Just took possesion of Iridium/ Black GL550
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
From: N. CA
2008 GL550, 1986 560SL, 2002 Volvo S80
Just took possesion of Iridium/ Black GL550
I registered here mostly just to say THANK YOU to all the members for helping us make our decision to purchase our GL550. Your comments added immensely to making this such wonderful experience from start to finish.
It took us a total of 2 weeks to locate 3 such vehicles here in CA of our choice or Iridium Silver/Black Leather GL550 via the internet.
We are not concerned about resale glitz nor did we need nor want one that was fully loaded up with options. Our brute simply has a trailer hitch and of course MB's mandatory Ipod thingy.
While our local MB dealer was not at all interested in locating a GL550 to fill our wants, we sent feelers out and almost immediately another dealership commandeered ours on it's way to Fresno. I'm not sure if we got the very best or lowest price but DH is quite delighted by just how easy this whole deal has transpired. I'm so delighted when searching for info re this MB model that I stumbled across this site. Everyone posting here has been a wealth of information. Thank you all so very much!
BTW: I immediately took off those darn visor mandatory warning stickers using carefully applied cloth soaked with WD40 followed by a cotton pad of alcohol. They came off beautifully!
I'm not very computer savvy but have tried to post photo of our new beloved brute GL550. Hope a bit of it's great beauty shows through.
It took us a total of 2 weeks to locate 3 such vehicles here in CA of our choice or Iridium Silver/Black Leather GL550 via the internet.
We are not concerned about resale glitz nor did we need nor want one that was fully loaded up with options. Our brute simply has a trailer hitch and of course MB's mandatory Ipod thingy.
While our local MB dealer was not at all interested in locating a GL550 to fill our wants, we sent feelers out and almost immediately another dealership commandeered ours on it's way to Fresno. I'm not sure if we got the very best or lowest price but DH is quite delighted by just how easy this whole deal has transpired. I'm so delighted when searching for info re this MB model that I stumbled across this site. Everyone posting here has been a wealth of information. Thank you all so very much!
BTW: I immediately took off those darn visor mandatory warning stickers using carefully applied cloth soaked with WD40 followed by a cotton pad of alcohol. They came off beautifully!
I'm not very computer savvy but have tried to post photo of our new beloved brute GL550. Hope a bit of it's great beauty shows through.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,548
Likes: 3
From: LA LA Land
'07 GL 450, '02 S 80 T6
Beautiful ride, cgr. Enjoy it.
And, welcome to the forum. Glad you enjoyed the collective intelligence. Feel free to chime in now that you are a proud owner yourself
Great idea of using WD 40 to remove the visor stickers. Do you mind sharing details on that?
And, welcome to the forum. Glad you enjoyed the collective intelligence. Feel free to chime in now that you are a proud owner yourself
Great idea of using WD 40 to remove the visor stickers. Do you mind sharing details on that?
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 5,517
Likes: 20
From: Las Vegas, NV
2011 E350 Cabriolet..White and Almond Mocha
I registered here mostly just to say THANK YOU to all the members for helping us make our decision to purchase our GL550. Your comments added immensely to making this such wonderful experience from start to finish.
It took us a total of 2 weeks to locate 3 such vehicles here in CA of our choice or Iridium Silver/Black Leather GL550 via the internet.
We are not concerned about resale glitz nor did we need nor want one that was fully loaded up with options. Our brute simply has a trailer hitch and of course MB's mandatory Ipod thingy.
While our local MB dealer was not at all interested in locating a GL550 to fill our wants, we sent feelers out and almost immediately another dealership commandeered ours on it's way to Fresno. I'm not sure if we got the very best or lowest price but DH is quite delighted by just how easy this whole deal has transpired. I'm so delighted when searching for info re this MB model that I stumbled across this site. Everyone posting here has been a wealth of information. Thank you all so very much!
BTW: I immediately took off those darn visor mandatory warning stickers using carefully applied cloth soaked with WD40 followed by a cotton pad of alcohol. They came off beautifully!
I'm not very computer savvy but have tried to post photo of our new beloved brute GL550. Hope a bit of it's great beauty shows through.
It took us a total of 2 weeks to locate 3 such vehicles here in CA of our choice or Iridium Silver/Black Leather GL550 via the internet.
We are not concerned about resale glitz nor did we need nor want one that was fully loaded up with options. Our brute simply has a trailer hitch and of course MB's mandatory Ipod thingy.
While our local MB dealer was not at all interested in locating a GL550 to fill our wants, we sent feelers out and almost immediately another dealership commandeered ours on it's way to Fresno. I'm not sure if we got the very best or lowest price but DH is quite delighted by just how easy this whole deal has transpired. I'm so delighted when searching for info re this MB model that I stumbled across this site. Everyone posting here has been a wealth of information. Thank you all so very much!
BTW: I immediately took off those darn visor mandatory warning stickers using carefully applied cloth soaked with WD40 followed by a cotton pad of alcohol. They came off beautifully!
I'm not very computer savvy but have tried to post photo of our new beloved brute GL550. Hope a bit of it's great beauty shows through.
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
From: N. CA
2008 GL550, 1986 560SL, 2002 Volvo S80
They sure do test our resolve when trying to get rid of these eye sores, don't they?!? I've read that only Maserati ,at present, uses a pain free easy off air bag warning sticker on their visors.
Every other auto maker seems to out do the other in finding ways to keep consumers from removing these ugly things...
Here's what worked for us:
We first tried WD40 in stick form thinking it would make for a more specific application. While it did loosen the glue around the stickers edges, it was obvious that this method was going to be time consuming.
We then thought about using a saturated Q tip but didn't want to chance that it might drip.
We decided it would be more expedient to simple spray a very small amount of WD40 directly onto a swatch of old terry hand towel. ( Spraying was done outside NOT inside the GL) We then carefully held the cloth directly onto the stickers for a few seconds. This loosened the glue fairly quickly. Viola! Both sticker/glue were soon history. It took only a couple of spritzes of WD40 and some gentle friction applied to the towel to get the job done.
DH did drivers side visor, I did the other. While we didn't time ourselves or rush it, it didn't take long at all.
After the visors were glue free we went over the area with a cotton facial pad with a small amount of 70% alcohol to wipe away any/all of the residue on the visors and cleaned our hands well.
Removal of these stickers sort of brought it home to us that this GL550 was now truly ours.
Every other auto maker seems to out do the other in finding ways to keep consumers from removing these ugly things...
Here's what worked for us:
We first tried WD40 in stick form thinking it would make for a more specific application. While it did loosen the glue around the stickers edges, it was obvious that this method was going to be time consuming.
We then thought about using a saturated Q tip but didn't want to chance that it might drip.
We decided it would be more expedient to simple spray a very small amount of WD40 directly onto a swatch of old terry hand towel. ( Spraying was done outside NOT inside the GL) We then carefully held the cloth directly onto the stickers for a few seconds. This loosened the glue fairly quickly. Viola! Both sticker/glue were soon history. It took only a couple of spritzes of WD40 and some gentle friction applied to the towel to get the job done.
DH did drivers side visor, I did the other. While we didn't time ourselves or rush it, it didn't take long at all.
After the visors were glue free we went over the area with a cotton facial pad with a small amount of 70% alcohol to wipe away any/all of the residue on the visors and cleaned our hands well.
Removal of these stickers sort of brought it home to us that this GL550 was now truly ours.
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
From: N. CA
2008 GL550, 1986 560SL, 2002 Volvo S80
Buying via the internet was a first for us. It made for a whole new life adventure. That's for sure! LOL
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What a beauty!STP
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Super Member
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 800
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From: Southern California
2014 GL 450
Congratz on your new 550...it is absolutely beautiful!
Isn't this forum great? I, too, found it while researching my purchase of a GL450. Everybody was very nice & helpful to me, a person who had never ridden in an MB, let alone bought one!
Isn't this forum great? I, too, found it while researching my purchase of a GL450. Everybody was very nice & helpful to me, a person who had never ridden in an MB, let alone bought one!
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
From: N. CA
2008 GL550, 1986 560SL, 2002 Volvo S80
A female,( only 3 wks on the job) SA located it for us within a day of telling her what we were looking for. Her fellow SAs were none too gracious with her while we were there. We thought it strange that no one backed her
up in any visible way. Very lax management at this particular dealership.
I was hoping for an Obsidian Blk/Blk but DH preferred a lighter color.
The Iridium showed up before an OB. It's a beautiful thing no matter what the color. Loved ours instantly!
While all GL's have a bit of a brutish air about 'em, they're all far too refined to be ever be a road bullies to those wee minis don'tcha think?!? LOL!
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,548
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From: LA LA Land
'07 GL 450, '02 S 80 T6
Originally Posted by cgr
While all GL's have a bit of a brutish air about 'em, they're all far too refined to be ever be a road bullies to those wee minis don'tcha think?!? LOL!
. It did feel like I was doing only 60 
cgr - where did you guys buy yours? And, BTW, bunch of us are getting together in Vegas in last week of Oct with our GLs. More the merrier.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,548
Likes: 3
From: LA LA Land
'07 GL 450, '02 S 80 T6
Originally Posted by Newbie_2_MB
Isn't this forum great?
Else boys get in fights.
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
From: N. CA
2008 GL550, 1986 560SL, 2002 Volvo S80
Enjoy your blue beauty! cgr
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
From: N. CA
2008 GL550, 1986 560SL, 2002 Volvo S80
cgr - where did you guys buy yours? And, BTW, bunch of us are getting together in Vegas in last week of Oct with our GLs. More the merrier.[/QUOTE]
As it turned out we had several choices. The first two were better than the others. We opted for the one 1 1/2 hrs from our home at El Dorado Hills MB. There were a couple of reasons we decided to take their deal. (1)The SA there seemed the most attentive to our wants from our first conversation with her. She located the car quickly and negotiations seemed fair. The sale obviously was a big deal to her. (2) DH felt that all things being equal, even though we had to wait a couple of days to have this GL trucked up to this dealer, this SA had truly put some effort into making the sale.
I found a backup GL Iridium/Black with the very same options in new inventory at Downtown LA MB. Should this first deal fall through we were set. The Fleet Mgr was a bit more set but still would have worked with us. We would have flown down, have him meet us a LAX and then driven back. Last wknd's weather was pretty nasty down south. Also, I would have felt guilty not stopping to visit family in Thousand Oaks. There's no such thing a short Hi and Goodbye with my family. So Sat. morn we headed north.
Thanks for the LV meet invite. Sounds like terrific fun. Unless we flew in we'd need to make it a long wknd. LV is some distance from the SF Bay Area.
As it turned out we had several choices. The first two were better than the others. We opted for the one 1 1/2 hrs from our home at El Dorado Hills MB. There were a couple of reasons we decided to take their deal. (1)The SA there seemed the most attentive to our wants from our first conversation with her. She located the car quickly and negotiations seemed fair. The sale obviously was a big deal to her. (2) DH felt that all things being equal, even though we had to wait a couple of days to have this GL trucked up to this dealer, this SA had truly put some effort into making the sale.
I found a backup GL Iridium/Black with the very same options in new inventory at Downtown LA MB. Should this first deal fall through we were set. The Fleet Mgr was a bit more set but still would have worked with us. We would have flown down, have him meet us a LAX and then driven back. Last wknd's weather was pretty nasty down south. Also, I would have felt guilty not stopping to visit family in Thousand Oaks. There's no such thing a short Hi and Goodbye with my family. So Sat. morn we headed north.
Thanks for the LV meet invite. Sounds like terrific fun. Unless we flew in we'd need to make it a long wknd. LV is some distance from the SF Bay Area.
Super Member
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 800
Likes: 1
From: Southern California
2014 GL 450
It's a weekend event...we have people coming in from Colorado, Arizona & California. There is a thread about it if you're interested in hearing more. Should be a lot of fun.
