"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
04/15/2020 at 20:02 • Filed to: None
11
27|
"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
04/15/2020 at 20:02 • Filed to: None | 11
| 27 |
Admittedly I didn’t fully disappear. I’ve occasionally made a comment on the FP and I’ve been on Discord, but I took a break in most places.
So, what’s happened in all that time?
Firstly, I learned my lessons about unnecessary travel and social distancing. Admittedly I’ve not completely locked myself at home. I’ve taken a few drives and rides for my mental state.
- I got furloughed. I was an essential worker, but the company bean counters decided that my entire department needed to close indefinitely.
- I broke up with my girlfriend. Since Valentine’s Day, a few things have been happening that have been breaking my trust. Repeated attempts to rectify the situation had failed, so here we are. I learned another lesson about dating. Eventually I’ll find the best partner for me!
- I hope I will be getting a weekend writing gig at an auto site I will not disclose. Of course, COVID-19 has made even that uncertain.
- I somewhat successfully implemented my dream of having a safe space for trans people in need. Twice this year I was able to take in a couple guests and they left here in at least what I thought was a better state than coming in. In the future I’d love to expand on this now that I’ve found a way to do it without getting hurt.
- The foreclosure on the rental house is postponed, indefinitely.
- I made a trade! I was offered a 1982 Mercedes-Benz 240D with only 160,000 miles (less than my first smart), manual transmission, and little rust for my still very broken Passat . I got to keep the wheels I bought for the Passat and got some cash too. When I first wanted a diesel car I really wanted an old Benz, so it was an easy trade for me.
Plan for it is the original intention I had for the Passat: Offroad car. It’ll get my roof rack, RGB lighting, and maybe some sweet tires if we can get the Cooper Tires sponsorship to work out.
First mod was easy! Turning this knob..
Into a flight stick..
She needs a few cosmetic improvements and a good Svending, but otherwise it’s in pretty decent nick. Basically no underbody rust, everything works (even the sunroof!) and it goes faster than MB’s claimed top speed!
- I still need to sell the Vespa project and my Suzuki GS.
Despite my uncertainty about income (Illinois’ Unemployment has been a disaster for many through this) and general uncertainty about the future because of COVID-19, I’m actually doing pretty okay.
With the Trump check, my last paycheck from work, and other assorted money, I can cover what bills I need to pay for at least the next month or two... but hopefully UI will kick in by that point.
I’m sure there are a lot more updates I’ve missed, but I suppose those are the ones I remember right now.
atfsgeoff
> Mercedes Streeter
04/15/2020 at 20:06 |
|
Good deal on the Benz! Very stylish.
|
atfsgeoff
> Mercedes Streeter
04/15/2020 at 20:06 |
|
Good deal on the Benz! Very stylish.
PyroHoltz f@h Oppo 261120
> Mercedes Streeter
04/15/2020 at 20:09 |
|
I’d like to see that you add some aircraft swit ches to the dash, to accommodate that awesome shifter!
boredalways
> Mercedes Streeter
04/15/2020 at 20:18 |
|
Glad to hear you're hanging in there. So now you've installed the flight stick, are you planning on adding weapons as well, or go in another direction?
fintail
> Mercedes Streeter
04/15/2020 at 20:31 |
|
Speedometer is probably 30% optimistic :)
Looks like this one met the gods of rattlecan, but as these are effectively vehicles for the apocalypse, it works.
PyramidHat
> Mercedes Streeter
04/15/2020 at 20:41 |
|
...and the M-B has a cool 12,000 RPM Tach...
feather-throttle-not-hair
> Mercedes Streeter
04/15/2020 at 20:43 |
|
I FUCKING LOVE MERC 240DS!!!
10/10ths all the time and never break the law. Few cars can do that while also being RWD and comfortable. My secret 240D dream is to get one and then stick 4 space saver spares on there and just have no grip AND no power.
Edit: sorry about the girlfriend as well. But you’re gonna find the right person for you. Sounds like she wasn’t it. But the right person for you IS out there.
shop-teacher
> Mercedes Streeter
04/15/2020 at 21:39 |
|
Welcome back!
I'm almost done fixing up that pit bike my neighbor gave me. It is not entirely out of the realm of possibility that I could sell that, for enough to buy the Vespa project.
dogisbadob
> Mercedes Streeter
04/15/2020 at 22:06 |
|
welcome back
ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
> Mercedes Streeter
04/15/2020 at 22:27 |
|
Glad to see you’re back!
415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°)
> Mercedes Streeter
04/15/2020 at 22:45 |
|
Well there are a few W123 owners around here, just ask if you have any questions!
Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
> Mercedes Streeter
04/15/2020 at 23:57 |
|
I liked that wagon, but this is even better
|
Mercedes Streeter
> PyroHoltz f@h Oppo 261120
04/16/2020 at 11:32 |
|
The aircraft switches could activate various offroad lights. Hmmm... I like that idea!
|
Mercedes Streeter
> fintail
04/16/2020 at 11:33 |
|
Worse, it met the gods of bedliner! It'll probably work with the offroad theme, haha.
ZHP Sparky, the 5th
> Mercedes Streeter
04/16/2020 at 11:39 |
|
Whoa, a diesel that revs to 12k!
|
Mercedes Streeter
> feather-throttle-not-hair
04/16/2020 at 11:42 |
|
And it sounds like a city bus when it’s at full chat!!
Now is a great time to be single for me. I can't date even if I wanted to, so just do things for me!
|
Mercedes Streeter
> shop-teacher
04/16/2020 at 11:44 |
|
Ooooooooh I forgot about that pit bike! At least it gives you some distraction through these times. :)
|
Mercedes Streeter
> 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°)
04/16/2020 at 11:46 |
|
I do have one! Is it normal for the diesels to “hiccup” a little when you’re going 80 mph with under a quarter tank?
Then again, I'm not sure if those were the engine or wind gusts from the headwind I was driving in.
|
fintail
> Mercedes Streeter
04/16/2020 at 12:24 |
|
Next stop larger wheels.
|
shop-teacher
> Mercedes Streeter
04/16/2020 at 12:58 |
|
It has been a fun project! It should be ready to test ride this afternoon.
|
415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°)
> Mercedes Streeter
04/16/2020 at 16:31 |
|
Well no not an interruption in the drivetrain, could be fuel delivery or the injection pump etc. . Keep in mind they have multiple fuel screens/filters, one in the tank, spin on to change and one inline clear filter you can check under the hood . I always run some seafoam through it once in a while and doing a diesel purge once a year is good. My grandpa’s friend has mercedessource.com, he has parts and videos, I would listen to anything he says when you look something up, he is a very good and honest mechanic . H e has the good diesel purge too. These cars can run forever but they should be tuned up properly, do you know if it has good glow plugs, had a tune up very recently? They run a lot better with tune/ valve adjustment from someone who knows the OM motors. I guess like always I would go over the important bits down the line, at least you have a manual so that excludes some tranny issue.
He was a bush pilot turned merc mechanic:
https://www.youtube.com/user/Mercedessource/videos
Check out his bio on his site, it’s pretty fascinating:
https://mercedessource.com/history
|
Mercedes Streeter
> 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°)
04/17/2020 at 17:17 |
|
I do know it has new injectors, glow plugs, and a few other miscellaneous items. It cold starts like a beast, way better than the Passat ever did! PO put a bit of work into the engine!
Once I refilled the tank the hesitation went away. It was weird, reminded me of an old motorcycle getting crap from the tank when it’s near reserve.
|
415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°)
> Mercedes Streeter
04/17/2020 at 18:12 |
|
Yeah I bet the screen in the tank is a bit clogged, people never pull the tank and do that. Mine had a small hole and we did it and were shocked! That screen almost stranded me though, I did manage to get it started and to my friend’s garage to check it out. I always get a gallon of sea foam and put some in every month or so after I run the tank low, then a purge once a year. If they did that other work it sounds like they did tune ups. Americans see these with no valve jobs etc.. and smoking and it led to all kinds of negative views on them. I have a 300D and we don’t have the idle adjustment knob, I don’t know why we don’t, I wish I did for really cold days.
|
Mercedes Streeter
> 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°)
04/17/2020 at 18:59 |
|
Probably! It runs perfectly with a full tank, so I better check screens and filters. Of course, this all also assumes the fuel gauge is even accurate and I wasn’t just out of diesel.
I forgot to save a list of all the new parts, but I do know at least injectors, plugs , and tires. Makes me giggle that this thing has fewer miles than the smart does!
OH, is that what the little knob to the left of the ignition is for? That’s pretty sweet that the idle can be adjusted on cold days. I have a friend with a Powerstroke and he has to use a tuner chip for that.
I’ll treat it like an old bike, expect some crud to be at the bottom of the tank and thus don’t flirt with getting too close to R.
|
415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°)
> Mercedes Streeter
04/17/2020 at 19:10 |
|
I think that is best, yes that little knob thing in the dash is the idle. I have a lever in my Z that is for that but it isn’t hooked up, it doesn’t need it anyway. Since the car has been painted all over anyway you could do what you want with it I guess. My car had a touch up original color respray before I bought it. They are a unique car to drive, you sort of have to anticipate. I usually left foot brake in urban areas, I have a turbo and keeping it moving is better, I get the rpms up at a stop and release the brake like a launch. I have never driven a 240D, the turbo in mine probably makes it a pretty different experience.
stars-pulse-like-venom
> Mercedes Streeter
04/20/2020 at 02:23 |
|
thanks, i hate it already
Teh Penguin of Doom
> Mercedes Streeter
06/01/2020 at 13:56 |
|
Check out benzworld for a really nice w123 community.
That flightstick though is the grossest mod I've seen all day. Of course, it's your car, not mine, so enjoy.