WS
members will get to celebrate the holidays - late, but celebrate all the same. We'll be partying at the Inn at Mount Vernon on Saturday evening, January 29, at 6:30PM.
The home of the United States' first President, George Washington, is nestled on the west shore of the Potomac, just south of Alexandria at the end of the George Washington Parkway. You may have visited this famous place and not realized that there is a quaint place to dine by candle light right on the grounds.
Though we will not be touring the mansion or grounds - you are welcome to do so on your own earlier in the day. The mansion closes at 4:00PM and the grounds are cleared at 4:30. You might consider taking a mid-afternoon tour - and some shopping in nearby Old Town Alexandria before returning to the Inn for the section's holiday event in the early evening.
This will be a wonderful opportunity to spend some time up with old friends, meet new ones, and catch up on all the activities of the past year. The 2004 Member of the Year Award and the 2004 Autocross Series trophies will be presented. And, those of you with 5, 10, 15, 20 or more years of club membership will receive your anniversary pins! Great fun is always a staple at this event, so come out and spend an evening with the gang!
And you ask - what deliciousness will be offered at our celebration? Meal choices are salmon, stuffed chicken breast, beef medallions, or steak. These tasty entrées will be served with both a potato and a vegetable side dish, home made breads and colonial crackers, a salad, dessert, coffee and tea. Your initial cocktails will be on the club! Additional drinks and wine will also be available.
The cost for all this is just $50 per person - form is in the centerfold. The Holiday Party is one of the events that the section subsidizes to encourage members to come out. All of your officers and board members are looking forward to seeing you there.
If you have questions, contact Bill Hopper at <WWHRestoration@worldnet.att.net> or call him at 202-363-4189.
Please remember to bring canned goods for our annual charity food drive!
he
Greater Washington Section offers many opportunities to get together each year, but at only three of these events are longevity pins awarded to members based on the number of years they have been in the club.
The first of the events is the Annual Picnic and Mid-Atlantic Concours, which was held on August 22 in North Potomac, Maryland. The second was the Annual Membership Meeting in October. The final event is Holiday Party which will be held on January 29.
Since the pins are awarded in increments of five years, it means that if you joined the club in 1999, you are eligible for a 5-year pin this year. If you joined in 1994, you will get a 10-year pin, and so on.
There is one catch. You must be present at one of the three events at which the pins are awarded. We do not mail pins. Invariably, eligible members attend one or all of the above events but leave before the pins are given out. If, for some reason, you must leave before the event is over, please see us to get your pin. Otherwise, you'll have to wait five more years before you are again eligible!
Members eligible for pins in 2004:
| 40 Years | 30 Years | 25 Years |
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Neill and Elaine Darmstadter
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Thomas Draude John Gray Jr. Norbert Lamp Reuben Richards M. Davis Streaker |
David Ballard Lahugh Bankston Larry Buel Simon Cain John Gersic Klaus Hirtes Harold Hostetler James Keith Edwin Lehnert Thomas Morrow Robert Richards Sr. |
The section offers many different events for its 1,500 members, so we hope you'll join us for one that interests you. Check out our web site for the latest update of scheduled events at <http://www.gws-mbca.org>.
And always try to recruit new members at every opportunity. If you need applications, please email or call us. We are the largest section in MBCA and strive to keep it that way.
| Klaus and Deborah Hirtes |
Calendar of Events
Greater Washington Section Events
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President's Message
Results, dates, and wishes
would like start with a big thank you to Janet McFarland and the other members of the Nominating Committee, Al Angulo and Dave Thompson, for doing a fantastic job with the GWS officer election procedures and the balloting held in October at our Annual Meeting. This club would not exist without our very giving volunteers.
The results of the election are: Bill Hopper and Marianne Sener were elected your new vice president and secretary, respectively. Also elected were holdovers, Jim Glenn as treasurer, and me, as president. These are two-year positions.
In January, your new board will hold its first meeting. All section members are welcome to attend. We do ask that you call any officer to let us know if you intend to join us, as we have to make arrangements for a meeting space based on our numbers.
Your new officers have met once and have begun the planning of this year's activities. The dates listed in the calendar of events on the preceding page are "pretty firm." Not all of our events are listed yet. You'll see that our tech sessions, the VPC Tour, a drive and dine or two, and other special tours are not yet listed. Tech sessions require that we know our national driving event dates, and we've just gotten those. The tour dates are more flexible because they seldom require a long advance reservation, unlike the driving events, the Deutsche Marque, and autocrosses.
Some events might have a caveat attached. For example, the scheduled rain date for the Annual Picnic will be August 28. However, you'll see we have an autocross scheduled on that date. If we need the rain date, the autocross will be rescheduled as the Picnic takes precedence. There's always some juggling and we'll make every attempt to give you plenty of notice on new and rescheduled events.
This year, we hope to hold some events, in addition to the Deutsche Marque, with the other major car clubs. In the past, we've been made welcome at Porsche club rallyes. We'll try more combined events, and one of the first we want to schedule will be a Drive and Dine to who knows where...
On another note, this is the time of year when we are so very much involved in the hustle and bustle of shopping, running to parties, and visiting with family and friends. Please be careful! If a long drive is involved, remember to stop for a rest, and try to get a bit of relaxing in before heading out again. Think and drive defensively.
Bobbie and I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and that 2005 is your best year yet! Forget visions of sugarplums... May the Mercedes of your dreams end up in your garage, driveway, or parking space. Me? I'd be happy with a new CLS55 or an E55. Bobbie's list is very short... a new SLK. Dreaming keeps us all young.
| Joe |
pylon alley by Tom Newman
Autocross #5
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ow
do you hold a driving event in the middle of a howling storm? Simple, you don't. There was a lot of concern about the hurricane moving up the Eastern seaboard potentially canceling the event. However, the weather reports looked favorable and the phrase of the day was "Sorry Charley." We were going autocrossing!
A lighter than normal turnout gave the course designers some additional flexibility. In the words of Gollum from Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "tricksey, we don't like them tricksies!" That certainly describes this course. A short increasing slalom leading to a skid pad caught more than a few participants off guard. More stumbles at the end with an offset gate into the stop garage. More than a few competitors overshot the last gate or took out a cone. Many, in trying to avoid the cone were forced to back up to make it into stop. Folks, if you are going to hit a cone, HIT it! It takes more time to back up and avoid than the 2-second penalty. Such is the sacrifice of innocent cones.
Normally, we lead off with the AMG cars, but since we have a little extra time, I thought we would start with a description of Ben Weber's blistering diesel run ...Okay, that only took about 3 hours to tell, so back to the action. Seriously, we love the fact that Ben brings out the dinosaur squeezer to play. The fake bullet holes, crinkled fender and racing decals certainly make it much speedier. However, we really do appreciate his play-by-play announcements at our events. Anyone with a sense of humor would not be able to contain a chuckle.
The AMG cars once again saw stiff competition. Carl Beveridge captured another victory, but Bruce is tightening the gap. This time, falling by an imperceptible 2 one hundredths of a second! Newcomers Tom Mcqueen and John Krahulec also had strong showings. Both drivers are new to us this year and we are all impressed with their growing ability and skill.
The vintage class once again goes to the husband and wife team of Steve Walters and Janet McFarland. "Typhoid Klaus" struggled over the course of the day and Steve capitalized.
The non-Benz cars have developed a new rivalry in GS. Bill Brochu, Bill Lear, Richard Ellinger, Matt Yip, and Tom Newman were all within 4 tenths of a second of each other in a hotly contested battle. The end of the day had Bill Brochu capturing his second overall victory of the season. Pete Gochman secured another fastest time of the day in his Honda S2000.
Special recognition goes to Sharon Payne. Sharon started driving with us last year. Over that time frame, we have steadily seen her improve. Congratulations to Sharon on her first overall win for the season! Great job! As the season progresses, we should see a tight battle for the remaining events.
ear
Fellow Mercedes-Benz Enthusiast,
We are quickly approaching the end of the year and the hustle and bustle of the holiday season is here. After all the excitement is over what are you going to do to beat those post season holiday blues? Well, nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina in the spring. So, join us for StarTech 2005 in Raleigh/Cary, North Carolina. The April 22-24 event is hosted by the Triangle Section and will be the first StarTech on the East Coast.
StarTech is the Mercedes-Benz Club of America's premiere attraction for Mercedes drivers interested in the operation, maintenance, repair and/or restoration of their vehicles. StarTech satisfies those seeking just general knowledge about their vehicles as well as those with specific questions about specific models.
The event features a vendor's show and an opening reception on Friday, April 22. Noted experts in their fields offer multiple concurrent presentations on Saturday. Lunch is included on Saturday and the day concludes with a banquet featuring a noted speaker. Visit our web site at <www.mbca.org/startech>.
The headquarters is the Embassy Suites (www.embassysuites.com) in Cary, NC just 35 miles off I-95 on I-40. It's an easy drive for anyone in the east and convenient to RDU International Airport for those flying.
We look forward to seeing you there!
| M. Dee Ogilvy, StarTech '05 Chairman Greg Wilkins, StarTech '05 Co-Chair |
ercedes-Benz
has garnered two prestigious "Best of What's New" awards from Popular Science, the oldest and best-known science and technology magazine in the U.S. One award goes to the company's diesel powered E320 CDI, a four-door luxury sedan that can get 37 miles per gallon on the highway with a new CDI electronic injection system that helps make the car quiet, clean and fast.
According to Popular Science editor Eric Adams, "In the 1970s, Americans had a love/hate relationship with diesel cars. Though more fuel-efficient than their gas cousins, the cars were noisy, underpowered, smog-belching reminders of just how badly the fuel crisis had crippled the nation. By the mid-'90s, lower gas prices all but banished them from U.S. showrooms. Meanwhile, European carmakers, spurred by diesel-friendly tax structures, kept at it. They traded sloppy mechanical fuel injection for high-pressure electronic systems that better atomize fuel. Finer droplets burn more completely than a coarse spray, cutting noise and emissions while boosting power. The result: a new generation of surprisingly appealing diesel vehicles."
Editor Michael Moyer says, "The best thing about the new E320 CDI is much more primal than better fuel economy. It's thrust. It has 369 pound-feet of torque, 30 more than found in its V8 cousin, pushing it to 60 mph in 6.6 seconds. The fully electronic common-rail fuel injection system - a first in the U.S. - pressurizes the fuel to 23,000 psi, which allows it to burn more thoroughly, enhancing power and efficiency."
The new SLK convertible snagged the other "Best of What's New" award for Mercedes. The original SLK took the roadster world by storm in 1997 with its slick retractable hardtop, and the new-generation car builds on that success with an all-new look that suggests a Formula 1 racecar as well as increased power and more room.
Moyer says, "Mercedes has made its small roadster both more comfortable and more thrilling. The crisp new SLK350's 3.5-liter V6 incorporates variable valve timing to allow the engine to tune itself for maximum efficiency at low throttle or high speed. The strategy works: nearly 90 percent of the torque is available at just 1,500 rpm. And you can enjoy a roofless ride year-round, thanks to headrest heaters that blow warm air across your neck."
The December edition of Popular Science, the magazine's best-read issue, features its Best of What's New coverage.
his
press release will mean more to those folks who attended the VPC tour in October. At that event, we were told that Mercedes-Benz was looking for much needed additional space for the processing of new cars arriving at port.
Mercedes-Benz USA has announced an expansion of its operations with the Port of Baltimore in importing the carmaker's sedans, coupes, SUVs, roadsters, and sports cars. More than 100 acres of vehicle-processing space will be leased at the Port by Mercedes-Benz, providing space for the steady growth expected by the carmaker. With this additional space on Port property, the auto manufacturer can receive, process, and distribute more quickly and efficiently. The Port of Baltimore carries Mercedes-Benz passenger cars and light trucks to dealerships in the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and Northeastern states, accounting for roughly 90,000 vehicles this calendar year. "We've been importing cars through the Port of Baltimore for almost 40 years," said Norbert Litzkow, MBUSA vice-president, finance and controlling. "It made sense to use the Port as a point of entry back then, and it has become that much more important as we prepare for one of the largest product offensives in our history." This commitment and expansion on port grounds was confirmed through talks with both the governor's office and the Maryland Port Administration (MPA). "The significance of such a move, or in this case a commitment to stay, is huge," said Mel Bafford, MPA general manager for automobiles and project cargo. "The Mercedes-Benz business is large and important to us because of the jobs and volume they ship, but also because of the ripple effect they have on other operations. Anytime you can drop the name Mercedes-Benz - and their commitment to this port - it sends a strong signal about your quality." "As a company, we certainly view the Port as a strategic partner," said Andrew Gillman, general manager of vehicle logistics and distribution at Mercedes-Benz USA. "It makes sense to lease the land directly. It makes for a much more stable relationship." Gillman added, "When you consider how long we've been around, most Port workers can't remember a time when Mercedes-Benz cars weren't coming through the Port. I think they have a real sense of ownership with our product."
Concours Corner: Car Bra Guide
By Bill Shaw
enjoy working on my car and take pride in maintaining its appearance. But as the number of construction projects in this area continues to increase, it's become harder to do so. Moreover, I started noticing a corresponding increase in the number of rock chips caused by stones, gravel and related debris kicked up by trucks, buses and other vehicles driving in front me. Disconsolate and frustrated, I was desperate to find a way to protect the front of my beloved Mercedes from these projectiles before it got any worse.
Coincidentally and in response to similar inquiries from customers, I was asked to research and identify a product and reputable company that Curry's Auto could recommend. Knowing that there are really only three viable solutions; i.e., vinyl bras, magnetic contact sheets, and clear urethane films, I decided to fully research the advantages and disadvantages of each before making my recommendation.
Magnetic car bras, like those sold by Magnetbra, are made from a safety-coated, flexible magnetic sheet. The safety-coated magnetic sheet is designed to conform to the front hood and will not abrade the paint even with long-term use. Because of the complex hood designs on some vehicles, however, magnetic car bras are not available for a large number of automobiles. While this product is the easiest of the three materials to install and remove - and at $44.95, one of least expensive solutions - it also offers the smallest area of coverage, is not compatible with nonmetallic bodywork; i.e., plastic, carbon fiber or fiberglass, and as related above, it's only available for a limited number of vehicles.
Vinyl bras are also called car masks, front-end covers, and hood bras. The (typical) black outer vinyl shell is UV-resistant and made to look like leather or carbon fiber and is lined with a soft polyester material. The original style is the most popular and is fitted to cover all painted frontal surfaces, principally the fender, hood and oftentimes the leading edge of the fenders, and usually comes in two-pieces: one for the hood and one for the bumper/fender. Ranging in price from $34-$590, most vinyl bras are functional looking at best, and at worst, are unattractive and detract from the car. And if left on for extended periods, the paint under the bra will become cloudy and/or fade at a different rate than the rest of the car. While offering excellent front-end protection from rocks, it is, nonetheless, a high-maintenance product that needs to be removed often and cleaned since it can trap dirt and moisture.
Urethane films were initially developed to protect the leading edge of helicopter rotor blades against sand and dirt. For automobile applications, they are generically referred to as invisible bras or clear bras. The clear film is constructed of a tough, 6-14ml, urethane (thermoplastic) film with a pressure-sensitive adhesive backing. Manufactured primarily by 3M and VentureShield, these films can be applied directly to almost any painted surface, of any age, after it has been thoroughly cleaned and prepped. It is a semipermanent solution that can be removed without damaging the underlying paint and conforms to the curves of a vehicle's hood, fender, headlights, mirrors and front bumpers. While not totally invisible, it does offer the same level of protection as a two-piece vinyl bra application - without the headache of having to remove it before or after every foul-weather encounter. Furthermore, the same inhibitors contained in the film that prevent it from yellowing also allow UV rays to penetrate, which means the paint underneath the urethane will fade at the same rate as the rest of the car. Each kit is specific for each vehicle, but with professional installation (recommended), this is the most expensive solution by far; $150-$300 for kits and an addition $200-$800 for installation.
While each of the aforementioned products has an advantage over the others, I came to the conclusion that the urethane films offer the best long-term solution - especially if the car is a daily driver and/or driven year around. The superior coverage offered by these products, their durability, and the fact that they are virtually invisible and require no additional maintenance combine to make the invisible bra a protective and aesthetic winner.
This part of my assignment, however, turned out to be the easiest. I next had to identify a reputable company. There are literally dozens of businesses out there competing for a slice of this lucrative market with impressive-sounding names like Star Shield Armor, RockBlocker, Invinca-Shield, and Protective Film Technologies, just to name a few. But in order to objectively determine which was best, I developed a set of criteria that I could use to evaluate each company. This included years of experience, reputation, product warranty, template design and type of film.
A review of the clear urethane films offered by Lumar, Avery Denison, 3M, and VentureShield, for example, revealed that 3M is the only one to incorporate a clear coat on its film. Knowing how effective clear coats are on the painted surfaces of automobiles, it seemed logical to want this added protection on the film too. As a result, I was able to eliminate a large number of invisible bra installers who do not use 3M films.
Thanks to the Internet, I was then able to compare one company's template against another for the same model car. I deduced that designs that yielded the most coverage with a minimum number of seams and relief cuts would be the least visible and provide the best protection. In the end, those that offered templates designed by X-Pel appeared to have the least number of "pieces" to their kit while providing the broadest coverage. This further reduced the list to just a handful of installers. Of those, only one had the reputation, experience (9 years) and warranty (Lifetime Paint Protection Guarantee) that I was ultimately looking for: Protective Film Technologies (www.pftfilms.com; 703-944-7076).
I then arranged to have Skip Vachon of PFT install a paint protective film kit on the hood, fenders, bumper and mirrors of my car. Not only have I stopped "collecting" rock chips, but also of those I already had, the urethane film seems to have hidden them. And as advertised, its almost impossible to see and virtually maintenance-free. All I have to do is wash/wax it whenever I wash/wax the car. Skip added that his film is also OEM approved for all makes and models and insurance companies will reimburse the cost of the product and installation in the unfortunate event the car is involved in an accident.
Ideally, it's best to have the film applied when a vehicle is new and undamaged. However, this isn't absolutely necessary, as it was in my case. Skip says he routinely applies his kits to track cars to keep stones from further damaging their hood and bumpers. Almost one year later, I can attest the 3M film that Skip installed is without exception the best automotive-related purchase I've made to date. Protective Film Technologies is the only company that Curry's uses and recommends for this work.
unday,
October 10 was a great day for a polo match. Janet McFarland and Steve Walters, in their 1974 450SL, joined Klaus and I, in our 1967 230SL, in a two-hour drive to the historic Shirley Plantation in Charles City, Virginia for the inaugural Colonial Polo Cup, sponsored by the Williamsburg Kiwanis Foundation. Tysinger Mercedes-Benz of Hampton, Virginia was the title sponsor for this fundraising event to benefit area youth and arts programs.
Settled in 1613, Shirley Plantation is the oldest plantation in Virginia and the oldest family-owned business in North America. The mansion is recognized as an architectural treasure. While we did not have time to visit the house, a guided tour of the main floor features original 18th-century hand-carved woodwork, family portraits and silver. The square-rigged, "flying" staircase rises three stories with no visible means of support. Today, Shirley Plantation continues to be a working farm, a private family home, a growing family business and a National Historic Landmark.
We drove through acres and acres of cotton and soybeans to reach the plantation's polo grounds, where we found tents set up for us and other corporate sponsors. We raised the Mercedes flag and set up our tailgate provisions and then met up with members from the Virginia section: Robby Ackerman; David and June Hay in their 1963 190SL; and, Jim and Linda Freeh and their daughter, Jessica.
Prior to the start of the world-class polo match featuring Team Michelob Ultra vs. Team Mercedes-Benz, the three older SLs followed a horse and buggy and a new SL in a parade lap around the field. President Thomas Jefferson was the grand marshall (and later tossed the first ball). There also was a presentation of the Williamsburg Field Musick Fifes and Drums and members of the Princess Anne Hunt Club with their hounds. From then on, it was an afternoon of entertainment, parties, contests, vendor sales, raffles - and, of course, the polo match.
The announcer gave us all an introduction to the 2,500-year-old "game of kings," - one of the fastest, roughest and most dangerous games played today. The game is composed of six chukkers (or periods), each of which lasts 7 minutes. A player switches horses after each chukker so that the horse may rest, although it may be replayed after a chukker or two.
At half-time - with a tied score of 3 to 3 - all spectators were encouraged to participate in the traditional divot stomp to help get all the dug-up turf back into place. And after the match - which was won by Team Mercedes (7-3) - everyone was invited to the post-match party in the Players' Tent. It was a fun day!
| Deborah Hirtes |
EuroMotorcars of Germantown
New Mercedes-Benz dealer
220S Cabriolet, 1957: Brown/cream. Well maintained. Books, records. 4 spd on column. $38,000. Call Jeff at 703-528-6635.
220SEb coupe, 1962: Forest green/green. 5 passenger 2-door hardtop. Mech, fuel injection, std. 4-spd. trans. 185k miles. Runs good, needs paint. '62 was 2nd yr. this rare model was imported. $8000 obo. Call Daren at 703-451-9425.
220SEb, 1964: Black/cognac leather. Black Haartz top. Restored CA car, owned 10 yrs. Must see. New metric motor. Rebuilt 4 spd. auto, injection, front end, brakes, etc. Best offer over $30,000. Call Thomas at 540-364-4188.
280SL, 1970: Silver/red leather. 93k orig. mi. Auto, 6-cyl, fuel injected. Hard/soft tops. Jumper seat. A/C. Orig tool kit, owner & parts manuals. Too many options to list. $30,000. Call Tom at 410-573-1528 or email <sdhyatt15@aol.com>.
280SE 3.5 coupe, 1971: MB red (code 571)/palomino interior - a striking and beautiful combination. $48K spent on the car & restoration. Won People's Choice at the Mid-Atlantic Concours in 2003. $36K obo. Contact Martin for complete description of restoration at 703-528-0895 or email <stickleys@comcast.net>.
280SEL, 1973: Forest green/tan leather. Immaculate original condition. Garage kept. Hershey show winner. 23k original miles. Must see. $29,500. Call Dave at 301-622-1805.
250C, 1972: Project car. Needs paint and assembly. Straight body, MB Tex, many NOS &used parts. Rare sunroof car. Very strong Euro motor. 4-speed. 90K miles. Dry storage. Runs/drives well. Bargain at $750. Also ultra-rare 5-speed transmission for additional $600.Chuck Taylor, 703 237 0392, or <ctaylor738@aol.com>.
450SL, 1980: White/tan leather. Both tops. Restored earlier. Many upgrades. 108k actual miles. Looks and runs great. $14,000. Call Sterling at 703-960-3943.
280SL, 1984: Euro model. Anthracite/tan. Both tops in good shape. Euro lights. Race factory hitch. Recent valve job and tune. Engine runs great. 186k miles. Minor dents, dings. Clutch failed, not drivable. $1800. Call Bud at 410-703-3839 or email <bud.dixon@us.ibm.com>.
560SL, 1989: Silver frost hardtop/d. brown soft. 132k miles. Auto, A/C, 6-CD. Garaged. Excellent condition. MB service, all records. One beautiful SL! $19,500. Call Dee at 410-745-3984.
560SL, 1989: White w/tan leather. Hard and soft tops. 68k miles. Garage kept. Difficult to find one better. Extensive maintenance records. $23,900. Call Judd at 703-930-4279 or email at <squitier@tteam.com>.
300SE, 1989: Teal/beige. No rust or dents. Very good cond., engine runs great, everything works. Many new parts but needs trans work. $3500 obo. Call Hamid at 703-799-7959 or email
<h_ahmady@hotmail.com>.
350SD, 1991: Black pearl/cream leather. All options, dual airbags, LSD. One owner, garaged. No winters. 49k miles. Up to 32mpg. Serviced every 3k by MB. Best 126 avail. Immaculate and orig. Pix avail. $22,000 obo. Call Ron at 301-854-4817 or email <sanrt2@juno.com>.
E320, 1996: Black Pearl/gray leather. Totally mint, showroom condition. No scratches, dents or dings. M-B phone, 6-disk CD, chrome wheels plus original stock alloy wheels included. 94k mi., always garaged and covered, absolutely immaculate inside & out, all books & records. $13,900. Call John at 703-768-1073 or email at <jpsoos@uspis.gov>.
E320 4MATIC, 2000: Bordeaux red, Java leather,navi, Bose, sport wheels, 61k miles, Good condtion to pristine. $25,000/obo. Call Hugh at 410-480-3631 or <hscoggins@hotmail.com>.
E55 AMG, 2001: Silver with Blk/Silver leather. 10,200 miles. Xenon headlights, heated seats, Premium Bose Sound System, K2a option (6-CD changer, V60 Motorola cell phone all with voice activation), lots more. All fluids flushed (again) on 8/25/04. $50,000. Call Bill Shaw 703-860-2434 or email at <armoredveh@aol.com>.
E320CDI, 2005: Silver/gray. Only 2200 miles! $49,900. Paid $54,000.
or
350SD, 1991: Rebuilt engine with MB warranty. $18,500. Call Greg at 301-948-7354.
Snow Tires: For SLK230. Used 2 winters. Make an offer. Call Sharon at 703-719-0222.
Wheels: Purchased for snow tires for 1985 model. Never used. $50 obo for the pair. Call Joe or Ann at 703-631-9864.
Special tools and manuals: For 350SL (107). Other tools for diesel valve adjusting also for sale. Worth more than $1600 - take all for $950 plus shipping (approx 50 pounds) See full list at <www.dcdentistry.com/mbparts.htm>. Mark at 202-872-0022 email mryan@dcdentistry.com.
Wanted: 16 inch OEM wheels with or without tires, from C or CLK-Class. Prefer wheels free of any curb rash. Contact Steve Long at <SDLong329@aol.com>.
f
you were to locate a new Mercedes-Benz dealership in the Washington Metropolitan area, where would you put it? Where else but Germantown Maryland - just a jump off of the high tech Route I-270 Corridor, on Germantown Road in the Germantown Town Center.
Recently Service Manger Ken Brokaw, of the new EuroMotorcars of Germantown gave us the cook's tour of this new facility. First thing that you will notice is that this modern state-of-the-art facility is not in the midst of a string of auto dealerships. It stands proudly in the heart of Germantown's commercial district with it's myriad shops and restaurants. The dealership building is very reminiscent of its Bethesda sibling ACG Architects designed both.
Out in front there is a large display of new and previously owned Mercedes-Benz Automobiles. Step into the dealership building and onto the long swooping sales floor that is anchored by a soaring 40-foot atrium providing plenty of sunshine to show off the brilliant car colors. Beyond the selling floor, there are four covered service lanes and an equally impressive service reception area with plenty of service writers, a complete M-B Parts department, and the Benz Boutique to serve you.
Below this newly built facility lies the heart of any dealership - it's service bays. With 25 already setup and expansion space for 25 more, Ken Brokaw's service staff will no doubt be quite busy and have the comfort of space to work on your Mercedes.
Ken recently moved his family to Maryland from Asheville North Carolina, where he worked with the Tarheel Section of MBCA at another dealership. Ken says "club members are true auto enthusiasts that really bring the marque to life." Ken plans on holding service related events for M-B owner's to help them get to know more about their cars and improve the ownership experience. He did indicate there would be service and parts discounts for club members, and has offered to host functions for the club.
Stop by and see the new EuroMotorcars Germantown dealership. Introduce yourself to Ken, and tell him you are an MBCA member and welcome him to the neighborhood!
Bill Hopper
he
large diameter, white steering wheel in my '65 Finback is a source of endless delight. Its smooth texture with a hint of finger grooving on the reverse side is a tactile joy. The slight surface crazing, the result of the sun's ultra violet light, gives a patina like fine antique porcelain or gently weathered bone. Oversize ivory steering wheels were a Mercedes hallmark from the late '20s until the early '70s. The size of the wheel was dictated by the need for the driver to get substantial leverage in order to steer a large automobile via a recirculating ball system in the absence of power assist. This leverage is particularly necessary at slow speeds and when parallel parking. I'm not sure about the reason for the white color. Could it be because white used to be the official German racing livery?
I love the heavily chromed horn ring and the gleaming silver star inlayed in a transparent polymer disc at the center of the wheel. The padded hub surround gives a look of opulence, but was actually an early nod to passive safety. In an age when Detroit iron was equipped with gaudy steering wheels with sharp edged protuberances capable of impaling the driver in an accident, the Mercedes tiller was uniquely user friendly.
Mercedes was not the only automaker to fit attractive steering wheels to its products. During the interwar period Bugattis came with delicate wood rimmed steering wheels with fine-chromed spokes. Early Porsches had beige bakelite tillers which were banjo strung with chromed wires from the hub. Italian cars of the '50s and '60s were often fitted with Nardi wheels of polished aluminum with linseed oil-finished hardwood rims.
I have never been a fan of leather wrapped wheels, or those encased in a soft rubberized carcass. In my opinion wood or hard polymer steering wheels are the most comfortable and easy to control in hard cornering. They also provide a good excuse to wear string backed driving gloves in the winter!
It seems that contemporary automobile designers have largely surrendered their role in establishing the aesthetic appearance of the car's interior to the notion that no distractions should be provided. Perhaps some consumer product safety commissar has secretly decreed that accidents are often the result of an addled driver contemplating the beauty of his dashboard facia or bemusement at the harmony of a well laid out instrument cluster. An objectively beautiful steering wheel like the one in my Finback might drive a poor operator plumb off the road!
Nowadays most cars have serviceable tillers of innocuous color and texture. They are ergonomically adequate for today's hyper-gadgeted vehicles. Push buttons on the spokes control the radio and allow the driver to access the capabilities of the onboard computer. They are unexciting but serviceable. However, one thing troubles me. Somewhere on their surface, today's steering wheels announce the presence of a supplemental restraint system, a.k.a., an airbag, lurking within their hub. In the same general area these wheels have sensors for the horn. This placement of the horn button and the airbag in proximity of one another is a design flaw in my humble opinion.
Where is the driver's hand most likely to find itself in the nanoseconds just before an impending accident? Why on the horn button, of course! If the accident occurs while the driver is pushing down on the horn then the deploying airbag will push the driver's hand back into his or her face injuring both the phalanges and the beezer! A sorry situation indeed!
John Kuhn Bleimaier
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Mercedes Classic Center USA is offering the 2005 collector editions of the Mercedes-Benz Museum classic car calendar and date planner. Both items highlight classic Mercedes-Benz automobile design and performance, and both are available now.
The colorful, collectible 18 x 24 inch calendar for 2005 celebrates languages of the world while illustrating the diversity of classic Mercedes design. Thirteen artful compositions by award-winning photographer Markus Bolsinger present two ends of the wide Mercedes spectrum by featuring the limited-production Mercedes-Benz SS (Super Sport) and the large-scale production 170 V convertible. The photos of these two models are complemented by two classic Mercedes service vehicles - the Lo 2000D truck and an ambulance based on the 320 passenger car.
The texts accompanying the calendar photos are written in various languages, and the month names on each of the calendar pages are dedicated to one of twelve languages.
The newly introduced Mercedes Classic Center 2005 date planner features a colorful cover photo of two renowned Mercedes-Benz sports/racing cars: the 300 SLR driven to victory in the 1955 Mille Miglia by Stirling Moss, plus the legendary 300 SLR "Uhlenhaut" gullwing coupe. The handy 81/2 x 6 format provides information on automobile racetracks, museums, clubs and events. The weekly diary pages display scenes from worldwide classic car events with an overlay of classic events taking place that week while still providing ample space to record daily appointments, etc.
The Mercedes-Benz SS featured in the 2005 calendar recalls an era when customers purchasing high-end Mercedes models had the option to select custom bodywork and interior appointments. These customized models were produced by a special body shop adjacent to the main factory in Sindelfingen. The open-top four-seat Mercedes-Benz SS featured in the 2005 Mercedes Classic calendar was ordered by British Mercedes Ltd. in 1929. Its 7.1 liter in-line six-cylinder engine produced 200 horsepower and enabled a top speed as high as 115 mph.
The Mercedes 170 V convertible presents an interesting contrast to the exclusive SS model. Though mass-produced, the 170 V still offered a measure of individuality. There were as many as nine versions offered of the company's most successful prewar car series, with a total of 86,615 cars built. The convertible featured in the 2005 calendar was one of four different open-top models. Customers could also choose from two-door and four-door sedans and touring cars, and an additional open-top version was designed for police use.
The two commercial vehicles featured in the 2005 Classic calendar further demonstrate the engineering and production versatility of Mercedes. The Mercedes-Benz Lo 2000D was the first light-duty truck with a diesel engine launched by the company in 1932. The ambulance is based on the 320 passenger car model, which had replaced the 290 series in 1937 and was better known for refined Pullman limousines, elegant coupes and sporty roadsters. In an emergency, the ambulance crew could rely on a powerful six-cylinder engine and a rugged suspension system. The 2005 Mercedes Classic calendar at $36 and date planner at $14.95 can be ordered through a Mercedes-Benz dealership, online at http://www.theCollection.MBUSA.com, or through the MBUSA Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-FOR MERCEDES (367-6372).
Created along the lines of the renowned Mercedes-Benz Classic Center in Fellbach, Germany, the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center USA (http://www.mbusa.com/classic) is the first to be established in the United States by an automotive manufacturer. Via its toll free number (1-866-MBCLASSIC) - the Classic Center provides a complete, specialized service for Mercedes-Benz classic vehicles (models twenty years out of production) including parts availability, pricing assistance, and technical information. The Classic Collection, a boutique featuring Mercedes-Benz classic accessories and automobilia, can be reached through the web site or by using the toll free number.
With a move to a California location planned for 2005, Classic Center operations will expand to include the purchase and sale of classic vehicles as well as appraisal and repair services. An inventory of vintage vehicles will be on hand and available for use in recreating the Mercedes driving experiences from past years.
American Service Center
703-525-2100
EuroMotorcars
301-986-8800
Merchant's Tire & Auto
800-637-2426
RC Imports
301-762-4205
Curry's Auto Service
703-502-0400
MB Motors
703-978-4564
Potomac German Auto
800-831-7686
Radial Tire Co.
301-585-2740
Dent Wizard
800-336-8949
EMB Parts
703-425-5380
Wheel Worx
410-969-7301
MB Roadside Assistance
800-367-6372
Electronics Service Center
301-881-8637
Wagonwork Collision
703-706-8151
The Metro Tri-Star is published monthly by the Greater Washington Section of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America, Inc. It is furnished to each of the approximately 1,750 Section members. Please send all materials for publication to The Metro Tri-Star, 1625 Park Overlook Drive, Reston, VA 20190. For display advertising information, contact Joe Wozney, Editor, at 703-437-7866. Explicit permission to copy or republish any article is given to all sections of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America, Inc. The articles in Metro Tri-Star are the opinions of the writers and no authentication is given or implied as to the validity of any expressed opinion.