Road trip - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

rderton · #1 11-24-2002, 05:36 PM

I am testing the car and visiting firends and relatives this week. We will leave Round Rock, TX and head for Annapolis, MD. Then on Wednesday we will go to Kunkletown, Pa. We'll head back home to Texas on the weekend. Keep in touch.

rderton · #2 11-24-2002, 11:28 PM

Daughter and I made it to Hope, Ark. My '84 300D is humming along. My little girl says it's a very comfortable road trip car. Keep in touch. Only 1200 miles to go!

rderton · #3 11-25-2002, 01:37 PM

Okay, the alternator went out. I could have kept driving, but the windshield wipers were going slower and slower and the lights would not work. So, we are at the mall in Memphis, TN for a two-hour delay. Sears will be replacing the alternator and we'll be on our way again. Keep in touch.

rderton · #4 11-26-2002, 02:34 PM

We'll made it to Annapolis. Made the last leg from Bristol to Annapolis in a little over 5 hours. Car ran great. It really liked the mountains in Tennessee. It had been getting in the low 20's mpg wise but through the mountains the mpg shot up to the upper 20's(speed between 70-80). Haven't seen another 123 on the road since I left Round Rock.

rderton · #5 11-29-2002, 07:27 AM

Well, not sure anyone's interested but here's an update.
Made it to PA. fine. My friends here were suprised a 18year old car could make the trip. Saw a few 123's communting around Baltimore, otherwise we've been unique on the highway.
My son already had his ticket so I drop him off at the airport and my daughter and I drove on ahead. It would of been nice for PA to put warning signs on 83. We went 5 miles in an hour in that trafic. I finally found a turn around and went back up 95.
Car started well surrounded by snow and covered with frost. (Don't see that much in Texas).
Only used 1 quart of oil so far. I will be looking into a new seat cushion when I get home.

CHAPP · #6 11-29-2002, 07:43 AM

I care....just got back from a 3000 mile trip to Key west and went to Memphis earlier in my 126 with 315K on it. My car also left everyone behind climbing the Mountains in Tenn. I have more vacation time...and will go somewhere (Hot) soon after Christmas. My friends thought it was strange that I drove a '84 car all that way... but what the hell do they know about a Mercedes. My mechanic and I check this car over every week or two. Going to buy a '79 300D with 154K on it today...hope it is as good as it looks!!!!

jcd · #7 11-29-2002, 08:16 AM

These cars really love the road.

Thanks for the road update and sorry about the alternator.

Drive safe

JCD

dabenz · #8 11-29-2002, 08:16 AM

rderton, keep the stories coming. Nothing like a road trip to shake out the bugs and find out what you like and don't like. The rest of us can learn and stay motivated to keep our cars on the road.

fredjj · #9 11-29-2002, 01:56 PM

rderton, road stories for these cars are always interesting. Keep the posts coming. Sorry about the alternator braking down so far from home.
I recently took a 2.3K mi road trip to the Black Hills and back in my 77 240D. Friends and family (save for my girlfriend) looked at us twice when we took a 25 year old car on a 2K mile vacation. The car ran great at 75-80 the whole time, except for the Black Hills when it slowed to 45 at times. Roll on and keep the reports coming.

rderton · #10 11-29-2002, 08:52 PM

We start the return trip tomorrow morning.
The car left a black spot in my friends driveway from the exhaust when it started this morning (looks like it came from having the pedal down on a cold start, is that normal).
I'm planning on two 800mi days. If ya'll see a blue 123 with Texas plates zipping down I40 that'll be me.

Holson Adi · #11 11-29-2002, 09:41 PM

Cool! I love road trips and I'm looking at doing one with my car. I did one with my friend on Wed. from Boston -> NY (I know i know it's nothing). But it was quite tiring. Maybe the BMW 323ci really isn't the greatest cruiser. It is definitely very stable though at 100+ mph.

Had a kid in an Accord wanting to race. As soon as the bimmer hit 100 the Accord was never to be seen. Maybe he got scared.

Going to NY was very interesting as it was snowing so heavily and the interstate was covered in snow. His car was quite rightly sliding here and there but traction control stepped in.

I wanted to bring my diesel but he wanted to put some miles on his car (wants to bring it in for service before warranty ends)

rderton · #12 11-30-2002, 08:25 AM

Started out this morning and the speedometer wasn't working. Looks like I have to drive with the traffic and remember what rpm goes with the speed. Does anyone have a quick reference chart for 70-60-50 mph? That's all. Keep in touch.

rderton · #13 11-30-2002, 08:27 AM

P.S. Is there a quick fix for this? I really want to get my miles logged.

rderton · #14 12-01-2002, 02:03 PM

Made it home. 3200+ miles and only problems were the alternator and the speedometer. Not sure how fast I went on the way home, just followed the fastest group. Mostly set at 3500rpm.
For some reason I feel I could go a few days without touching the car.
Having time to sit in the car has given me a good list to work on. New shocks, tighten front end, speedometer, seat cushion and of course its time for the oil change.

rderton · #15 12-01-2002, 02:17 PM

One more thing, on the speedometer it was working fine on Friday. It was parked noise down in a steep driveway on a 22degree day. When I started out on Saturday it did'nt work (speedometer or odometer).

I'm guessing a broken cable, any thoughts?