Newsletter No.018 A-Class recall, Targa Tasmania, Fintail site.
M.B Spares & Service 14 Lyell st Fyshwick ACT 2609 Ph (02) 6239 1099
14 Lyell st Fyshwick ACT 2609 Ph (02) 6239 1099
Supporting Australia's Classic Mercedes-Benz Owners
Newsletter Number 18
Hello and welcome to another newsletter. Lots of interesting things to amuse and challenge you this week. We have news of a recall, the mystery of the 200 Ute, and an extension of last weeks special.
Any questions? Or you want to get off the list? E-mail us here.
John Green.
A Class recall!
Have a look here. MB Australia have had to recall approx 70 A class cars for a possible fault with the brake master cylinder. How could Mercedes-Benz make such a mistake you say? That's easy. They are human just like me and you. As I often tell my customers "The difference between a Mercedes and Holden is the number of lemons they make" I would still rather be driving the New A class with the suspect master cylinder than the latest Commodore........
Mercedes to Win TARGA TASMANIA?
Mercedes-Benz have announced the signing of two of Motor sports top competitors for their entry in this years TARGA TASMANIA
Mark Stacey, who won the 2000 Australian Rally Championship title as navigator for Possum Bourne, will team up with 500cc motorcycle legend Michael Doohan in next month's Targa Tasmania event. Mercedes-Benz have announced that Stacey would be Doohan's navigator for the five-times 500cc world champion's car racing debut in a CLK 55 AMG coupe.
Doohan, who retired from motorcycle racing in 1999 because of injuries, said recruiting Stacey would help combat his inexperience in the Targa tarmac rally, which will be held from April 18-24. Stacey, 42, had his most successful year in 2000, navigating alongside Bourne in a works four-wheel-drive Subaru WRX to win the Asia Pacific Championship, as well as the Australian title. Stacey said the biggest challenge he and Doohan would face in Targa was formulating an effective pace-noting system for the 2,200km event, which includes 500km in 54 competitive stages.
"Mick is a professional racer with a feel for speed, cornering, and braking, but to start with he probably won't find it easy to learn how to use pace notes," said Stacey.
The eight-cylinder car Doohan and Stacey will drive in the Targa event was prepared by engineers at Mercedes-AMG in Germany and arrived in Australia in late January. This is almost an identical car to those used last weekend as the safty cars at the Melbourne Formula One Grand Prix.
Site of the week
Ever seen a finny ute? Have a look here at the Heckflosse site. The picture about half way down the page is of a RHD 200 ute made by Miesen. I wonder if it really did come to Australia? There are quite a few here in Australia that have been chopped down from Fintail sedans. One in particular has won many MB club concours trophies for "Best Modified". Here is another site with an digital mock up of what one of the guys on the Veterans mailing list is thinking of doing to his 230 Fintail. Or here is one based on the Roundie
Mercedes Club News.
This Tuesday the 13th we are hosting a garage night for the Mercedes-Benz club of the ACT from 6.30pm at our workshop (14 Lyell St Fyshwick). If you are not a member and live locally here in Canberra you are most welcome to join in the fun. We will be starting with a sausage sizzle before the presentation starts.
Special of the Week.
Remember last weeks special? Well, it just got better. We can now do 4 new hubcaps with clips painted in your cars colour for only $300.00 the set. We also have a limited supply of the 15" version of this style of hub cap. These are $65.00 each or $360.00 for a set of 4 painted. Here is a copy of last weeks special:
How do your hubcaps look? The steel hubcaps that were used by Mercedes from 1968-85 look great but are rather prone to being damaged from parking to close to kerbs. I most likely have over 30 second hand ones in stock but all with kerb damage. We have just landed a new shipment of these hubcap and are offering then at the special price of $50.00 each. The list price from Mercedes-Benz Australia is $104.00 plus GST so that is over a 50% saving.
Cars for SALE.
Sold a few cars this week. Not suprisingly the 280CE didn't last very long and has been sold to one of the members of the local Mercedes club. We have also sold the 450SL. We have recieved a 1972 280SE 3.5, a 1983 190E and a 1983 380SEL into stock. The 190 and 380 have only just arrived so, no pictures of them yet. The 280SE 3.5 is a low milage car with only 103000mls on the clock. The previous owner was an eldery German lady whose son was a factory trained Mercedes mechanic so as you can imagine the service history is perfect.
Here is our current stock:
280SE 3.5 1972model.
Rare V8 version of the W108 sedan. Excellent low milage car travelled only 103000mls. Cream MBtex interior. Owner for the last 15 years was an elderly German lady who had it maintained by her son who is a factory trained Mercedes mechanic $3990.00 More details
300SE sedan 1986 model.
Excellent power and fuel consumption(over 10kms per litre). Has all the usual features you would expect is such a car. Smoke silver duco with burgundy MB-tex interior. Traveled 102000kms$17990.00 More details
230E Sedan 1986 model.
Very well presented car with good service history. Has electric seats with memory on the drivers side. Also has cruise control, electric windows and alloy wheels. Long NSW rego. Diamond Blue with Gray MB-tex interior. Reduced to $15990.00 More details
A160 Classic sedan 1999 model.
Excellent condition . Has travelled only 25000kms. Excellent fuel consumption. Avant Garde Alloys. Still under MB warranty $28990.00AUDMore details 450SLC Coupe 1978 model. 
Excellent V8 coupe, excellent mechanical condition White with brown velour interior, 15" Alloy wheelsPOAMore details
450SL Roadster 1974 model. 
Very neat car, silver with black leather. Recent respray, mech excellent, only two owners with full history,suit collector. $18900.00More details
So that's it for another newsletter. Hope you liked what you saw. If you have any ideas or want to contribute any articles, pictures or other material please e-mail me here. Also don't forget that you can check out the old newsletters here
Thanks, John Green.
