Well, Justin invited friends over, yesterday, and it's really happening, it's past the point of no return....

(IT looks GREAT with the Lorinsers!!! The diamond blue paint on that wagon is beautiful!!)

He and his dad got a trailer and hitched it to the back of the G500 and went to the Pick n Pull and bought a good engine out of an '89 300E, and brought it back home.

Meanwhile Nik hand loaned them an engine hoist of his that he had brought over previously, and Justin's W124 wagon had been backed into the garage and put on blocks, and Justin started the process. It is not that easy to remove a motor, but he's really good.

I got there early in the afternoon after my Peruvian lunch and visit to the Subaru dealer's parts department down in Sacramento after I had been to Ernie's to get the oil changed and the car looked through in the morning.
Ernie noticed a crush washer was messed up by the fuel pump and was slowly leaking gasoline, and fixed it. I'd missed it and never smelled gasoline, thopugh I HAD noticed the rotten gas mileage I had been getting. Ernie is GOOD!!! He pronounced my car excellent at 123,000 miles.

Turbobenz came over in his '85 300D turbo W123 wagon, whew, what a car that one is: A diamond blue beauty, just 121k, all books and records, original California blue plates, discreet window tint, lifetime garaged, got it off an old man who said it was "too slow for him" and that he should use his Buick.

This car was as nice as Nate's '84, and Turbobenz let me drive it around the neighborhhod. It was the fasteset W123 I ever drove, like an early 80's California American V8 car. He said he got 0-60 in about 12 seconds out of it, (VERY impressive!) and I believed it. The car is totallly mint and original, down to the Von Housen's license plate frames back in '85 that came on it.
He is going to keep it in original mint 70's condition and for weekend drives.
He picked up an old '81 SD from Nik that needs an engine and transmission (big project!) that will be the daily driver.

Garrett (DieselKraut23) was down in San Jose getting a transmission with Zack (Boardmonger) that day so they didn't come.

But when Nik (SirNik) came in his '84 SD, the work REALLY began in earnest, and belts, tensioners and other parts began flying off the old engine. Couple of parts runs had to be made, and time outs were made for that, and also, we got to ride or drive in one another's cars, so we got a taste of an '85 300 W123 turbo, '84 300SD, '91 560SEC and '96 R129 V12 600SL, and 2003 G500 Gelenderwagen. and a visit to SacWater, the local VW club that was having a meeting.

Great cars, each in their own way, and all of them 100% a Mercedes Benz.

Meanwhile couple of Nik's friends, James and Donnie, stopped by in their crazy, lifted Toyota pick up, to visit.

Justin and his kind family provided us with dinner, and by 9:00pm, Justin and Nik were covered in grease, and almost ready to roll the T00TE wagon out of the garage, and lift old the engine out of the car.

The process of the engine transplant will be expedited if Garrett makes it over today to speed it along, and Justin is under the gun a little bit, because he has to go back to UOP in Stockton on Tuesday. Hopefully he will make it on time, I think he will, he is good at this.

The speed is addictive, on the highway by Roseville, some ricer in what looked like a Dodge Neon challenged me, (it was pretty deserted at 11:00)
and first I wouldn't let him, but then I decided I wasn't interested in playing, so at 120mph I just let him beat me and enjoy his "win".

It was a pretty good day. I hope Justin gets the enigne into the new car by tomorrow. Probably gonna happen

Justin and Nik have taken a few pictures, from yesterday's caper, so I hope they post thenm up here.

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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)