Unfaithful thoughts!

[TWFAUST at aol.com]

The post below reminds me of the 450SL I had years ago. Two things linger,  
13 mpg (on a good day, sometimes 15 on the highway), the other was the  
outrageous cost of fixes and the almost ludicrous assembly methods that made  
them so difficult. Oh, I forgot, the cat convertors in the engine 
compartment,  just above all the hoses and wiring. It was like owning a Jaguar of that  
vintage, I regularly had to replace wires and hoses on the engine. Oh, the 
$1800  quote for an exhaust system (1991 Dollars). I drove it to CT and got 
stainless  for $500. I wondered how they achieved their reputation for 
excellence. Memories  are short I expect. I remember when a Honda Accord was good 
for 3 years before  the bottom fell out from rust. They survived that. Rust 
brings to mind Porsches  with no bottoms and 6 volt electrical systems.
 
In the same time period (early 90's), local German Auto shops wouldn't  
touch a 5K series Audi. I am sure part of this was the "unintended 
acceleration"  mania. This had caused Audi values to drop like a stone, and no one would 
pay  the price of repairs for a car of low value.
 
 
 
 
In a message dated 9/7/2011 3:00:17 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
quattro-request at audifans.com writes:

>
> An experience I had some years ago convinced me that I  will not own 
another
> MB, was when the dealership told me the passenger  side window lift (450 
SE)
> was stamped into the door. The only repair  method was to unskin the door,
> re-weld it including body and paint  work. That was the pinnacle of 
several
> almost unbelievable  manufacturing approaches.
> Superior German engineering indeed.
>  It was obvious I was a bother to them (at the dealership), so my old  
simple
> minded self won't bother them again.
>
>  Dennis
> (rant mode off)