What's wrong with people? - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

aklim · #16 09-28-2006, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GREASY_BEAST

Thats interesting... for me, theres no way I'm gonna pay $2.55 for every 20 miles, when I can get it for free... I guess it all depends on how rich you are and how many miles you drive... 3.68 for biodiesel is a complete and total rip-off... so is 3.33. It should be around $2 or less, and it should be made with ethanol and oil feedstock from locally grown crops, with no external energy inputs (i.e. petroleum or biomass grown elsewhere). Just my opinion.

Also, to the right person, an extra $1500 or so for a nice car with a sweet veg system is a bargain... it saves a WHOLE lot of time, part costs, and work, and "works right out of the box"

Of course it is a rip off. They have all the "No Blood for Oil" stickers and many others there. They feed into people who are concerned and will pay more money for this magical stuff. It's $2.55 for every 30 miles for me. To me it is not a question of how rich I am. It is a question of what my time is worth. I consider the whole package. I figure out what it would cost me if I were to pay someone to do it and consider that my labor fee. Then there is the facility, storage, retrieval, etc, etc. IOW, what would you sell that product commercially for even if you wanted to just break even. Yes, the oil is free but there is my time, the space I have to set aside for processing, storage and many other factors to consider.

Yes, it works right out of the box. However, being that this is not a stock system, there are fewer people that will really know if you did this properly or just shoved some stuff together. If I were to do it, I'd rather start from a virgin car and add it myself. Too many issues having to undo other people's mistakes. I traced wires for hours because someone used a butt connector and it came loose. I would have soldered it. Most people don't and go the quick and dirty route. So, if I were to buy it, I would have to make sure it doesn't screw up because you were too lazy to do a professional job. Now, if it was professionally installed by somebody that made those kits and is reputable, that might be different. Not "you" personally but you know what I mean.

#17 09-28-2006, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

Actualy if I were in the market for another diesel MB, I'd deduct significantly if it had a WVO kit installed. I'd have to remove it, and restore everything to factory.

For example take two 300SD's both listed at $5k in about the same condition with the same mileage. One has a WVO kit the other is stock. I'd probably settle around $4k-$4.5k for the stock one.

Now the WVO car, $2k no more. If it had been a WVO car for quite a long time, I'd pass.

I wouldn't touch any car that had been run on WVO, ever. There are plenty of good unmolested cars available, and you would never be able to remove all traces of that crap from the car. In addition to hacking up the car, who knows what kind of damage has been done. It's just not worth the risk or hassle unless it's priced as a parts car.

Hatterasguy · #18 09-28-2006, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twr

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mercedes-Benz-1981-500-slc_W0QQitemZ170033787469QQihZ007QQcategoryZ6338QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
eBay Motors: Mercedes-Benz : SL-Class (item 170033787469 end time Oct-18-06 08:05:12 PDT)

Thats a very nice SLC, bet they get darn near there asking price.

Palangi · #19 09-28-2006, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aklim

Why? I'll show you why. www.prairiefirebiofuels.org sells B100 at $3.68.

Now, that's a real interesting name for a biodiesel outfit. Can't help but wonder if they're related to the old Prairie Fire Organizing Commitee. (An offshoot of the Weather Underground commie terrorist organization from the 60's).

aklim · #20 09-28-2006, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Palangi

Now, that's a real interesting name for a biodiesel outfit. Can't help but wonder if they're related to the old Prairie Fire Organizing Commitee. (An offshoot of the Weather Underground commie terrorist organization from the 60's).

Not a clue. However, they do have their die hards that are getting fuel at some rediculous prices and they are happy to charge it. People feel they are doing some good paying $0.78 more a gal on top of the membership so why not?

GREASY_BEAST · #21 09-29-2006, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aklim

Of course it is a rip off. They have all the "No Blood for Oil" stickers and many others there. They feed into people who are concerned and will pay more money for this magical stuff. It's $2.55 for every 30 miles for me. To me it is not a question of how rich I am. It is a question of what my time is worth.

Yes, it works right out of the box. However, being that this is not a stock system, there are fewer people that will really know if you did this properly or just shoved some stuff together.

Theres nothing "magical" about biodiesel.. except maybe the local economics of large-scale production.. As for the "no blood for oil" stickers.. I'm missing your point.. I guess you were using that as evidence against the credibility of the operation?, but I (personally) like the statement. As for time and space, I barely spend 2 hours a week on collecting, filtering, etc. and the whole operation can be made to fit in a 5gal sheetrock bucket... Again, thats just my perspective, yours is obviously different.

As for the "quality control" aspect of buying a car with a veg system, again, as someone stated earlier, thats up to the buyer. I would be happy to show the buyer exactly what I did and how I did it, how to use it, how to collect oil, how to filter, etc etc etc, although I WOULD be uncomfortable selling the car to someone who wasn't capable of working on it him (or her) self, whether it had a veg system or not... also, if I want to try to sell my car for 20K and someone actually pays it, thats their own decision.

As for the "commie terrorist" comment, I would much rather support "commie" terrorists than the capitalist terrorists that run this country... again, just my opinion.

Cateaux · #22 09-29-2006, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GREASY_BEAST

As for the "commie terrorist" comment, I would much rather support "commie" terrorists than the capitalist terrorists that run this country... again, just my opinion.

You could buy your diesel from Citgo, which is owned by Hugo Chavez, uh, I mean, the people of Venezuela. You have a choice because you live in a Capitalist country.

mespe · #23 09-29-2006, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GREASY_BEAST

As for the "commie terrorist" comment, I would much rather support "commie" terrorists than the capitalist terrorists that run this country... again, just my opinion.

Hear Hear no politics in teh diesel discussion, but I AGREE

aklim · #24 09-29-2006, 09:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GREASY_BEAST

Theres nothing "magical" about biodiesel.. except maybe the local economics of large-scale production.. As for the "no blood for oil" stickers.. I'm missing your point.. I guess you were using that as evidence against the credibility of the operation?, but I (personally) like the statement.

As for time and space, I barely spend 2 hours a week on collecting, filtering, etc. and the whole operation can be made to fit in a 5gal sheetrock bucket... Again, thats just my perspective, yours is obviously different.

As for the "quality control" aspect of buying a car with a veg system, again, as someone stated earlier, thats up to the buyer. I would be happy to show the buyer exactly what I did and how I did it, how to use it, how to collect oil, how to filter, etc etc etc, although I WOULD be uncomfortable selling the car to someone who wasn't capable of working on it him (or her) self, whether it had a veg system or not... also, if I want to try to sell my car for 20K and someone actually pays it, thats their own decision.

As for the "commie terrorist" comment, I would much rather support "commie" terrorists than the capitalist terrorists that run this country... again, just my opinion.

My point is that they are taking advantage of people's concern for fuel use, environment preservation. "Yes, youa re concerned about all theses things and so am I. Oh, look, I just happen to have a solution." they run these slogans to fire up people's emotions so they will buy their outrageously expensive product. It is just like advocates who want to make a point and point out to the children who suffer just to jerk at the heartstrings.

As to the time and space comment, I am saying that when computing costs, everything has to be added in. When I compute how expensive a car is to maintain, I figure out everything as tho I were to bring it to a dealership and have them work on it although a lot of the work is done by myself or a tech on the side for cash. Otherwise, you cannot make an accurate assessment of what it costs. For instance, Toyota Tundra is advertising the lowest mainenance cost. Well, Chevy could say it too has the lowest cost. What might be unknown to you would be that the figures are derived from a GM tech who got a discount on parts and fixes the car in the shop himself. Well, that would take out a lot of cost and artificially make it cheaper. Like I said, what does it cost you if you were selling the product commercially. Makes it more like comparing apples to apples instead of apples to oranges.

Why? I sell the car and it is yours as soon as the check clears. What you know or not is not really my concern. I tell you everything there is truthfully, no BS to the best of my knowledge. I won't lie to you and tell you that the motor is fine although 3 cylinders are kinda leaky. However, when your check clears, the car is yours and if it blows up down the road, tough. Now, pre purchase, if you want a mechanic of your choice to inspect it, have at it. Yes, I agree that if you can sell it for 20K while it is worth 2K, more power to you. It is my responsibility as a buyer to do my research. As they say, a fool and his money are soon parted. I am a capatilist pig and will try get the most I can. As the title of a porno movie went "Ghostess with the Mostest"

I support capatalism not communism.

GREASY_BEAST · #25 09-29-2006, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aklim

As to the time and space comment, I am saying that when computing costs, everything has to be added in. When I compute how expensive a car is to maintain, I figure out everything as tho I were to bring it to a dealership and have them work on it although a lot of the work is done by myself or a tech on the side for cash. Otherwise, you cannot make an accurate assessment of what it costs.

Exactly how much does it cost to have someone work on one of these cars? Like yearly figures.. I have no idea because I have never taken mine to a mechanic or dealer for anything. I had a tire shop put studded snows on an extra set of rims once, but I didn't let them touch the car.

aklim · #26 09-29-2006, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GREASY_BEAST

Exactly how much does it cost to have someone work on one of these cars? Like yearly figures.. I have no idea because I have never taken mine to a mechanic or dealer for anything. I had a tire shop put studded snows on an extra set of rims once, but I didn't let them touch the car.

$97 per hour today. Time is by flat rate. It's really simple the way I do it. I find out the time and multiply it by the rate and add parts. NO DISCOUNTS. LOF is priced as what MB charges me although I change my own oil. If all I have to do is hook up a scanner, I figure it at 30 mins of diagnostic time. Reason is that flat rate is say 2 hrs and I would take 4 because I am unfamiliar with the repair. If I get a tech to help me out, I pay him $25 an hour but it is logged as $97. At the end of the year, I have a true cost and the actual cost. That lets me know if a car is getting too expensive to keep. If I suspect that, I start keeping a log and then take action.

Last year, for example it cost me about $5000. $2000 for the AC compressor that took a dump and messed up the entire system and it needed to be purged a couple times. Then there were the tires, brakes, A and B services. I paid less than $5K but that is what it would have cost me.

GREASY_BEAST · #27 09-29-2006, 10:53 PM

good lord, i'll be damned if I have 8K into my car TOTAL including what I bought it for, the roughly 4k I have spent on various goodies and repairs, and fuel, oil, ATF, etc etc etc!! no computer crap either... $94 an hour sure would add up tho... good thing I can't afford it

Mercedes defenitely isn't a cheap car to own though, even if you do your own maintenance... I'm looking to go domestic sometime in the future... gotta be a diesel though, and none of that electronic junk... Frito-Lay step vans are going real cheap now with the cummins 4bt... $1000 or so right off the bat for a rebuilt manual tranny and the thing would'nt be a bad rig... gets as good or better mileage than the Benz and I wouldn't have to rent an apartment... parking pass is $200 a year at my school!!!

aklim · #28 09-29-2006, 11:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GREASY_BEAST

good lord, i'll be damned if I have 8K into my car TOTAL including what I bought it for, the roughly 4k I have spent on various goodies and repairs, and fuel, oil, ATF, etc etc etc!! no computer crap either... $94 an hour sure would add up tho... good thing I can't afford it

Mercedes defenitely isn't a cheap car to own though, even if you do your own maintenance... I'm looking to go domestic sometime in the future... gotta be a diesel though, and none of that electronic junk... Frito-Lay step vans are going real cheap now with the cummins 4bt... $1000 or so right off the bat for a rebuilt manual tranny and the thing would'nt be a bad rig... gets as good or better mileage than the Benz and I wouldn't have to rent an apartment... parking pass is $200 a year at my school!!!

Well, you spend 2000 out of the 5000 for the AC compressor, RD, etc, etc and the labor to fix it, flush it and flush it again. Synthetic oil is not cheap but lasts longer. Filters for A and B service. Trans service (filter and several quarts of synthetic MB fluid) One set of tires for the summer and 1 set of snow wheels and tires for the snow. Broken windshield ($500 deductable) and all that, what do you think it costs? How much would your car cost if we had to do all that at the dealership?

I don't know why people talk of the electronics as such a big deal. I don't think I have had much of an issue with them since 1990. My car came with a leaky shutoff valve. Why? Because someone had to remove it and they reused the old O-ring.