Final oldtimer meet photodump

"FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem" (fuelstratifiedinjection)
07/16/2017 at 16:41 • Filed to: None

Bonus one owner Miata

DISCUSSION (14)

E90M3 > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
07/16/2017 at 16:55

I was in Germany in 2013 and I saw a 450SEL with US spec bumpers drive by, I was thinking that’s pretty ironic: it survived better to the place it was exported than the place it was made. I wish I had gotten a picture, but I was too dumbstruck at the time for that.

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > E90M3
07/16/2017 at 17:00

Many US spec Porsches, Mercedes etc find their way to their country of origin because they are either rust free, cheap and fully equipped.

I would have taken a lot more and better photos today but forgot my camera.

fintail > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
07/16/2017 at 17:20

W126 looks like it is on Aero I Monoblocks, fitting for the era and for a high spec car like a 500SE. The 500E on Evo style wheels is also quite attractive.

That W112 is a very rare car, with only several thousand made.

AuthiCooper1300 > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
07/16/2017 at 17:24

I understand that’s Bill Harrah’s original “Jerrari”, a Wagoneer with a Ferrari 365 GTC V12 engine?

Very wisely Harrah later decided to improve on his own original project by fitting that engine to a stock Wagoneer body. Supposedly the first “Jerrari” was retrofitted with a 350 V8.

Maybe the new owner put again a Ferrari V12 in it?

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > fintail
07/16/2017 at 17:40

The 500SE was quite interesting to me - it had leather seats (many W126s I saw had cloth or wool), the driver side airbag and a/c in combination with the white exterior. I don’t know if metallic paint was a no cost option at that time for the W126 (I know BMW did this iirc) because I rarely see white luxury sedans from that era around here.

The E500 is really a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Even the engine sound was rather tame when it passed by (Still a kickass car).

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > AuthiCooper1300
07/16/2017 at 17:44

Jalopnik had an article back in 2008 about the Jerrari. Iirc it still has the 350 V8.

fintail > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
07/16/2017 at 18:14

The wool seats are quite rare on this side of the pond - they were a special order no cost option, and cloth was never offered. Of course, all NA spec cars had climate control. MB does the extra cost paint thing here today too, although I think then the W126 was so expensive, most colors were likely no charge. I had a late run W126 in an unusual color (DB355 “Diamond Blue”, wonderful color), it was not an extra cost item.

I remember seeing a grey market W126 at an auction here ages ago. 500SE, 1980 build date, leather, ABS, airbag - so a full load car. Sadly, it was quite neglected.

If I had a 500E, I’d probably get a set of those wheels, for summer use, if anything.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
07/16/2017 at 22:05

That is one VERY pretty blue Alfa Giulia...

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > fintail
07/17/2017 at 02:22

I used to think the wool seats were just for the cheapskates who couldn’t afford leather but I was wrong. Just seeing a fleet car white, loaded W126 in white is unusual because the vehicle appeared to be a EU spec car (Swiss delivery iirc).

Diamond blue is beautiful and rather common on the W201 I’d guess. That 500SE at the meet was almost perfect and the wheels really fit well.

fintail > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
07/17/2017 at 09:44

Yep, the wool is a heritage thing, I would be afraid how it might age, however. Replacement has to be fantastically expensive.

That’s maybe the one pro about US spec cars - they had unpretty lights and bumpers, but were usually pretty loaded. My W126 had zero extra cost options, but had full leather, sunroof, climate control, Becker Grand Prix, airbag, ABS - all these were standard on US spec cars then, and this was the relatively base 300SE. A 560SEL here would also have things like power rear seats and two tone horn etc, and I think passenger airbag for 1990-91. Very few if any extra cost options on those cars here then. Of course, today, it is different.

I’ve seen the color on W124s as well. I would have wanted wheels like that for my 126, but never got around to finding anything suitable, I had the car for a few years but sold it, I wanted something faster.

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > fintail
07/17/2017 at 12:31

Those bare bones base models are called Buchhalterautos - accountant’s specials in Germany. Seems like many W201 and W124 were ordered without many options in Germany but cost a lot. Iirc only the top of the range 500SE and 560SE had good standard equipment. The C126 in contrast had good standard equipment.

fintail > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
07/17/2017 at 16:00

No doubt, the coupes were significantly more expensive than the sedans, at least here.

Come to think of it, I think all USDM W126 had standard leather aside from 300SD. We had lower spec 201 and 124 as well, but still loaded compared to a basic Euro car.

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > fintail
07/17/2017 at 16:25

They were.

The base W124 and W201 had absolutely zero fancy stamdard equipment. Even the rev counter was an extra. Badge deletion, a no cost extra was free of charge, at least to my knowledge.

fintail > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
07/17/2017 at 21:22

I think USDM cars could be ordered with badge delete too, but few did it.

US market 201 and 124 would have Tex with leather optional, but also standard power windows, climate control, stereo, etc, I think all would have sunroof too. Some 201 were possible as manuals, but most were automatic, along with all 124 sold here.

Today, USDM C and E have numerous options and most cool things are not standard, but the base model is not nearly as base as a Euro base car. US cars get a larger engine as standard, along with tex. Several years ago, I rented a W212 E200 CDi in Germany. It was modestly optioned - cloth, small nav. It was somewhat slow, but reminded me of the fintail, you just had to plan ahead.

I think the basic USDM cars would be pre-W123/116. For cars like my fintail, the basic spec was like a standard Euro car - radio and AC were dealer installed options (that many did not choose), blackwall tires standard, sunroof a rare option, power windows not possible, automatic optional, etc. I think 108s were like that here too.