Mike5215

You can PM me if you want, but I'm telling you that I can't guarantee the narrative would support your character having a sex scene with Pamela Sue Anderson. I'll try, but no promises.

Mike5215

FUNERAL PARLOR SCENE TAKE 2:

EXT. FUNERAL HOME -DAY

A service in progress. A non-descript Acura TL pulls up to the porticochere.

INT. FUNERAL HOME RECEPTION - DAY

As BENZ55 enters. Dark suit, RED SNEAKERS. He strolls past a portrait of THE DECEASED on an easel rimmed with flowers. It's THE SCRUFFY MAN, looking his Sunday Church best.

INT. FUNERAL PARLOR - DAY

A MINISTER is comforting the DISTRAUGHT WIDOW, the casket nearby. BENZ55 approaches her.

BENZ55
Sorry for your loss. He was a great man.

The Minister steps away.

WIDOW
You knew my Chester?

BENZ55
Yes. Yes of course. Who didn't know Chester?

She nods knowingly, pausing to blow her nose.

WIDOW
You knew him from the junkyard?

BENZ55
Yeah. Real shame about that place.

WIDOW
Well I won't miss it, I'll tell you that much.
All those years my poor Chester spent slaving away. Never
time for me or the kids. And for what? Approximately sixty acres
of prime real-estate that those stupid Russian investors
were always trying to buy to build some stupid delux condos
that would have increased the value of the land one hundred
fold?

No thanks. My Chester was too smart for them.

Benz55 takes her hand.

BENZ55
Of course he was, dear. Of course.

mercedesbenzs55

Yay, I don't sound like a woman beater in the second take!

Mike5215

EXT. S600 - NIGHT

Cruising. Traffic is light.
An INCOMING CALL. The display reads "WALTER T."

MIKE
It's our favorite scene tech. What's up Wally?

WALLY
(OS, FILTERED)
Can you guys get by here? You're gonna
wanna see this.

Dave nods and toggles the lights.

EXT. SALVAGE YARD CRIME SCENE - NIGHT

Techs and processors working under portable flood lights. WALLY, a forensic tech, has his flashlight trained on a section of ground.

Mike and Dave enter.

DAVE
If you find my partners dignity down there,
flag it as evidence he used to be a man.

WALLY
Hey guys.

MIKE
What I tell you about playing in
the dirt?

Dave takes Wally's light, trains it on the dirt.

WALLY
Tire impression.

MIKE
Congratulations. A tire track in an auto
junkyard.

DAVE
Have a look partner.

Mike moves in.

MIKE
Cooper Zeon?

WALLY
XL. Gets better. Security cam shows a late model W221 pulling up here six hours before
our boy went to that great car crusher in the
sky.

DAVE
Only one W221 in the country rides on
Cooper Zeons.

MIKE
Naslund Starmine

DAVE
Give the man a cigar.

The Thomas J

Really love this car. To think not even 5 or 6 years ago you could have picked up a decent one for less than $20,000.

116Benz

That sounds more Soprano's than my Sopranos quote.....

Mike5215

Oh, it pretty much sounds like every cliche in every modern crime drama. That's my hope at least.

mercedesbenzs55

Mike you have a book out? Your good at comedy and suspense. Ever give ghostwriting a shot?

Mike5215

Ha. I've written a few spec feature length screenplays and some spec sit-com scripts back when I was shopping for an agent. Unfortunately most of them were about as good as the script in this thread.

I did eventually get a representation offer from Writers & Artists in LA for a spec sit com script I'd written for "Just Shoot Me" but I really didn't want to haul a wife and two small kids to California and hope to find steady work. I'm probably best suited to sit com but I'd much rather write screenplays, since the money is so much better and it doesn't matter where in the country you live. But alas, my screenplays pretty much suck.

mercedesbenzs55

Sitcoms... Hook, line, sinker, laugh track. Wash, rinse, repeat.

kn51

Yeah, 308/328 was always a favorite of mine. Guess my age is showing with Magnum PI and Lampoon's Summer Vacation. $20K would have got you something, but it would have brought a new paint job because of the lacquer cracking. Odd thing is they are fairly simple cars. So many things cross over to other makes since Ferrari pulled stuff out of the parts bin.

Prices are nuts now with F cars.

KNBS550

Mike, you're actually pretty good. I was rotfl with the references to Cooper Zeons. That was hilarious.

Mike5215

Dave's idea actually. We're collaborating.

T.H.Carrera

*crickets*

DaveW68

I think many of us were hoping that this thread was going to jump back a few pages and die. Let's leave it at crickets.

1bad540

what happened to wednesdays pdr?

jahquan3

Or is he just going to leave it as is and not rush to do the pdr?

Mike5215

I'm guessing since its driveable and the trunk closes he's probably not in a big rush to get the PDR. From the pics the car doesn't look bad in its current state.

DaveW68

Yeah....not bad. Like a 10 year old Grand Prix that was ridden hard and put away wet. It won't look anywhere near Benz levels with PDR and not up to BenzS55's "perfectionist" standards. So maybe he's pinching his pennies to save up for proper dent pulls, body filler, and paint.

On second thought, he's probably in the process of buying reclining seats and door shades from a donor car and can't afford to do the work. Not sure how those will work out with a fridge, but I'm sure his Russian buddies will figure something out.

MrRat

I would say that this was remarkably successful (even though it's not over) considering how it began.
So what did this thing cost overall.

$15108 - prior total from reconciliation above.
$350. - leather/wood wheel ( included since I see a lot of dealer inventory with this option)
$200. - replace at least one battery
$300. - second key that will eventually be purchased and is provided with the comparison car.
$800 - modest estimate for necessary bodywork.
$16758

Compared to a non-salvage mb dealer used car with similar options in near perfect condition and fully serviced.
$22,500
Gross savings $5742

So clearly it was cheaper to fix a salvage car than to purchase a used fully priced, fully serviced car from an MB Dealer.

There are a couple of caveats though.

Resale of a salvage title car is about 60% of clean titled cars. This is a non issue if you own it "forever".

There is likely some residual frame damage, it may be evident at some point or inconsequential, but it does represent some additional risk.

Ownership history, maintenance, and usage has a predictive effect on potential repairs. So how it was used and maintained is likely to show up in future repairs.
(Of course, well maintained cars with no abuse fail as well)

Comprehensive, and collision coverage can be difficult to get on a salvage title car, may cost more, and may provide limited benefit due to diminished value.

Resale is complicated as banks are generally unwilling to finance salvage titled cars. Typically it's a cash only deal. On the other hand in 3 years the car will be a 12 year old car with over 100k miles and a salvage title, so at around a value of $4,000 (using the price of a 2004 s-class with salvage title in nice condition today) a loan may not be necessary.

The initial price is very attractive ($10,398) but the all in cost, even with shrewd savings and your own labor, can creep up.

The mallet was not used at all in any repair - I'm disappointed in not seeing the results of the malleted rear quarters.

jahquan3

+1 This post above
and in addition I wanted to see the mallet in action as well Lol

1bad540

we all wanted to see someone mangle the quarter panels!! But considering looks good. Now im ocd and wont buy a car because it has a scratch so its def not for me. but for 10k what are u really buying thats cool.

mercedesbenzs55

Got it done! Ive been busy with work recently. Ill post the pics tonight!

mercedesbenzs55

Full coverage is the same whether clean or filthy title. Price and difficulty.


I still have to get a new right side orange side market lens, a new 4matic emblem, and the metallic cover under the spare wheel needs the mallet treatment.


I also must install the Khül box, as this is the rarest feature of the car.


I need to visit home depot and affix my rear bumper to the car, as it's currently being held by four bolts.



My engine has not been cleaned in a long time, being near seawater, it has some light corrosion on the engine(that white looking stuff).

DaveW68

Were those dents fixed with PDR or conventional body work and paint? I'd like to see some close-up photos of the repairs.