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@LovinMercedes: Have you ever considered writing suspense novels? That's what this thread feels like. I've enjoyed reading all 12 pages of it.
Since you were over in the factory, maybe you'd know the answers to a few Q's.
How long does it normally take to build an S? (normal/bog standard S)
When someone orders a heavily customized S, is it built on the same line or does it get pulled off the line and finished elsewhere in the plant?
I'm waiting for an E350 to be built and arrive. Already been pushed back a week on production. On the E, there are normal options then there are "SPC" options where they'll ding you a one-time fee of $250 for choosing to go SPC, then you can add options as you wish. I'm guessing the SPC fee means something extra must happen.
@LovinMercedes: Have you ever considered writing suspense novels? That's what this thread feels like. I've enjoyed reading all 12 pages of it.
Since you were over in the factory, maybe you'd know the answers to a few Q's.
How long does it normally take to build an S? (normal/bog standard S)
When someone orders a heavily customized S, is it built on the same line or does it get pulled off the line and finished elsewhere in the plant?
I'm waiting for an E350 to be built and arrive. Already been pushed back a week on production. On the E, there are normal options then there are "SPC" options where they'll ding you a one-time fee of $250 for choosing to go SPC, then you can add options as you wish. I'm guessing the SPC fee means something extra must happen.
All of these cars are built on a production line no matter what the options, unless you do a highly customized special order. With this type of order, the car is completed at the performance center, after first having gone down the production line.
Most of the time any delays come from logistics management of the parts that goes into the car. The cars with minimal options are built on the same line with a loaded car.
What is built in different parts of the plant or by third party vendors are the various components that go into the car. Once all the components are available for a car, it then goes down the production line and usually takes no more than 3 days. The first day is the metal and body work done by robots. The second day, also done by robots is the painting. The final day is the assembly of all the parts on the line is partially done by robots and partially by people.
All the custom parts to my car were built at various parts within other areas of the MB plant or outside vendors but in the end, it was still assembled on the same line as every other S class, only the custom parts were brought to the assembly line hours before it arrived for assembly at each station.
I suspect any delays or push back comes from the logistics of getting your individual parts completed so you car can go down the production line.
Super highly customized cars still go down the production line but then are taken to the performance center where the further customization takes places. These cars usually cost many tens of thousands of dollars for their interiors and are done in the performance center because the customization is beyond what can be done on the line.
The logistics management of getting every part to the line for each car, depending on each option, is a huge task for any car manufacturer. You really get the sense of this when you visit the production line and see each station and the parts that are being used and how they get there.
The assembly is not that long. It's getting everything set for your car to go down the assembly line.
With respect with SPC, I am really not sure what that is, but I can imagine the car still goes down the same assembly line.
Last edited by LovinMercedes; 11-25-2014 at 11:28 PM.
Today Netstar shows the car released to the carrier but the delivery date to the dealer is December 1.
This is not good news. My dealer has offered to call the VPC and see if we can get the car and bring it up on a flatbed. It will depend upon if the carrier already has the car loaded.
Today Netstar shows the car released to the carrier but the delivery date to the dealer is December 1.
This is not good news. My dealer has offered to call the VPC and see if we can get the car and bring it up on a flatbed. It will depend upon if the carrier already has the car loaded.
More to come later. Not in a good mood.
I do not want to give you any false hope but here is my recent delivery story. Keep in mind this is the Baltimore VPC versus the Carson City (LA/Long Beach) VPC.
In Netstar my dealer ETA initially showed February 10th, 2014 but the car actually showed up at the dealer on February 6th with my pick up being February 7th. So I do not want to give you false hope but some hope none-the-less.
It pays to have a great dealer. They called the trucking company that MB uses in Carson City and my car is promised by 2:00PM tomorrow. No flatbed necessary.
Sadly, I will be out of town tomorrow for the Thanksgiving holiday, returning on Friday.
If you want, I'll fly out to SFO and take delivery on your behalf. It really sounds like you've found a good dealer.
The majority of the ones I found in Florida didn't want to bother with a custom order car. If you weren't willing to buy what they had on the lot TODAY they weren't willing to give you the time of day.
I believe this will be the final update this evening.
Hopefully, my car arrives tomorrow as planned. I am out of town, but have been promised pictures, so I plan to post a few.
Dealer says they should have the car ready for delivery by Friday.
Here is the latest Netstar report as of this evening. As you can see, the delivery date has changed to tomorrow, the 26th, and the car's status is now F1.
A few pictures to show the arrival, rear and the actual color of the interior leather. Sorry for the small size, but this what came to me as they were taken with an iPhone.
Higher quality pictures to come when I pick up my car on Friday.
Arrival
Rear
Actual color of leather
Last edited by LovinMercedes; 11-27-2014 at 04:28 AM.
I can't wait to see some larger/better pictures of the entire car inside and out. MAN--the car is soo close to being in your hands--hell I still feel like this is my/"our" car--I am so excited!
I must admit, I changed my flight reservation and am coming home two hours earlier on Friday. Couldn't resist. The penalty for the changed flight was almost as much as the ticket but at this point, really, what choice did I have.
I think receiving this picture tonight from the dealer did it. I am really happy I decided to do this upgrade.
Upgraded front grill
Last edited by LovinMercedes; 11-27-2014 at 03:45 AM.
I must admit, I changed my flight reservation and am coming home two hours earlier on Friday. Couldn't resist. The penalty for the changed flight was almost as much as the ticket but at this point, really, what choice did I have.
I think receiving this picture tonight from the dealer did it. I am really happy I decided to do this upgrade.
Upgraded front grill
you mad man!!! and you got the V12 grill too??? nice!
11-24-2014, 09:28 PM
