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Team California
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Self-serve junkyard SCORE!
Sometimes I just love L.A. Most of the time I love it, like this past month of ~75deg. weather while the rest of the country is a sauna and NYC smells like ass. But I digress. Days like today, I love it even more.
Some of my friends here know how much I love self-serve junkyards. Rick Lee got dragged to one with me not too long ago. Anywhoo... I bought a cheap MB 300D turbo last week that needs some attention. Good car, just needed brakes and some other normal deferred repair/maintenance. I was doing the front brakes yesterday when I found that it had a bad/leaky RF caliper. Uhmmm... rebuilt one is ~$75 or I could get a seal kit for about $20 and rebuild it myself... Or, I could go to the ssjy and try to find a perfect one for less than $20.00. I really did not feel like rebuilding it and the object of cars like this for me is to see how cheaply I can make them awesome. I went to a different yard then my usual one, down in Compton instead of Sun Valley. The Compton one is definitely less crowded and they usually have a good selection of 70s/80s Mercedes cars. Sure enough, they had at least four good 123 chassis cars with LOTS of good parts left on them. I scored a perfect RF ATE caliper, a set of almost brand new Bilstein front shocks, the piece of front fender moulding that I needed and two nearly perfect pieces of interior wood. Take a wild-ass guess how much for everything:    My car: 
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Denis When hats and t-shirts are being sold at a funeral, it's a cult. Last edited by speeder; 07-09-2010 at 11:32 PM.. |
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07-09-2010, 11:29 PM
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Team California
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drumroll...
$39.02 USD for everything, including tax and environmental fee. (Whatever the heck that is).
Caliper: $11.95 Moulding: $5.00 Shocks: $5.95 (x2) Interior wood: $3.00 (x2) Is this a great country or what?? 
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Denis When hats and t-shirts are being sold at a funeral, it's a cult. |
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07-09-2010, 11:40 PM
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Registered
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: CA
Posts: 7,286
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I thought you were talking about 911 in self serve yard, and was going to ask you which yard.
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Fat butt 911, 1987 |
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07-09-2010, 11:50 PM
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Registered
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 7,917
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Yes it is, but your bumper laws suck, or used to suck.
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In Heaven… the mechanics are German, the chefs are French, the police are British, the lovers are Italian and everything is organized by the Swiss. In Hell…the mechanics are French, the police are German, the chefs are British, the lovers are Swiss and everything is organized by the Italians. |
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07-09-2010, 11:53 PM
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Almost Banned Once
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Adelaide South Australia
Posts: 38,340
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At $39.02 USD you can't go wrong. If you look after that old girl she'll run forever.
I like your thinking... I got off the new car merry go round years ago.
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- Peter |
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07-10-2010, 01:40 AM
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: N. Phoenix AZ USA
Posts: 28,943
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Even with the turbo, the mercedes diesel is the slowest slug on the road that I have ever seen. It may last a long time but you will grow old and gray while driving it.
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2013 Jag XF, 2002 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins (the workhorse), 1992 Jaguar XJ S-3 V-12 VDP (one of only 100 examples made), 1969 Jaguar XJ (been in the family since new), 1985 911 Targa backdated to 1973 RS specs with a 3.6 shoehorned in the back, 1959 Austin Healey Sprite (former SCCA H-Prod), 1995 BMW R1100RSL, 1971 & '72 BMW R75/5 "Toaster," Ural Tourist w/sidecar, 1949 Aeronca Sedan / QB |
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07-10-2010, 05:33 AM
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Registered
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: New Brunswick, Canada
Posts: 5,472
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great score! For the 20 minutes it'd take, I'd pop the piston out of the caliper and clean it up. Pretty good chance it's fudgy in there.
Joe, the 240d's are slow, but I don't find the turbo'd 300d's too bad, even in an s class. Dad's 83 300sd wasn't quick but it had no problem merging onto the highway uphill, and would maintain a steady 80-85 all day long. Certainly didn't have sporting performance, but it was a bit better than adequate. A real fun diesel engine is the 244 ftlb, 3 liter, DOHC, 24valve turbo engine in my e300d. The diesel ones are faster than the gas e320's.
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Jake Often wrong, but never in doubt. '81 911 euro SC (bits & pieces) '03 Carrera 4s '97 LX450 / '85 LeCar / '88 Iltis + a whole bunch of boats |
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07-10-2010, 05:47 AM
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Team California
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Quote:
What?  Not if they're running right. The 617 engine makes nice power and is well-matched to the shift points of the Mercedes auto trans. These cars actually jump a little off the line and pull well like a turbine. Plenty of torque. If they are not running right, they can be speed bumps. I've seen one with the (complicated) throttle linkage hooked-up wrong and it would barely go. It idled fine and was smooth so it completely baffled the owner. 1981-'83 models are quite a bit quicker than '84-'85s, at least in CA. due to emissions equipment. They are phenomenal road-trip cars. 
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Denis When hats and t-shirts are being sold at a funeral, it's a cult. |
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07-10-2010, 07:54 AM
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Team California
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Quote:
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Denis When hats and t-shirts are being sold at a funeral, it's a cult. |
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07-10-2010, 07:55 AM
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Registered
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Quote:
 Good score!!
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Byron 20+ year PCA member Many Cool Porsches, Projects& Parts, Vintage BMX bikes too |
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07-10-2010, 08:05 AM
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Team California
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And I'm already (relatively) old and gray, Joe, so I don't have to worry about that.
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Denis When hats and t-shirts are being sold at a funeral, it's a cult. |
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07-10-2010, 08:12 AM
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Registered
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I'll be in town next weekend if you want to go scavenging again. I think Seahawk will be there too.
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2022 BMW 530i 2021 MB GLA250 2020 BMW R1250GS |
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07-10-2010, 08:20 AM
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Team California
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I go all the time.
Almost forgot these, a couple of new *working on cars shirts* from the hombre by the gate who sells used uniform shirts/pants/coveralls. He had nearly every make of dealership shirt this time, freshly laundered, 2 for $5.00. No tax. I got one long sleeve and one short. Now are you jealous? 
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Denis When hats and t-shirts are being sold at a funeral, it's a cult. Last edited by speeder; 07-10-2010 at 08:48 AM.. |
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07-10-2010, 08:39 AM
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Team California
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Quote:
I can't begin to fully explain my glee at finding a bargain in this world. I'm one cheap SOB. When I'm struggling to carry my booty of shocks/caliper/small parts + my tools up to the cashier, I feel like a neanderthal dragging a dead moose back to the cave. A great white hunter...
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Denis When hats and t-shirts are being sold at a funeral, it's a cult. |
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07-10-2010, 08:46 AM
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Canucks Fan
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Vancouver B.C. Canada
Posts: 2,214
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the shirts are the best score, havent been to a ssjy in years but here they can't charge for used brake parts, they probably arn't supposed to sell them but if your there often then you could get some free bee's
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07-10-2010, 10:12 AM
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Registered
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 5,179
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Denis- what lot in Compton? I work in hawthrone, I would venture over there to grab a few of those shirts for sure... I'm jealous
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M |
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07-10-2010, 10:18 AM
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Registered
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Maryland
Posts: 31,442
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Doubtful...Arden is a force, but one never knows. Have fun, all. Denis, the shirt XXL if you can. You are good.
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1996 FJ80. Last edited by Seahawk; 07-10-2010 at 10:27 AM.. |
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07-10-2010, 10:20 AM
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unindicted co-conspirator
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Fresno, CA
Posts: 1,660
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oooohhhh i likey the shirt
can you score me a short sleeve large????
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'03 996 - sport exhaust, sport seats, M030 sport suspension, stability control, IMS Solution ‘86 928S3 - barn find project car |
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07-10-2010, 11:39 AM
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Banned
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: South of Heaven
Posts: 21,159
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07-10-2010, 11:48 AM
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Cogito Ergo Sum
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07-10-2010, 01:41 PM
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1974 Porsche 914-6 3.0
1988 Porsche 911
1970 Porsche 914-6
1976 Porsche 914 2.0
1987 Porsche 924S
Black Beauty
One of One
Cabby (Last)
"Toad Hall"
1985 Porsche 944
BFG
1955 CMC Speedster
1981 Porsche 911SC
B&B#2
Black Pepper
Only Porsche
Only bike
1986 Porsche 944 2.5l
