidays. "I had the time of my life," Baubel said. The car, a new luxury model introduced in America, attracted interest wherever he stopped on his journey and Baubel learned more about that particular Mercedes himself as he traveled. "One night when I was in Wyoming, I was driving about 60mph on Interstate 80 and all of a sudden the road felt very bumpy," Baubel related. Drifting and blowing snow wasn't giving him any trouble until Baubel felt the rear end of the car lose traction. He turned the wheel to the left and the car began to twist the other way. He turned to the right and the Mercedes straightened out; Baubel continued on to Cheyenne. The next day Baubel related his experience to the hotel clerk, who asked Baubel, "Haven't you ever heard of black ice? Cars roll off the road every day up here." Baubel was not only impressed by his ability to save the vehicle from damage but by the car's performance in such dangerous conditions. "I thought to myself at the end of that, you know? I love the looks of this car, I love the handling of it, I just can't afford the $70,000 it cost in those days," Baubel said. "Maybe someday I'm going to get one of these things." The coupe was delivered to Denver and Baubel went back to San Francisco, tucking his dream away for the future. Life improved for Jim Baubel over the next decade and one day, about 12 years ago, his wife said, "Why don't you get one?" She was particular about the color and Baubel knew what he wanted, so he spent about a year looking for a Mercedes in the Bay Area that met their requirements. One morning the Baubels took a drive to Southern California, saw a used 1991 SEC coupe for sale on a dealer's lot and bought it on the spot. Although the marriage didn't survive, Baubel's Mercedes did and it came to Nevada County with Jim when he retired to Nevada City's Eskaton Village in 2004. He's customized his Mercedes to include some stock accessories, as well as unique-to-his-vehicle additions. They include a period-correct AMG trunk script and air cleaner decal, European OEM oddments box, fire extinguisher and Warndriecke warning triangle plus clips, burl wood cup holder and shift knob, Eibach springs and custom-fitted New Zealand sheepskin seat covers. Many of the parts were purchased over the Internet via a system of Mercedes owners who have also become friends, Baubel said. He didn't like the sound of the stock two-note horn system, so Baubel found one more to his liking. "The first tone is called the 'townhorn'; it sounds exactly like a VW bug," Baubel said. "The country horn wasn't much better, so I went to a Cadillac junkyard down in Rancho Cordova and wired up a couple of Cadillac horns to the country horn so now it sounds like a train coming!" Most recently Baubel added a custom-made Remus exhaust system on his car. Remus is one of the top exhaust system manufacturers for the F-1 races in Europe, according to Baubel, and they custom-engineered application specific exhaust systems for the 560 SEC Mercedes coupe. Although now out of production, Baubel was able to buy a brand new Remus system from an Internet friend who had stored it for a decade in his garage and was willing to sell it to Jim. Those Internet connections have provided more than just parts for Baubel and other Mercedes owners worldwide. "(I) have actually organized and participated in a lot of California Mercedes Benz get-togethers, where people converge from all over the state," he said. The informal rallies usually include lunch and a small car show. "We're putting one on right now," Baubel said. "It's going to leave from the Smother's Mercedes Benz dealer in Santa Rosa and wind up through Sonoma County and the wine country and end up at the Cheese Factory down on the coast." The rally is set for March 29th and 25 participants have already signed up for the event, which may prove to be the largest rally yet. More information is available by contacting Baubel at Mix91@yahoo.com or at www.peachparts.com under 'shop forum', then click on the diesel discussion section
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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!!! |
#56
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I posted this on BW and I'll share it here too.
I'm saddened to hear of Jim's passing. He was such a nice guy. In addition to MBs, we also shared a love of the Ford Panther chassis. When I purchased my 1999 Lincoln Town Car in October 2011, I told him all about it, and he was glad to hear about it. When he found out that I didn't have a full size spare tire cover, he sent me a full size spare tire cover that he used in his Mercury Grand Marquis. That was so kind of him, and while the 99 Town Car is long gone, I saved the cover and will always remember that. Ride on Jim, on that great autobahn in the sky.
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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. |
#57
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Jim had a tremendous mind that he trained well in the pursuit of a Juris Doctorate - or Law Degree, which he used in his chosen profession as an attorney. Defending the indigent, as well as prosecuting the law breakers for decades in the San Francisco, California courtroom.
A writer he was. The reflections of which are etched in my mind from reading here and elsewhere on the Net. His greatest love were automobiles, and driving them! After asking, I was fortunate to be coached by Jim on finding the right for me early '90s 560SEC, that I haven't located yet - but I'm patient.......I'll know when I see the one I want to purchase. Until then, so long my cyber-pal, Jim! |
#58
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RIP Jim
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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver 1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone 1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy! 1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits! |
#59
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RIP, will miss his posts and pictures! Condolences to his family as well.
Sent from an abacus
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TC Current stable: - 2004 Mazda RALLYWANKEL - 2007 Saturn sky redline - 2004 Explorer...under surgery. Past: 135i, GTI, 300E, 300SD, 300SD, Stealth |
#60
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Just damn.
Rest in peace and Godspeed, Jim. Hope you found the Autobahn in the sky.
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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) |
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