lkirchner

More pics at dawn on a gloomy Sacramento day. ← ←

More pics at dawn on a gloomy Sacramento day. ←

More pics at dawn on a gloomy Sacramento day.

I just got it last weekend. Probably sleep in the garage again tonight with the pulse seats on.

It is an SL 55 AMG. While the profile is similar in the small picture, in real life there is no mistaking between the 2. One dead give away are the 295-30-19, the other is the overall size and then there is the un-mistakable sound of the 493 horsepower engine at idle, start up and especially at full throttle.

I converted back to Mercedes. Here is my new toy.

I thought I was bad at owning cars and it is nice to see someone else as car crazy as I was and still am. Here are the cars , to the best of my knowledge, that I have owned or own; Mercedes ( Not in order of purchase) Family Model Year W198 300 SL Gullwing 1956 W188 300 SC Roadster 1957 W188 300 SL Roadster 1962 W115 220 1968 W111 280SE 3.5 Coupe 1971 W113 280 SL 1971 W115 220 D 1972 W108 280 SEL 4.5 1973 W116 450 SEL 6.9 1977 W124 300 CE 1988 W126 560 SEL 1991 W201 190 E 2.6 1992 W210 E320 1996 W210 E430 1998 W208 CLK 55 2002 W215 S 55 2003 W215 CL 55 2003 W209 CLK 500 2004 Other Cars (Not in Order of Purchase Corvette Coupe Fuel Injected 1964 Corvette Roadster 396 1965 Corvette Coupe L88 1967 Jaguar XKE Coupe 1968 Jaguar Mark X Sedan 1966 BMW 2002 Tii 1973 Mini Cooper 1973 BMW 735i 1985 Ford Taurus SHO 1990 Mazda Miata 1990 Son’s car Chrysler LHS 1994 Oldsmobile Aurora 1995 Honda Prelude 1994 Daughter’s car Honda Civic 1996 Daughter’s car Honda Passport 1996 Toyota 4 Runner 2001 Lexus SC 430 2004 Lexus LS 430 2004 As you can see I was a previous Benz owner before purchasing Lexus. I truly cannot say that I am overjoyed in the Lexus experience. For one thing I still like the firmer ride that you obtain with a normal Benz auto and the AMG performance is nowhere to be seen in any Lexus. That said, my wife loves the LS and everything about it. I only wish that I could say the same about the SC. The car has sat in the rain 2 times and it has acid rain spots on the hood, trunk and roof. I personally take care of my cars and it has 3 coats of sealant and at least 4 coats of wax on it. Paint as fragile as this should not exist on a $65,000 car. In addition, I have been having a problem with the upholstery on the seats since September and as late as this morning, I took it back for the 6th time to be told we have done all that we can do and will have to take it to the regional service manager who will be here sometime in March. By the way, I really do not want to get into the gory details as to what transpired on the visits to have it repaired. My comment to them was don't waste your time since I will be going directly to the Mercedes dearler once I leave here to trade this on a new SL. In all likelihood as soon as the new S class is released I will trade the LS for one. So here is one person who sought "the Ultimate Pursuit of Perfection" and came over from Mercedes only to be disappointed in what I found. I found the Ultimate Deluge of Surveys, Letters and Poor Service that i thoght did not exist at Lexus. Lou K

Thanks.

I am now getting confused. Is the leather in the Lexus coated or uncoated (2004 LS and SC)?

Ouch, I wouldn't want to hear that after spending $80k for a Mercedes Benz. I think she was refering to the Accord coupe when she made that comment. I remember Motor Trend just for giggles compared the recent CLK and the recent Accord coupe in an article.:chairshot: ← I hope she was referring to the Accord coupe and not a Civic. As far as the other comment about Lexus targetting the SEL that is correct but when I visit the two dealerships (Mercedes more often than Lexus for service, I might add) there is an unexplainable different feel to the clientelle between the two brands. I really can't truly define it but to me it is there. When you eliminate the wannabe Mercedes owners who drive the C class, the Mercedes customer base appears to be older and I don't want to come accross as a snob but appear to be more affluent. My observation. When I bought my LS last summer I also looked at an MB S class as an alternative; a $30,000 differential. The car that more clearly competes with the LS, price wise, is the E500 but there is no comparison between the two. Mercedes is still living in the lofty atmosphere that they can afford to price their cars at higher levels because of their reputation and I do not see that changing. I know that I am rambling so let me get back on track. I purchased the LS because I liked the features and functions and not because the MB was more expensive (I already owned an S 55). I was also drawn to Lexus because of its reputation for reliability and customer service: The Ultimate Pursuit of Perfection. To my dismay the experience that I am having with my SC 430 makes me think that the statement should be The Ultimate Barrage of Surveys and Letters and Rotten Service. That is another subject of which I am totally pi**ed off. Lou K

:chairshot: I have owned MB's continuosly since 1968 and I think the comment about them going backwards is in the eye of the beholder I feel that the last true Mercedes was the 126 body style, 300 SE, 420 SEL, 560 SEL, etc. When you saw one of these you knew you were looking at a Mercedes. Today you can't honestly say that. Presently I have 3 Mercedes that I drive in addition to my Lexus cars. The most recent addition that I purchased last Spring is a CLK 55. My next door neighbor's teenage daughter came over to see the new toy and said "That looks just like a Honda". It was a case of "Do you want to see a grown man cry?; an $80,000 Honda. The new Mercedes styling, with a few exceptions, is not as distinctive as it once was and is truly joining the pack. My SC 430 is truly distinctive whereas the LS 430 somewhat blends in until you drive the car a true joy. In my estimation Lexus and Mercedes, while in the Luxury end of the market, target different customers. Lou K Lou K

:chairshot: I would have to rate the service that I have received as a Minus 1. It appears that I have found the re-incarnation of Larry, Curly and Moe; they work in my local Lexus service department. However they always call me back and send survey forms to ask about the quality of service. This is becoming annoying and the last call that I received I responded by telling them that they should devote more time to their service area and stop bugging the customer. I switched from Mercedes to Lexus in order to experience "The Ultimate Pursuit of Perfection", however I can't seem to locate it. It is very elusive and is obviously hiding from me. Lou K

It's a good idea at least once a year to put a real good coating of wax (or Chrome polish) on the rims whether or not you use them in the winter to protect the finish. OEM rims (chrome or not) hold up much better than many aftermarket stuff. B) ← Rather than using wax or chrome polish , you should use a sealant such as Meguiars NXT. Reason being wax will not withstand the heat generated by the wheels, wheras a sealant will.Lou K

Thats the clear bra I was talking about LOL ← Careful with the 3M film; it has quite a bit of orange peel and in time it yellows and only carries a 5 year warranty. B)

You should be able to get $5-6k off of the invoice. However, early in the model year they don't move as much off of the srticker; new model buying frenzy. Lou K

I bought a dash kit from exotic wood dash for my LS 430 and was extremely dis-appointed. The color was off and the grain in the wood wasn't even close. There was a part that was damaged when I received it 2 and a half months ago that they still have not replaced Don't deal with them. Being a glutton for punishment I ordered a kit for my SC 430 from Joshua Tree. Again the wood grain wasn't even close, no burl wood grain just a straight grain and the fit was horrible. They agreed to take it back and after a month of hounding them I finally received my UPS call slip. I would not deal with them either. The only one out there that is honest in their advertising is Sherwood Dash and they clearly state that the match for Lexus wood is truly hit or miss and that they DO NOT gaurantee a match for Lexus. Try and get pictures of an actual install before you take the plunge.

B) You will find that the LS with the six speed transmission is every bit as quick as your SC. I have both 2004 models and the LS certainly feels quicker than the SC. Tread with care on both the BMW and Audi. Both are less than reliable and repairs can be agonizing---long wait for replacement parts and many nuisance problems. I have acquaintances that have both of the cars that you are considering and they constantly !Removed! and moan over the nagging problems that they have.

I have a set that I replaced on my 04 LS430. I don't know if they will fit your car; you might want to check. If they do I'll let you have them , make an offer. Lou K

I have one that I absolutely love. I also have a LS and while they are 2 totally different cars you "gotta love 'em"

B) Don't ask how I know this or I'll break down and cry again. No offense, but its worth it to me to make you cry. B) :( I have a 300 SL Gullwing that I have owned since 1973 and used it strictly as a show car. In order to have it properly prepared, part of the regimen was to make certain that the seats were nice and supple and looking "pretty" and I used Lexol. After about 10 years of usage of the Lexol, I noticed that the seat stitching was starting to fray. I called a re-upholsterer who did nothing but autos to look at what I thought to be a minor problem. His inspection was very quick and to the point. He told me that Lexol was wonderful for the leather but the alcohol in it was destroying the stitching to the point where it was too far gone and the seats would either have to be replaced or re-done. Being the Master that he was he was able to re-stitch both seats and replaced the threads. It was amazing as to how fragile the stitching was; to the point that you could snap it without any effort. Even though all is fine the price tag to get it repaired was high and the effort to get it done right was more than I would ever want to do again. There you go, I responded and didn't shed a tear.

B) I have been using Leatherique for 8 years now. I have used the conditioner, the pristine clean, the crack filler and dye. They are all tremendous products. I have tried almost every other cleaner/conditioner made and none come close to Leatherique. For those of you using Lexol be careful. Lexol contains alcohol and after prolonged use it will destroy the threads in the stitching. Don't ask how I know this or I'll break down and cry again.