get made fun of?
 

Does any one get crap from people at work or somewhere else because you drive an old Mercedes that cost a substantial amout to fix when it breaks? My co-workers call my 86' 420sel a piece of sh** because it is 21 years old and has a few leather and dash cracks in and it needs attention every few months while their new cars only require gas and a car payment. I say my car is refined and basically a bad mo fo but they put it in the same class as a kia. It really gets to me. I can't wait untlil my bosses lexus breaks and costs him an arm and a leg to fix. He says it basically indestructable because it is a toyota and toyotas never break. One of my best bud tells me all the time to get rid of my merc, but I believe he just had his 93 honda motor rebuilt brcause it crapped out on him. Hmmmmm. I wonder why i stick with my benz?

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Hello E150GT :)

I would guess that your repair bills for you old Mercedes
are much lower than their monthly payments to the bank for their cars.

And you own your car.
They do not, the bank does.
Actually they will probably never own a car,
people now trade their cars in on a new one before they get the old one paid off.
And the bank makes them keep expensive full coverage insurance.

I think the people around you are afraid of you because you have decided to do something different.
and it makes them feel uncomfortable, and fearful.

They are doing what the advertisers have told them to do.
You have done what you wanted to do. :)

It feels a hell of a lot better to live by your own morals, then somebody else's !

Have Fun
RichC
:stupid:

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Ah, don't let them get to you. You drive your car because you like it, not because you want to impress others.

I drive my 1989 because I love the ride. Sure, it does have a few issues but nothing I can't deal with or handle over time.

My cars are one of my hobbies. I realize that a car in America needs to be reliable since it is needed to get to work and take care of errands. (At least where I live) That is why I try my best to inspect the car weekly and make sure nothing is out of the ordinary.

If you want to use an older car as a daily driver, you just have to accept the additional responsibility with maintaining (18) year old mechanical and electrical systems.

If people make fun of you, just try your best to shrug it off. At least you are not bound to a payment, or own a low quality car such as a Kia. The Lexus cars are nice now, I no longer feel like they are just a hopped up Toyota. However, as with all these new cars, the bills for repair will be high. I guess that is why the car has become a 4 year then dump it item.

I like driving the old Benzes - it may not make me look like I'm Richy Rich and impress the neighbors, but I'm already too old to bother with impressing others and worrying about what they think.

And, yes, my employees think I'm insane for buying a 1984 red Grandma's car as a daily driver - on the other hand, they haven't seen the SL AMG yet. That one ought to shut them up.

cdplayer
 

Not wanting to be morbid here, but the truth is between your boss and you, if a headon was to happen, guess who would be able to walk away?...You!!

I get ribbed from a different direction as Executive Management receive a liberal car allowance and I choose not to drive a car with a payment attached this bothers some of my peers. While the other five choice parking spaces in front are shared with a Volvo, Excursion, Denali, Tahoe and some sort of Ford 500, with the exception of the Ford sedan all have seen their share of the dealership. The Volvo suffered some sort of +$1K battery repair/replacement I yet to fully understand. If one of mine has an ailment it can be swiftly changed out with another 126 while repairs are being done.

Yeah, I used to get teased by a few about my previous 300E. Most admired the car, and how well it had stood up over time but there were those that ridiculed it. Then I would point out that the car only cost me $11K, had had no major repairs in over 8 years, original motor and tranny past 300K Km and that I owned it outright. I then asked them if they owned their car and if it had given them 8 years of perfect service. Didn't get too many 'yes' responses to the latter. ;)

No one messes with me about the car(s) or criticizes my choices...especially since my old W124 looks better than my associates much newer vehicles!

Who cares what they think? YOU like your car and that's what matters.

Okay, group hug!

I don't think I have ever seen cars of any years look any better than yours--I honestly don't see how you have the time to keep them in that shape (was it harder when your daughter was younger?;))

Here's how:

1. Garage. Lack of one ruined the paint and interior on my once-show VW in less than a year from the Texas sun!

2. Wife and I work at the same place, so only one car is really out of the garage at any time. During the week, this is usually the W124, but the others see some weekday duties...today I took the W208 to work.

3. Only one car gets out in the rain...EVER! That way I only have to wash one dirty vehicle. Sometimes this is not possible, but usually I can pull this off. W124 is easiest to wash, so I try not to take the other vehicles out in bad weather.

4. Vehicles that are kept clean are easier to keep clean later. I can wash and dry any of the vehicles in 20-30 minutes.

5. Daughter was trained early on what she can and can't do in a car. I relaxed the rules a bit after I got a bit crustier. Hard to be maintain strict cleanliness rules when your daughter and teammates pile in after a particularly grueling (and muddy) soccer match! The trick there is to get floor mats that can handle the crud, and don't let the dirt linger in the vehicle for very long...much harder to remove later...especially on a black vehicle!

You shouldn't care what anyone else thinks, you drive what you drive because you like it and people out there are afraid of someone that is different. The way I look at those Japanese tin cans is if you sell a 100, one of them has to be reliable, its all about the numbers! Most of my customers are owners of German cars and I see more of their wives cars (which for the most part are Japanese cars). At the end of the day as long as your happy with your car thats all that matters.

E150- They are just jealous because they don't own an exotic car. My co- workers respect me because I color outside the lines....and oddly enough my status got elevated when i purchased my Benz despite it's age....

There can be some bittersweet that comes with old iron. Two years ago we were bought out by a Publicly Traded bigger fish. Our delegation went to their HQ for a tour and then a social hour in the evening. One of the new principles drives up in a 90's W140. I started up a conversation with him and learned of his love for his MB (he is not a DIY person) but he didn't know so many things could be done himself. Some real bonding that night. Later in the year HQ BOD visited us with a department by department Q & A financial, risk all those uncomfortable questions. When it came to me he asked me a question about synchronizing his windows in his 140. LOL bittersweet revenge to my peers.

I think it's funny because the guys at work wil talk mess all day about my car, but they don't touch one om my co-workers who has a 1997 neon with ridiculous chrome rims, fake hood scoop, and a rebuilt motor that cost 2000 dollars. it looks ridiculous.

You are driving one of the safest cars on the road. You could run right over those tin cans that they drive, but why risk scratching your bumper?

To the Lexus owner: If its just a Toyota underneath, then he spent $10K too much!

Now you tell me... Doah!

Took a lot of words to say "OCD":D;) (I'm just jealous)

btw, I am going to put up a jungle gym at my new house this weekend similar to yours as I was inspired by the picture in your backyard. I got a kit from "Sammy the Slinger."

I almost forgot--What kind of proud Texan allows/cares people cracking on his vehicle, anyway. I thought you were kind of a ******* there anywaytif you didn't ride a horse?

It's not that I care too much, more I was just wondering if I was alone in this. As for horses, I can't sneak one up to the seventh floor very easily, so the next best thing is to drive a truck. A big one. I don't have one of those either. So I guess my van will suffice. IF I ever get the tranny replaced.

Money is better invested in an APPRECIATING asset than a DEPRECIATING asset. Besides credit card debt, a brand-new car might be the worst personal finance decision one can make.

Hell, money is better sitting in the bank or stuffed in a mattress than invested in a depreciating asset like a new car!

Myself, I am smitten with the new S Class, and I cannot wait to buy one in about ten years with 100K miles!!!!

Your boss couldn't fix the Lexus himself even if he wanted to and tell him to compare how his car holds up after 21 years. Then mention how much all the antiquated electronics will cost to replace then!

He won't ever know because if the car has a problem he will just trade it in.

Two comments for you:

1) They hoot on you and not him because they secretly envy your common sense approach to transportation and secretly pity his poor taste. Either that or the Neon driver has latent axe-murderer tendencies.
2) Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.
Let the goons talk. Drive what you like and respect others' right to do the same.

Every few weeks, it is my turn to drive in our carpool. That, is when I get poked at - 3 guys, A/C is on, I step on the accellerator, and a grandma on her walker beats me the first 5 or 10 feet. The next 20 feet, the kid on the bike turns to see if I am "racing" him or not. The next 30 feet after that, the moped has nearly made it to the next light. About 100 feet after that, I get passed by the guy behind me. About 1/2 minute later, I pass him, because the car finally finds its balls.
So, yeah, they make fun of me.... "Man, can this thing go any slower?" "Are we there...I mean, to the next block yet?" etc etc.

My usual reply is "How many cars do you know of, that are 24 years old and still run?" or "If you had 230some thousand miles, you wouldn't be fast either".

Buy an S65 and all will be good.

Around heeya, you would get busted on for being a rapper if you did that:D


How's the diesel project going, btw? I had the chance to buy a yellow '78 a while back and passed. Should have gotten it.....

How about a '79 diesel wagon? :P

That's what I am talking about--I had a neighbor who sold one. I even posted the listing here, but he sold it to a local guy. I could have had it for a song.

I don't really get messed with, I have I think once in the last 2 years, but it was playful, not biting. I have made fun of others though, who are too stubborn to realize their car is killing their financial health and may possibly be a deathtrap on the road, but they are so fearful of a car payment it makes them irrational. When its time its time, but you don't sound like that type anyway.