you guys are good.

i took it to a legitimate mechanic today. yes it is a euro-car, yes it is the wrong speedometer. mechanic suspects 150k miles, he has a customer with the same car with 130k so he could compare easily.

has had body work done, the sun was shining brightly and it was easy to see when he pointed it out. "see the orange peel" he said, and yup there it was, just like an orange peel.

and yes, it has additional non-MB equipment that he said was emmissions related.

fortunately i learned all this for the refer-a-friend price, since a buddy of mine down at the gym goes to this mechanic. well worth the money in lessons learned if nothing else.

--Nick