The Benz is Back!

I took my Mercedes out of winter storage and am so happy to be driving it again!  Our first trip out was to take Teddy for a walk.  Of course I had someone pass us and give a thumbs up.  This car is a great tool for interacting with strangers.  But we kept our social distance!

The oil was changed in the fall and the car only drove maybe 100 miles, but some always leaks when the car is sitting.  Our mechanic calls this a "feature" of a car this old.  I was going to top off the oil, but when I checked it, the dipstick showed it was very dark.  While an oil change is not cheap (8.5 quarts are required), it's a small step to take to protect a car I love and want to drive for many more years.  Our appointment is tomorrow.  The other fluid levels will need to be checked too.  Our inspection is up next month, but I didn't want to wait that long.

Tonight we are picking up the new-to-us/used car we put a down payment on last night.  The Benz is a turbo-diesel wagon, and so is our Jetta.  Driving a VW wagon brings back childhood memories.  Our family had a 412 wagon -- a great car, as is evident that there are still many on the roads today. 

Having a free and safe place to store this car over the winter is a huge help.  The body is in near perfect condition because it's never be driven over road salt.  We have put $$ in to fixing things, but never the engine.  With a broken odometer, we'll never know how many miles it's got on it... but we know we'll get an indefinite number more as long as we take care of it.

A new radio and a replacement of the dashboard are planned for this spring. If money allows, tinted windows.  There's a lot of glass in this car and that can get hot in the summer.  While it will diminish its old-school looks, it will make my life a little more pleasant.  But then again, nothing is really unpleasant about driving an old Mercedes Benz.  Just call me The Old Mercedes Lady!