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MBCA Star Tech

I'm planning to go to represent my section (Houston Section).

MBCA is asking us whether we want to host the 2015 or 2017 StarTech here in Houston, so I have to go to get smarter about what it takes to put this event on.
 
Drew, this looks great IF I can get the dates to work. I could drive the Renntech.
 
I'm speaking @ it..:-P Need to go sign up actually, thanks for the reminder..!
 
Well, that settles it! I will try my best to make it, as I have wanted to meet Jono and Drew in person. Heck, even Gerry will be there.
 
Rock, I'm signed up/registered etc...so come on..! Promise of @ least 1 Hammer, maybe 2 depending on how much I Don't sleep b/w now and then..:-P Not sure what else we'll bring...maybe Koenig widebody SEC, IDK..depends on how many people I can get to drive as well:-P
 
Looking forward to this. Johnathan, if you need any help at the shop now thru March...call.

drew
 
Jono-

So what are those star tech guys going to teach you about a Hammer? Love to be ears on that one. I will say it sounds like fun and it's 600 miles for me. There are too many extenuating things going on which may or may not eat all my sick and vacation leave.

Please drop me a note before hand.

Just got back from 2600 miles in the 500e- what a trooper. Awesome power and I was restrained keeping a boring 80-100 on the interstate. Back rodes of Alabama and Northern Georgia were WONDERFUL curvy at 70-90 mph. I-75 would be awesome if we could get a trooper free day with advance notification.

Home safe=0)


Michael
 
I-75 would be awesome if we could get a trooper free day with advance notification.

I-75 on a Sunday in 2008, I don't remember if this was GA or FL, but I was certainly headed south quite rapidly. I was tempting fate with the troopers here as I held 145-150 for quite a bit before I pulled out the phone to snap this pic.

0309081815-00.jpg
 
The fastest I've ever had my E500 up to was just a hair over 140 MPH .... you're very close to that :)
 
+1. A trip along I-10 from Alabama to Texas after Katrina left the route unpatrolled and desolate. I was able to cruise for miles at 120 +.

drew
 
It's about a 10-10.5 hour drive to Birmingham from Houston, which will be a nice jaunt. Biggest problem will be deciding which car to take. My V126 or C126 are both mighty tempting for long, interstate cruises at high speed. I'll plan to head on I-10 to New Orleans, and then cut up to Birmingham on I-59, which is a nice, straight shot.

On my way home, seeing as I-59 goes through Meridian, MS, I'll make a short side trip to my boyhood home of Philadelphia, MS. I lived there from age 1 to age 6. Philadelphia is about 40 miles from Meridian. I've only been there one other time since we left to move to Seattle when I was 6 yrs old. When I was a very young boy (and still had my deep south accent) Meridian was the closest "big city" and I remember going there with my mom. When you live in a town of about 5,000 people (at that time) there isn't too much there.....

Cheers,
Gerry
 
We'll drive I-85S to 20W to 59S. We have family in Hattiesburg, MS and drive by Birmingham at least twice a year.
Still have not driven a C126 to compare to my 93' 500E for long haul highway trips.
 
It's about a 10-10.5 hour drive to Birmingham from Houston, which will be a nice jaunt. Biggest problem will be deciding which car to take. My V126 or C126 are both mighty tempting for long, interstate cruises at high speed. I'll plan to head on I-10 to New Orleans, and then cut up to Birmingham on I-59, which is a nice, straight shot.

On my way home, seeing as I-59 goes through Meridian, MS, I'll make a short side trip to my boyhood home of Philadelphia, MS. I lived there from age 1 to age 6. Philadelphia is about 40 miles from Meridian. I've only been there one other time since we left to move to Seattle when I was 6 yrs old. When I was a very young boy (and still had my deep south accent) Meridian was the closest "big city" and I remember going there with my mom. When you live in a town of about 5,000 people (at that time) there isn't too much there.....

Cheers,
Gerry

I assumed you were going to fly out for sake of time. When i came your way it was an additional 6 hrs. +3 from Cumming to Birmingham and +3 from Houston to San Antonio, my final destination. 10.5 hrs. should be enjoyable in any of your MBs although another E500E in the parking lot would be my wish! I imagine I-10 thru Louisiana will still show much devestation even after the years since.

drew
 
Houston to San Antonio is, yeah, about 3.5 hours, less if you haul A but it's well-patrolled along I-10 by the Texas DPS. I think the limit is 75 MPH along that route, as well, but you can blow by a DPS and get away with 80 MPH with little problem.
 
You could get a used smog pump for not too much cash. The same pumps were used across an ungodly number of MBs over a long period, so this should be a pretty easy deal to take care of. For my SEC (and my others cars too), I'm planning to just remove the belt that drives said pump when the bearings go bad, as emissions testing is no longer required for cars 25 years and older in the Republic of Texas.
 
Star Tech will be a blast this year (it always is, but this time we get to see where the ML and GL models get built). I'm going, for sure. Maybe I can get some decent bbq for a change.
 
I'm registered and ready to go !! Looking forward to compare some Alabama BBQ to the "real stuff" here in Texas :)
 
Well, I see Jono, Gerry, Drew, Tom, and possibly Michael.
Anyone else?
I won't know if I can attend until late April.
 
Well, I see Jono, Gerry, Drew, Tom, and possibly Michael.
Anyone else?
I won't know if I can attend until late April.

Any thoughts about which car you'll take? edit; I just saw your earlier post. That's the one i was hoping you'd bring.

drew
 
I am 100% committed and will very likely be bringing my E500. Everything should be in good order by then and I'll have time for a shakedown ......
 
Here is the schedule (subject to change) for the event:

StarTech2013 - Schedule of Activities

Submitted by wwhopper on Mon, 2013-02-25 19:42 News Image:
proxy.php



Friday, May 17
StarTech2013 Early Registration at Hilton Hotel 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Dinner on your own
Saturday, May 18
StarTech2013 Registration at Hilton Hotel 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
NASA US Rocket Center Morning Tour – Huntsville 9 a.m.
Lunch Courtesy of Mercedes-Benz of Huntsville Noon
NASA US Rocket Center Afternoon Tour – Huntsville 1 p.m.
Vendor Displays open at Hilton Hotel 1 p.m.
Sunday, May 19
StarTech2013 Registration at Hilton hotel 7 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Vendor Displays at Hilton Hotel during registration.
Morning Tech. Sessions start at 9 a.m. at Classic Car Motoring (lunch included)
Lunch @ Noon
Afternoon Tech. Sessions start at 1 p.m. at Classic Car Motoring (lunch included)
Parade laps on Barber Motorsports Track- line up about 5 p.m.
StarTech2013 Welcome Reception at Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum 6:30 p.m.
Monday, May 20
Leave hotel by car NLT 7 a.m.
Technical Sessions- start at 8:15 a.m. at MBUSI, AIDT Bill Taylor Technical Institute, Vance, AL
Factory Tours leave by bus from the Institute @8:45, 9:45 & 10:45 a.m.
Morning Tech Seminars at 9 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.
Lunch at Noon
Factory Tours leave by bus from the Institute @12:45, 1:45 & 2:45 p.m.
Afternoon Tech Seminars at 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Lifestyle tours* meet at 10 a.m. in Hilton Hotel Lobby
Vendor Displays at Hilton Hotel during Cocktail Hour.
Cocktails at Hilton Hotel at 6:30 pm
Banquet at Hilton Hotel 7 p.m.
Tuesday, May 21
Leave hotel by car NLT 7 a.m.
Technical Sessions- start at 8:15 a.m. at MBUSI AIDT Bill Taylor Technical Institute, Vance, AL
Factory Tours leave by bus from the Institute @8:45, 9:45 & 10:45 a.m.
Morning Tech Seminars at 9 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.
Lunch at Noon
Factory Tours leave by bus from the Institute @12:45, 1:45 & 2:45 p.m.
Afternoon Tech Seminars at 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Lifestyle tours meet at 10 a.m. in Hilton Hotel Lobby
StarTech 2013 Roundtable and Reception at Hilton Hotel 6:30 p.m.
Vendor Displays at Hilton Hotel during registration.
Closing Cocktail Reception at Hilton Hotel at 7:30 pm
 
I'm definitely bringing my E500. I'll have my rear LCA work & spring pad work done by that time and everything aligned.
 
I'm going to take my 92' Renntech to Jono before Star Tech. I really don't know what to do as a next step on this car.
I think possibly the limited $$$ should go to suspension refurbishing before I get any ideas about brake upgrades.
 
It's the Carlisle Import Nationals in PA for Jimbo that weekend....

My MBCA Section wanted to send me to this STAR-Tech (I'm the Events Director)...but I couldn't really get myself excited to see MLs and GLs and meet the bubbas who build 'em. j/k Hope y'all have fun now !

Gerry, you hail from Mississippi ? No wonder you hate the North so much. 8-)
 
Gerry, you hail from Mississippi ? No wonder you hate the North so much. 8-)
Little-known fact and definitely a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. But yes. Though I consider myself "from" Washington State as that is where I really grew up & spent my formative years. There, and then in college+adulthood, in Oregon (with a brief 4-year detour in Silicon Valley in my mid-20s).

In many ways, and particularly in this socio-political-economic climate, Texas is a pretty durned good place to be... I'm planning to join & take up arms when the Texas secession movement happens. It's not as remote/ridiculous a possibility as you'd think.
 
Import Carlisle, aww man..memories..I went to that for 18 years..last year was 96.
We would all go and sell Healey parts, was an excuse to get out of school for a bit too...

Say hello for me, I miss that event..:)

jono
 
Finally got to meet Jono last week when I dropped the Renntech off at Blue Ridge Mercedes. Will, hopefully, take it to Startech in May.
Looking forward to a good time and a great learning experience from the masters!
 
We're starting the third day of the StarTech event. Today will be tech sessions from folks like Hartmut Feyhl of RENNtech and Jono. And George Murphy too. I'll ask George about the vacuum pod diaphragm rubber replacements and ask him what he thinks about this upstart dude named GSXR.... LOL!

There have been five 036s here: three 94s and two 92s. I have been hanging out with Trae and Drew and last night finally met Jono in person, as well as Hartmut of RENNtech. Long discussion about 036s (and in particular the 6.0 manny tranny car). Hartmut told me a lot about the early days of AMG in the US and also of his founding of RENNtech.

Today is the tour of the MBUSI plant here in Vance, AL where they make all MB SUVs sold worldwide except the G-Wagen. And lots of tech sessions.

Yesterday was an in-depth tour of a super stellar, high end MB resto shop and then track laps at the Barber Track outside of Birmingham, and dinner/reception/speeches/tour in their unbelievable race car and motorcycle museum. I will post photos and I am sure that Trae and Drew will as well.

It has been great to meet in person two more 500Eboard members as well as to turn the other attending owners onto this site, who didn't know about it previously.

It was an 11 hour drive for me to get here from Houston and its been great to really stretch the legs of my car (particularly after the cam oiler tube and suspension work) and spend some quality lengths of time driving between 90 and 105 MPH.

Much more soon. This has really been a first class event.

Cheers,
Gerry


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
Awesome.... So did you talk to Hartman Hartmut about his m119 developments. Maybe he will make Houston!!

How many conversions did they do?
 
Today we had a great day touring the MBUSI manufacturing facility and attending tech sessions. They have a cutaway M117 in the lobby of the MBUSI facility which garnered a lot of attention from several of us, including Trae, myself and Jono.

Jono had his Hammerwagen with four dudes inside, and when we left the MBUSI facility and hit the freeway, we "hit it" big time. Jono (with me behind him) and also Brandon (Feind Motorsports in College Station, TX) in his AMG W211 (6.3?) topped 150 MPH for several short blasts on the freeway. My speedo registered 153 MPH (probably more like 145 MPH in reality) for a few seconds before I backed off down to 125 MPH and let Jono and Brandon forge ahead -- they had to drive into Birmingham whereas I had a short 10-mile jaunt to my hotel in nearby Bessemer. It was the fastest I'd driven my car to date, though. :jelmerian:

Heading back home early in the AM Tuesday for the 11-hour ride home. Lots of photos and tales to tell. I know that Trae spent some quality time all afternoon sitting around an outdoor table with Jono and others breaking bread, I also met Tom Hanson today too. Had some interesting convo about parts.com, some new info to share regarding them.

Full trip report in the next day or two....

Cheers,
Gerry
 

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Today I spent most of the day driving home from the StarTech event.

This morning I got up at 4:30 AM, showered, packed, and loaded the car up. I then left my hotel, located about 12 miles from the Mercedes-Benz factory, at around 5:10 AM, in search of a gas station to fill up my empty tank (yellow arrow in effect). I found a gas station about 5-6 miles down the freeway toward the MBUSI factory, and tanked up. I left the gas station at 5:29 am by my car's clock.

See as the freeway was nearly empty heading southbound toward Tuscaloosa, and that I would be passing the MB factory in just a few short miles, I decided to do a high-speed fly-by of the MB factory as I passed by. Cranked the car up to around 105 MPH and held it there for a good 5+ miles. Snapped a photo of my speedo (slowed down slightly as I was fumbling with my iPhone camera) and then as I approached the MBUSI factory, also snapped another photo a couple of minutes later. You can see the time stamps on the names of the photos below by running your mouse pointer on top of the photo, without clicking on it.

In any case, just prior to preparing to snap the second photo of the factory exit sign below, I had descended about a mile long hill. As I snapped the photo below, I noticed a pair of illuminated headlights about a mile back at the top of the hill in the right-hand lane. Not thinking too much of it, I snapped the photo and kept on moving, in the right lane myself. Immediately after the photo was taken, I came up on a semi-truck in the center of the 6-lane freeway (three lanes in my direction). I crossed over two lanes to pass the semi on the left side (a proper pass). As I did this, I noticed that the semi was following a normal, civilian Acura sedan by about a semi-truck length behind. They were going approximately 65 MPH from what I could tell. Seeing as the car was not too far ahead of the semi, I resolved to just pass both of them and get back into the right lane as the pass was being completed.

As I got into the left lane to go around the semi, I noticed that the pair of headlights had descended the hill behind me and was now approximately 1/4 mile behind me. And I could see that they appeared to be the distinctive Ford Crown Vic headlights, and then I spotted the familiar outline of a low-profile light bar mounted on top of the car. At this point I was still doing the 100 MPH (indicated, probably closer to 95 MPH actual) as shown in the photo below, perhaps a smidge higher.

I was now in the fast lane, next to the empty space between the Acura and the semi-truck. I looked up again and saw the nose of a gray Alabama State Police cruiser in my rear-view mirror, approximately 2 car lengths behind me. I very slightly eased off the throttle down to an indicated 95 MPH, and DID NOT hit my brakes. As I started to decelerate, I was passing the Acura in what seemed like slow motion. I started looking toward the right shoulder of the road in anticipation of the inevitable blue lights that would be appearing any second. Seconds later, I passed the Acura and got over (at a safe distance in front of him) into the center lane. The State Patrol cruiser now was less than 1 car length in back of me. As I pulled to the center, he started pulling forward on my left, starting to overtake me. I was thinking that he was going to "escort" me over to the side of the road from either the left side, or perhaps even in front of me (which they are not trained to do).

In any case, out of the corner of my left eye, I saw him flash his blue lights as he passed me and then he overtook me and kept going. I guess that was a warning.

I got back into the right lane and throttled down to a more normal 80 MPH. I was very very thankful that I had used the bathroom earlier that morning before showering, or I would have been stopping rather suddenly to change my boxers.

This was perhaps a mile south of the same stretch of road where I'd mentioned that Jono, Brandon and myself had topped 150 MPH the previous afternoon, heading north toward Birmingham....

That was my major excitement for the day. I made it home safe and sound this evening. The car performed flawlessly the entire trip and returned between 18.5 and 19 MPG, including all high-peed runs. Average speeds for the entire trip were between 75 and 90 MPH through Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. I burned through seven tank-fuls of gas through the entire trip, including a single tank in the Birmingham/Huntsville/Tuscaloosa corridor just driving to and from and at StarTech events.

Cheers,
Gerry
 

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I got back into the right lane and throttled down to a more normal 80 MPH. I was very very thankful that I had used the bathroom earlier that morning before showering, or I would have been stopping rather suddenly to change my boxers.

Lucky boy! Yep, we've had all those heart thumping, wet your pants moment when patrol cars creep up like this. I've had similar experiences on 2 occasions , 1 wagged his finger at me and 1 aimed his spot light directly , both overtaking me slowly to warn me. :oldster:

I take it , Gerry, you don't use a radar?
 
Cops here in Idaho would have hauled out of the car, stuffed you in handcuffs into the back seat of the patrol car, impounded your ride, and let you sit in jail overnight while they decided if they would charge you with misdemeanors or felonies for your insanely dangerous speeds which could have killed the occupants of the Acura and semi-truck. Apparently the cops in the area you were driving in have half a brain.

Sounds like a fun trip, btw!

:e500launch:
 
In Oregon, getting nailed at 100 MPH or higher is automatic arrest, jail and impounding of the vehicle.

In Texas, the penalties are not so severe. I got popped in my wife's 1995 E320 wagon going 92 MPH in an 80 MPH zone about an hour west of San Antonio, and the fine was around $125.
 
I would have left that pig and his crown victoria turd in the dust...until the copters were called in. :wink:

Maybe he was just surprised seeing an older Benz (not knowing what he was seeing in reality) still moving at good speeds and let you go?

Btw, is it safe to say that you are not a stranger to speeding tickets or being caught at speeds regularly? I only got one speeding ticket in my whole driving career so far.
 
We had a great time at Startech!
I could seen Jono (quad cam Hammer wagon), Gerry (E500), and Brandon (E55 AMG) in my rear view mirror closing fast and dodging traffic.
After they passed, not wanting to be left behind, I hammered the 500E Renntech to keep up. After 140mph for about 30 seconds, I started calculating just how much this ticket may cost and backed off. They all continued accelerating to 155mph before it was over. Pretty neat experience. . .:8-banger:
 
Hammers are made for one thing....;-)

Good to see you guys there...Made it home a few hours ago. Dropped Gary off @ the Airport and now back to the Piles of work that grew ever more while I was away.

Again, a Pleasure!

Ya'll be well..and keep up next time, safety in numbers don't cha know...;-)

jono
 
Glad y'all made it home OK. Hope Drew is home safe too.


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