Some jerk busted off my hood star - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

irish_flu · #1 09-01-2008, 11:39 PM

This is purely for venting my rage....

Somebody busted the star off the hood of my W126 on Saturday, while it was parked in the lot in front of my condo. I'm freaking angry. I took my Jeep into town to play a gig at a bar, and it happened while I was gone.

I live in a gated condo community (much cheaper than it sounds), part of which is a resort, and I've convinced myself it was some punk visiting the lake with his parents for the Labor Day weekend.

I sit at home most nights, smoking cigs on my front porch, and would ahve seen it almost any other time. None of my neighbors hate me (as far as I know, I try to be a good neighbor) so I figure it was just a random act of ass-hattery.

Fantasies of revenge keep popping into my head, like trying to figure out how to wire the replacement into the battery (but that's probably illegal). I've been hit by car batteries before (due to my own stupidity while under the hood), and while it doesn't kill you, it does knock you flat on your rear.

Somebody dented the grill a couple of months ago. I blamed my wife, because she was driving it at the time (I figured she hit a bird or something), but now I wonder if it wasn't somebody doing something to it while it was parked out here....

Jim B. · #2 09-01-2008, 11:54 PM

I know how you feel. This does come up from time to time, and solutions like wiring up the battery to shock, filing the edges of the hoodstar to a razor's edge and so on, are discussed.

But the perp could sue you, and go ballistic all over your car if you did things like that so they are best kept in the fantasy stage.

Of course, if you caught him (MUST have been a him) in the act, well.......

I would just chill and suck it up. Honestly replacement hoodstars are cheap, should be under $30 or a LOT less if you can nab one off a car that just came into the pick 'n' pull junkyard (but they get pulled fast, there so you have to be quick)

Or, you could moot the issue and go buy a nice 560SEC, or 560SL like I did!!

irish_flu · #3 09-01-2008, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim B.

I know how you feel. This does come up from time to time, and solutions like wiring up the battery to shock, filing the edges of the hoodstar to a razor's edge and so on, are discussed.

But the perp could sue you, and go ballistic all over your car if you did things like that so they are best kept in the fantasy stage.

Of course, if you caught him (MUST have been a him) in the act, well.......

I would just chill and suck it up. Honestly replacement hoodstars are cheap, should be under $30 or a LOT less if you can nab one off a car that just came into the pick 'n' pull junkyard (but they get pulled fast, there so you have to be quick)

Or, you could moot the issue and go buy a nice 560SEC, or 560SL like I did!!

Yeah, I figure if it happens again, I'll get a surveillance camera (instead of shocking the fear of Irish_Flu into somebody).

I checked into pricing, I'm amazed at how cheap they are. Now I wanna have a couple extra, I'd love to have one in my office as a paperweight (anchored to some sort of base).

I reeeeeeeeeaaaaaally like your last suggestion, but then it would be my wife electrocuting ME!

H-townbenzoboy · #4 09-02-2008, 12:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim B.

Or, you could moot the issue and go buy a nice 560SEC, or 560SL like I did!!

Or buy a sport grille!

iwrock · #5 09-02-2008, 02:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by H-townbenzoboy

Or buy a sport grille!

Or an SEC front clip onto the sedan.

Jim B. · #6 09-02-2008, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by irish_flu

I reeeeeeeeeaaaaaally like your last suggestion, but then it would be my wife electrocuting ME!

I wound up keeping the car, and kicking *HER* to the curb.

And you know what?

It was the smartest thing I ever did.

Hatterasguy · #7 09-02-2008, 12:48 PM

Get the removable star and just yank it off when questionable people are around.

sd300td · #8 09-02-2008, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by irish_flu

This is purely for venting my rage....

Somebody busted the star off the hood of my W126 on Saturday, while it was parked in the lot in front of my condo. I'm freaking angry. I took my Jeep into town to play a gig at a bar, and it happened while I was gone.
...

Probably some bored teenagers. Gig? whatdayaplay?

pj67coll · #9 09-02-2008, 02:20 PM

I wonder if some form of shotgun barrel firing thru the grille might be possible

BAVBMW · #10 09-02-2008, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Fantasies of revenge keep popping into my head, like trying to figure out how to wire the replacement into the battery (but that's probably illegal). I've been hit by car batteries before (due to my own stupidity while under the hood), and while it doesn't kill you, it does knock you flat on your rear.

Are you sure it wasn't the ignition system that got you? 12v is hard to feel at all, unless you're covered with some sort of conductive solution (like sweat). And even then it's more of a tingle than anything that would knock you anywhere. I suppose if you were licking it it might make you wince...

But if it seriously shocked you it was more likely the ignition system, which regularly operates with 20,000v, and can peak at significantly more. That will sting, and likely leave you rubbing a sore body part for a little bit.

MV

tankdriver · #11 09-02-2008, 05:45 PM

Some drunk a**holes tried to steal the star off mine a while ago. Got it 95% off then gave up. The worst part is I kind of heard them (it was maybe 2 AM), but didn't wake up enough for my brain to wonder why drunk people weren't continuing on to their apartment.

MTI · #12 09-02-2008, 07:14 PM

Remember when the chrome logos for the Audi "Fox" or the VW "Rabbit" were the fad targets?

eagle-co94 · #13 09-02-2008, 08:09 PM

The shipping company that trucked my Roadster to me broke off my hood star and claimed that it was already broken off...sure...it was LAYING on the front bumper after being trucked to FL from CT! Luckily I had a "spare car" sitting around that I quickly hijacked the replacement from.

irish_flu · #14 09-02-2008, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sd300td

Probably some bored teenagers. Gig? whatdayaplay?

I sing in a rock band; older stuff (stones, Hendrix, etc) and some more modern stuff (Weezer, Smashing Pumpins, etc) with a few originals mixed in. It's fun. We're all in our thirties (except our bassist, who is downright ancient), so there's less "macho". We play local bars and such for a few hundred dollars and some free beer.

irish_flu · #15 09-02-2008, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BAVBMW

Are you sure it wasn't the ignition system that got you? 12v is hard to feel at all, unless you're covered with some sort of conductive solution (like sweat). And even then it's more of a tingle than anything that would knock you anywhere. I suppose if you were licking it it might make you wince...

But if it seriously shocked you it was more likely the ignition system, which regularly operates with 20,000v, and can peak at significantly more. That will sting, and likely leave you rubbing a sore body part for a little bit.

MV

Bingo, you're absolutely correct; I wasn't even thinking about it that way. It was indeed the ignition system that hit me all those years ago. Knocked me on my keister, but it didn't really hurt (except for my pride).