Popular Mechanics Article - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Rich300TDMBZ · #1 10-22-2011, 05:15 PM

I read this article in Popular Mechanics on "8 Hot Used Cars on Sale for Pennies on the Dollars". I think they are wrong that the Mercedes diesels are "slow enough to cause brain damage."
Here are related excerpts of the article:

Mercedes-Benz E-Class
1986 to 1995

Speed Bumps: Diesel models are slow enough to cause brain damage. Parts prices induce fainting. Oddly fashionable with hipsters, so supply is dwindling.

Volvo 240 Sedan
1982 to 1993

Speed Bumps: Faster than the Mercedes, but not by much. Suspension rubber is notoriously short-lived. Available with an 82-hp, Volkswagen-built diesel six, which is neither powerful nor efficient.

8 Hot Used Cars on Sale for Pennies on the Dollar - Yahoo! Autos

leathermang · #2 10-22-2011, 06:59 PM

Let us not correct people when things like that are written....
We do not want to encourage more competition for those parts cars still around.... That is why I am fine with the jokes about 240's being slow...

engatwork · #3 10-22-2011, 07:02 PM

^ that is what I'm thinking.
When I was a teen I had a subscription to Popular Mechanics and Popular Science. I always looked forward to the monthly issue coming in the mail.

layback40 · #4 10-22-2011, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leathermang

Let us not correct people when things like that are written....
We do not want to encourage more competition for those parts cars still around.... That is why I am fine with the jokes about 240's being slow...

X2

There are plenty of unintelligent would-be could-be's writing stuff like this. Best let them. Probably who ever put this article together is basically fully qualified to pick his nose in public & not much more.
That is the problem with internet reports, anyone can write one.

leathermang · #5 10-22-2011, 07:14 PM

Jim , " I hear that "....

Check this out... this was truly inspirational to me.... a one-half sheet of plywood project... knock down fold flat for storage.... and you cut the lines where the hinges were and installed them in place.. then cut the rest of the lines.... and it just stood up in place.... I still think that is amazing designing..

Popular Science - Google Books

engatwork · #6 10-22-2011, 07:30 PM

I liked the Smokey Yunick articles the best.

1980sd · #7 10-22-2011, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leathermang

Let us not correct people when things like that are written....
We do not want to encourage more competition for those parts cars still around.... That is why I am fine with the jokes about 240's being slow...

Not a joke, a fact

I also enjoy PM and PS.

The best d@mned garage in town

engatwork · #8 10-22-2011, 08:06 PM

Don't want to get on a tangent but a few years ago we (me and the youngest son) went to Daytona during the Turkey Rod Run. I was reading the newspaper that morning and noticed that they were have a garage sale at Smokey's shop (this was after he had died). It was open to the public so me and the son went and there was some really interesting stuff there. I have attached a couple pics that I took. One is the rear section of an Indy car on a rack with some engines. The other is a v10 Mercedes diesel engine. There were some engines on the shelf that he had built, run in one race and then put back on the shelf. It was neat being able to go through "The Best Damn Garage in Town".

Skippy · #9 10-22-2011, 08:34 PM

Interesting list. Some really good picks on there (Miata, old 3-Series, brick Volvo) along with some less good ones, including a Ferrari 308. U.S. Top Gear put one in a drag race against a new Camry. Results were disappointing, unless you like Camrys.

1980sd · #10 10-22-2011, 09:10 PM

Tangent...

That's epic Jim

Marvelicious · #11 10-23-2011, 03:26 AM

I really don't see the part prices as being that out of hand either. There are a few bad ones, but no more so than most modern cars. It seems like everything with parts more dear than a Chev with a 350 is accused of being expensive to work on.

layback40 · #12 10-23-2011, 05:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by engatwork

Don't want to get on a tangent but a few years ago we (me and the youngest son) went to Daytona during the Turkey Rod Run. I was reading the newspaper that morning and noticed that they were have a garage sale at Smokey's shop (this was after he had died). It was open to the public so me and the son went and there was some really interesting stuff there. I have attached a couple pics that I took. One is the rear section of an Indy car on a rack with some engines. The other is a v10 Mercedes diesel engine. There were some engines on the shelf that he had built, run in one race and then put back on the shelf. It was neat being able to go through "The Best Damn Garage in Town".

Hey Jim,
There was one of those V10 diesels on ebay here in Australia the other day. There are plenty of them over here in trucks.

Rafi · #13 10-23-2011, 07:17 AM

The author of that article already has brain damage. It states alternative to the MB is 1979 to 1992 Peugeot 505.

t walgamuth · #14 10-23-2011, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by engatwork

Don't want to get on a tangent but a few years ago we (me and the youngest son) went to Daytona during the Turkey Rod Run. I was reading the newspaper that morning and noticed that they were have a garage sale at Smokey's shop (this was after he had died). It was open to the public so me and the son went and there was some really interesting stuff there. I have attached a couple pics that I took. One is the rear section of an Indy car on a rack with some engines. The other is a v10 Mercedes diesel engine. There were some engines on the shelf that he had built, run in one race and then put back on the shelf. It was neat being able to go through "The Best Damn Garage in Town".

I have Smokey's book. It is a wonderful entertaining read. I am pretty sure he was a real innovator but all those guys back in the late fifties and sixties were getting help under the table and out the back door of GM Ford and who knows what so it is very tough to tell what he did and what they did. I bet some stuff went inexpensively at his sale. He also wrote for a racing mag for a while....circle track? His thoughts were always interesting and fun to read.

After his racing years he spent time designing things like drilling equipment for oil. He also spent some time in the jungles of South America drilling for Oil and I cannot remember what all. I guess I will have to get his book out and read it again......

My favorite Smokey story is from about 1970 involving that black and Gold Chevelle.....he showed up at Daytona with this Chevelle with a 405 or so CI Rat motor. His driver may have been Curtis Turner. The car ran full fenders in the back which shrouded the fat tires but made the car slicker. The other teams compained about the fenders not being cut out, knowing it would be an adavntage. Smokey got out the rule book and read it...it said the teams "may" cut the fenders out to ease tire changing. It did not say they were required to. They were allowed to run them.

They qualified on the pole.

Next, on race morning they pulled out the 405 engine and installed a 454 and cut out the fender wells so they could change the tires in the race. The other teams complained about not running the fenders the way they had in qualifying. Smokey got out the rule book and read it again. "It says we May cut the fenders out but it does not say When we have to do it".

That Chevelle was narrowed about 6" too.

He was a genuine original.

He also built a camaro to run in trans am which had a whole bunch of innovative (illegal) things to make it lighter and lower. That car is around now and is being campaigned on the historic racing circuits.

He was famous for being protested for having an illegal gas tank which was thought to be too big. The story goes that the inspectors took off his tank and tested it and found it legal then Smokey got angry with them and drove his car off to the pits with no tank at all suggesing he had fuel hidden in the frame or roll bar.