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I spotted a NEW (insert make/model) today!

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  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    It's all the trophy wives here. Get a gussied up minivan, slap a star on it, and it will sell. They also love the new Mercedes GL, I've been seeing those a lot lately too.
  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,017
    ROTFLMAO- :D So to be a star, by god you better drive one and it better be brand new. ;)

    Well at least Mercedes, has a few sales working for them. The same can't be said about the Chrysler end. :(

    Rocky
  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    You can lease a well equiped R-Class for about 350 a month if you don't need a lot of miles.

    One of the wholesalers we work with was at the mercedes dealership doing some business. As they were finishing up the GM told him they were one sale away from hitting a bonus incentive from Mercedes. They told him he couldn't leave till he bought a car.

    He was like no way I am not buying a car today I don't need one. The GM says I can get you into a R-500 for about 400 bucks a month but for you and to hit the bonus level I will cut it down to dead cost and make it 350 a month.

    He thinks about it for a minute and then just decides to do it. He wholesaled his wife's navigator away the next week.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    Wow, that's quite a deal. Not my kind of vehicle, but for that money...a no-brainer.

    I bet there are some sweet deals on the last of the W220 S-class too. I remember last year some 699/month leases on them.

    "Well at least Mercedes, has a few sales working for them. The same can't be said about the Chrysler end."

    That's true...I might not agree with everything MB does, but they seem to be doing relatively OK now. The new S is a hit, and the 6.3 engines look excellent.
  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,017
    I still want that Big Body Benz S600? you showed me a few months ago fintail. You need to be a pal and pick that one up for me. :blush:

    Rocky
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    Get the wrong one and your maintenance will come close to leasing a nice new Acura... An old V12 has to be some kind of labor of love, as they offer very little over a V8. I don't think the new ones are any different either. I talked to the guy who runs the independent MB shop where my cars go...says he has a customer with a W220 S600...every time it comes in for routine maintenance something needs fixing.

    Are you talking about that James Bond style rig? I want that one too.
  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,017
    Get the wrong one and your maintenance will come close to leasing a nice new Acura

    So it really is that expensive....Ouch !!!

    An old V12 has to be some kind of labor of love, as they offer very little over a V8.

    So the S500 V-8 pretty maintence free ?

    I don't think the new ones are any different either. I talked to the guy who runs the independent MB shop where my cars go...says he has a customer with a W220 S600...every time it comes in for routine maintenance something needs fixing.

    Why are they so unreliable I wonder ? One would think the German Engineering would yield very reliability. :surprise:

    Are you talking about that James Bond style rig? I want that one too.

    Yeah I think that is the one pal. :blush: I'm amazed the Germans couldn't engineer a superb V-12. :confuse: They engineered the greatest engine ever in the ZR-1 LT-5. I suppose that engine wasn't without flaws since it was known for blown head gaskets which were $1500 mininum a pop. :surprise:

    Rocky
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    It's an old extremely complex car. It will not be like a Civic from the same period. No MB is maintenance free, even the diesels require some tuning from time to time. All of that engineeing creates a painfully complex car, and there's usually an inverse relationship between complexity and reliability. It's just that they drive so well when everything is working, and people get hooked.

    The engines themselves are almost always fine...it's the electricals and a few ancillary systems such as HVAC that are usually the problem. MB create this myth about lifetime transmission fluid in some 90s era cars that causes failures, too.
  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,017
    Well if I rich like you, I think I'd like to own a Big Body S600 V-12 to see what that ownership is all about. :shades:

    Rocky
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    Just keep a few grand in savings for when the car gives you a surprise. You could handle it, although I doubt there's a good MB mechanic in your little town ;)
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Seems smaller in person.

    -juice
  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,017
    Fintail,

    I will have you come down and diagnose and fix my S600 Big Body V-12. Yeah Fintail, I think I'd like to own a Black S600 though. ;)

    Rocky

    P.S. How much are they pal....A low mileage copy ? Weren't they like $140,000 new ?
  • bumpybumpy Member Posts: 4,425
    An S600 will eat you out of house and home. You need to get a nice S420. The maintenance requirements on one of those will be merely prodigious instead of ruinous.
  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,017
    A S420 has no power. The lowest model I'd consider might be a S500. I'd love to have a S600, but agree it would eat me out of house and home.

    Rocky
  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,017
    Can you buy a warranty for them ?

    Rocky
  • bumpybumpy Member Posts: 4,425
    If you want fast, then you have to pay for fast. An S500 isn't going faster enough than an S420 to be worth the extra pennies.

    You can get an aftermarket warranty for just about anything you want, but you will pay for it. If you want a V12 luxobarge with low maintenance needs, then the Toyota Century is your only option.
  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,017
    ROTFFLMAO !!!!! :D You showed me that "pile" I think a while back. I'd rather pay through the nose on a V-12 Benz over a Japanese mock Benz. Did they even sell those cars over here ? If so I don't remember them. I really appreciate the suggestion pal, but I just find those cars amusing so don't take offense because I'm not laughing at you. Only the car. It almost reminds me of a Chin-E Class car :P

    Neways are the 750 IL Bimmers in the same boat with there
    V-12 ? Hell I would appreciate some charity so I can get my dream car a Ferrari 512 TR. It has a Straight 12 right ? The Ferrari 512TR is by far and away the Sexiest automobile ever made and god willing I will own one someday. :D

    Rocky
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    You should be able to find a really pristine late W140 S600 in the 20s. Heck, I've seen 2002 S600s for just over 40K. I kinda like the strange wheel design they have, but nothing else makes me excited. You pay an awful lot for a marginal performance gain, and you get bad mileage and psychotic maintenance costs as a free gift. V12 just seems silly to me. You'll barely notice the difference over a S420 or S500. The later S320s aren't too bad either, on the road. It's a big boat, so it's hard to feel performance.

    A W140 600SEL was maybe 120K back ca. 1993. Prices didn't change a lot through the model run, and even today they aren't a whole lot more.
  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,017
    So the W140 is the Big Body Benz like the one Princess Diana died in ? Like the James Bond car you showed me ? How much is a S500 Big Body ? It had a 5.0 V-8 rated at 302 hp right ? Wasn't the V-12 rated at 389 hp ?

    How much are the SL's ? Aren't they hardtops ?

    Rocky
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    Yeah, that's a W140. Diana was in a lowline S280 IIRC. I can't imagine the mintest S500 bringing 20K anymore, even one with the bugs sorted out - they have a knack for a couple HVAC and wiring issues. I think you are right on those power ratings, yes.

    Nice SLs from the late 90s are usually in the 20s. That style ceased in 2002, some of the last ones still carry high 30-40K prices, especially the final "silver arrow" editions. They are removeable hardtops.
  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,017
    Okay thanx. I was very fond of them in my teen years. ;)

    Yeah the S500 would be a nice choice I suppose. I've always like the SL's alot. The only difference between a S500 and S600 is the engines right ?

    Rocky
  • bumpybumpy Member Posts: 4,425
    Neways are the 750 IL Bimmers in the same boat with there V-12 ?

    BMW's are even worse. Ferraris are ten times worse than that. :surprise: :sick:

    Sorry Rocky, apart from the Toyota and the old GMC Twin Six, the terms "v12" and "low maintenance" simply don't belong together.
  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,017
    What in the hell is a GMC twin six ? :surprise:

    Rocky ??????? :confuse:
  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,017
    Ferrari's only rquire a oil change every 3K and a tune-up every 100k whether it needs it or not. :blush: J/K

    Rocky
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    I was fond of them as a teen too.

    Those old SLs are classy beasts, like all SLs the design is aging well, and they are still old school in design and engineering.

    An S500 could have a few less gadgets than a S600, and I have seen many two tone interiors in the 600 cars, never one in a 500. But from the outside, the only difference is a badge, yes.
  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,017
    So is a S600 going to break down every few months fintail ?
    How much a yr. for repairs would you est. ? "Only if you know owners of them like friends of course"

    Rocky
  • bumpybumpy Member Posts: 4,425
    BIIIIIG (11.5 liters) truck motor. You could get them in crackerboxes and stuff in the early 1960s.
  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,017
    LOL, okay....thanx....I never heard of them before. :blush:

    Rocky
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    Not so much breaking down as just developing little issues. The AC might stop working or some electricals may die. I'd budget maybe 2-3K year for maintenance and repairs...IF the known bugs have already been dealt with. If you drive a lot, increase that number...I'm talking for maybe 10K miles per year.

    I believe MB was on the lifetime transmission fluid lie by the end of W140 production too, so make sure it is changed by maybe 50-60K miles...a tranny one one of these has to run 5K.
  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,017
    OUCH !!! Now you guys aren't a kiddin' on repair costs. I was figuring $1-2K annually. Are C43's that expensive ? How much for one like your AMG Fintail ?

    Rocky
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    A C43 won't be so much. Not as complex, and the hand-built engines are pretty solid. Just keep the transmission serviced and do everything else by the book.

    I've had mine for over a year now. In that time I've had a couple of $90 oil changes (8 qts synthetic, I'm too lazy to do it myself and I have the 'I live in an apartment' excuse), and a 60K mile service (I did it early becaus of age), which came to $600 or so, and included maintenance of a sticky gear in the starter. The starter issue (sometimes you'd have to turn the key a couple times to get it to recognize you were trying to start it) has been my only repair. It's been a very reliable car. A super-pristine lower mileage C43, and by that I mean one I would consider nice, should be 18-20K,
  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,017
    So the C43 is a AMG right ? What is the hp rating if you don't mind me asking ? 0-60 if you know ?

    Rocky
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    Yes, it's AMG, with no supercharger. HP is officially 302, same for torque. 0-60 in 5.8 or so. Back in its day, that was really something.
  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,017
    It still is something... ;) I saw Michael Jordan about 8 or 9 years ago driving a White CL600. I've always thought they were cool. I'm sure they are just as costly as the Big Body's :sick:

    Rocky
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    A coupe runs maybe 20% more than a sedan. Those S/CL coupes are weird...they are kind of ugly in a way, but at the same time I kind of like them. Maintenance would be the same, yes,
  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,017
    :sick:

    Neways

    What about those CLK convertibles from a few years back.
    (4-5 seater) I kinda like them. I'd want a AMG one of course. They were sharp. :blush: Have you looked at them to see how expensive they are ?

    Rocky
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    A nice CLK55 AMG should run you in the 30s, same engine as a period E55, so it's a decent unit.
  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,017
    That wouldn't be a bad choice then. I think they are rated at 362 hp. too. So it would be pretty fast. ;) I might have to look into those also pal. 2001 was the first yr. right ?

    Back a few years ago when they first came out I liked the Bose subwoofer that was placed in-between the seats in the rear. ;)

    Rocky
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 265,583
    ... spot a NEW model?

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  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,017
    My wife said she saw a new Dodge Charger and what she thought was a Shelby Mustang GT 500 on her errands.

    Rocky
  • phinneas519phinneas519 Member Posts: 113
    I just saw a black one of these today while running an errand. Normally not a big deal, but this is northcentral Wisconsin. :P
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    Yeah, 2001 for those.

    I saw another new-front Navigator lately, and a nice grey W221 S-class...it's grown on me. Lots of the new GM big SUVs around, the profesional shoppers/trophies are eating them up.
  • cluedweaselcluedweasel Member Posts: 150
    I saw a new Smart Car here in Bend, Oregon yesterday. Saw a Citroen 2CV too. And a new White Bentley. It's all happening here :)
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 265,583
    In my little suburb...

    Bentley Continental GT.. :surprise:

    Wow

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  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,017
    You hosts probably get one as a company car. ;)

    Rocky
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 265,583
    Plus... a manicurist is on staff full-time... painting my toe-nails, as we speak..

    Jeeves!! Another bottle of Cristal, please!! chop-chop!!

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  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,017
    I wouldn't doubt it. :D

    Rocky

    P.S.

    Wife saw a new red Corvette, while she was running errands today
  • navigator89navigator89 Member Posts: 1,080
    a beige Tahoe, and a BMW 760Li V12. Wow, that car is loooooong and really has presence. That was the first I've seen.

    Also saw a previous generation Escalade EXT truck, sadly the rear two tires were flat. :cry:
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 265,583
    Toyota Camry Hybrid..

    Porsche Cayenne with a rear-mounted spare... Never seen that before..

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  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    Porsche Cayenne with a rear-mounted spare... Never seen that before..

    Means they have the off-road tech package.
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