Anybody a member? I don't know much about this club, is it any fun? Do they have good GTG's or meetings? Or is it a bunch of old guys that dress up Pebble beach style and walk around their perfectly restored big $$$ Mercedes. Nothing wrong with that, but I'm an 18 with an old W126 and would not quite feel comfortable in a club like that. I have been to a Mercedesshop GTG and enjoyed that. Just cool normal people looking to talk about and fool around with old Mercedes.

Also what kind of cars do the owners seem to have? It would be cool if their was a big W126 following.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I've belonged to the club for 5 years, basically just for the Star (the bimonthly magazine). I don't even think there's an active section in Utah, so I belong to the LA section. All the photos of club activities in the Star indicate a demographic and activity base about 20 years older than the BMW Club. Lots of white hair, golf shirts, concourses and Saturday runs to wineries (which is all cool, btw). Very few autocrosses or track days. I think the 617/616/603 diesel types that proliferate on this site are certainly welcome in the club, but they're not the dominant theme by a long shot. You can usually find somebody selling back issues of the Star cheap on ebay; buy a few and get a sense of what the club is about.

On a similar note, I went to the "C-Spot Drive Party" that MB had at Las Vegas Speedway on Memorial Day weekend. You could drive a bunch of new C's around cones in the parking lot, and get a ride in a C32 around a much bigger loop in the parking lot. Being Vegas, it was a pretty mixed crowd. There was a guy in front of me in one of the endless lines who seemed to be an Australian bouncer - 6'3", 250 or so muscled lbs., mustache and goatee, bald, lots of tatoos. When he got into the car, I heard the 60-ish golf shirt and khakis guy behind me say to his obviously appalled wife, "I thought this was supposed to be exclusive".

I joined MBCA at 29 and expected much of the stereotypical "retired folk" membership demographics. I had a 1985 300D at the time. Almost 10 years later, I still am very active in the club (currently doing my second stint as President). I have made many friends of vastly differing ages (20 to 80). After I traded the diesel, I moved on to my W124 coupe and eventually added the CLK.

The local section (Peachtree) is very diverse and has monthly activities. Many members own W126 cars, but we are also blessed the some Gullwings, 300SL Roadsters, 6.3s Pullmans, all the way up to the latest and greatest from AMG (a new SL65 arriving shortly).

Each section is different. Ultimately, if you enjoy people and your Mercedes-Benz, you will find a happy home with the MBCA. I encourage you to join and attend as many events as you can that first year. Be friendly, introduce yourself.....most of all get active and be involved!

You'll have a ball

Sounds interesting maybe I'll get in touch with my local chapter. (If their is one)

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Actually, your local chapter is the Connecticut Westchester section, and it is very active.

Carriage House in New London gives a good discount (20% I think) on parts with your MBCA membership card, and conducts tech weekends which DIY owners would be very interested in. The local section newsletter advertises many GTG's, which I confess I have never been to. Pix of them look like a pretty diverse crowd.

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2002 E320 4-Matic
2008 Subaru Outback
2009 Subaru Forester

Magazine is ok, not too much on the Forum either, this web site beats them 10 to 1..

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2000 Ford 7.3 Powerstroke 4x4
2006 Mazda Tribute
1983 Black 300 D (donated to charity)
1993 Teal 300 D (160K) Sold
"I love the smell of burnt diesel fuel in the morning, it smells like ....VICTORY"

Semper Fidelis
USMC 1973-1976

I used to belong some time ago. However, my section had little interest in driving their cars, and spent most of their time sitting in a smoky bar eating bad food and drinking cheap wine.

Also, The Star evolved from a top flite magazine for all MB enthusiasts into a new car ad for MB USA. The last issues I got were mostly filled with MB press pics and press announcements. Stu Ritter had a small Q&A section, but six issues of that were not worth the $100 or so Canucks get dinged. I have learned 1000X as much from MB-Shop than I ever did from The Star.

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John Shellenberg
1998 C230 "Black Betty" 240K

http://img31.exs.cx/img31/4050/tophat6.gif

Here's what our local section is doing this weekend....

http://www.mbcapeachtree.org/SP.html

I'll post some pics later

How good the club is really depends on where you are. I have been a member for 6 years. The first 2 in Halifax, there was nothing going on, club was small and most were just in it for the magazine. In Toronto it is a different story. We have three or four GTGs a year including a tech session hosted by a local MB dealer where we get previews of what is coming from MB before it gets on the showroom floor, a car show (not a snooty pebble beach, not that there is anything wrong with that). I would find the local clubs contact info on the main club site and call them. Many sections have a website, and I am sure if you were thinking of joining and you have an MB they would be happy for you to attend the GTGs, sort of a try before you buy. If you like the people and there is lots to do, go for it.

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Jason Priest
1999 E430
1995 E420 - retired
1986 420SEL - retired

I have been a member for the last 9 or so years. Like others, I enjoy the magazine, but have not joined in any activities yet. That is mostly because I am unable to plan my life far enough in advance to make a committment. However, I think the cost savings on parts alone saves me more than the price of admission, as I now maintain 6 of these cars ranging in age from a low of 6 years to a high of 22 years, old and with mileage ranging from a low of 83,000 to a high of over 320,000. I buy parts from this site, other European sources and the dealership, usually based on price and how quickly I need the part, so the dealership gets a lot of "as the job goes" demand for parts, and Carriage House of New London has a parts group that is very happy to provide good service.

Jim

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Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

Yo Hatterasguy,

I never noticed that you live in Milford. I live very close by and I am active in MBCA of CT. Go to www.mbca-ct.com. Myself and the guys would welcome younger folks like you. Yes, its becoming more and more of a oldie yuppie fest (err.. old and yuppie is a contradiction, but you know what I mean). I myself am guilty of polishing and babying cars too much. But MBCA of CT/Westchester has all kinds of members, and more young members are definitely welcomed. I think you will enjoy it.

I have been thinking about it, it looks interesting. I think maybe I'll email them and see if I could go to one of their shows or a meeting. Just to see what it's like. Thanks IanMB I went to that site already, it looks like an interesting club, their was a nice 560SEL, and a 300TDT in the pictures. The people looked older but friendly.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200