For those who owned nice Benzes that are Euro-4 compliant, with 7G-tronic transmission, electronic coolant flow control (goodbye mechanical thermostats). A local Mercedes-Benz dealer with service bay in its backyard is the better option to go with. Be aware that when you bring your W123s and W124s in this service centers, the mechanics and technicians may not be "out-to-date" in their trainings so you might end up overcharged and underserviced.
So where do these old-school Benz owners like me bring their wagens for periodic pampering? Before I start, I'm not going to bash or endorse any of these old-school Benz shops around town as this has been said in the local forums already. But I will just drill down on several variations that a Benz owner will encounter in his/her lifetime of joy or punishment depending on where his/her beloved machine will end up.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Benz Meister
These neighborhood shops are like "Q" ships, they looked like an old junkshop from the outside but on the inside, it's a mini-museum of your favorite classics. It's like a car show/museum with a never-ending "under construction" look. The head guy in these "Q" ships are normally in their senior years, gained experience in servicing several hundred cars like your Benz from an oil-rich country or from Stuttgart itself, exudes strong personality and knows what he's talking about, never hesitates in sharing his tips and tricks. Their enclaves normally has a 2-post lifter, so they can seriously service the underlings of your priced old-school Mercedes. Most of the time, these shops only serves our beloved marque. They got their customers from word-of-mouth of other satisfied customers.
The Enthusiast/Hobbyist
Mostly, these are not trained professionals. They got their knowledge of the marque and how to tweak it through collection of books and Do-It-Yourself experiences. They also keep a good collection of their own Benzes. Sometimes if you're lucky, you'll just have to buy the parts and they will fix your car's problems free-of-charge. Their work area is normally their garage, complete with tools and sometimes equipped with a lifter. The conditions of these garages varies from obsessively-compulsive squeaky clean to a typical "Q" ship. Normally, these guys don't seek customers and if they will work on a project car, they will charge according to how your car should look like and behave in the end and not usually how you want it to be in the end. These are artisans, they normally "outsource" highly-technical jobs to other competent people they trust.
The Indie
These breed is the "Lone Warrior" type. Very well-known in his home-service style of fixing and tuning up your Benz. Sometimes these Indies have their own small shops or they are employed/outsourced by the "Q" ships or The Hobbyist and moonlighting as an independent contractor. These group of species are capable of light mechanical works such as tune-ups and small body works. These guys are ideal to work with if you want to grease your own garage or annoy the neighbors with the incessant revving of your engine.
In being fit, there's a saying "NO PAIN, NO GAIN". Then try this...
The Japanese Gigolo
Want to cook rice? These guys has a different assumption on how your European car should run and if your school of thought agrees with them then good luck on your pain. Start driving into their garages and you will see the beginning of the death of your three-pointed star. These bunch has their own share of hobbyists and indies but no "Q" ships because most of them reflects the image as what they are working on. In this domain, "conversion" is the name for repairs.
The Gypsy
Or the "Jeep-sy". What would you feel when you bring your Benz to a shop who claims can fix it and one day you'll see a jeepney or a very low-displacement japanese ricer inside being serviced and your car is parked by the roadside languishing under the heat of the sun and at the risk of being dinged by pedicabbies in which you can only get back with the unnecessary vulgar display of power? Well, you'll just feel the blood rushing up to your head and that is the gain out of this pain.
It's not really hard to keep a Mercedes-Benz fit for running up to the legal Skyway speed limit. It's just a matter of getting into the right place and the right person doing the job.
Credits:
Mercedes-Benz Classic Corporate Archives - Sacco and Werner Photo
No comments:
Post a Comment