Met a cool guy today. - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

iwrock · #1 05-29-2006, 11:13 PM

Well, I got home from fishing today, and had to go out and pick up my boat from service. I had made special arrangements to meet a guy today (they were closed) so I could pick up the boat. We have been long time customers, and we only bring our boat there to get fixed. Anyways, I pull up to the main gate, and wait. (I am in the ML.) About 2 minutes later, a man pulls up in his 300D Turbo. I know him, because he is the owner, and I have dealt with him before when we were buying his boat. I was like 'wow.' He opens the gate, and we both pull in. I get out of my car, and he gets out of his. I say nice car.

Well, this sparks an hour long conversation between me and this guy about Mercedes. He has 300,000 miles on the original engine, but second trannie. Its nicknamed the mileage marker. So we start talking about cars, and I find this isnt his only Mercedes. He owns 3 more. I find that he has a 2001 S430, 1995 S320, and a 1992 300E. So we sat there for an hour talking, and he makes comments about how the 300D and the 300E have AWESOME build quality, in that they are almost pristine today. The S430 is his wifes car. He said that she wanted a car loaded with modern comforts, and that is what he came up with. The 300D and 300E alternate as daily drivers, and his S320 is his business car.

Well, there still are people out there that drive those MB's who make still make a fairly large sum of money. It really made me smile seeing this guy being proud of his old school diesel 300D. If there were more people in my area enthusiastic about their Mercs.

People here dont know or dont care about their cars. They just drive and beat the snot out of em.

t walgamuth · #2 05-29-2006, 11:49 PM

there is a fellow here in lafayette. he is a chinese american with an engineering background who owns or owned a slew of apartments over by campus. worth a lot of money for sure. for many many years he drove one of those light pea soup green 115 300ds. it was pretty nice. looked essentially new.

finally a few years back i started seeing him in an ivory 400e.

i always got a good chuckle seeing a guy worth so much driving a benz that was older than mine.

tom w

Ara T. · #3 05-30-2006, 05:03 AM

Hmph.. the only people around here it seems that drive W123's and such are old hippies. The springs/suspension is always so tired that their cars look like lowriders!

diametricalbenz · #4 05-30-2006, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

there is a fellow here in lafayette. he is a chinese american with an engineering background who owns or owned a slew of apartments over by campus. worth a lot of money for sure. for many many years he drove one of those light pea soup green 115 300ds. it was pretty nice. looked essentially new.

finally a few years back i started seeing him in an ivory 400e.

i always got a good chuckle seeing a guy worth so much driving a benz that was older than mine.

tom w

Wow, that's a strange. I fit most of that profile although I never went into engineering althogh I almost did. I am now in the property investment/brokerage/owner business now and I have a W115 300D that I drive to work (queue twilight zone theme).....all I need now are the slough of apartment buildings

The difference is if I had that much money I would probably still be driving a $400 car as opposed to even a $7000 car but we'll see if I get there

Pete Geither · #5 05-30-2006, 07:44 PM

Justin,,, is that guy a Mercedesshop member ?

t walgamuth · #6 05-30-2006, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by diametricalbenz

Wow, that's a strange. I fit most of that profile although I never went into engineering althogh I almost did. I am now in the property investment/brokerage/owner business now and I have a W115 300D that I drive to work (queue twilight zone theme).....all I need now are the slough of apartment buildings

The difference is if I had that much money I would probably still be driving a $400 car as opposed to even a $7000 car but we'll see if I get there

good luck. you will get there too.

tom w

Hatterasguy · #7 05-30-2006, 11:27 PM

Love meeting people like that, I meet a couple a year. Allways pleasent.

Veloce300DT · #8 05-31-2006, 06:49 AM

It just goes to show that the make and year of car a person drives does not reflect the owners income, net worth, etc...

For example- A friend of mine is a very close friend of a Dean to our local UC school- She makes a fairly large sum of money every year- a high level 6 digit income. While she lives in a beautifully restored 1900's spanish style mansion and has invested her money into other things- travel, etc.... she drives a 1998 Toyota Camry LE with missing hubcaps. And is quite happy doing so, as she views automobiles as nothing more than a mode of transportation from point A to point B.

And on the other hand, an acquaintance of mine works as a sales rep, struggling along with a fluctuating and relatively low income. He relys on the trusty ol credit card to get through
month to month, and lives on Ramen/Mac cheese dinners. His home is rented, small, and spartan, BUT parked in the driveway is his 2003 S500 sedan sitting on 19" Brabus rims.

One is no more right or wrong in how they choose to spend money. I, personally dont like credit cards, and will NEVER own one- I prefer to spend money I have instead of money I dont have. However it all becomes a matter or perspective, and what is of personal importance.

With all of the financing available today, excessive credit card usage, and the rise of consumerism, cars no longer serve as a method of displaying ones personal wealth anymore as much as it used to. Every day people are living more and more beyond their own means. Debt is a burden, or expense (again, a matter of perspective) to pay for the level at one lives. MILLIONS of people do it, while a large portion of our nations wealthiest people live materialistically speaking relatively modestly.

Over the past 3 years I have dropped nearly $25K into my 21 year old 1984 300D turbo with 201K miles on it. I bought it for $5900. Thats $31,000 of hard earned money that I COULD have spent on a relatively new MB E-class, or a relatively used S-class. However I prefer traveling the roads in my trusty old diesel that I view as one of the most beautiful cars EVER produced... I havent liked any MB designs since the demise of the W123 chassis cars as much! And to be honest, Im lucky I restore and sell furniture for a living- otherwise I wouldnt have any furniture in my house.

Yet to the guy behind me in traffic, my car appears to be no more than a very clean and straight $5000 car. And I dont care.

Its all a matter of perspective.

I LOVE old MB's. From my perspective they are the greatest cars EVER built.... and worth every penny it takes to keep them like new. 25 years from now my w123 will still be on the road, while the guy mentioned above will still be making payments on his S500 that is now sitting in a junk yard awaiting recyling. The build quality of the past has been replaced with plastiic cars laden with unnecessary features. Thats why I invest my income into quality old cars, and make a living preserving the past.

Consume consume consume america!!!!