280" Concourse; Diary of a layman

[floyd111]

The car that was shipped without wheels, and crushed as a result..

[floyd111]

The car that was shipped without doors, and was flooded. -after having been left to bake in the sun for years.
That was a white-velours Dutch MOT car.. once

[floyd111]

In the meantime i am still doing the count, backtracking the endless lists of parts, expenses, and whatnot. Already passed the 100.000usd mark now. That's just Paypal 2014-2017 and the 3 car purchases, including workshop advances.
Still gotta do Paypal 2013, the international phone calls and bank payments made to the various NOS suppliers over the years..

[UTn_boy]

In the meantime i am still doing the count, backtracking the endless lists of parts, expenses, and whatnot. Already passed the 100.000usd mark now. That's just Paypal 2014-2017 and the 3 car purchases
Still gotta do Paypal 2013, the international phone calls and bank payments made to the various NOS suppliers over the years..

The next time ANY of you complain about having to sink a couple of thousand dollars in your W116 for a repair you will forever be referred to this above commentary, and you will be harassed endlessly for being so cheap.   

[floyd111]

Yeah, that's funny
But before you gonna get people hating on me because of this warped comparison, let's ensure that it is understood that these are the material costs of building 2 NOS cars with over 100 factory options and  a full cabinet with actual 1972-1989 German MB dealer accessories, better stocked than most such dealerships back in the day..
It is an obsessive concept worthy of a prolonged psychiatric observation. , and hardly a "car repair"

[UTn_boy]

Oh I'm aware of the differences between what you've done and an actual repair.  Even so, it was worth stating simply because so many W116 owners refuse to spend the necessary money on repairs only to let the car further languish in the yard out of spite. 

[Squiggle Dog]

I feel really, really bad for you. Experiences like this make you realize how horrible people tend to be. It's fortunate that good people exist. I hope you're able to press forward and have a happy ending.

[floyd111]

Thanks for the kind words, again. 
.. I am adjusting to the new reality. Luckily I had worse stuff happening to me in the past, or this would have been a breaking point for sure, haha!
I just hope I am not going to bump into my parts at some half-baked 90's car meeting with a random W116 stealing the show. That one really gets under my skin, enough to lie awake about at night. I just tell myself that won't happen, that, s the easiest way.

I am focusing on being happy that so much is still there, especially my "useless-to-others" MB gift collection, and the many accessories I gathered. It makes little sense to anyone to collect these, but I really take some rather inexplicable joy from that collection. You can't mount them on any cars, one could only fill the boot with them! But, they are such a typical representation from the times of yesteryear, and I guess that fits my mid-life crisis.
There's so many of them by now, enough for a decent little museum, and all of them illustrate an epic history from the brand we are all so crazy about..
It's a bit like that TV series, Michael Apted's "runner up", where 20+ people are filmed each 7 years, from elementary school till age 63. If you haven't watched it, you've got something absolutely wonderful to experience when you get around to it.
MB, and heir founders Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler have run that Customer Gift program since the early 1900's, all the way till today. They kept principles, methods, continuance, packaging, in a way that can be recognized and has been consistent for almost 100 years.
Others, like Ford or Renault, who have been around forever as well, never did that. All other brands had a "whatever" attitude, even Rolls Royce, when it comes to customer gifts.
Funny thing is that none of the millions of automotive writers in millions of books and articles have ever addressed that unique history.

Anyways, that's just me.

The workshop sent me a photo of them building the rotisserie, so wheel wells and underside of my car can finally be done.
I still believe they will end up finishing the chassis..one day.

[floyd111]

Another bit of progress..

[floyd111]

  I am telling you, it will be done! -Eventually.

ready to start the underside.

[floyd111]

I decided to delete both the downstairs kitchen as well as the connected pantry, and turn the lot into a double size storage room for all the parts.
My (female) carpenter built all these cupboards, in all kinds of sizes, on purpose.
Much hasn't been shelved yet and is still spread around the garage floor, but 90% of all the small NOS parts have been sorted labeled and boxed, awaiting the return of my mechanic from the UK, Tony.
Word is that flights will slowly resume in October..
Guess by now I have gotten used to waiting... so we'll wait some more!

[floyd111]

It seems I have way too many NOS door handles, too many NOS bumper parts, too many NOS window lifter motors and then some.
it is clear now that that thief regularly blindly grabbed completely random boxes, and maybe all of it was randomly taken in 1 go, during one of the 3 venue moves that the workshop made around their city. I can not see an intelligent pattern to the theft.

[rumb]

It is hard to have enough shelving. Looks like you can make it easier to find thing once they are all put away.

[floyd111]

Well, the way I overstocked head lights rear lights an blinkers is now more visible then ever.. I have 4 to 5 NOS ones of each left and each right. Too many mirrors as well.  And airco-dryers.. and door rubbers..And fan clutches.. I really went into one, I have to admit now..

[floyd111]