The local club is worth a whole lot more to me than 45 bucks a year. To cite a recent example, I just rebuilt the suspension on my 84 300SD, replaced the chain and tensioner and re did my seats. I was able to round up a spring compressor, a ball joint press and a chain crimper from the gearheads in my local section. One of the guys in my section has a shop press so I went over to his house on a Saturday morning and he helped me press out the ball joints, track rod mounts and bearing bracket bushings. In that one job I saved at least $300 in tool rental and machine shop charges. The guys in the club hooked me up with a place that does seat repair and saved me the cost of a new back seat cover. It seems like every year I get into some kind of job where I save money and time just from my acquaintances in the local section of MBCA.
In the last few months we have had a picnic with lots of beer and brats, a private tour of the Kemp Mercedes Museum and tomorrow we have a detailing clinic at the local dealer (who is going to provide lunch)
The bottom line is that it would cost me around a couple hundred dollars not to be in the club and I am not a very active member. On top of that I have made friends with folks I would never run into otherwise.
Oh yeah, and the magazine is pretty good too!

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Tom Hughes
St. Louis
84 300SD
92 300D
86 300SDL