I figured the vultures would be on that right quick. Pull the wimpy M104 and stuff an M119 in there!
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PWNER - gerryvz
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I had a small change of plans. The SEC and the E500 are going to be transported by Passport Transport, and Laura is going to drive her Lexus IS350 F-sport on trip #1 (leaving on Friday) followed behind by me in the 4Runner.
Trip #2, will be the G-wagen. Reason for this is extra carrying room for last-minute stuff I may need to bring along.
The G-wagen is now fully road-worthy and ready for the trip.
The difference with the new engine mounts was unbelievable after I replaced them. Truck idles extremely smooth. When you put the truck in gear and press the brake, there is NO movement or vibration in the steering wheel or dashboard. The motor mounts for this G-wagen look very similar to a 722.3 transmission mount, and one of them was about 90% collapsed. Nothing like the sedan/wagon M104 nor hydraulic E500E motor mounts. They are very crude and look something like out of the 1950s.
The front seal on the original A/C compressor was leaking, which was causing a significant and rapid refrigerant leak. A/C is now ice cold (40-45F at the center vents), and should be good for many years to come.
I did a check of all of the hoses and they look and feel good.
It will be a fairly pleasant solo road trip to MD late next week in the G-wagen, and I'm looking forward to that. So, Jono will be seeing the G320 instead of the E500, but he's seen my E5er anyway.
Trip #2, will be the G-wagen. Reason for this is extra carrying room for last-minute stuff I may need to bring along.
The G-wagen is now fully road-worthy and ready for the trip.
- New Denso compressor and new Hansa receiver/drier (Hansa is MB OEM).
- New belt tensioner, tensioner pulley, serpentine belt, and idler pulley (standard M104 items)
- New G-wagen specific coolant expansion tank (old one was yellowed and original)
- New transmission and motor mounts
- Fluid service - oil/filter change, coolant change, power steering fluid change, brake fluid change. Only thing I didn't do was the transfer case and transmission fluid (did those a couple of years back) and the hydraulic fluid for the locking differentials.
- New shift linkage bushings
- New coolant level sensor (old one was quite gummy and just needed to be replaced).
- Repaired malfunctioning auxiliary fan, now working as it was intended.
The difference with the new engine mounts was unbelievable after I replaced them. Truck idles extremely smooth. When you put the truck in gear and press the brake, there is NO movement or vibration in the steering wheel or dashboard. The motor mounts for this G-wagen look very similar to a 722.3 transmission mount, and one of them was about 90% collapsed. Nothing like the sedan/wagon M104 nor hydraulic E500E motor mounts. They are very crude and look something like out of the 1950s.
The front seal on the original A/C compressor was leaking, which was causing a significant and rapid refrigerant leak. A/C is now ice cold (40-45F at the center vents), and should be good for many years to come.
I did a check of all of the hoses and they look and feel good.
It will be a fairly pleasant solo road trip to MD late next week in the G-wagen, and I'm looking forward to that. So, Jono will be seeing the G320 instead of the E500, but he's seen my E5er anyway.
Gerry,
Are you going to get teary-eyed leaving Texas?
Seems like you really liked living there.
But then again, you have a really nice home in MD.
Are you going to get teary-eyed leaving Texas?
Seems like you really liked living there.
But then again, you have a really nice home in MD.
No, I am not and won't be sad. Texas has treated me quite well over the past 9+ years -- I won't lie. I really did enjoy living here! It's been nice to live in a stable, well-run state with a good economy, rising property values, diverse and rich culture, good weather (once you acclimate), and a lot of history. I have made some great friends here who I will keep in touch with and who I will miss. Texans are definitely a breed apart from all other types of Americans I've met -- fiercely independent, very loyal, very friendly and giving, with an indomitable spirit.
But it's important not to look back. I wasn't sad about leaving Portland, Oregon (where I lived 13 years) before Texas, and the SF Bay Area before moving to Portland in late 1995.
Instead, you look on moving as a new beginning. A chance to experience life with a fresh, new perspective.
And brand new wrecking yards to comb for parts. Hopefully I will be blessed to find some of those super cool square metal cam oiler tubes on the East Coast.
One thing I will not miss, is being out in the wrecking yards in July when it's 98F outside scavenging parts and suffering mild heat stroke. Heat stroke creeps up on you and it's bad news.Gerry,
All of the above was well said......not looking back and all.
But as you know, the best euro parts wrecking yards are out west.
I do wish you the best when you do make it out to the East Coast yards
Interior parts, on the average, must be better out east.
Cheers ! From the number one 2017 micro brew city !
All of the above was well said......not looking back and all.
But as you know, the best euro parts wrecking yards are out west.
I do wish you the best when you do make it out to the East Coast yards
Interior parts, on the average, must be better out east.
Cheers ! From the number one 2017 micro brew city !
We did leave some good friends when we left Houston and moved to the east coast in 1997, but we DON'T miss the roaches, mosquitoes, fire ants, heat and humidity.
We moved in June while there was a "heat warning" issued in NC, but we thought it was Christmas/New year type weather for Houston.
We moved in June while there was a "heat warning" issued in NC, but we thought it was Christmas/New year type weather for Houston.
Well, my garages are all packed up, as well as most of our belongings. The packers and loaders have about 4-5 hours of work today, to finish up, and they should be here in an hour or so to finish the job. They they will be on the road to Austin to pick up the second of three loads that are going on their moving van headed to the East Coast.
It always amazes me to see your whole life boxed up and placed on a big truck. The North American Van Lines driver, who is Houston-based, showed me his Caterpillar diesel engine in his truck. It's a 475-HP unit and it has 784,000 miles on it (Glen/DrP, take note
), and has never been rebuilt. Caterpillar is no longer making diesel semi-truck engines, because of onerous emissions regulations, however they certainly still make large vehicle/equipment and industrial engines. Each tire on a semi's tractor costs $400-500, but they generally (with care/proper inflation/balancing/rotation) will last at least 2-3 years. The front tires are generally the most expensive ones.
So, tonight (Thursday) will be our last night in Texas before we hit the road to Maryland on Friday morning. My SEC and E500 are safely in their garages and awaiting my [final] return to Texas next Monday, and pickup next week by Passport Transport.
If we can just make it through the next two weeks, all will be good....
It always amazes me to see your whole life boxed up and placed on a big truck. The North American Van Lines driver, who is Houston-based, showed me his Caterpillar diesel engine in his truck. It's a 475-HP unit and it has 784,000 miles on it (Glen/DrP, take note
), and has never been rebuilt. Caterpillar is no longer making diesel semi-truck engines, because of onerous emissions regulations, however they certainly still make large vehicle/equipment and industrial engines. Each tire on a semi's tractor costs $400-500, but they generally (with care/proper inflation/balancing/rotation) will last at least 2-3 years. The front tires are generally the most expensive ones.So, tonight (Thursday) will be our last night in Texas before we hit the road to Maryland on Friday morning. My SEC and E500 are safely in their garages and awaiting my [final] return to Texas next Monday, and pickup next week by Passport Transport.
If we can just make it through the next two weeks, all will be good....
LKQ has four (4) pick-your-parts yards in the Baltimore area (Houston only has three LKQs) and I've been to three of them. And each of them, I walked away with some great stuff, including 400Es at two of the yards. And remember, the counties surrounding Washington DC are the richest per capita of any counties in the USA....so there is a lot of money, and a lot of Benzes in the DC area surprisingly !!But as you know, the best euro parts wrecking yards are out west.
I do wish you the best when you do make it out to the East Coast yards
Interior parts, on the average, must be better out east.
And you can't forget the "Holy Grail" of MB wrecking yards......Potomac German Auto in Frederick, MD !! I've already visited them several times, and even happened to run into
Square oiler tubes, here I come !!
Are you sure you did not see ntrepid there?
Robert
8899, Ntrepid...6 of one, half a dozen of another. Don’t feel bad, people often get Melville’s sidekicks confused.
8899, Ntrepid...6 of one, half a dozen of another. Don’t feel bad, people often get Melville’s sidekicks confused.
Ummm...Didn't we all agree we'd be known as your "W124.036 Entourage, Greater Washington Chapter" and not your sidekicks?\
Robert
Are you sure you did not see ntrepid there?
Robert
Oops, sorry — corrected!!
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Yes, this group exists already here on the site -- I'm sure logistics will be posted at the appropriate time.
http://www.500eboard.com/forums/group.php?groupid=4
Back in Houston tonight for a couple of final days. Closing out my office downtown and wrapping up a few loose ends. Hope to hit the road late Thursday night, headed for Jono & Sheward in Atlanta on Friday. And back to Maryland by Saturday evening.
House closed today (Tuesday) and we signed the paperwork. Feels good to be in the ranks of home owners again.
https://www.redfin.com/MD/Annapolis/1758-Baltimore-Annapolis-Blvd-21409/home/105415261
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House closed today (Tuesday) and we signed the paperwork. Feels good to be in the ranks of home owners again.
https://www.redfin.com/MD/Annapolis/1758-Baltimore-Annapolis-Blvd-21409/home/105415261
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Very nice house - health to enjoy!
There is a large green belt behind the house that can never be developed. My property extends a bit back into those woods, as well. Yes, very large front and back yards. Trying to figure out whether to extend/enlarge existing garage, or build a separate shop building out back. Swimming pool and deck are definitely going in behind the house, so the shop project will likely be tied to that.
If the existing garage is only a 2-bay, I would do both: enlarge existing attached to the house to 4-5 bay, and also have a separate shop building out back with higher ceilings / lift / tools / etc.
Don't forget you also need storage space for lawn equipment (riding mower, etc) and also snow removal (snowblower, and/or 4-wheeler with plow) unless you plan to hire all that stuff out.
It seems you guys are quite eager to spend my money for me on major construction projects.....
Things are getting wrapped up in Houston, and it's starting to look like I'll be heading out tonight (Thursday) around 10PM CDT. Hopefully to make it to Jono's on Friday sometime, so I can disrupt his shop's business day and take him out to dinner.
G-wagen loading begins at 6PM sharp.
Things are getting wrapped up in Houston, and it's starting to look like I'll be heading out tonight (Thursday) around 10PM CDT. Hopefully to make it to Jono's on Friday sometime, so I can disrupt his shop's business day and take him out to dinner.
G-wagen loading begins at 6PM sharp.
Just trying to return the favor Gerry considering the parts stash accumulating in my garage thanks to your helpful HOW-TOs
I'm happy to report that I made it to Maryland just fine, and am officially "here" for good now.
I began loading up the G-wagen around 6PM CT on Thursday night, and everything was loaded and read to go by 7 PM! Ended up not being nearly as much "stuff" loaded into the back of the G-wagen as I'd anticipated. It was low enough that I had a clear view out the rear window, no problem. After some final cleaning and misc. work, I left actually a bit earlier than scheduled, around 9:45 PM, and stopped at the nearby Shell gas station on the way to the freeway, to top off. After topping off the tank, I was officially "on my way" as of 9:58 PM.
On Thursday night I plowed my way through as long as I could, stopping two different times for about an hour each time, to catch a power nap to keep going. I filled up the gas tank in Grosse Tete, LA at 3:46 AM CDT, and then again in Moss Point, MS at 8:51 AM. Next fillup was at 1:00 PM on the dot in Auburn, AL.
Friday afternoon around 4:30 PM EDT, I rolled into Jono's World Headquarters in Lilburn, Georgia for a quick two-hour visit. I got the personal tour of his amazing shop. All I can say is that it's an amazing place, and everyone on the 500Eboard should visit him. You have parts, cars, engines, transmissions, detailing area, and a huge parking lot/boneyard out back. It's definitely Mecca for 124 and 126 owners, that's for sure !! Jono was quite hospitable for being a Friday night, and with a large cup of Peruvian iced coffee, he sent me out on my way. That special Jono-coffee kept me wired for many hours to come !!!
I kept moving, though I did stop at a rest area for a three-hour power nap in the middle of the night, as I was running on nearly zero sleep (and the waning remains of Jono's coffee). Next fillup was in Anderson, South Carolina, and then again in Durham, NC. I drove the entire height of Virginia, and my final fillup was just 10 miles away from my new home in Bowie, MD, after getting through Washington DC traffic on Saturday morning.
Arrived in Annapolis on Saturday morning at about 11:20 AM. Total distance was almost 1,600 driving miles (including the detour through Atlanta to visit Jono) and most of it was done at the 75-80 MPH range. No speed traps or encounters with any law enforcement personnel along the way. Only saw perhaps 2-3 state troopers on the whole trip -- mostly Virginia state police. The G-wagen averaged about 12.5-13 MPG at the 75-80 MPH mark. Not horribly efficient, but I needed that carrying capacity.
I was paying anywhere from $2.95-$3.10 per gallon for Super gas along the way, until I hit Maryland where things jumped up to the $3.40-3.50 level.....
Feels so good to be in my own home again. It's still sinking in.
Thanks to all for the nice messages and support leading up to and during the move. And to Jono for his hospitality, and for checking in with me to make sure I arrived OK. Looking forward to getting "back in the saddle" with the forum in the coming days.
Cheers,
Gerry
I began loading up the G-wagen around 6PM CT on Thursday night, and everything was loaded and read to go by 7 PM! Ended up not being nearly as much "stuff" loaded into the back of the G-wagen as I'd anticipated. It was low enough that I had a clear view out the rear window, no problem. After some final cleaning and misc. work, I left actually a bit earlier than scheduled, around 9:45 PM, and stopped at the nearby Shell gas station on the way to the freeway, to top off. After topping off the tank, I was officially "on my way" as of 9:58 PM.
On Thursday night I plowed my way through as long as I could, stopping two different times for about an hour each time, to catch a power nap to keep going. I filled up the gas tank in Grosse Tete, LA at 3:46 AM CDT, and then again in Moss Point, MS at 8:51 AM. Next fillup was at 1:00 PM on the dot in Auburn, AL.
Friday afternoon around 4:30 PM EDT, I rolled into Jono's World Headquarters in Lilburn, Georgia for a quick two-hour visit. I got the personal tour of his amazing shop. All I can say is that it's an amazing place, and everyone on the 500Eboard should visit him. You have parts, cars, engines, transmissions, detailing area, and a huge parking lot/boneyard out back. It's definitely Mecca for 124 and 126 owners, that's for sure !! Jono was quite hospitable for being a Friday night, and with a large cup of Peruvian iced coffee, he sent me out on my way. That special Jono-coffee kept me wired for many hours to come !!!
I kept moving, though I did stop at a rest area for a three-hour power nap in the middle of the night, as I was running on nearly zero sleep (and the waning remains of Jono's coffee). Next fillup was in Anderson, South Carolina, and then again in Durham, NC. I drove the entire height of Virginia, and my final fillup was just 10 miles away from my new home in Bowie, MD, after getting through Washington DC traffic on Saturday morning.
Arrived in Annapolis on Saturday morning at about 11:20 AM. Total distance was almost 1,600 driving miles (including the detour through Atlanta to visit Jono) and most of it was done at the 75-80 MPH range. No speed traps or encounters with any law enforcement personnel along the way. Only saw perhaps 2-3 state troopers on the whole trip -- mostly Virginia state police. The G-wagen averaged about 12.5-13 MPG at the 75-80 MPH mark. Not horribly efficient, but I needed that carrying capacity.
I was paying anywhere from $2.95-$3.10 per gallon for Super gas along the way, until I hit Maryland where things jumped up to the $3.40-3.50 level.....
Feels so good to be in my own home again. It's still sinking in.
Thanks to all for the nice messages and support leading up to and during the move. And to Jono for his hospitality, and for checking in with me to make sure I arrived OK. Looking forward to getting "back in the saddle" with the forum in the coming days.
Cheers,
Gerry
Texan? WTF is that? Never heard of it!Forever a honorary Texan!
Congrats on your new home. I only got my phone to open to the first pic but loved the kitchen. I will see the rest later today on computer. From other's posts it sounds like a mansion. I knew you were moving but that was quick and final.
And you did all that while I was cruising from Amsterdam to Fort Lauderdale for 30 days via the Atlantic and Mediterranean. I miss a lot when at sea. Not much time for free Wi-Fi and the ship's is pretty expensive. So I miss a lot and it's hard to catch up with the current affairs on the 500eboard.
My 500e hasn't had much love lately. I've been cruising the ocean much more than the highways lately. I felt guilty enough to get it out in the driveway and give it a good bath to get the dust off and get my juices and interest going again. I really miss driving it.
I can't wait to see the new 6 car garage that Dave and the local boys are designing for you.
And you did all that while I was cruising from Amsterdam to Fort Lauderdale for 30 days via the Atlantic and Mediterranean. I miss a lot when at sea. Not much time for free Wi-Fi and the ship's is pretty expensive. So I miss a lot and it's hard to catch up with the current affairs on the 500eboard.
My 500e hasn't had much love lately. I've been cruising the ocean much more than the highways lately. I felt guilty enough to get it out in the driveway and give it a good bath to get the dust off and get my juices and interest going again. I really miss driving it.
I can't wait to see the new 6 car garage that Dave and the local boys are designing for you.
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Glad you were able to stop by Sir! Sorry didn't have more time to spare that particular evening...life and stuff..;-)
Coffee is killer, eh? Rocket Fuel.... We're getting a nitrogen infuser for our cold brew, should be even Better next time you swing by.
Looking forward to your next trip down...maybe starfest/tech in AL next year, yes?? Gary Anderson will be flying in/driving out from here and we'll be caravaning a few cars. Should be an Exciting drive that much I can promise!
Enjoy the new wallpaper dude
Coffee is killer, eh? Rocket Fuel....
We're getting a nitrogen infuser for our cold brew, should be even Better next time you swing by.Looking forward to your next trip down...maybe starfest/tech in AL next year, yes?? Gary Anderson will be flying in/driving out from here and we'll be caravaning a few cars. Should be an Exciting drive that much I can promise!
Enjoy the new wallpaper dude
I had a very nice, albeit too brief, visit yesterday here in Annapolis with Melville. He brought his beautiful 500E out from DC, and we had a quick lunch in downtown Annapolis. A quick tour of the new house and a show off of the G-wagen and he was back on his way.
Thanks Mark & it was great to see you & catch up. And your beautifully maintained & shiny car....
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Thanks Mark & it was great to see you & catch up. And your beautifully maintained & shiny car....
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I was very happy to see in person the new Intergalactic HQ for the 500Eboard. It's a great house and great location! I think most of my house could fit in the garage!
It was great to see the G wagon but it was unfortunate that the 500E and the 560SEC were not yet in MD. I especially want to see the freshly painted SEC. Next time!
Now that you're getting settled, we'll soon have to get the local troops together to start planning the next East Coast GTG...
Mark
It was great to see the G wagon but it was unfortunate that the 500E and the 560SEC were not yet in MD. I especially want to see the freshly painted SEC. Next time!
Now that you're getting settled, we'll soon have to get the local troops together to start planning the next East Coast GTG...
Mark
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