fascination

PPL that have never driven one will never understand.

The first MB that I ever drove was a 57/58 220S. It drove as good or better than any of the later models that I have driven. I sure wish I could have gotten that woman to sell me that car.

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Jim

I really apreciated the earlier examples as well. I guess the swing axel could get you into trouble but It never did for me. Quality of build back then was fabulous compared to the competition.

The generally cheapest car in the marketplace being volkswagon also had incredable build quality including fit and finish compared to the competition.

Sadly there will never be cars as special as the pre war, hand crafted cars. As well as those models made up until about 1985.

This one gives me goosebumps...

Inventing Safety by Mercedes-Benz - YouTube

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-Justin

91 560 SEC AMG - other dogs dd
01 Honda S2000 - dogs dd
07 MB ML320 CDI - dd
16 Lexus IS250 - wifes dd

it's automatic.

I don't remember the exact model, but the first MB I ever drove was a finback with a six cylinder and a four speed on the column. It was in about June of 1969 in Germany. A friend of mine bought it on the cheap with what turned out to be a warped exhaust valve. I took the the head off and he had it redone somewhere in town. I put it back together and took a test drive since he wasn't around at the time to stop me.

Up to that time that was CLEARLY the best made car I had ever touched with a wrench.

I've been an MB fan ever since that time.

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2001 SLK 320 six speed manual
2014 Porsche Cayenne six speed manual

Annoy a Liberal, Read the Constitution

The first Benz I drove was a beat up W124 in 2002. It didn't impress. Aside from pulling things into and out of shops, I didn't drive another until the '83 300D that I still own.

I'd like to take a few hot laps in the W03.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

Sometime around 1970 at the latest the build quality started to deteriorate in my opinion. Maybe earlier. Time and labour costs had changed.

The valving problem was notorious if you did not pay attention to the adjustment frequency. They by 1970 had stiffened up the interference fitting of the lash adjusters and that helped. Most mercedes shops could easily deal with the two zenith carb setup as well. Much harder today with those old buggies.

Most places that serviced them were not insanely expensive compared to dealers today even in corrected dollars. The five speed on the tree. Four gears forward and one reverse was nicely engineered overall. The 240ds setup on their manual transmission feels crude in comparison to what I remember. Also the vertical barber pole speedometer and gauge layout was very well though out in my opinion. Especially compared to what came later. Rust then as now at least in the north was the downside with their particular type of factory undercoating.

Hey Jim.

I've got http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/mercedes-cars-sale/294951-fs-1958-ponton-220s.html up here waiting on someone to pick it up as a project.

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daw_two
Germantown, TN

Links:
Sold last car --- 05/2012 1984 300D Light Ivory, Red interior
Cluster Needles Paint
New Old Stock (NOS) parts

Past:
3/2008 1986 300SDL "Coda"
04/2010 1965 190D(c) "Ben"
& many more

An auto museum curator friend of mine never understood my love for the W123 until I loaned him my 1981 300D for several months. After he drove it for a while he told me, "Now I understand".

Twice my father has driven a car from the Fort Wayne, IN MB dealership back to my home which is about and hours drive. The one time was in my 1985 300D and the second was in the 1999 E300 that I had. When he drove the 300D he commented to me on what a nice driving car it was. He never said a thing about the E300. One he also drove my 1991 300SE. I was just outside the garage when he arrived. He looked like he had a coat hanger in his mouth. And he loves driving my 1995 SL320.

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Current:
1985 300D aka Miss Margaret
1991 300SE aka Alarice
1995 SL320 aka Samantha
1997 K1500 Silverado
Past:
1999 E300 ex-wife got it and let her son ruin it
1984 190 2.3 ex-wife got it and let her son destroy a great car
1985 300D (CA version) aka Maybelline lost to deer at high speed.
1981 300D aka Madeline (went to salvage at near 400k) rusty, yet best car I ever drove
Wishlist:
McFarlan TV6 (only a few privately owned)
ReVere with Rochester engine
1917 Premier (only one left)