I was cleaning up my car today and for the first time since owning my car, decided to lift the back seat up to clean up. Man.. what I found there sort of shocked me. I found so much garbage there that I felt ashamed that I drove an entire year with it in the back seat. I found a Troll doll.. those little dolls that were popular in the early 90's... found gum still in its wrappers, pretzels, sunflower seeds, papers, reciepts dated 1999, a wallet size picture of a girl, a kids hair pin, a child's name card, coins, PARTIAL FOOD STAMPS, and other junk.
What really got me is that I found old food stamps... and I think these are the old paper ones, I believe the newer ones are on a card to prevent fraud, but I could be wrong. So we had a mercedes benz driver on welfare.. hmm

Anyone went through something similar when they first purchased their used car?

Food Stamps in a Benz?

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1986 420SEL. 200,000 miles plus.
1991 Cutlass Supreme
1980 VW Vanagon (Old Smokey)

I remember a few funny things about a 190 I bought ten years ago.

The first time I saw the car at the dealership I remember asking the sales guy what the previous ownder bought. He pointed to the guy next to a 3000GT who just happened to be there and I thought "Man that guy looks shady" He was tanned, long leather jacket, gold chains, gold rings, dark glasses........the whole nine yards.

Initially when I bought the car everyone thought it looked like a drug dealers car. It had really dark tinted windows, rediculous huge MB emblem on the grille which was sawed off of a truck grille! and some chrome addons that didn't look right. Eventually I got rid of the cheesy add-ons and the car looked super classy!

Anyways one day I was cleaning the interior and was trying to remove gum from the passenger side carpeting. I decided to pull the mat out and found an interesting white powder, lets just say I wasn't surprised.

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Afshin

Current:
02 C32 AMG

Previous:
92 500E
84 190E 2.3 5 Spd

Right on Txbill

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Ricali

03 C240 4matic wagon
95 300E 234,000
7 prior 240;s 5 still going
81 300sd gone
65 230sl gone
49 Studebaker Champion
90BMW convert.167,000
60 Dodge D-100

Still can't beilive I found the shotgun shells in the 533 or there was the cement mix in the 528e.......
makes you wonder where they spent thier life.

what are food stamps?

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99 C43
98 S420
99 C230K
01 C240

i've gone through several iterations of this. the last time i did i found a petrified roach (the kind that had been smoked down not the ones that scurry about)! i did a more thorough cleaning and did not find another one...

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joE
1993 300e-2.8 - gone now <sigh>
"Do not adjust your mind, it's reality that's malfunctioning"
http://banners.wunderground.com/bann...L/Key_West.gif

TXBill.. one of the things about the internet is that you can sometimes miss the point of what one is trying to say. Looking at the records I have, it appears I am the 3rd owner(4th if you consider the dealer lot as an owner). The 1st owner had the car for 3 years.. So during that time, a 3 year old benz would be somewhat pricey. Wouldn't you say so? Now how would one on welfare be able to afford a Mercedes? Thats my point.. and my " " face was intended as a "I smell something fishy" face.

It appears that me bringing up that I found partial food stamps in the backseat of the car has offended you for some reason. I was not trying to offend anyone, just stating that I thought it was something fishy about it. Nothing more

Perhaps I didn't make my writing sound too clear... I meant to say I was ashamed to find out that I had so much crap and dirt in the car and not knowing about it for over a year. I am a clean person that keeps things tidy when ever possible.

Seems I start up an arguement everytime I post on this board recently... maybe I should stay away from the open discussion board?

I just aquired my car (an '85 300D0 last October, and I went to check under the back seat (with the them from 2001 A Space Odyssey playing in my head), and ........nothing. It was almost too clean, I was kind of disappointed, like the openinig minutes of Titanic when nothing is found in the safe. My back seat looks like it has never been used. Just thought I would share.

How many of us have heard the term 'welfare Cadillac'? I am very familiar with this term and I saw several as I grew up. Being born and raised in the projects of Memphis, poverty was no stranger to me. I saw familes on welfare, food stamps and unemployment driving Caddies and Lincolns. We had a Country Squire (whoever makes that model) but we kept it clean and waxed. I remember wanting one of those 'fancy cars' but my dad preferred to keep decent clothes on his family instead of decorating a parking lot. Eventually we prospered and moved into a better neighborhood that had two story homes and large yards....but not a single Caddie or Lincoln.

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1986 420SEL. 200,000 miles plus.
1991 Cutlass Supreme
1980 VW Vanagon (Old Smokey)

I found some change and a receipt from a parking lot in Niagra Falls in the 300D. I found change, fries and *gag* dead maggots in the 420SEL. In the E420, I found a penny, a business card, a piece of gum, and lots of *gag* coarse dog hair and even more dander. This would explain the funky smell when its damp out *double gag*. As you might guess...the aircabin filters are getting replaced as soon as my car is back home from the shop.
I haven't checked the 280SE yet...but I think it will be clean.

-Larry

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It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. Robert A. Heinlein


09 Jetta TDI
1985 300D

Good call Bill......

Re: Stuff under the rear seat........... I am the 3rd owner of a 1973 280SE 4.5, and told that the original owner, was no less The Owner of the MBZ Dealer in Montery California, and kept it as his personal car for over 12 years. I took the seller for their word because the car was so well kept and maintained.

One day just for fun, I pulled the back seat to find all the treasures, from match books to kids homework, to Dealer related stuff, etc. Humm they were telling the truth.

I left all the stuff where it was and put the seat back, why not this car is original with blue California plates, and history under the back seat .

And as for people that may scoff at those less fortunate than themselves, I have pitty, as they are the true humans at loss.

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Tim
300CE
280SE 4.5
Sandals (size 11)

I have to chime in on this...If I found welfare stamps in the back of my car, I would be pissed. I would assume a previous owner was on welfare. I would then assume, if he couldn't afford to feed himself, he would surely have trouble maintaing an automobile. Ok, They could have fallen out of the wallet of a back seat passenger or whatever, but come on, that is a stretch. I see those car lots where they will sell anyone with a heartbeat an automobile, then repossess the car when they can't make a payment. (I spend time in DC). Example: we have a used car lot where I live which sells older high end cars. It is located in the crappiest part of town. The place is called "Hot Wheels." The inventory consists of bechromte, tinted out trash. Who here would buy a car from an establishment like this?

In DC, MB's are the welfare cadillacs. When I buy a used car, I take the owner into consideration. This means how I think they maintained the car- don't turn this into something else. Ok, open fire.
Mike

Oh yeah - I found about $2.50 in my car when I bought it. Score.

I found nothing under my backseat when I took it out to fix the rear window regulators. I guess it being a coupé has something to do with it.