Green-E, I do not wish to keep this private. Why not let the rest and the moderators be the judge and ban you for life with your stupid comments? What you said to me made absolutely no sense. The proof of the pudding is I have many friends here and I don't start pointless arguments on-line....you do know what friends are, right? I could go on forever shooting down each and every one of your comments, like you did with me (weird) but I have better things to do. One thing I must say is don't even try to retaliate until you get your facts straight - since you were here (god knows, 50 years ago? the world does change you know?) the airport in HK was actually rebuilt 8 years ago to become one of the best in the world and also people will of course be rude if you act like you do here. Fact is, I never even butted in with comments against you - you've obviously got a real problem seeing the world the way other ppl do - see a therapist! You can also say what you like abt my car, to each their own - I didn't mod it for ppl like you and I am mature enough to take both negative and postive comments, don't even think that would offend me one bit.

Sorry you feel that way Alex.

Taking some of your "points:"

It does matter where a person lives because where he lives determines the general area where a person goes for service. If you don't live here, how can you be an authority on what the dealers are doing here?

I could say that your closest dealer is generally a ripoff place of business, and you would say that I don't know about them because I've not been there. True enough but, my daughter and son-in law who live in PVE BTW have been their several times and been ripped off bigtime. As a side note, I've lived in PVE since 1956 except for the last few years. In fact, I farmed with Ed Union on the very spot where you apt/condo now sets. On my advice, the kids now go elsewhere. They know, and I take their word for it. I also know that when I was looking for the best deal on their new W-210 back in late '97, it wasn't to be had there either. We went to Calabasas. They gave the best deal then, and a year later did so again on my '99.

Far from going to the dealer for service, for the last forty four years, most of my experinces have been positive because I've gone to independent mechanics.

Whitey has been around here for a long time, which is good, but doesn't really mean much if many of the ideas he has stated are not correct.
He has made many posts that don't say anything. True, I've not been aboard all that long, but I've owned more than twelve MBZs dating back to 1961. It is only in the last two years that I returned to driving a MBZ. That is why I've not been here. Does all that make me an authority? Of course not. But it does mean that I've learned a thing or two over the last forty four years about MBZs, and that is important. How many years experince do you and our HK friend have combined?

Having had so many new MBZs means that I've dealt with many back rooms, and on one car, even got to be on a first name basis with the zone area technical representative.

If in the opinion of a few young individuals here that "think" I don't belong here, I consider your lack of experience and the source of that idea.

So therefore, when any of you have a problem that I'm familiar with, I'll simply ignore the question, remembering what you have said.

As far as I'm concerned, I'll say no more. This topic is closed.

well said, i agree with you on some on your points, but i have been around this forum for a long time and i've seen random people who are knew come on here and start drama or bs for no reason, like i said whitey is a long time friend of mine on this forum as lots of others i have either meet or spoken to...just having his back.........also in a forum people don't take time out to correct there spelling structure. i didn't care what you wrote about that, it wasn't a big deal but to some i know it is but it's the internet....

anyways i agree about the dealership around me...i got raped at south bay and thats why i say i wouldn't ever go there, i have lots of friends that own mercedes/bimmers and hear there stories about other dealerships......

btw, are you stocking me? your kids live on my street? i've lived in pv for most of my life.....i've been thinking of leaving for now and when I'm ready to start a family to move back.........why did you move out of here btw.......

No no. My kids live some distance from your general area down in Lunada Bay, Palos Verdes Estates, not Rancho PV. I don't know exactly where you live, but there are only so many areas on the Hill that have your type of buildings. In the early fifties, that area where you are was still all farmland. Wallace Ranch was behind a cattle guard with nothing but dirt trails.
A good place to take the first girl friend, later my wife, where we could be left alone if you catch my drift.

Left that area because I couldn't afford it, even after the folks passed away and left me their house. It's worth $1M today, up from the $560K that I sold it for just five years ago.

Agreed, SB MBZ sucks bigtime. Another place they go to is Penske Cadillac. They got ripped there also just last week. $888 for a new tire and flushing
and changing the P/S fluid! Can you imagine? He can afford it, but I hate to see 'em wasting their money. And changing the P/S fluid on an Escalade? Give me a break please.

Take care.

i see, yes our area has a older mediterranean style to it, i'm guessing like you said been around 50-60 years........yes the price up here is only getting more out of hand. I've been looking for something but for example a fixer upper is around 650,000-700,000 and it's nothing really, 2-3 bedrooms, not worth the money and plus you would have to spend another 2-3 hundred thousand to fix it up....
one of my fathers friends bought a house behine the gates in the estates around the 50's and they bought it for 55,000 and it's worth 2.2 million now, insane, there thinking of selling, now thats a investment..........but i love the area, quite and away from the noise of la....

i have a independent shop i go to now, very very happy and i don't get the bs...if your kids need any help, pm me i can be more then happy to get you some details.......

funny to have another member on here that knows my neck of the woods...

That's why I moved to Murrieta. $247K bought a brand new single story 2012 sq. ft. home behind a gated 55 year old and older community two years ago. Now worth about $450K.
Of course, location is important, and if you must be in the area, where you are is probably the nicest there is.

Believe it or not, I used to work the West Rolling Hills Estates gate house for five hours every night. I could study because traffic was very light in those days (1954-55). Went to Palos Verdes College; Bet you didn't know there was one there? Just two years and it folded. Located at the old Army barracks on Crest Road West, just inside the gates. Meet first wife who went to Chadwich and lived on Portugues Bend Road, number 19 I think. It's been 50 years! My how the time flys.

To keep this forum related:

Would that independent shop be M. B. Best In Manhattan Beach, CA?
Kevin has gone there, based on advice from someone on this forum, and the owner seems to bend over backwards to please. Hasn't had him do any work yet, but he will soon, as the E-420 is close to 100K miles. That shop recommended a radio shop close by, and that saved him thousands. SB quoted him over $2K for a new radio and ant. amplifier, and all that was wrong was a loose connection at the ant. amplifier. So it certainly does pay to go to a good independent, doesn't it?

Foggy tonight? Last night, I was down there at Lunada and it was pretty thick. 'Course, it is an entirely different climate up where you are.

Take Care.

i see, all that must have been way before my time, never heard about it....pv had a college, hahaah....

yeah i like it here. weathers been so so, i've been home tonight, had some work to take care of and then got lazy to leave the house...

no, it's not that shop, i've heard a little about them but not too much...the shops closer to pv then Manhattan beach....

btw, its so different, i'll leave here and its clear, go down to where my buddy is, end of hawthrone, close to Lunada and i can't see anything....

Look "MISTER", you really have a problem comprehending what has happened here. Lets spell out the facts one by one and clear the air...if I may :

!) ZAM posted saying he is thankful of the forum's assistance. and a number of ppl concurred.

2) Alex gave warnings about using forums and so did I.

3) You picked on someone's (ZAM and Alex, I seem to recall) spelling and it reminded me of that "amazing" paragraph (amazing was not the poor spelling, get it?) which I shared with the others - where did I ever make a comment on MB dealers on this thread (or the entire forum) in the US anyway?

If you have problems reading it, the paragraph demonstrated the phenomenon of the human mind's ability to read things that is not quite spelt correctly - I really can't understand why you took such offence.......or maybe you really did have problems reading its content, hence misconstrued that I was having a go at you?...better still, for clarity lets translate what it said, for your benefit..........:

"I couldn't believe that I could actually understand what I was reading.
The phenomenal power of the hmuan mind according to a research at
Cambrigde University, it doesn't matter in what order the letters in a word
are, the only important thing is that the first and last letter be in the
right place. The rest can be a total mess and you can still read it without
a prpblem. This is because the human mind does not read every letter by
itself, but the word as a whole. Amazing huh?

And we were always taught spelling was important!"
Oh, btw, what has that got to do with US MB dealers that I was commenting about with no experience? If anything, I proved that YOUR insistance that spelling is important, is not really that important at all! Ouch, that must hurt I get it now

Firstly Zam, apologies for hijacking your thread.

Green E, if you had problems reading that passage I posted, you should be very ashamed yourself and worried. It is not rubbish, in fact a Cambridge University project. Do you know Cambridge is btw? A lot of people here, whose first language isn't even English have been able to read every single word in it. Its just another proof that your mind works differently from the rest of the world - now get it checked before you start abusing everyone out of your own insecurity or whatever.

How many people have you helped out here lately btw?

please be nice to mr. zam and whitey,,
they are very loyal , helpful, and extremely polite people to deal. many times i have seek their assistance, and they have came through...

just wanted to add my.03 cents worth...

(is my spelling okay?

Yes!, at least as far as I know?

Thanks 007 ,...but I'm a "liar" and I like to talk for the sake of getting you guys all in trouble here...........

I would concur with almost everything you said except for being "extremely polite" when applied to a certain agitator. Please go back just a couple of posts and tell me again how polite it is!

It's amazing how a small misunderstanding can escalate into a war of words. I suggest that everyone should apologize and move on.

As an observer on this forum for quite some time now, I just want to say thank you to Green, Whitey and alexbenz for your solid contributions.

I couldn't agree with you more! Smartest comment that's been made here all day.

Of your two cars, which do you prefer to drive, and please tell us why?

hahaa, yes......come on green/whitey-----------make up now.................

At least as far as I'm concerned.

Its all good....as long as everyone agrees it was a misunderstanding and over-reaction

ahahaha, whitey making a last minute jab......lol

what was this thread even about???

LOL, not quite sure but here's my recollection of what it was about....it would be interesting to test Mr Green's memory and interpretation of what happened...

1) Zam was grateful of MBW
2) Warnings of the dangers of using internet forums
3) Debate over whether US dealers or workshops are rip-offs (N.B. for which I had no involvement in)
4) Poor spelling on the internet
5) Me being unqualified to talk about spelling cuz I'm not in the US (well, it was supposed to be on commenting on US dealers.....which i made no comment on.....weird, so it must be on spelling I presume.....)
6) I pointed out that Mr GreenE has got it all wrong and that the greatest "agitator" himself has been a nuisance on the board before
7) Then it got to something about senior citizens but most importantly me being liar and have made no contributions
8) I question when Mr Green E has ever made a positive contribution for which people have been grateful for....he avoids the query
........etc

Must say, this was one hell of a thread and probably the most fun I've had in my two years here.....and yes, I made absolutely no contribution, other than warning people of the dangers of using the internet forums...for which i was finally accused of being one of the causes of this risk.....mmm, just doesn't make sense

Thanks for trying Alex, but as you can plainly see, it didn't work!

The poor fellow just doesn't seem to know when to quit, does he?

Well folks I tried. Honestly I did.
Maybe if I let him have the last word, he'll finally shut up? No, I don't really think so, do you?

Just admit you misunderstood me and I'll not even ask for apologies for being rude to me in the very first place....simple. Avoiding the matter doesn't do it. But I'm sure your very nature would prevent you from doing so. I'm tired of this anyway.

IF you're so tired of this as you say, why in gods name don't you simply shut up?

Do you really think that you are entitled to any apologies?

Rude to you? Kind of like the kettle calling the stove black, isn't it?

No, you've got me all wrong as usual. I always apologies when I'm wrong, and believe you me, that happens more than I care to recall, but not this time my friend. So keep on if you must; I'm tired of it! Go ahead and shout your last words as I and everyone else here know you will.
As far as I'm concerned, you simply no longer exist.

Good bye!

so changing the subject, the plans on my car should be ready summer of 2005. it kinds sucks becasue i won't be able to drive her for 6 months........well i guess i'll have to live with that..............

make peace not war-----------LOL