Inside Mercedes-Benz’s American Dream Factory

[sputnik]

Wired Magazine has a great article about this.

It could be AWESOME to be able to buy something built here.

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2012/03/mercedes-benz-classics-center/?pid=940&viewall=true

http://www.wired.com/autopia/wp-content/gallery/mercedes-benz-classic-center-irvine/mercedes-benz-classic-center_5.jpg

http://www.wired.com/autopia/wp-content/gallery/mercedes-benz-classic-center-irvine/mercedes-benz-classic-center_4.jpg

[JustinMCS]

Omg, I love that 300SL. Amazing car. It even comes with the original two fitted suitcases. Wow.

[Ven]

Got to drive a 300SL about 10 years ago. Opened it right up on Blackfoot by Shaw GMC. Great power. No so great brakes.

[xnvy]

Originally posted by Ven
Got to drive a 300SL about 10 years ago. Opened it right up on Blackfoot by Shaw GMC. Great power. No so great brakes. Those things have drum brakes don't they?

[DEATH2000]

$750,000? Crazy. But it is pretty rare to see a car like that in unrestored shape.

[Ven]

Originally posted by xnvy
Those things have drum brakes don't they?

No idea. They stopped the car OK, but there wasn't much brake feel and the pedal effort was very high.

[Neil4Speed]

Originally posted by Ven


No idea. They stopped the car OK, but there wasn't much brake feel and the pedal effort was very high.

Must have been a bit scary having poor brakes considering the value of the car.

I see a 450SEL (I would assume 6.9), in that photo. My father had one in the exact same color. I would love to get my hands on one one day.

[arian_ma]

Not to sound like the anti-Christ here but I would love one of those old Benz' restored with modern parts.

[flipstah]

So many Benz's... :drool:

[CMW403]

:drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool:

[Ven]

Originally posted by Neil4Speed


Must have been a bit scary having poor brakes considering the value of the car.


At the time I didn't know what the car was worth. I thought I'd been called to certify it because it was a kit car, but it was legit and there was some factory paperwork so I had my proof it was a Mercedes. It looked nice and everything, but I was thinking it's just an old Mercedes coupe so maybe 40-50k tops. If I knew the value I probably wouldn't have been so hard on it, but the owner encouraged me to take it for a romp. I told him it has a lot more power than I'd expect from a car that age, so he must have known my foot was down. Didn't bother him. He started talking about how he has this old footage of it on a race track being driven by some apparently famous guy. It was all lost on me, completely oblivious to what I had driven.

[zipdoa]

I've read that Benz is one of very few companies that continues to produce parts to keep their old chassis vehicles on the road.

Lots of C4/B4 Audi parts are NLA, but apparently W124 bits are all available right from the dealer. That's how it should be.

[sputnik]

Originally posted by zipdoa
I've read that Benz is one of very few companies that continues to produce parts to keep their old chassis vehicles on the road.

Lots of C4/B4 Audi parts are NLA, but apparently W124 bits are all available right from the dealer. That's how it should be.

I think it has more to do with the fact that when you look at the number of W124s still being driven throughout the world on almost every continent, it makes it worth their while to keep making parts.

[zipdoa]

Originally posted by sputnik


I think it has more to do with the fact that when you look at the number of W124s still being driven throughout the world on almost every continent, it makes it worth their while to keep making parts.
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