PRHeloPilot

I need a VIN from any SLK350 so I can give it to the drone that works in the tax department of the DMV here in Puerto Rico so he can give me an estimate of what it will pay in Import Taxes if I decide to buy one in the states and bring it here.

The waiting list locally puts me close to January 2005 before I get a chance to buy one so I'm looking at all my options.

Carlos

Mercedesfan

go to ebay.There are at least two slk350's with vin numbers posted

PRHeloPilot

Thanks, I'll go check right now.

PRHeloPilot

All I find is a guy selling a slot but no cars with VINs. The auctions for the ones you saw might have been over by now. Maybe I didn't look correctly. If that's the case , please let me know so I can look again.

Anybody have any other ideas I can try ?

BklynBenz

did you try searching completed auctions?

PRHeloPilot

I didn't know you could search for COMPLETED auctions. I'll go try now.

PRHeloPilot

Got it. Thanks !! Since today all government offices are closed because we're about to get hit with a Category 3 hurricane in the next 5 hours, I'll call tomorrow to find out and see if I can buy the SLK350 finally, or if I'm going to have to go for the SLK320 (2002).

BklynBenz

cool. let us know what the outcome is

BklynBenz

btw what part of PR? i have to come down soon and visit some family in fajardo, havent been there in over 4 years. hope everything works out ok with that hurricane

PRHeloPilot

I'm in Cidra, about 12 miles south of San Juan in the mountains where I live on my own airport (heliport) and teach aviation part time after retireing from the US Air Force (21 years).

Here's a picture of the radar taken about 4 minutes ago.

Silver_Lana

Good luck man!

PRHeloPilot

Thanks !

PRHeloPilot

Unless something really weird happens and it turns around, it looks like we made it safely !!

It seems like it's going by and didn't look at us, thank God and all the good wishes of everyone here. I hope it now turns North instead of continuing towards Bahamas and Florida, like it's doing now.

For the good people asking, the worst we got were 45 MPH wings and rain. Here's the latest radar picture. If anyone wants another one updated later, email me direct so I don't use the forums for this, after this post.

Carlos

BklynBenz

so where in PR are you located?

PRHeloPilot

I'm in Cidra, about 12 miles south of San Juan in the mountains

prodigy1387

Nah, it will most likely make landfall in Florida according to the National Weather Service, unless something drastic happens. But then again, they HORRIBLY predicted Charley, as it made landfall 100 miles south of Tampa, where they thought it'd hit, and then all the people evacuated from Tampa who went to Orlando were in the path of the storm as it cut across the state. If this one hits, it'll be very powerful, it'll cut across from East Coast of FL to the West, and that is really all we need after Charley hah. Oh well, at least I'll be back in Philly, but we'll just have to see how it goes down. Good luck with the SLK350.

PRHeloPilot

Thanks ! BTW, how do you put a picture in your signature area ??

prodigy1387

Go to User CP, then "edit signature," and then click the button with the picture of a mountain and sun, in the tool bar with "bold", "italics", "align center", etc. functions, right above the text box.

It's basically just the html "[IMG]" then the link to your image and then "[/IMG]". Hope you understand that.

PRHeloPilot

OK thanks, done !

Silver_Lana

Nice daily driver!

PRHeloPilot

Thanks. I'm going now to drop off a resume to see if I can get a part time gig flying a new and bigger helicopter that is arriving here in the next few months, wish me luck !

Silver_Lana

Good luck with the gig. Maybe I'll come for a ride if I ever get around to visiting PR.

PRHeloPilot

If you come down I'll give you a ride but it wont be in the one I fly daily, it'll be in my personal helicopter that I'm attaching here (taken on the roof/helipad of a friend next to Sears).

BTW I found out how much it costs me in import taxes so I think I'm going to wait for the SLK350 !! If I buy a 2002 SLK320 in the states for $30,000 it will cost be about $1200 to get it here, then add $18,866 dollars state registration and import tax for a little over $50,000 but if I buy a brand new SLK350, it will cost me around $70 or $75,000 !!

So I think I'll be waiting for a while to see what happens.

Right now they're giving away the SLKs here. Locally (all taxes paid) there's a black 2001 SLK230 with 27,000 miles that I can get for $29,000 and another with 20,000 miles silver for $33,000, but I want a red or white car so I guess I can wait for the SLK350. It's only money anyway...