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Split personalities

425 miles on the Mercedes SLK 230.

First let me make this point. My Honda Civic VX is a resurrection of a car totalled 14 years ago. The benefits of that effort will continue regardless of which car I might decide to drive, even to the next owner if I decided to sell it at some time in the future (which I doubt).

That being said at one month from my 58th year on this planet, I have enjoyed driving a car that when it was first sold would have taken me almost a year and a half of take home pay to purchase.

Driving the Honda is work, not the actual operation of the vehicle, but the effort to conserve fuel. It requires dedication to a cause, the elimination of our vulnerability to energy sources outside our control.

The Benz means a constant smile on my face, and feeling like I am 10 years younger. Few cars I have ever driven could compare to the rock solid, point and shoot competence of a GT built by one of the recognized masters of automotive technology dating back over 100 years to the name Mercedes Benz itself and the history of the company.

I took my wife for a drive tonight down to a local beach for a walk. one particular turn combines every attribute of highway construction you could imagine that destroys the competence of a vehicles suspension. Rapid switchback, extreme changes in the crown, and a nice pothole. Few cars I have ever driven could have made that turn at that speed, with absolute confidence that there would be absolutely no problem.

Scared the wife half to death.

The Honda would have plowed into the oncoming lane of traffic. Her Murano would probably have been on two wheels. The Benz snickered and just made it a ho-hum event. To me the most important attribute of any car is its ability to take me out of danger, when danger is imposed on me and anyone in the car with me. The Benz does that with absolute certainty.

One of the things that still gives me a thrill, after 42 years of driving, is a car that feels like it is wired to my brain. This car comes as close as ANYTHING I have ever driven. I don't even want to know its limits.

While I appreciate simplicity and long term low cost of maintenance (read Honda) I also love to drive a car that can cruise all day at 130 MPH, even though I would never do that.

It looks like the first tank was about 26-27 MPG, including driving the first 160 miles with the tires at 25 PSI should be 30F 33R. I set them at 32-35. The front end alignement was off, steering wheel was at about 12:30 position. Directional stability was squirrely, like when the front toe is out. The alignment straightened that out perfectly ($80).

Both mirrors were inop, only the right side would adjust and only from inside to outside. This told me the system was properly fused. I assumed (bad mistake sometimes) that since the switch was the only human connection, that it would be hard to believe that all 3 systems were defective. I popped the new switch in in the dealers lot and both mirrors work perfectly. Total cost $41.

The service indicator light stated that nothing had been done in 18,000 miles. I immdeiately did an oil change myself. Got the oil and filter, 6 quarts of Mobil 1 and a filter for $38. I may do it agin in 300 miles. The engine is still clean inside and runs perfectly. The adaptive transmission controls adjust the shifting points to the drivers habits. This means shifts at 2000 RPM to the higher gear, just about exactly where I shift the VX. 5th gear engages at 35 MPH. Revs are 2250 at 60 MPH. I still think I can average 30 MPG in the SLK, but the temptation to give it some gas is hard to resist.

Can you tell I love this car.

I wonder if I can get the factory 1998 Cell Phone working ;).

regards
gary

good to see you got a car you enjoy. when i worked in a tire shop, i worked on several Mercedes coups. from what little i got to drive them (alignment test drives) i would agree that they out perform about anything else i have driven. one customer, who was paranoid about letting other people drive his car, took me on some back roads. lets just say, we were taking corners at speeds that would be suicide in anything else.

they are awesome cars. i believe that if you control your foot, you should be able to get 30 if not more.

I can answer that question... I'm a moderator on a cell phone forum. (www.wirelessadvisor.com) In all likelyhood you have an analog phone in that car and analog service is no longer supported. Chances are it cannot be activated. Some cars can be upgraded to a newer model phone. Check with your dealer and see what is available (if anything) for your particular model.

-Jay

Quote:

Originally Posted by R.I.D.E. (Post 120267)

The Benz means a constant smile on my face, and feeling like I am 10 years younger. Few cars I have ever driven could compare to the rock solid, point and shoot competence of a GT built by one of the recognized masters of automotive technology dating back over 100 years to the name Mercedes Benz itself and the history of the company.
[...]
To me the most important attribute of any car is its ability to take me out of danger, when danger is imposed on me and anyone in the car with me. The Benz does that with absolute certainty.

Are you a professional copywriter? You sound like their marketing department... ;)

Quote:

The service indicator light stated that nothing had been done in 18,000 miles.

Did you remember to reset the light after doing the service?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jay2TheRescue (Post 120274)

analog service is no longer supported.

Verizon was still supporting it, by special request only, two or three years ago when I canceled the analog phones (which had to be special-ordered from Motorola in 2003) that I had in a couple trucks. Did they finally give up? I can't imagine it's cost-effective to keep that stuff running.

LOL HC.

The previous owner bought the Benz with 66k miles for his 16 year old daughter to drive to High School.

When I was 16 my Father and I went to the Newport News abandoned car auction and bought a 57 Chevy for $52. I had to learn to work on that car to keep it on the road.

Now I am in a position to buy and the previous owner is in a position that forced him to sell.

I paid 16% of the original sales price for a car with 89k miles. Compare that to what a Civic VX would sell for in very good condition with the same mileage, even though it would have to be 5 years older.

I didn't think the cell phone could be used. Its kind of funny to see a Motorola phone with a 3 pointed star emblem.

regards
gary

First of all the FCC has required that all new activations be E-911 compliant. Analog is not compatible with location based services. The FCC gave permission for carriers to start shutting their analog systems down early this year. You may find small areas where analog is still up and running, but for the most part its dead. Right after the cutoff date AT&T killed their systems in my area - the towers still transmitted a dead carrier wave for another 2 or 3 months though. Verizon supported it until early summer then theirs went down. Now when I turn on an analog phone I get NO SVC. I was even interviewed for an article in The Washington Post... (Page 1 of the D section no less! The article was the entire page with a huge graphic of a cell phone in a grave)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...803436_pf.html

Quote:

Fading Out
Analog Cellphone Users Are About to Lose the Signal

By Kim Hart
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, January 19, 2008; D01

On Feb. 18, Jay Sincavage will make one last phone call to say goodbye.

He'll bid farewell to the network technology that powered his first cellphone, an old StarTac -- once considered the technologist's model of choice -- that's bulkier than his wallet. At midnight that day, wireless networks across the country will start shutting down the old analog networks that launched the cellphone business 25 years ago. Now, with the vast majority of the country's quarter-billion cellphone users calling and texting over digital networks, only about 1 million customers still use analog networks.

The Federal Communications Commission authorized carriers to phase out those networks to free more airwaves for digital services. So the non-tech-savvy who haven't upgraded their phones in several years, as well as people in areas too remote to receive digital signals, could end up without a lifeline.

Sincavage, who lives in Sterling, plans to summon power to his StarTac and, with a few dozen other analog loyalists, make a final call with the obsolete technology.

"Maybe we'll overload the network and make it crash one last time, for old times' sake," Sincavage said.

The demise of a mainstream technology often happens under the radar, as companies and consumers embrace new formats. The record player and the tape recorder faded gradually. DVD rentals phased out VHS tapes. Now the CD appears to be making a slow exit, replaced by digital and downloadable music.

For the past seven years, mobile-phone companies have pushed people to upgrade their analog cellphones by offering discounts and rebates on new digital phones. Each successive generation of the network was more efficient, sending more calls, pictures, videos, and text messages over the airwaves. Maintaining the old networks became an expensive chore.

The cellular switch-off is the first phase of a larger transition to digital technology that will culminate next year with the end of analog television signals.

Other widely used technologies also rely on analog cellular networks. Older versions of OnStar, the communications system installed in many cars, will stop working next month. General Motors, which owns OnStar, said some cars made as recently as 2005 cannot be upgraded.

About 400,000 security systems use analog networks as back-ups to land lines, according to the Alarm Industry Communications Committee. In homes without land lines, the analog network is the only connection.

Sincavage, for example, recently paid $250 to have the ADT alarm system in his dry-cleaning business upgraded to digital.

AT&T, Verizon Wireless and Alltel say less than 1 percent of their customers use analog services, which the companies plan to phase out over the next year. Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile already use all-digital networks, but their customers may be affected if they roam on other carriers' analog networks.

Over the past year, Verizon Wireless has been contacting thousands of customers using analog phones to offer them digital models. Spokeswoman Debi Lewis said the company hasn't reached some of those people.

"The people most at risk are glove-box users -- the people who bought a phone 10 years ago to use in case of an emergency," Lewis said. "Pretty soon, those phones won't work anymore, and we want to let them know."

Analog signals translate voice communications through a series of radio waves that require a lot of airwave capacity. Digital signals convert voice and data -- e-mail, text messages, photos -- into bits of data that can be compressed, allowing the information to travel more quickly and requiring less capacity.

While digital signals are considered more reliable than their analog predecessors, they don't travel as far and may not reach sparsely populated areas, such as mountains and deserts.

Analog signals rescued Jorge Torralba when he broke his foot while hiking in a remote area east of Seattle. Unable to get a digital signal with his cellphone, a friend climbed a nearby hill and found an analog network for just long enough to call Torralba's wife in Portland, Ore. She gave their location to a rescue squad, which picked up the hikers in a helicopter.

"I was bummed out that we're going to be losing analog because when you're out in the middle of the woods, that's the only way to get help," he said. "I know digital's the way to go, but analog is a lifesaver." Andrew Moreau, vice president of corporate communications for Alltel, which serves many rural areas, said analog towers will be replaced by digital ones before the service is shut off.

Still, some analog-users are afraid they'll be left in a lurch.

Cody Toy lives in Rodeo, Calif., a tiny town tucked between mountains and the Pacific Ocean, and still uses analog signals for every call he makes on his cellphone. He's concerned that digital towers won't keep up with the demise of analog.

"Digital is like . . . a highway with potholes . . . and analog . . . is the tar that . . . patches the holes," Toy said over an analog cellphone, interrupted by frequent bouts of static. "It's good for city slickers . . . but bad for folks in the boonies."

Roger Entner, senior vice president for the communications sector at IAG Research, said he expects few people to mourn analog networks since most new devices do not use the technology.

"It's a nostalgic event because it's the first wireless standard to be put underground," he said. "But nobody will show up at the funeral."

I also have a thread on Wireless Advisor for people to record when their analog goes down... https://forums.wirelessadvisor.com/ge...rk-turned.html

im glad you like the car!! it is amazing how different german cars can feel even when the numbers on paper may be the same or worse than other cars.

i dont know about you, but i would have a hard time going back to the good old 92-95 civic after getting comfortable in any of the german big three. i guess the cost of fuel does that...

Quote:

Originally Posted by R.I.D.E. (Post 120287)

...
When I was 16 my Father and I went to the Newport News abandoned car auction and bought a 57 Chevy for $52. I had to learn to work on that car to keep it on the road.

Now I am in a position to buy and the previous owner is in a position that forced him to sell.

I paid 16% of the original sales price for a car with 89k miles. Compare that to what a Civic VX would sell for in very good condition with the same mileage, even though it would have to be 5 years older.

...

Wow that's an amazing price. I mean I guess it's 10 years old, but sounds pretty well taken care of. When I read the first post I thought you were talking about one of the big luxurious models, silly me, when I looked up the code and sticker price (curiosity, you know), I found this: https://www.theautochannel.com/vehicl...lig040301.html
So you have a retractable hardtop and a supercharged engine? That's awesome. I didn't know any of the Germans had OEM super chargers. It says 30MPG highway, so that should be doable, in fact I'd aim for 35 if I were you, though the supercharge probably robs some efficiency. Doesn't seem like a bad price for a '98 either, a bit cheaper than my Lexus, I guess it is only a 2 seater though. Still nice find, stupid Lexus we got 3 y/o from a dealer with 66k (lease return) for about 35% the sticker... Still not bad though NEVER had an issue with it for 40k. Just oil and go. She usually has bad luck with cars so she's been very happy.

As for the first car, $52 sounds like a good amount of money whenever 'back then' was. My father and I just did sealed bid auctions on old police cars, my first car was an '88 Caprice 9C1 for $262 (there were only 2 bidders, heh) and I had to learn to keep that going (though when the wheel hub inexplicably exploded and the wheel drove away I had to use a shop...).

Weren't those old caprices fun to drive? We used to have an 86 Caprice with the police package at the rescue squad. Really fun car to drive - especially with lights & sirens running. That 350 V-8 gave a very satisfying roar as it nailed you in the back of the seat when you stomped on the go pedal.

-Jay

I have a major case of split personality. I spend most of my time trying to eek the most MPG out of Box and by and large have done that well. But there are two situations where that isn't the case.

One is when I autocross. Pounding around a course, taking corners like this, the last thing on my mind is fuel economy. And if it's hot out I've got the A/C blasting the whole time I'm idling on the grid waiting for my chance on the course.

The second is when I drive Emily, my '62 Comet. I could care less what gas mileage I can get out of her, as I'm having too much fun just driving her. And I have a bad habit of blipping the throttle jsut to hear the rumble through the glasspack dual exhaust.

Sounds great you have a car that YOU enjoy. When someone finds a car like that it makes me smile. Sounds like you got a great deal on it too. Two thumbs up!

Quote:

Originally Posted by R.I.D.E. (Post 120287)

The previous owner bought the Benz with 66k miles for his 16 year old daughter to drive to High School.

When I was 16 my Father and I went to the Newport News abandoned car auction and bought a 57 Chevy for $52. I had to learn to work on that car to keep it on the road.

the stork must have delivered me to the wrong house!

when i was 16(1988), i asked my dad for the keys to the 88 Monte Carlo SS(mom's car). he said three things: get a job, save some money, get back with me.

several months later, he bought a used truck and sold me his 1971(same year i was born)chevy p/u. i made payments to him. hated it then, realize now that it helped build character.

from what i've read in your posts, you've paid your dues in life. enjoy your new toy(just not too much), you deserve it!

Wow! Congrats on the ride! It's a wonderful thing when a machine melds with its master. There's nothing like it (that's legal, anyway).

I get that way sometimes in the Camaro, but the suspension isn't as advanced. Still, for $8k it isn't bad.

A quick look at Craigslist for my area brought up a big handful of Mercedes for less than ten grand. I wonder, how are they for maintenance and parts costs? Wife is head over heels for a convertible, and there's a Mercedes convertible in that pile I saw. Can she be stylin' in a Mercedes without me having to sell my tools to keep it running?

Price was $6800. Local property tax assesment is $8800.

I don't know that I would recommend a used Benz to anyone unless you are a pretty competent mechanic. Even then you need to research the known problems with the specific car and have access to used parts.

I worked at a Benz dealer for several years in the early eighties. The quality of MB cars is not what it once was. The mirror switch I replaced was originally made in Germany. Many of the German car electrical components (BMW at least) are now made in Mexico. Check Consumer Reports frequency of repair records to see how owners respond to a particular model.

Put it in the garage and drove the Civic for the first time in a week, I think the VX is actually larger than the Benz.

One of the reasons the prices seem to be so low is the cost of repairs, if you have to go to a dealer. I was lucky to have to only buy one part (mirror switch@ $41) to get everything in working order.

regards
gary

Sweet car, I have liked them since they were first announced. I drove a C 230 K across Canada in 2004 and that was nice, 6 speed manual, got it up to 133 MPH on the Prairies (speed limiter for North America, damn them!), but it returned about 29-30 US MPG over the whole trip despite the frequently blowing supercharger and five people inside. Our B is nice too. I have been dreaming of a Porsche Cayman and they're not all that expensive.....hmmm.

I know what you mean by split personality. I guess I can call myself a part-time hypermiller - I drive to save every ounce of gas in my VX, but when I'm driving my Evo or Miata, I redline them all the time and drive for fun.

I guess you could say that I drive each car like it was meant to be driven. :D

I have been drooling on Porsche Caymans, which Transport Canada rates at 6.8 L/100 km (34.6 US MPG) on the highway (2.7 L version). They're coming out with DFI for 2010, so that should bring even more power and less fuel consumption.....

We'll see what the future portends. Maybe you can have your cake (a real sports car) and eat it too (decent FE).

I have my VX for DD duties and use it as much as I can for any long haul driving trying to get the best mpg out of it all the time. Driving conservatively, not worrying about getting anywhere faster, etc.

But then, when I get in my STi it is a whole different world. It is primarily used for autocross duties (which it was bought for) and fun days. After being patient in the VX the majority of my driving time, it is fun to let loose in the Subaru.

Quote:

I can answer that question... I'm a moderator on a cell phone forum.

There are forums devoted to cell phones? Cars, of course. Guns, heck yeah! Cell phones????????????????????????????????

Check it out... www.WirelessAdvisor.com

I'm really into my cell phones. I have a couple of Motorola V551's that I have a complete custom operating system on. I have a Motorola V3 that has the operating system hacked to enable hidden features, and to boost the volume because I'm slightly hard of hearing. I have a really rare Motorola A845 that is literally a brick phone with high speed internet access. My HTC Tilt has a custom ROM and has been hacked to enable hidden features as well. I've gutted an old brick phone and put the circuits to a bluetooth headset inside so I can walk around talking on my brick phone. I could go on and on but I imagine you get the point...

-Jay

Anything and everything has a forum. There's definitely a need for cell phone forums, to develop and share technical information. I am able to do much more with my phone because of sprintusers.com.

I should find a cell phone forum, I'm probably not using my BlackBerry for half the things I could.

There's lots of stuff you can do with a PDA phone. Take my HTC Tilt...

Windows mobile 6 PDA phone.

The phone does the following...

* Stores my address book & phone numbers

* Acts as my GPS with TomTom Navigator 6 Also automatically checks traffic and road construction on my route every few minutes and alerts me to reroute if the anticipated delay is too long.

* It automatically checks all of my email accounts every 15 minutes so I can get email when I'm on the road and away from my computer.

* Acts as a broadband internet connection for my laptop when I'm away from home or work.

* Internet Radio. When I go to the gym I stream internet radio over my stereo bluetooth headphones. This allows me to only bring one thing with me. Its my phone and music player. Also since I use Bluetooth I don't have any cords in my way when I exercise. If a call comes in all I do is press one button, and the call comes through the stereo headset.

* Camera. Although I have a very nice digital camera, its nice to have a decent quality 3 megapixel camera on hand for short notice. If I'm at a flea market and I see something I think my mom would want I can take a pic and email it to her. She can check the pics on her computer and tell me yes or no.

* Internet explorer. The phone has internet explorer on it so I can surf sites like ebay and check prices of items I'm thinking about buying.

*Phone. Yeah, it can make phone calls too ;) I don't have a landline, and haven't in about 8 years. All my calls come to me no matter where I am.

I'm sure I'm forgetting something as well, but that's the bulk of my usage.

-Jay

As much as I would love to take over this thread with you telling me more stuff I can do with my BlackBerry if you could just give me a link to the forum I can flood that board with my stupid questions.

Don't forget OBD2 scanner! https://www.autoenginuity.com/products.html

Glad you found a car you love to drive. That's important! I don't like driving my Tracker all the time and wish I could settle on a 'fun' car...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greyg (Post 121269)

LOL, sure. www.wirelessadvisor.com

I'm a moderator over there, I use the same username as here. If you have any questions just PM me. I can usually point people in the right direction.

-Jay