Southwest Star Magazine 2016 2nd quarter

COVERING THE SOUTHWEST REGION OF THE MERCEDES-BENZ CLUB OF AMERICA VOLUME 4, NUMBER 2

In this issue - Dime Racing: A US based Mercedes-AMG race team, the Porsche Luftgekühlt, AMG’s Winter Driving Academy, the new GLC43 4MATIC, Cinco de Benzo, AC Tech, Motorsports, Paint DIY, Mercedes Style on the high seas, and more.

Your cars, your events The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

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The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

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10 Dime Racing: Mercedes-AMG’s sole US Racing Team 16 Mercedes-AMG GLC43 4MATIC 18 Cool 24 Porsche’s third annual Luftgekühlt 32 AMG’s Winter Driving Academy 34 AC Tech 38 Mercedes Motorsports 48 The Arrow460-Granturismo 54 Bathing the Benz 58 Cinco de Benzo 64 Paint DIY 73 Chaparral Tech Session 75 Desert Stars Enthusiast Dinner 80 The San Diego Sections Scenic Drive 86 The Orange County Section Road Trip 88 Meet Mike Zonnefeld 90 Airpark Collision Center 94 Channel Islands’ Brunch by the sea 96 San Diego’s museum outing 100 Chaparral’s AZ Passport Program 104 Planes, Trains, & a Poker Run 107 The Tubac collector car show

108 Who are these San Diegans?

112 Historic Tucson 116 Communiqués from the section presidents 130 Upcoming Events and much more

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

The Southwest Star Covering the Southwest Region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America May 2016 The Southwest Star Magazine is published four times per year by Fitzhugh Media Santa Clarita, California, USA www.fitzhughmedia.com info@fitzhughmedia.com

Editorial Editor in Chief Marcus Blair Fitzhugh Managing Editor Veeann Hegreberg Creative Director Karcy Bowles Motorsports Editor Kevin Ehrlich East Coast Bureau Chief Wendy Fitzhugh Creative Consultant Sean Fitzhugh Contributors To This Issue Brian Rozar Amir & Mindy Rudyan Arica Ohanisian Beverly Maddalone Bob Gunthorp, Bob Scudder Bob Yoder Brian Parker Carol Kruse-Ross Chase Kaufman Diana Kruse Dick Sharp Edward Dykstra Fran Schoenfeld Jerry Tucker Jim Salisbury Jim Weins Jocelyn Salisbury John & Roberta Phin John Hutchison Judy Caruso Jutta Lunario Kathy Wilber

Ken Borowitz Kenneth George Kevin Wright Lana Tbilisi Laura Dykstra Lynn Davison Mark Ichiyama Marlyn Ortiz Mary Fischer Matthew Crawford Michael Cooper Michael Davison Mike Bailey Penny Bonomo Robert Wilber Rosi Bauer Shirley Hern Steve Ross Tamara Samaha Terry Horne Tina Wright Victoria Mazelli Airpark Collision Center Arizona Concours Cliff House Inn Dime Racing eddiemerlots.com Erick Chavez Photography experiencescottsdale.com Hilton Hotels Jimmy So MJ50FOTO Rocky Mountain section Tino Tolentino Top Shop WheresEldo

MBCA Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz USA Daimler AG Mercedes-Benz Classic Center Mercedes-Benz Vehicle Preparation Center

Distribution The Southwest Star is available worldwide via the 8 MBCA Southwest Section websites, Issuu, and Fitzhugh Media

Queries info@fitzhughmedia.com

Subscribe Subscriptions are free of charge, We ask that you support our advertisers as they keep this publication afloat To receive an email notification when new issues are released drop us a note at me2@fitzhughmedia.com We will not share your email address or send you spam. We will send you one email notification each time a new issue is released.

Legalese The Southwest Star Magazine is published quarterly

by Fitzhugh Media and we welcome all contributions.

Any and all items submitted to The Southwest Star Magazine will become the sole property of The Southwest Star Magazine and are subject, but not limited to editing, comments, and titles.

The Southwest Star Magazine is a trademark of Fitzhugh Media. All rights reserved. This magazine may not be reproduced in part or in full – in print, by digital media, broadcast, or in any other manner without the express written permission of Fitzhugh Media. That said, permission is regularly given, so please, just ask first.

The publishers of The Southwest Star Magazine believe the content of the magazine to be reliable and correct at the time of publication. We do our best but no representation is made as to the accuracy hereof as this magazine is subject to errors and omissions.

With that in mind, neither the publishers nor contributors can be held responsible for any effects arising from the content of The Southwest Star Magazine. This may include but is not limited to excessive time spent tinkering with, admiring, discussing, or dolling out money on Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The views expressed in The Southwest Star Magazine are those of the individual contributors and not necessarily those of the publisher. Advertising is accepted with the understanding that it is accurate and does not contravene the Trade Practices Act. Inclusion of an advertisement should not be construed as an endorsement by The Southwest Star Magazine, the publishers or contributors.

The Southwest Star Magazine is independent of Mercedes-Benz, Daimler AG, its subsidiaries, the Mercedes-Benz Club of America, all individual MBCA regions and the associated sections. Neither Fitzhugh Media nor The Southwest Star Magazine is responsible for any claims made by its advertisers or partners. In addition, neither Fitzhugh Media nor The Southwest Star Magazine is responsible for injuries, losses, or damages, to property or self.

All that said, feel free to contact Fitzhugh Media at Info@FitzhughMedia.com Š 2005 Fitzhugh Media

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The Southwest Region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America is made up of eight sections. As members, we like to do what we love and do it as often as we can. If life was a meal, we’d be the ones enjoying every last bite. Please consider joining a section near you.

Southwest Region

President – Bud Cloninger

Channel Islands Section President – Peter Samaha www.mbcachannelislands.org Ventura-Santa Barbara Counties, California Chaparral Section, President – Mike Zonnefeld www.tucsonsmercedesclub.org Tucson, Arizona Desert Stars Section President – Debbie Ichiyama www.desertstars.mbca.org Phoenix, Arizona Las Vegas Section President – Paul Kruger www.mbca-lasvegas.org Las Vegas, Nevada Long Beach – South Bay President John McCully www.mbcalb-sb.com Long Beach and the South Bay area of Los Angeles County, California Los Angeles Section President – Paul Bergstrom www.la-mbca.com Los Angeles, California Orange County Section President – Lynn Hern www.mboc.info Anaheim, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Newport Beach and Orange, CA. San Diego Section President – Michael Cooper www.sandiego.mbca.org San Diego, California

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

From the editor’s desk

verything I know about debt collectors has been picked up second hand. Personally, I neither owe, nor am I owed, so collecting is not something I have much interest in.

However, I recently came across something that got my attention.

In parts of Texas, police cars use license plate scanners to look for people who owe delinquent court fines. The scanners look in every direction and scan every license plate in sight. If they come across a deadbeat, the police can stop the person and immediately take payment. They can take payments because some Texas police cars are equipped with credit card readers.

The scanners and software are provided by a company called Vigilant Solutions. For the police and courts, everything is free. In fact, it better than free; the courts collect more money and the jails are less crowded. How does Vigilant Solutions make their money? Additional fees are tacked on whenever the fine is paid. How much is the fee? 25 percent.

25 percent sounds excessive, but it’s hard for me to get up in arms. That’s because I don’t get tickets, much less skip out on fines. I deserve tickets, but many people I share the road with make me look like a saint. If Vigilant Solutions has figured out a way to earn a fortune in fees that are sought out and collected by a government agency, good for them.

However, I think the Texas officials signed a bad deal. In addition to the fine, Vigilant Solutions gets to keep something else of value; the data.

According to San Francisco based Electronic

Frontier Foundation, Vigilant Solutions gets to keep and use both the personal and legal data provided for “nearly unlimited commercial use.” Vigilant Solutions can even keep and use the data after their government contract expires.

Vigilant Solutions’ database is populated with data from a Texas county database.

That data

includes names, addresses, fines owed, laws violated, and everything else related to the offense.

In addition, Vigilant Solutions gets the data from the police scanners. Those scanners are routinely Page | 8

looking at every license plate. Each plate is tagged with a location, time, and other data. In case you missed it, that’s ALL license plates. Those in traffic and on parked vehicles, and they’re not just keeping the license plate information associated with scofflaws. All the data is fed back into the Vigilant Solutions’ database.

It’s a lot like our cell phones. Google and Apple know every time we leave the house, where we go, where we parked, how long we’re there, and how fast we drive. I suppose the difference is, I feel like I benefit from my cell phone. Google and Apple give me information in exchange for knowing my every move. Besides, I can turn off my cell phone. In Kyle Texas, elected officials decided it was a good idea to funnel the citizenry’s personal data to a private company, AND pay the company a fortune, AND tell the company they can keep the information in perpetuity.

The scofflaw’s information may be a matter of public records, but I’m not sure I agree the comings and goings of common people should be cataloged by a private company.

Especially if the

company is going to sell the data. It seems like that type of information is worth a lot of money.

Marcus Blair Fitzhugh

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

otorsports fans in the US might be wondering where they can see the Mercedes AMG marque in action at the race track. DIME Racing has been the sole Mercedes AMG racing team in a top class of racing in the US in 2016, running driver Frankie Montecalvo with his SLS GT3 in the Pirelli World Championship.

At this point, only the Pirelli World Challenge series provides as a potential playground in the US for the SLS GT3 and AMG GT3 models. The Pirelli World Challenge series combines a mix of road courses and street courses over 11 weekends in 2016. Schedules permitting, there are several 50-minute sprint races held during the course of each event. So far in 2016, the series has run at Circuit of the Americas (Austin), St. Petersburg, Long Beach, and Barber Motorsport Park (Birmingham).

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The headline class is comprised of sports cars including the Porsche 911, Audi R8, Cadillac ATS-V, Bentley Continental, Aston Martin, McLaren, Dodge Viper, Ferrari 458, Nissan GTR and Acura TLX. The cars honor a global GT3 specification which keeps costs in check and prevents a technology and development race from making equipment quickly obsolete. The shorter race distances keep race mileage limited and minimize variable costs such as fuel and tires.

The teams are professional and cars are very well prepared.

Drivers are a mix of

professionals and amateurs (although many of the amateurs are very accomplished and experienced). Fields range between 25 and 30 cars for each race.

Montecalvo is the defending GTA class champion which is a class dedicated to sportsman drivers (i.e., not considered a full time professional). He ran in 2015 with the

by Kevin Ehrlich photos courtesy of Dime Racing

SLS GT3 with Dragonspeed Racing to claim the crown. While he may not technically be categorized as a full time professional, 25

year old Montecalvo is an accomplished driver with experience and success.

Think back to the 24 hours of Dubai in January when the Black Falcon SLS GT3 entry started at the rear of the field after a fire damaged their brand new AMG GT3 primary car in practice.

Montecalvo was on that driving lineup which went from last to second overall in a chassis that wasn’t even entered in the race but was only being used for display in the fan area. That ought to tell you something.

The new DIME Racing team has worked through some mechanical gremlins and handling challenges in the early part of the season, but Montecalvo still earned a class podium in Austin and a pair of class podiums in St. Petersburg. An accident on the tight Long Beach street course The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

required a major effort to repair. After qualifying second in class, an ABS failure during the race (possibly caused by the rough track surface) caused the rear wheels to lock-up on corner entry and put the car into the wall, damaging the rear of the car.

The team repaired the car around with a major effort, using both spares on hand and express shipping in new parts from AMG support partner HWA. The team missed early practice sessions at Barber, but got the car out for qualifying. The first race served as a test session to sort out a

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few remaining gremlins but showed that the car had potential and pace. In the second race of the weekend, Montecalvo rewarded the team’s effort with a run from pole that was a lap away from a win before a fuel pump issue took him out of the lead and out of contention. While the end result was disappointing, it was a testament to the team to repair the car into race-leading form in a short period of time.

Who is DIME Racing? It is a new effort from DIME Research & Development which is based on Orange County, south of Los Angeles. The company specializes in various performance automotive applications including private label powertrain projects, emissions testing and ECU programming. They undertook the racing program as a means of growing their business.

DIME Racing ordered two new AMG GT3 models and was hoping for delivery for their 2016 Pirelli World Challenge effort, but they have had to wait. Racing Director Rod Shegem notes that they put in their order for two cars fairly late in the game, so a mid-2016 delivery is not a surprise.

The silver lining with other teams getting cars first is that lessons learned from race experience by those teams that will find their way into the cars delivered to DIME Racing. He says that the team hopes to get the new cars and run some testing miles before putting them into action with a mix of AMG factory and customer drivers. Shegem is also keeping his eye on the 2017 IMSA WeatherTech Series which would mean a more extensive schedule with longer races.

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Shegem appreciates that his team is the only team in the United States racing a Mercedes sports car at present. He says that Mercedes AMG and HWA have been very supportive for the existing SLS GT3 program, but also very eager to get more involved with racing in the United States market. AMG hopes to encourage more customer racing teams to get on board and generate additional interest for the broader Mercedes brand. Shegem hopes to share his new AMG GT3 race cars at local events and Mercedes dealership displays so keep an eye out for them at a location near you!

The remaining Pirelli World Challenge schedule takes the show to Mosport (Ontario, Canada), Lime Rock, Connecticut, Road America, Wisconsin and Mid-Ohio between Columbus and Cleveland, Ohio. The series then returns to the west with stops in Salt Lake City, Utah, Sonoma, California and Laguna Seca near Monterey, California.

Find the full schedule details at www.world-

challenge.com and follow DIME Racing at www.dimerd.com.

Instagram. Head out to the track and show them some support!

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DIME Racing is also active on

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

lthough the model is brand new, the mid-size GLC is getting an addition to the lineup; the Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 4MATIC. Yes, that is a long name. Too long. You’ll have to forgive us if we just call it the GLC 43. The new GLC 43 comes with a 3.0 liter biturbo V6 that produces 362 horses and 384 foot pounds of torque. The 3.0-litre V6 biturbo is used in a number of other AMG models and is the only six-cylinder available in the GLC. The power from the six flows through an AMG enhanced 9G-TRONIC automatic transmission.

From there it’s

distributed to each wheel through the 4MATIC all-wheel drive. This version of the 9G-TRONIC double-clutches during downshifts and has insanely short shift times in "Sport Plus" mode. The 4MATIC system has also been massaged by AMG, giving it a 31:69 front to rear bias.

The

suspension is AMG tuned with AIR BODY CONTROL and adaptive shocks. The shock settings are Page | 16

"With the new GLC 43 4MATIC we are offering an AMG model in the mid-size SUV segment for the first time. The new SUV from Affalterbach marks the pinnacle of the GLC product range and in the AMG portfolio it closes the gap between the GLA and GLE" - Tobias Moers CEO at Mercedes-AMG GmbH.

by Marcus Blair Fitzhugh Photos from Mercedes-Benz USA

managed by the DYNAMIC SELECT switch, which has five drive programs and a three-stage Electronic Stability Program (ESPÂŽ). As expected, the GLC 43 comes with larger brakes; 14.2" drilled disks up front and 12.6" out back riding in 5-spoke, 20-inch AMG light-alloy wheels. The results? Zero to sixty in 4.8 and an electronically limited 155 MPH top speed.

The bodywork has AMG specific front and rear bumpers and unique tailpipes. The interior features an AMG instrument cluster with a 180 mph speedometer. The multifunction sports steering wheel is covered in leather with a deep embossing in grip area, flattened bottom section, and red contrasting topstitching The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

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T

by Marcus B Fitzhugh

here’s a difference between hip and cool.

Things that are fashionably current are

considered hip. Like fashion, things that are hip flow in and out of style. Cool is a little different. Cool is when hip has longevity. Paul Newman is a good example. Watch him

in his 1963 film, The Hustler. Although dead, Newman's as cool today as he was 50 years ago.

The same is true of Bogart. Bogart is so cool, people don't have to mention his first name. The same is true of Sinatra, Poitier, Jordan, Nicholson, and select others.

Like people, some vehicles are cool. The Jag E-Type is a good example. Here’s a car that’s so cool, owners will take them out despite the fact an XKE can, and will, leave its owner stranded whenever and wherever it feels like it. After being towed in for repairs, neither the car nor the mechanic will offer any apologies. And the owners don’t expect any. People know exactly what they’re getting when they buy an XKE.

“I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best.”

- Marilyn Monroe said it, and Jaguar built it.

The problem with Jaguar is, the E-Type was it. They’ve never been able to recapture that aura.

They’ve built some nice cars, and many were hip, but cool only came around once.

As a car line, Mercedes-Benz has always been cool.

Well, maybe not in the mid-1940s, but

certainly in recent times. Mercedes are stunning. Wander into the showroom and you probably want one of everything there. Can’t afford them all? It doesn’t matter. You still want them. And The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

it’s not because you view them as rolling fashion accessories – you can actually picture using every car in the showroom. Think about it. The SL has its place. The AMG GT definitely has a place.

As does the small four door, the mid-sized four dour, the S, the Maybach, all the coupes, and the entire line SUVs. Why? Every single one is cool.

I’m not the only one who feels this way.

We see well known personalities hawking goods in

commercials because they're paid to. But have you considered what they own? NBA star Blake Griffin has made a zillion Kia commercials, but his personal car is a gray S63. Why? The answer is simple.

In 2012, Blake Griffin signed a $95M basketball contract.

He could have bought

anything. He chose to go with what he determined to be his best option. I envision him walking into a Mercedes-Benz dealer, looking at the S and saying, “Cool”.

These So Cal personalities can also probably afford whatever they want, but they followed the same route as Blake Griffin.

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That begs the question, when did Mercedes-Benz become cool? It was before the early 1970’s. That was when Mick Jagger of the Stones had his 6.3. If you don’t know the story, Jagger liked his 6.3 so much he had it shipped to the U.S. Having a Benz was cool before Pete Townshend of The Who had either of his two Mercedes – one of which was a Pullman. Paul Newman had a pair of Mercedes; a silver 300SL and a red 190SL. Paul Newman even did print ads for Mercedes.

Paul Newman’s cars are in the right timeframe, so a familiar story surrounding “Birth of the Cool” may be right. If you don’t know the story, here it is There was a time when being a famous musician didn’t mean there was money in the bank. This was especially true for Miles Davis. In the 1950’s Miles was signed to Prestige Records. Prestige was a popular jazz record label, and they recorded hundreds of albums by many of the 50’s prominent jazz musicians. Prestige was also known for paying $300 per record and cheating artists out of royalties. Thelonious Monk referred to Prestige as "the plantation".

One day in 1955, Miles Davis hauled his drug addled quintet into the Prestige Records studio and recorded five albums in a single recording session. This satisfied his obligation to the label and freed Miles from the plantation. Miles immediately jumped ship to Columbia Records and celebrated by buying a new 190SL.

In

1956, Miles’ album, Birth Of The Cool was released. An album whose title is permanently linked to the cool jazz movement. Did the SL inspire Birth Of The Cool? Sounds like it.

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

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The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

hy would hundreds of Porsche owners bring their toys to a dead end street tucked in an industrial neighborhood of Los Angeles on a Sunday morning in April under threatening skies? The answer is the common love and respect for the air-cooled engine that powered every Porsche model from the company’s inception in 1948 until 1998.

The event was called Luftgekühlt which means “air cooled” when translated from German. The hosts, designer and artist Howie Idelson and current Porsche factory race driver Patrick Long, came up with the idea while brainstorming about what they’d like to see in a car event.

Before going further, you may be asking why a Porsche event is featured in a Mercedes magazine.

First, many Mercedes owners are or have been Porsche owners or at least appreciate the fellow German marque. Second, the event is open to the public and any automotive enthusiast would enjoy the experience and might want to keep an eye out for the next one. Publicity for Luftgekühlt events is done purely through the internet and social media so if you don’t know to look out for them, you may not know what you’re missing. Third, this event was organized exclusively by a small group of people with enthusiasm (and a healthy network of friends). It wasn’t a formal car club that organized the event. That deserves to be recognized and might provide inspiration for others who have their own event ideas and enthusiasm to make them happen.

Manicured acres of lush green golf courses? Sterilized displays behind ropes? Exclusive admission to select invitees? Nope. The vision involved a lot more grit and a very intentional nod to design using the iconic air-cooled Porsche as a common thread.

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story by Kevin Ehrlich & photos by Mary Fischer

Modernica, a furniture factory and warehouse in Vernon, provided a 5-acre venue for the third edition of Luftgekßhlt. A mix of asphalt pavement and working warehouses provided the texture and setting for the hundreds of Porsches that descended on the property. Prior editions were held in Venice at Deus ex Machina (a global design shop focused on surfing, motorcycles and bicycles) in September 2014 and Bandito Brothers (a company devoted to film, television, and documentary development) in March 2015. Deus ex Machina is now a partner in the effort and future events might be outside the US. The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

For the window shopping Porsche enthusiast, there was a wide selection across the hundreds of cars parked around the grounds. Some were thematically arranged and others were less so. Huge kudos to those who woke up early, tidied up their cars, and finished off bits of mechanical maintenance to make it to the show. Attendees brought quite the range.

Clearly the organizers had done a lot of diplomacy to encourage particular people with unique cars. Their work paid off handsomely and was augmented by many others who just wanted to join the fun.

Looking for time capsule early 356 models that would compete for honors at any concours in the world? Check.

Looking for examples of almost every aircooled 911 model ever offered for sale? Check.

Looking for models dripping with patina looking like they’ve just been recovered from a forgotten barn? Check.

Looking for the lovingly customized, but thoroughly outlaw? Rod Emory alone brought a whole fleet of 356 models that met that criteria. Check.

Looking for two different Singer Porsches, the pure expression of one person’s vision of the best aspects of every 911 model combined with cutting edge carbon fiber construction and Cosworth engine influence? Looking for the Bahama Yellow 1969 911E that Singer founder Rob Dickenson and TRE Motorsports built that served as the inspiration for the Singer project? Check and check.

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Looking for full representation from the R Gruppe – whether formal members or inspired by the concept? Check.

Looking for specialist cars from Ruf? Some full Ruf versions and others with Ruf wheels?

Check.

Looking for the outrageous fender flares of a Rauh Welt Begriff Porsche? They may not be to everybody’s taste, but there were four versions on site. Check.

Looking for a supercar? The Porsche 959 was water cooled, but a white example of the 1980s icon got a pass from its air cooled brethren and greeted visitors as they entered the grounds.

Walking amidst the displays, each of the cars had their own unique stories and history.

In

some cases, that history might have been the story of acquisition, restoration and thousands of miles. In other cases, the story was one of particular historical significance of a very small production run, racing pedigree, or noteworthy owners. At some point, there is a degree of guilt when realizing that it is impossible to do justice to each car and each story. The mind can only handle so much at one time.

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

The parking lots at some events rival what’s inside the formal boundaries of the event and this was definitely one of those. Your humble scribe wandered the parking lots for about an hour in the company of many goodies - Porsches and otherwise- before finding the way inside the gates.

Perhaps one of the most impressive things was the breadth of the people in attendance.

Kids were welcome and

common. Younger Porsche enthusiasts rubbed shoulders with more seasoned students of the marque. Owners opened up their cars and readily answered questions.

Ropes or barriers were nowhere to be seen.

This despite the presence of

unobtanium

like

Jeff

Zwart’s

1949

Porsche Gmund coupe – the very last carmade

in

Gmund,

Austria

before

Porsche moved to Stuttgart. Of course, that level of proximity relies on the good form of the attendees to respect the access and refrain from touching and leaving fingerprints or worse.

Yes, there were various celebrities and people well known within the hobby mingling among the crowd and cars, but the knowledgeable crowd tended to focus on noteworthy cars. Some cars are well

known

by

Southern

California

residents as they are seen at weekend get-togethers, canyon runs, and cars and coffee events. because

of

builds

Others are famous and

restorations

documented on the internet.

One such car was a safari rally project car based on a 1985 coupe donated by Page | 28

Patrick Long. A variety of shops and

vendors

contributed

to

construct a unique car that was auctioned off for charity during the event. There was significant advance social media coverage of the project and a large crowd gathered to watch the car find a new buyer for the tidy sum of $275,000. Photos from the new owner found their way to social media shortly after the event of the car at speed in the dirt to prove that the safari car found a good home.

The event was not a concours or a competition. prizes

for

There were no cleanest,

most

original, or anything else. It was just a simple and pure concept very

well

organizers pleased

executed. had

to

be

(and

The very likely

overwhelmed) by the support and participation. They will take a

breath

and

think

about

planning the next one at some point. consider

Keep an eye out and adding

it

to

your

calendar when the time comes.

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

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The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

rjeplog, Sweden. It's 35 miles south of the Arctic Circle. During the summer solstice, the sun never fully sets. Six months later is the shortest day of the year where there's three hours of semi-darkness and twenty-one hours of pitch blackness. Although, it may not be as bad as some envision.

The average winter temperatures are surprisingly warm at 10 degrees

Fahrenheit. That said, they've seen 40 below several times, so you really should pack a coat. You've already noticed the photo, so you know why you want to go - The Mercedes-Benz Winter Driving Academy is there. This has to be the best Driving Academy on earth. Given a choice between driving at insane speeds in the dry, or doing the same thing with studded tires on ice, I'll take a double helping of the studded tire insanity. Thankfully studded tires are legal in Sweden. It's my understanding studs make it much easier to regain the control that most are sure to lose.

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Why am I so sure they’ll lose control? Well, if they’re like most people, they’re not professional drivers and there are a few issues. The first issue is the AMG Winter Driving Academy has three levels; Basic, Advanced, and Pro. Since Basic courses are held in Austria, and this is Arjeplog, that means attendees are signed up for either the Advanced or Pro session. That places most well over their head. Second, Mercedes is going to let them drive “Mercedes’ car”, and “Mercedes’ car” has over 500 HP. If that’s not enough, they’ll be navigating a six-figure 500+ HP land based cruise missile on a layer of snow, which is over ice. Did I mention it’s dark there in the winter? No need to worry though. AMG’ s all-inclusive $4K fee covers insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . and it is “their car”.

by Marcus Blair Fitzhugh photos from Mercedes-Benz

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

by Marcus Blair Fitzhugh

efore the heat of the summer, some people like to perform what’s called an AC tune up.

An AC tune up is typically a top up of the refrigerant and a cleaning of the condenser fins.

The first thing you’ll need to perform an AC tune up, is to know whether you’re in over your head.

If you are, that’s not a problem, just stop. It’s much cheaper to pay someone, than to ruin an AC system or end up in the hospital. A dealer will only charge about $150 or so. If you do know what you’re doing and can read the instructions on an AC recharge kit, let’s go.

Assuming the system has no major leaks, you’ll need an AC recharge kit. If the system has a leak, get it fixed. Charging a system with a major leak is a waste of money. With a leak, the charge might hold a day, if that long. How do you find a leak? Dye and a UV lamp, but we’re not covering that here. This is just a tune up.

Charging a modern AC system costs between $50 and $5. Why the wide range? Assuming your car is less than 20 years old, it probably uses R134. A three pack of plain 134 refrigerant costs $15 on Amazon. $50 is either a very large can of refrigerant with the combination dispenser and gauge, or full retail for someone who makes good money selling kits. If you don’t have a dispenser with a built in gauge, you’ll need one, so buy a kit that includes a $5 gauge and a $5 can of R134 for $25. I highly recommend you avoid buying R134 with any type of leak sealer.

Page | 34

Charging the system takes between 10 and 25 minutes, but as always, follow the directions that came with the product purchased. This is merely an overview of the process.

1. First shake the can, and then remove the cap.

2. Screw the dispenser with gauge on the can of refrigerant.

3. Find the low side service port for your car’s AC system.

This is kind of

important. In theory, the fitting for your dispenser will only fit the low pressure side. However, I’ve seen cars where the low pressure fitting and the high pressure fitting are the same size.

People have connected the aluminum can of refrigerant to the high side port and had the can explode.

Keep in mind, the low

side has low pressure, and it’s used to add refrigerant. The high side is high pressure, and has sent people to the hospital.

4. Start the car, turn the AC to max cold, and set the fan on high.

5. Connect dispenser to the low side fitting.

Some people squeeze the

trigger and shoot a little refrigerant through

the

dispenser

before

connecting it to the low side fitting.

They do this to clear the air from the dispenser line. I’m pretty sure that’s illegal, so I’m not going to recommend it and receive 400 letters from people saying I’m destroying the ozone layer. I will say removing air from the line before attaching it to the low pressure side is a very good thing. How you do it is your business.

6. Now check the dispenser’s pressure gauge. AC pressure is highly dependent on the ambient temperature. That’s why some dispensers have a rotating temperature knob.

Others just use a chart with a pressure based on temperature range. If the gauge shows the pressure is low

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

and you see the AC compressor is engaged or cycling, add some refrigerant by squeezing the trigger. Periodically stop squeezing the trigger and recheck the pressure gauge. You may want to shake the can a little between squeezes.

7. After the pressure levels are where you want them, disconnect the hose from the low pressure port, reattach the cover that was on the port, and you’re done.

If the can isn’t empty, put the can and the dispenser in a cool dry place. That’s not a euphemism for the trash. Really, put it away somewhere. You may want to use it on one of the other cars later on. If the can is empty, it can be discarded. If you live in California, and the can wasn’t shipped to you from out of state, you probably paid a noticeable deposit for the can. You’ll have to return the empty can to get your deposit back. If you remove your dispenser from the can, and there’s still R134 in it, the remaining R134 will escape. If you’re wondering how to keep your dispenser and gauge combo, not dump the remainder of the R134, and get your deposit back – I don’t have an answer.

A word of caution, wear gloves and glasses. Aside from frostbite, R134 can cause blindness if accidentally sprayed in an eye.

The next task is to clean the condenser coils. Those of you who use petroleum based solvents, potassium hydroxide, or sodium hydroxide may want to rethink your position. The goal is to simply clean a dirty condenser. Chemicals that devour aluminum will clean the condenser, but when

they

through

eventually

the

condenser

wear

aluminum,

will

have

to

the be

replaced.

I use dishwashing soap, low water

pressure,

bristle brush.

and

a

soft

I brush the

condenser in a parallel motion with the fins. Any force than bends the fins so they are no longer parallel will reduce the air flow, making the AC less efficient.

After the system is charged and cleaned, your AC will probably be as good as new.

Page | 36

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

he 2016 motorsports season is underway in earnest for Mercedes AMG. Customer sports car programs have been very active across the globe with both the new AMG GT3 and older SLS GT3 models. The factory-backed DTM (German touring car) program was busy with testing activity and their season opener in early May.

Mercedes AMG opened the 2016

Formula One season with strong form in defense of their 2015 driver and constructor titles.

Customer GT Racing Page | 38

The headline in early 2016 continued to be the continued customer deliveries of the new racing AMG GT3 model. Deliveries not only took into account the sequence in which the orders were placed, but the 2016 racing schedule. A variety of series across the globe provided multiple venues and Mercedes

AMG

customers

took

full

advantage.

Initial deliveries in mid-December to the English Ram Racing team and the German Black Falcon team allowed them make the racing debut for the AMG GT3 in January at the Dubai 24 hours. (See “AMG Customer Racing Transitions into 2016” in the First Quarter Issue of The Southwest Star for more on the development of the new car and its debut at the Dubai 24h.)

Further deliveries were made to teams in Australia in early February in time for the first events of the 2016 Australian GT sprint championship in Adelaide and Melbourne in March. Four new AMG GT3 entries and a lone SLS GT3 runner ran with mixed results in Adelaide, Australia, but Craig Baird driving for Scott Taylor Motorsport claimed the first win for the AMG GT3 model in the

By Kevin Ehrlich Photos courtesy of Mercedes-Benz

first of four sprint races at Melbourne and setting a new lap record in the process.

Eggleston Motorsport claimed a win of their own in the third race, but it must be said that the race was a chaotic affair with the win awarded after a post-race exclusion of the apparent winner.

Meanwhile, the European motorsport calendar got underway in March with a 12-hour race in Mugello, Italy. Mugello was the second round of a seven event schedule in Europe and the Middle East comprised solely of 12 and 24 hour races. (The Dubai 24 hours in January was the first event of the season.) A single AMG GT3 was entered by Ram Racing, but problems in qualifying The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

prevented the team from taking the start. All was not lost, however, as six SLS GT3 customer teams raced in the event. The Swiss Hofor Racing team earned a second place overall with their SLS GT3, continuing their impressive start to the 2016 season after finishing first in class and fourth overall at the Dubai 24 hours in January. The French IDEC Sport Racing team claimed a class victory and fourth overall in the 12hour race with their SLS GT3.

A very busy April saw the racing calendar move closer to Mercedes AMG’s German roots

with

Nürburgring.

three

events

at

the

A total of six AMG GT3

models ran at the Nürburgring events three for Black Falcon Racing, two for HTP Motorsport and one for Haribo Racing.

All three are German teams.

While Black Falcon has traditionally been a Mercedes AMG customer, the HTP Motorsport AMG GT3 entry marks a return for that team to the AMG ranks after moving away for a year to run a Bentley GT program.

Haribo

Racing ran an SLS GT3 model in 2015 after

moving

from

their

traditional

Porsche platform, so their investment in the new AMG GT3 model is a continuing vote of confidence.

Racing at the Ring included two 4-hour VLN races that were part of a 10 race season for sports cars at the Nürburgring and a 6-hour qualifying race in advance of the Nürburgring 24 hours. For those that might be unfamiliar, the VLN series (stands for “Veranstaltergemeinschaft Langstreckenpokal Nürburgring” – translated from German meaning Organizers Endurance Trophy Nürburgring) regularly attracts fields of over 170 entrants for each race. Merely surviving the narrow and fast track as it twists through the forest is an accomplishment.

In the first April VLN race, Black Falcon and Haribo Racing claimed third and fourth in their debuts for the new car behind a pair of Audi R8 LMS entrants. Placing second in debut behind the Audi Page | 40

platform that has been so strong at the Nürburgring and elsewhere was certainly a promising result.

In the second April VLN race, the Phoenix Racing Audi R8 claimed the win with Black Falcon and Haribo Racing in second and third after very close racing. On and off rainy conditions challenged the field but provided valuable track time as the teams prepare for the 24-hour race in May. Five AMG GT3 cars entered the six-hour qualifying race at the Nurburgring in mid-April in advance of the 24 hours to come in late May. During the race, Nico Bastian in the #9 Black Falcon AMG GT3 sustained a massive crash in the final sequence of corners before the pit straight, ending upside down which is never a good thing. The driver walked away from what surely is the most significant crash test for the new AMG GT3 model in competition. The car is expected to be rebuilt rather than written off – another strong proof statement.

Meanwhile, at the front of the grid, the AMG GT3 finished first, second and fifth overall in the hands of the HTP Motorsport, Haribo Racing and Black Falcon respectively.

Challenging wet

weather conditions jumbled the field as well. To be fair, the event served mostly as a full speed test for the upcoming 24-hour race so the objective was mostly to gain experience with the new car for both drivers and the team.

Separately, the German GT series known as the ADAC GT Masters series got its season underway at Motorsport Arena Oschersleben and Sachsenring. Team Zakspeed is running two new AMG GT3 cars in the series. At Oschersleben, they claimed victory in the first race and settled for fourth in the second race, with a win narrowly lost due to a time penalty for a violation of the safety car regulations. At Sachsenring, Zakspeed again claimed a win in the first race and settled for eighth place in the second race. A safety car during the pit window in the first race played a major part in the outcome in the one-hour sprint race. The ADAG GT Masters series employs a mechanism known as “success ballast” which progressively adds weight to winning cars to keep the field close.

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Zakspeed’s success means that the car carries more weight which translates to slower performance.

There are more sports car races and more Mercedes SLS GT3 and AMG GT3 entries in the first part of the 2016 season than space permits here, but there is quite a variety of sprint and endurance races where spectators in Australia and Europe have been able to see Mercedes AMG models on the track in sports car racing.

Perhaps the main event of the European GT endurance racing season is the Nürburgring 24 Hours.

The 2016 entry list numbers 157 cars, including 9 AMG GT3 entries with an extremely strong lineup of drivers. The race is at the end of May, so look for a race coverage in the next issue of The Southwest Star.

With more than 30 new AMG GT3 customer cars planned for 2016 delivery, the factory continues to be very busy making and delivering cars. Fans should expect to see more and more showing up at race tracks in the second half of 2016 and into the 2017 racing season.

You might be wondering where to find sports car action for Mercedes AMG is in the United States.

Check out the story elsewhere in this issue for answers to that question (“DIME Racing Carries the Banner for Mercedes AMG Sports Car Racing in the United States”).

DTM Mercedes AMG presented the their 2016 DTM (short for “Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft” or German Touring Car Championship) entry at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2015. The car shape is based on the C63 AMG Coupe road car, but with a full complement of flares

and

wings

and

high

tech

mechanicals.

The DTM series is very much a German manufacturer series. Audi, BMW and Mercedes AMG pour massive amount of factory dollars to compete with each other in front of European crowds throughout the 9 race season. The quality of the drivers is extremely high and the regulations keeps competition very tight.

Page | 42

The factory ran nearly 1800km at a private February test over three days in Spain before a rare official public three-day test in April at the

Hockenheim

track

in

Germany gave all of the teams and drivers an opportunity to gain valuable testing miles. With free admission for spectators, the event was a popular way for fans to see the DTM field at speed.

Rain interfered with running at times which frustratingly cost precious track time. It is always dangerous to extrapolate meaningful conclusions from testing times, but times for most of the field was within a second so it was an indicator that the racing would be close.

Eight Mercedes AMG teams joined a 24 car grid for the first race of the year in early May at Hockenheim. A pair of feature races were on the schedule, one on Saturday and another on Sunday. In the first race on Saturday, a number of incidents throughout the race took out or slowed about a third of the field. The Audi of Edoardo Mortara claimed the win less than 2 seconds ahead of Robert Wickens in his Mercedes. Fellow Mercedes runners Paul Di Resta and Chrisian Vietoris finished in 4th and 5th giving three Mercedes finishers in the top 5.

Sunday’s second race saw polesitter Paul Di Resta take his Mercedes to the top step of the podium for the first win of the season in front of over 78,000 spectators. Di Resta, a former Formula One driver, survived a slow pit stop to finish well in front of two BMW runners and fellow Mercedes driver Gary Paffett. Paffett was slowed by a penalty incurred during a pit stop and dropped to 11th before recovering to take 4th place at the finish. (Timo Glock’s BWM finished in front of Paffett on the track, but was excluded after the race due to a technical infringement.) As with the first race, close racing made for an exciting event, but a third of the field did not finish due to contact and mechanical issues.

The DTM series continues with the next round at Spielberg in Austria.

Formula One The Formula One season kicked off at the traditional Melbourne, Australia round in March. Driver The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Lewis Hamilton and constructor Mercedes AMG are the defending champions after winning both titles in 2015. The storylines for 2016, however, revolved around the late 2015 surge of Hamilton’s co-driver Nico Rosberg and the continual progress of Ferrari led by driver Sebastian Vettel.

Hamilton and Rosberg lined up ahead of Vettel on the Melbourne starting grid, but Rosberg claimed victory ahead of teammate Hamilton making it a 1-2 for Mercedes AMG on the podium. The race had plenty of drama with an electric start by Sebastian Vettel, a massive mid-race crash involving Fernando Alonso, and tire strategy variations throughout the field.

The next race in Bahrain saw Hamilton claim pole position again in front of Rosberg, but contact at the start with Williams driver Valtteri Bottas put Hamilton back as Rosberg drove away from the field for the win. Hamilton recovered to finish third. Rival Sebastian Vettel suffered an engine failure before even taking the green flag.

Mechanical gremlins challenged Hamilton’s race in China. His car suffered a gearbox issue at Bahrain that resulted in a starting grid penalty for China. In addition, Hamilton’s car had a power unit issue in qualifying. Both resulted in Hamilton starting at the back of the grid while Rosberg claimed pole position. In a wild race full of constantly changing tire strategies, Rosberg claimed a dominant win while Hamilton finished seventh. Vettel finished second continuing to show that Ferrari is close, but not quite at the Mercedes pace.

Page | 44

Russia was up next and Rosberg continued his dominance with another win. He not only won the race, but claimed pole position, the fastest lap of the race, and the most laps led during the race.

His fourth victory in a row combined with three wins at the end of the 2015 season makes for an impressive seven in a row. Hamilton struggled with more power unit problems, but made a strong recovery drive from 10th on the grid to finish second in front of the Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen.

Hamilton’s finish was just as much of a testament to the team as to the driver. His engine failed mid-way through qualifying but the team chartered an airplane to deliver last-minute parts which arrived at 2am on race day morning and the repaired car was able to make the start.

The good fortune didn’t hold for the next round in Spain. Lewis Hamilton started on pole position with team-mate Nico Rosberg locking out the front row. Hamilton led the field towards turn one, but Rosberg overtook him with a brave pass on the outside. Coming out of turn three, however, Hamilton had momentum and Rosberg moved with him toward the inside of the track. Hamilton shifted to his right, taking to the grass to keep his momentum.

Formula One fans around the world

watched

along

with

a

disbelieving Mercedes team as Hamilton’s car skewed left into the rear of Rosberg’s car, sending both of them into the gravel trap outside

of

turn

four.

Their

collective day was done before the first race lap was complete.

The team’s senior leadership and both drivers quickly retreated behind closed doors before facing the media. The comments from the drivers and team management all echoed the same theme – disappointment for the team. Hamilton commented “Coming out of turn three, I was catching Nico really quickly and went for the gap on the right – I had part of my car alongside but then had to take to the grass. The gap was there and, if you’re a racing driver, you go for that gap…. I’m hurt and disappointed for the team most of all because we lost 43 points today. We’re all here working together towards the same result and the team give me the opportunity to race with the work they do. When I came to a stop in the gravel trap, all I could think about was how gutted I was for the team – that’s where I feel the pain.”

Likewise, Rosberg later said “I had a great start and I was ecstatic after passing Lewis around the outside of turn one. At that point, it was my race to win. I came out of turn three and realized I was down on power with the wrong mode selected due to the engine mode switch being in the The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

incorrect position. Lewis was closing in, so I decided to make a clear move to the right hand side as soon as possible, to close the door and show him that wasn’t an option. I was very surprised that Lewis went for the inside anyway. The next thing I knew, we were in the gravel trap. I’m gutted, not just for myself but for the whole team, it’s the worst feeling as a driver.”

Perhaps luckily for the Mercedes team’s public relations department, the race was won by Max Verstappen in his debut race for a resurgent Red Bull team. Verstappen not only won in his first outing after being promoted from the junior Red Bull team (Toro Rosso), but he also stood atop the podium as the youngest Formula One winner in history. Verstappen’s popular win (together with the Mercedes team’s efforts to minimize any further fireworks) largely overshadowed the early exit for the Silver Arrows.

After the fifth round of the championship, Rosberg led the drivers’ point standings, followed by Kimi Raikkonen in the Ferrari, Hamilton in third, Sebastian Vettel’s Ferrari in fourth, and the Red Bull pair of Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen next. Mercedes headed the constructor table with a healthy lead. There are 21 total rounds, so much racing remains before champions are crowned.

Formula One next visits the streets of Monaco at the end of May.

Page | 46

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

he luxury motor yacht "Arrow460–Granturismo", designed by Mercedes-Benz Style. has embarked on its maiden voyage off the coast of Nice. The first model of this new yacht is named "Mercedes" and true to the name’s tradition, it founds a completely new concept.

The 14-meter long, 960 horsepower "Silver Arrow of the Seas" combines the performance of a Mercedes-Benz with unique innovations from the boat industry. The yacht has classic automobile proportions and brings the hallmark Mercedes design idiom of sensual purity to the water in an emotional and dynamic form. The yacht also combines the advantages of an open boat with those Page | 48

of a full cabin cruiser. It’s a crossover design that offers the ultimate in variability, resulting in a boat that is equally suitable for day trips and overnight stays on board.

As we saw in the last issue with Mercedes-Benz Living @ Fraser, Mercedes-Benz continues to expand modern luxury beyond the world of the automobile.

Since

2010,

Mercedes-Benz

designers have been working with selected partners, developing exclusive products. These products have brought the Mercedes-Benz design philosophy of sensual purity into other mobility and lifestyle areas. As in vehicle development, these Mercedes-Benz projects are guided by their passion for uniqueness.

The Arrow460–Granturismo can accommodate up to 10 people.

It has large retractable side

windows, and the windscreen can be raised. This allows the passengers to sit comfortably inside while enjoying sweeping views and the feeling that comes with sitting in the open. Tables and beds are extendable, making them available when required. It comes with everything a yacht owner wants; a luxurious bathroom, a separate dressing room, air conditioning, an ice-making machine, Marcus Blair Fitzhugh high-end audio, and it even has a wine-cellar. In Photos courtesy Mercedes-Benz

typical

Mercedes-Benz

fashion,

the

finest

materials are used throughout.

Rather than simply using wood as a conventional floor covering, it’s used to line all of the interior.

As a result of this three-dimensional application of wood, the fine grain of eucalyptus follows the overarching forms of the interior lining, underscoring the overall flow of the interior. The flowing décor forms a balanced color combination.

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

The window glazing is unique in two respects: along the same lines as the Mercedes-Benz Magic Sky technology, the luminous transmittance can be controlled electronically. At the same time, the silver-shimmering glaze blends seamlessly into the overall profile. This is similar to the F105 and IAA Mercedes-Benz concept vehicles. This avant-garde appearance underscores its sculptural and innovative character.

The exterior design boasts clear contours and smooth surfaces. In a dynamic and sophisticated way, the muscular, extended hull accentuates the sensual purity of the design.

With its long

foredeck, a flowing, arched roofline and a slightly descending rear, the yacht has classic automobile proportions. The sides of the hull are structured with a feature line that descends gently towards the stern. The concave and convex interaction along the entire flank creates a sculptural hull that conveys both dynamism and serenity. The entire arrangement is accentuated by elegantly styled and functional details. Great attention has been paid to the handrails, for example, which are perfectly integrated into the roofline.

Page | 50

The Mercedes-Benz Style division has branched into a number of areas beyond the automobile.

In addition to marine mobility, they have joined forces with Italian lighting design company Artemide, on visually sophisticated lighting projects.

They’ve partnered with the Airbus

Helicopters on tailor-made luxury-class business and private helicopters. They’re also working with Lufthansa engineers to create a completely new and luxurious cabin concept for short and medium-range aircraft. All this is in addition to the serviced apartments that we’ve previously covered in the 2015 Winter edition.

"In developing the new motor yacht, we have transferred our expertise to the marine industry, creating something never seen before in the process. The 'Silver Arrow of the Seas' stands for modern luxury, avant-garde style and comfortable elegance. The yacht embodies the Mercedes-Benz's progressive, dynamic design philosophy of sensual purity on the water. Or, to put it another way, it is hot and cool in one, and stands for emotion and intelligence. Together with Silver Arrows Marine we have managed to develop a totally new boat concept. By virtue of maximum variability, the yacht combines the advantages of an open boat with the generous interior and privacy of a cabin cruiser. It weds charismatic design with perfect functionality, much in the same way as is familiar from our road vehicles. As such, the 'Arrow460–Granturismo' is sure to cause a stir on the seas and at marinas throughout the world in the coming years."

Gorden Wagener, Vice President Design Daimler AG. The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

“Almost everything about Arrow460-Granturismo is unique, from its concept to the smallest bespoke detail. It is a motor yacht with a personality that truly embraces life, combining the best marine engineering with the inspired innovations and elegance that the world associates with the Mercedes-Benz name. By merging marine and automotive worlds, with their respective design language, technologies and ideas, we have created a new standard of motor yacht, unlike all others.�

Silver Arrows Marine Chairman Ron Gibbs The Arrow460-Granturismo technical data Total length 46.4 feet / 14.14 meters Hull length

45.4 feet / 13.85 meters

Draught

3 feet / 0.93 meters

Maximum boat width

13 feet / 3.97 meters

Maximum displacement

14.96 U.S. tons / 13.58 metric tons

Fuel tank capacity

317 gallons / 1200 liters

Water tank capacity

132 gallons / 500 liters

Drive system

2 Yanmar 6LY3-ETP diesel engines, each rated at 353 kW (480 hp)

Cruising speed

28 to 30 knots (in calm seas)

Top speed

40+ knots (with light load)

Design category

Class B

Page | 52

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

aking your Mercedes-Benz to a mechanized "full-service" car wash is a waste of money. In fact, it’s worse because you’re paying someone to damage your car. There are exceptions to the rule and some places are staffed with skilled detailers who use high-quality products, to properly wash your car.

But I’m not talking about them.

I’m talking about those mechanized

scrubbing contraptions. You’re much better off washing the car yourself than having it cleaned with those.

What does it take to do it yourself?? 

Car wash soap. Not dishwashing liquid, laundry soap, or any other cleaner that isn’t specifically made for washing a car.



Preferably a microfiber wash mitt when the car is extra filthy and a boar’s hair brush for mild dirt. These tools lift dirt from the paint, rather than grinding it in. I recommend a second microfiber mitt for the wheels.



A couple of buckets for the soap and rinsing the mitts.



A high quality microfiber towel for drying.

Page | 54

If this sounds like a lot of work and you’re only leasing the car for a couple of years, then go ahead and use the corner car wash.

That’s perfectly

understandable. Nobody cares about the paint on a car after they’ve turned it in. If you’re keeping the car a little longer, here’s why you want avoid a mechanized car wash.

The Soap Remember what I said about soaps that made for washing cars? Mechanical car washes are notorious for using cleaning solutions with high levels of hydrofluoric acid (HF). Hydrofluoric acid is inexpensive and does a fantastic of removing dirt and grime. In high concentrations, it also devours wax, breaks down clear coat, and etches glass.

Why would they use high

concentrations? All the cars go through the same wash. Vehicles covered with everything from modest dirt to extreme filth are supposed to be cleaned in a single pass.

Remember the TV show called Breaking Bad?

In one

episode, Walter White used hydrofluoric acid to dissolve evidence, and yes, it is the same stuff. Do you really want your car washed with that? Some car washes with “HF Free” signs use Ammonium bi-fluoride (ABF).

ABF

produces the same finish destroying results with a different chemical

by Marcus Blair Fitzhugh Photos by Jay Pill

compound. Think I’m engaging in acidic hyperbole? The CDC doesn’t think so. Check out this link where they discuss detailers and carwashes that use HF – www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6432a4.htm

How the soap is applied Automatic carwashes load the brushes up with caustic soap, rev them to a zillion miles per hour, and then b*tch slap the dirt off your car.

There’s no “gentile

lifting of dirt”. stripped

If someone

down

to

their

underwear and walked through a carwash, those brushes would rip them to shreds.

And yet,

people will pay money to have their

Mercedes

run

through

these contraptions.

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

But wait, it gets worse. While spinning, the larger chunks of dirt are flung from the brushes. The smaller bits are still on the brush. Have you noticed those signs that say “our brushes have softer bristles”? The softer the material, the easier it is to imbed the dirt. After a while, it’s like washing a car with a scouring pad. This is one reason some cars have swirl marks. How can the car wash owner avoid customer complaints about swirl marks? Load up the system with more soap. The soap acts like a lubricant. In addition to fewer swirls, it extends the lifespan of the car wash’s brushes. That’s a win-win, right? The only loser is the car’s clear coat, which wasn’t meant to be cleaned with hydrofluoric acid. After years of acidic washes, the clear coat goes. About then, the carwash staff feeds customers that standard line – “it’s due to cheap factory paint jobs and acid rain.” The only problem is, you’ve attended events and seen your same make, model, and year car, with the same color, and their clear coat is fine.

Now the car is clean. The toxic soap has been rinsed with water that’s been recycled thousands of times, and the giant blow dryers have pushed most of the water off. The car is currently sitting in the sun waiting it to be hand dried. The same rags that have been dropped on the ground dozens of times will be used to put the finishing touches on your car. Go outside and drop a clean damp towel on the ground.

Pick it up and look at the amount of grit it picked up. You’re getting the same grit rubbed into the finish of your car. Some are thinking, “the towels at the carwash I frequent don’t anything like that photo.” Let me guess, they use dark red or blue colored towels, right? Why do you think they chose those colors? The color masks the dirt. And if it’s 400 degrees outside and the carwash is busy, don’t worry about the car sitting in the sun before they get around to drying it.

They’ll rub the water spots out with that filthy towel.

Because that’s why you tip

them - to rub it clean with the grit magnet.

But what about those times when you’re in from out of town for an event, and you’d prefer to arrive in something clean? Ask the event organizer where you can get your car washed. It’s entirely possible, that they may not know. The last person to wash my car was me. And the same guy washed it the time before that too. I like washing my cars. The key word there was “my”.

Chances are, I’m not washing your car. You can ask, but I’m pretty good at “no”. I can tell you what I’ve done in the past; take the car to a dealer. I’ve never had a Mercedes-Benz service department tell me they won’t wash the car. Yes, I have to pay, but I’d rather pay to have my car properly cleaned at a dealer than the alternative.

Page | 56

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

n Saturday May 14th, the new Mercedes-Benz Vehicle Preparation Center became the backdrop for the largest Mercedes-Benz gathering in Southern California since the famed Rose Bowl event a decade ago. AMG SoCal Lounge, in partnership with Arman Mariano of SoCal’s Finest, hosted the first annual Cinco de Benzo, a show-stopping collection of Mercedes-Benz vehicles that drew over 300 participants and attendees. Over 200 of the luxury German automobiles were on display at the event, over half of which were Mercedes-AMGs that were joined by a number of classics.

THE BIGGEST ALL MERCEDES-BENZ MEET SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HAS SEEN IN AT LEAST A DECADE The Mercedes-Benz Vehicle Preparation Center in Long Beach, a sprawling facility over 52 acres, and the former home of the Douglas Aircraft Company and the Boeing 717 aircraft factory, came alive with tasty eats. As DJ KLong spun a bevy of hot tracks, event-goers feasted Page | 58

by Marcus Blair Fitzhugh photos courtesy of MJ50FOTO, Erick Chavez Photography, Jimmy So, and Tino Tolentino

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Above Winner of the Best Mercedes

Page | 60

on a variety of Mexican fare served up by All Kinds of BBQ. Raffle and contest prizes were donated by a long list of generous sponsors, including the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center, House of Imports MercedesBenz, Gonwalt Mercedes-Benz Parts, Eco Luxury Detail, TunerWerks, Aerowerkz Motorsport, RacingBrake, Michael Long's Garage, Quickly Irvine, Cloud Sourcing International (aka Suvneer), AZN Optics, SoCal Tires, The Boogie, Hi Teq Glass Tinting, Pelican Parts, and Agora Churrascaria.

AMG SoCal Lounge is indebted to the event staff, volunteers and all of the Mercedes-Benz owners who made the success of the event possible.

While AMG SoCal Lounge generally organizes private, members-only events, they look forward to next year’s Cinco de Benzo, and to organizing more outstanding Mercedes-Benz events in the future.

AMG SoCal Lounge was founded in June 2015 by Steve Oziel and Thomas “MJ” Kim to unite MercedesAMG owners in Southern California.

Within a year the group has accumulated 280 members and has participated in over 50 events ranging from meets and cruises to charity drives and track time.

Above Winner of the Best AMG The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

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The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

t restaurants, the initial presentation is everything. From the moment you pass through the door through the time you’re seated at your table, you're taking it all in.

Unfortunately, the warm welcome offered by the staff, the fabulous decor, and the fact that you’re seated at the best table all go out the window the second you see a fly on your plate.

After you’ve seen the fly, nothing else seems to matter.

For me, a scratch on a car is like the fly

in the restaurant. If it’s your car, it takes a few minutes to sink in. When did this happen? Was it a kid on a bike? Did someone crash their drone? A shopping cart assassin? Ultimately, it doesn’t matter. The car is scratched and it’s got to be fixed. Fortunately, there are a couple of ways to go about it.

Option number one is to pay someone. In that case, you can use a body shop or a mobile dent repairer. There are great body shops out there, but if you don’t know where to look, you may not like where you end up. We’ve all heard the body shop horror stories where prices were based on how much they think you’re good for. Not the quality of their work or the actual price of the job,

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but rather, “The customer rolled up in an expensive car, and they're wearing a nice watch. Based on that, the repair bill is at least $2K more than the regular price.”

Since most of us don't frequent body shops, it's best to ask around.

Friends,

family, forums, club members, someone somewhere knows a good place in your area.

The second choice when it comes to paying someone is a mobile dent repair service.

Mobile dent repair services come to you and make the repair at your home or workplace. They show up with everything needed and can typically do the job in a few hours. The advantages are, they cost less and you won’t need a rental car. Like body shops, you’ll want to ask for a recommendation.

by Jay Pill and Marcus Blair Fitzhugh

The next page has some photos of work

recently performed by a mobile shop. The car in the photo is a W124 cabrio and as you can see, the front bumper was damaged and the rear valance was cracked. Some body shops would take one look and say, "We'll order a new front bumper cover, new rear valance, paint them, mount them, and your fee will reflect the fact that this limited production Mercedes-Benz was very expensive when new.” The mobile shop that did the work, patched the hole, strengthened and filled the crack, primed & painted the bodywork, shot the clear coat and charged less than $400.

Some may feel body shops do a better job because they spray in paint booths. Maybe they do and maybe they don't. At most body shops, paint booths are valuable workspaces. Although body shops paint whole vehicles in the booth, that doesn't mean spot jobs are done in the booth.

It also doesn't mean anything will be allowed to tie up the booth while it dries. It depends entirely on the shop. OSHA requirements determine whether a shop must paint in a booth. Those rules are based on the amount of paint being applied, whether the space being used to paint has sprinklers, if there are electrical outlets, and what other work is being done nearby. OSHA rules are centered around health and fire prevention, not the quality of the paint job.

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Before

During

After

As you can see from the photos, this mobile repair was made outdoors. It took about 3 hours, and the mobile repair facility did an excellent job.

Another option is for this to be a DIY project. If that sounds intimidating, bodywork may be a new venture for you. Like most automotive DIY tasks, three things are important for a successful outcome; being safe, meticulous, and proficient.

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Safety should be considered because paint is dangerous. The fumes are toxic. The fumes won't cause someone to drop dead on the spot, but they can cause permanent damage. Anyone sanding and painting should wear a mask and eye protection. It’s also good to keep in mind that paint fumes are flammable and have been known to ignite in an enclosed area.

Although we occasionally criticize in generalities, We like to praise by name It's regularly said that 90 percent of the work involved in a good paint job is the prep work and only 10 percent of the time is spent actually painting the car. Part of the prep is in knowing what to buy and where to buy it. Like body shops and mobile repairers, you might want to ask around.

For example, there are some places that sell single stage paint. Single stage sounds great. With single stage paint, no clear is necessary to produce gloss. You lay a few coats of paint and you’re done.

It’s glossy, it’s durable, and I’m not sure how it allegedly matches.

That’s because

everything at my house has a two stage paint job. Your cars may be different. Also, the paint may have to be mixed. If that’s the case, three materials will have to be mixed; the paint, the reducer and the hardener (activator). The paint contains the color, the reducer thins the paint down so you don’t end up with orange peel problems, and the hardener helps the paint cure. If this sounds like it’s getting a bit too complex, I agree. If the customer has to mix three ingredients and then discovers the paint doesn’t match, it doesn’t take much guesswork to figure out what the supplier is going to say – it was mixed incorrectly. Rather than go through any of that, here’s a recommendation; Automotivetouchup.com offers ready to spray paints that match the factory colors. I recommend buying all your supplies from them. If you go with a different supplier, I recommend buying all your supplies from that place. The reason is simple; your supplier knows what works with their product. The primer, basecoat, and clear coat work together. Buying everything from one supplier ensures the products are compatible.

Before going any further, let me say, this isn’t for a $100K car. If you’ve got a $100K car, call your insurer and let them fix it. If you have a car that originally cost $100K, but it was so long ago the original price is irrelevant, this may be for you. Some might be thinking – “You’ve lost your mind. A DIY paint job is going to ruin somebody’s Benz.” Look at the other side of the coin – a factory quality paint job on the average 10-year-old Benz costs more than the car is worth. If anyone feels they can’t do this, they shouldn’t. This is for those who feel they can.

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

For a minor fix, the materials needed from Automotive Touch Up are fairly inexpensive. Aerosol paint, clear, primer, a spray gun tool, vapor respirator, sand paper, wax & grease stripper, tape, masking film, and tack cloths all come in at around $80. That’s about a fifth of what a mobile dent repair would charge, and roughly 10% of a body shop bill.

Before getting too enthusiastic, let’s think about the second thing needed for this project; you should be meticulous. If you’re inclined to cut corners or lack the time and patience, just pay someone.

Here’s what I mean when I say meticulous: If you don’t know how to sand a car, are you willing to take the time to learn? Are you willing to wait the drying times for fillers, primer, and paint before moving forward? Will you read the instructions that come with the materials? If you can’t truly be meticulous, but you want a good job, follow my earlier recommendation and pay someone.

If you are willing to do this the right way, you may find this opens a lot of doors. For example, many people want AMG bumper covers and side skirts, but they hold off until they find a set in their color. If you can paint, you don’t have to. Just buy a set and paint them. The same applies to anything you need painted.

To get started, you’ll need a clean car. Wash it thoroughly - and this is the only time you should ever use dishwashing soap to clean a panel.

I use P21S, but the results are the

same; the contaminants are removed. Rinse the car and make sure it’s completely dry. I use an air hose to blow out the edges and cracks.

After cleaning the panel, wipe the surface with the wax and grease remover. This will remove any oils and grease. If you don't, whatever you do next will drive all those contaminates down into the finish or metal. They won't stay there, though. You’ll see them again after you’ve finished, and they may ruin the paint job.

Regardless as to whether you need bodywork, you’re going to have to tape the car. Your paint supplier has automotive grade masking tape, paper, and pre-taped film. That’s what you should use to mask any areas where you don't want primer or paint. Some people use newspaper, but newspaper has lint. Always run lines of tape along the edges of the paper to completely seal it.

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Those paper edges should be taped down so they don’t blow open during spraying. Doorjambs should be taped shut before spraying primer or paint anywhere near them. When taping, don’t make a hard line in the middle of a panel. If you’ve ever seen a square patch of primer, that’s what you want to avoid. The edge of the square is higher than the paint and will have to be sanded before being painted.

If you need bodywork, the panels should be straight. If filler is needed, it shouldn’t be used to span a gap or applied thicker than 1/8 of an inch. Naturally, it should never be used over rust. The purpose of filler is to smooth the surface of sheet metal. When you mix the filler, do it on a plastic mix board or on a piece of sheet metal. You don’t want to mix it on anything that will absorb the resins in the filler. Use a plastic spreader to mix it, and try not to trap air in it while mixing. After the filler is mixed, it should have a smooth even color.

When spreading the filler on the bodywork, use a plastic spreader to apply it and wipe it smoothly in one direction.

Some people sand the filler as soon as it hardens. However, if you let it sit a day (or two) you’ll know it’s done shrinking. That’s a personal preference and an advantage to doing it yourself.

When you start sanding, use 80 grit paper to rough out the filler. Finish sanding with 180 grit sandpaper. If any places were too low for the sandpaper, you’ll need another coat of filler. If you have to add a new coat of filler, hand sand the low areas so the next coat can have some bite.

Make sure to blow the dust off.

Depending on the area, you may want to make another pass with a fine filling glaze. The glaze will fill the scratches in the filler. The glaze should be sanded with 180 grit and finished with 280 or 320 grit sandpaper.

Sanding is important and if you get it wrong, you may see your mistake after you’ve applied the paint. Using the palm of your hand or your fingertips is the wrong way to do it. Use a sanding block or board to get the surface smooth. For large flat areas, use a long board sander. For long smooth curves, use a flexible sander. For everything in-between, there are short blocks, round blocks, square blocks, soft blocks and hard blocks. The basic premise is to use a block sander to smooth minor surfaces waves and imperfections. Sanding works best when the sandpaper makes full, even contact with the surface. Also, for a large panel, sand in an “X” pattern. If you sand in a simple back and forth motion, you’ll make a flat spot.

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Now you’re ready for primer. Do not spray primer, paint or clear coat in direct sunlight.

If you’re going to use an airbrush or an HVLP paint gun, make sure you don’t have water vapor or oil vapor passing through the airlines from the compressor. Moisture will contaminate your work.

An oil/water separator is inexpensive and will save you from having to redo the job. If you’re using Automotive Touch Up’s aerosol cans, this isn’t a problem.

If you find yourself using an epoxy or etch primer, those are not made to provide fill or to be sanded. They're designed to protect metal and to give regular build primer something to adhere to. Epoxy primer is used because build primer can peel from bare metal. If it does, the paint on that primer goes with it. The rule is, if you sand down to metal, use epoxy primer first then build primer. Read the cure time for all primers.

Apply the primer in thin, even coats. Plan on three coats to completely cover the surface. Don't apply too much primer too fast because thick coats will cause problems. After the primer has cured, use 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper to smooth out the surface. Next, clean and dry the area.

Replace any masking tape and paper that have dust.

If you use guide coat, that will show you if the panel is as flat and smooth as possible. To use guide coat, lightly mist it over the primer. If you remove all the guide coat pretty evenly as you sand, that’s it, you’re done. If the guide coat shows areas that aren't sanded, those areas are low. If you remove some areas quickly, those areas are high.

Got low areas? You’ll have to hand scuff those areas so the new primer will stick. Then clean, prime, and start sanding again. You did say you wanted perfection, right?

After sanding, you’re finally ready for paint.

To properly blend new paint into an existing panel, start spraying before the bodywork, and bring the sprayer in between 8 and 10 inches away from the surface, perpendicular to the body panel. Then pull away as you get to the car’s good paint. sprayer moving.

Always keep the

If it looks like part of the

body was missed, you’ll get it on the next pass. Only spray from side to side, not up and down. Apply four coats, waiting however long the paint supplier says you should between Page | 70

coats.

If you make a mistake while spraying, continue spraying the current coat of paint.

However, do not apply the next coat of paint until the mistake has been repaired. If it’s paint buildup or a run, use a piece of sandpaper to lightly sand away the mishap. It’s important to allow the paint to dry before correcting mistakes.

Following the paint manufacturer’s instructions, wait before applying the clear.

While you’re

waiting for the basecoat to dry, you may notice the new paint doesn’t shine like the surrounding paint. That’s normal. The clear is what makes the paint shine. Clear is sprayed just like the basecoat.

Depending on the paint, clear coat can either lighten or darken the paint. Holding the sprayer further away lightens the color. Using it closer darkens it. Naturally, using it too close or too far is bad. This is a technique that requires practice.

After the clear is cured, wait a day before sanding out orange peel or any dust in the clear coat.

The sanding should be done with 1500 wet sandpaper, followed by rubbing compound. This will really bring out the gloss.

Now that you’re done, as tempting as it is, don’t wax the car for 30 days.

The one thing we haven’t touched on is proficiency. Before your first paint job, you may want to practice. Practice is the only way I know of becoming good at this. Many people practice with a car panel from a salvage yard or a piece of steel from a home improvement center. Sand it, prime it, sand it, paint it, shoot the clear, and let it cure. Afterwards, scratch the panel and fix it again.

If you’re happy with the panel, you’ll be happy with your car.

The results of a DIY job can be surprisingly good. I’ve had people ask me if an entire car can be painted in a garage at home. Yes, but a body shop would be much better. Dust will settle on a large flat surface like a hood, trunk or roof, and a clean room is needed to prevent it. However, for touch up, you have three choices – body shop, a mobile repair, or you. All three are capable of performing a good job at three different price points.

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

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at

Monsoon Automotive “I just learned things I didn’t know I didn’t know!” was the exclamation from a participant in the tech session event at Monsoon Automotive in Tucson, Arizona. his comment expressed everyone’s appreciation for the March 19, 2016 , event hosted by the Chaparral Section. Rick Becker and Seth Levy, assisted by Ross Rubado, started with an hour long explanation of Mercedes fluids and lubricants, which ones to use, when to change them, and the consequences of improper use.

In the second hour with an ’88 560SL on the rack next to an ’08 C300, a discussion and comparison of Mercedes engineering and design and its evolution with respect to engines, suspensions, drive trains, and even tires held everyone’s attention. Questions and answers flew back and forth, and a respectful admission of “I don’t know the answer to that,” to a very few questions kept the discussion going. Using some Mercedes brake parts held up next to some non-Mercedes brake parts reinforced just what it is that makes us all such enthusiasts of our chosen marque.

Requests for another tech session soon closed out our meeting. Soon, very soon.

The Mercedes-Benz Experts at Monsoon Automotive

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

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By John and Roberta Phin

hat a great turnout and event! Fifty-five “Enthusiasts” met at Maggiano’s Little Italy to celebrate the culmination of the Auction Week in the Valley and to participate in the special events lined up at the dinner. It was a perfect evening for our Car Show, which featured twelve member cars competing for the “People’s Choice” award. Lou Gordon of Schumacher European MB brought in three new cars, a 2016 CLA, GLA and GLE. We had some of the best of the collector cars and the new cars of our favorite marque right there outside our banquet room! Could it get better than that?

Yes, it could! Dinner was wonderful, with lots of choice of delicious appetizers, salads, pasta, entrees and dessert. The camaraderie was great as usual; this group enjoys getting together and having fun! The “People’s Choice” award was presented to Chuck and Ava Stanford for their A W113 chassis, 280 SL "Pagoda" wearing the license plate "CONCOURS". The Stanfords had to overcome competition that included an R-129 Anniversary Edition" and a SL 600 "Silver Arrow", amongst other fine member cars.

There was also a contest where participants submitted (earlier in the week) estimated auction results for three Mercedes; a 1981 280CE, a 2001 CL600, and a 1976 450SE. These cars were chosen by John Phin because they were accessible, entry level collector cars, and while they were The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

acknowledged by experts as likely for future appreciation, they would provide an enjoyable owner experience in the near term. David Lindau was the winner of this contest, having come closest to the aggregate of the three final sales prices.

Andy Reid of Hayden Wood Insurance Agency, Inc. and Dave Tobin, Editor of the SL Market Letter returned again this year and gave us their take on the events of the week. They highlighted some of the trends in the auctions, indicated where in their opinion some of the prices had topped out, and where there might continue to be appreciation over coming years. We were treated to both personal stories of ownership, and market information for the would-be investor. We did have some auction pictures to provide a back drop to the talk, and the group’s questions were addressed. Both Andy Reid and Dave Tobin had arranged for auction tours for our group, and they discussed highlights from those specifically.

Above left, the stunning private room

Chuck Sandford accepts the “People Choice Award” for his 1970 280SL;

Dave Tobin arranged for us to tour the Gooding & Co. auction. Garth Hammers of Gooding & Co. took our group of Desert Stars on a highly informative tour of cars consigned for auction. In addition to a threesome of competition Porsches consigned by Jerry Seinfeld, we saw “his and hers” barn find roadsters, a 300 SL and 190 SL. Also on display was the ’56 300 C station wagon custom built by Binz that we have all seen in “The Star” magazine. Other noteworthy MercedesBenz automobiles included a 2008 Mc Laren SLR and ’65 300 SE Coupe that was really special. A good supply of 280, 300 and 560 SLs was on offer too. Many thanks to the staff of Gooding & Co. for a fine and educational experience.

Andy Reid of Hayden Wood gave us a guided tour of cars consigned for auction by RM Sothebys.

Cars on offer included classic and exotic cars including a 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder. Noteworthy Mercedes-Benz automobiles included a 1937 540K Special Roadster, ’52 300 Cabriolet D, ’57 Page | 76

300Sc Cabriolet A, and a lovely ’70 280 SE 3.5 Coupe and ’79 SEL 6.9. In addition to the usual 280 and 300 SLs on offer, the star for us might have been an ’89 560 SEC AMG “Wide Body” straight off the set of “Miami Vice” (LOL). Thanks again to RM Sothebys and Andy Reid for making his event possible and fun for Desert Stars.

We can hardly wait for next year!!! This annual event gets more interesting and fun each year, so hope to see you all in 2017.

Directly above: Chuck Sandford’s award winning 280 SL;

Left: David Lindau accepts his Auction Price Contest Winner.

Below left and below right are Dave Tobin and Andy Reid who educated the attendees

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

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The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

From the San Diego Section

ven after living in San Diego since the sixties I continue to see sights that I have never seen before nor heard of. What a beautiful city we live in and the weather is to die for (OK, maybe a bit dry but--). Our brethren in the East of our great nation are just now beginning to talk about getting their prize Mercedes-Benz out of wraps and going for a drive, like maybe in April! There is no way the weather could have been more perfect for this top down drive.

Vice President Victoria hurrying to join the group and get her driving directions.

L to R Dan, Rose, Denise, President Michael and Rudy appear to be listening to the directions from Tour Director and Director of First Impressions Diana Kruse.

VP Victoria, in the Foster Grants listens as Diana tells the eager drivers "what it is going to be like on this tour". Note clip board and pencil the working tools of a rallye master or tour director.

Departing Tom Ham's Lighthouse our first stop was the Friendship Bell given to the City of San Diego by the people of Yokohama, Japan in 1958 as part of the centennial celebration of the formal relationship between Japan and the United States. Yokohama and San Diego are also Sister Cities. From here our leaders Brian and Diana Kruse took us through the Point Loma community to the National Cemetery overlooking the Pacific Ocean, San Diego Bay and the cities of Coronado and San Diego.

Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Photos cannot do justice to the beauty of this setting. The first military burials were the re-interment of soldiers killed in the Battle of San Pasqual, near Escondido Ca during the Mexican American War. The second burial was sailors killed in the explosion of the USS Bennington in 1905 killing 66 sailors and wounding the remainder of the crew. The cemetery was then called the Bennington National Cemetery. In 1934 it was designated a National Cemetery. There are 24 Medal of Honor awardees interred here.

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Lunch was prepared for us by the Kaiserhof in Point Loma. If you like authentic German food this is the place to go. This is the place to have an Oktoberfest celebration. Maybe we should do that this year!

A hungry bunch of Mercedes-Benz folk ready for lunch. Smiling for us is Rose Gibbs and husband Wess, Harry and Ellie Andreades, Denise Cooper and hidden next to Denise is Michael, VP Victoria Mazelli, Judy and Oskar Kristen, Brian and Diana Kruse, Joanne Barnard, Rose Bolton and Rudy Wokoek.

Mateo Pedro

Kathy and Dan Kremer

Ellie and Harry Andreades San Francisco Bay Area Section members. They are new members to our MBCA Community. Thank you for joining us.

Oskar and Judy lead the pack in their freshly restored 190SL. I believe the car behind Osker is Victoria. We are back on the road after lunch driving through the scenic routes in La Jolla and Ocean Beach bound for Mt Soledad and the Memorial Cross. I must comment once again on how many comments I heard from our group about how long they had lived in San Diego and had never seen many the sights we were seeing.

More driving events are in the works so stay tuned.

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Left: The Mt. Soledad Memorial. As you can see some of our group climbed to the top.

Below: View from Mt Soledad toward the north east. Mt Soledad is 863 feet above sea level and provides quite a view of the city.

Left: There are a number of walls circling the memorial depicting photos and a brief history of the veterans honored at the memorial.

Paying attention and following directions paid off for Denise and Michael as they were the prize winners of a genuine Mercedes-Benz thermos beverage mug.

Don't how it knows but, it keeps liquids either hot or cold!

The Tour Director's prize was awarded to the team who observed and counted the correct number of these signs during our tour of Americas Finest City. How many of you have ever noticed these signs as you motor around the city?

Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery The obligatory group shot which nearly always fails to include everyone.

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Left: Someone is missing? Looking to the west for clues. Bob Gunthorp has hands on head is despair?

Below: Follow the Star and the president

Left and below: End of the line. Due to an accident and road closure on Sea World drive the group was forced to disperse like a covey of quail and not everyone made it to the quickly designated regroup point. One of those times when cell phone is appreciat-ed.

The tour director quickly took charge and we had an awards ceremony in the Caltrans parking lot. Fortunately the winner had made it to the spot.

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

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The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

From the Orange County Section

he Orange County section just finished its first major event in 2016, a road trip to Las Vegas. The club provided a hospitality suite at the Orleans Hotel where we hosted a lively reception on Friday evening for our members and the Las Vegas section. Marlyn Ortiz provided maps and information for visiting some of the major attractions in the area. We thank her for her efforts in planning and coordinating this event.

On Saturday we all departed to see some of the local sites. Some went to the Mob Museum, some to visit the strip and others went to tour the Hoover Dam area and the new bridge. At 5:00 pm on Saturday we all regrouped for happy hour to share our experiences and prepare for a buffet dinner. We were really happy to have our new regional director Bud Cloninger join us. This gave all of our members a chance to meet Bud, get his feeling about his new job and learn about how other sections are doing.

On Sunday the Orange County section was invited to brunch at the Spanish Trail Country Club by the Las Vegas section. The Las Vegas section had a really good turnout and everyone made us feel more than welcome. It was suggested that we get together more often for group activities. On Sunday afternoon we took advantage of the two for one bowling at the Orleans Hotel and had our own section bowling tournament. We were all pretty pathetic bowlers but we had a great time anyway. The winners each received a nice bottle of wine.

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The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

was born on a farm in NW Iowa, grew up working the farm, and in a grocery store‌.

Always involved with motor vehicles, I drove a school bus to high school when 17 years old under the then Iowa laws.

Upon high school graduation, joined the Air Force, went to tech school and was stationed at Holloman AFB NM, where we flight tested and sled tested inertial navigation systems in C-130, C-131, and a F-106B. Heavy stuff for a 19-year-old! While at Holloman, completed my first two years of college at NMSU, and later graduated from Coe College in Cedar Rapids, IA. After the USAF I joined Collins Radio Company in Cedar Rapids as a technical writer, then flight testing of flight control systems, managed trade shows, and became the regional sales manager for Collins in Wichita, KS handling Learjet, Cessna, and Beech aircraft as the major clients.

In 1994 Lillian and I moved to Tucson where I became the western US and Canada sales manager for Collins.

I retired after 34 years with Collins, and formed my own aircraft brokering company, ZonnAir LLC. Lillian and I have been married for 27 years, and have three daughters, one son, eight grandchildren and three great grandchildren!

Lillian first turned me on to Mercedes since she had a 1978 300SE that she purchased in Germany.

Other interests include flying as I am a commercial pilot, flight instructor, flight instructor instruments, airplane single and multi engine land, and a ham radio operator.

My favorite Mercedes are the R 107 series cars, 560SL, 450SL, and 380 SL It has been an honor to serve as the Chaparral Section president for the past several years!.

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The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

By Ken Borowitz

n this edition of “Sponsor Spotlight”, we are refocusing and repositioning our “spotlight” on Airpark Collision Center of Scottsdale, located at 7333 E. Butherus Dr. Suite A-200, Scottsdale, Arizona 85260 (just west of Scottsdale Municipal Airport, between Scottsdale Road and Greenway-Hayden Road).

Airpark Collision Center is a family owned and operated by Gerald and Tina Small. They opened the shop in 2006, and their current motto is “Restoring Your Vehicle to its Pre-Collision State!” Airpark Collision has also been a host site for several MBCA Desert Stars “Tech Sessions” over the last few years.

Q: Gerald, and Tina, tell us a little about Airpark Collision’s history A: (Gerald) I opened Airpark Collision Center in 2006 after working as a technician for over 25 years. I was striving to create a repair facility that had 3 goals in mind: a) pride in craftsmanship, b) served customers honestly, and c) completed the project on time. Since opening the shop in 2006, we’ve retained the same goals, and continue to hire only master technicians, most with over 25 years of experience. Our technicians complete annual training so they are up to date on the latest repair methods.

Q: What are the main products and services you offer at Airpark Collision?

A: (Tina) We are a full-service auto body paint and repair shop. That means anything from dings, dents, and scratches, to major collision repairs. We service all makes and models, with a specialization on high-end makes like Mercedes. Regardless of the project size, our emphasis is ensuring a quality result and excellent customer service for every client.

Q: Are there any special qualifications that Airpark Collision’s has?

A: (Tina) We pride ourselves on specialized training and equipment. Each year, the technicians attend recertification classes, which allows them to understand the new technology on vehicles,

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how to repair them, and learn the latest industry repair techniques. Collectively, the team has over 160 years of experience. We apply that experience to more than a 1000 vehicles a year! We are a certified repair facility for many makes, and recognized as an industry leader by many organizations. Additionally, Airpark Collision Center is I-CAR Gold Class Certified, meaning we have earned the highest certification in the industry. Only 10% of body shops nationwide have achieved this status.

Q: Besides the collision repairs and other auto body projects, are there any other special products or services you provide?

A: (Gerald) We can add window tinting, clear bra protection, customization tail lights, and fix curb rash on wheels. If you lease a vehicle, we can help with pre-return repairs before your inspection.

Q: You have been very supportive to the Desert Stars members over the last few years opening your doors as host for Tech Sessions. What do you like most about these events, and is there anything that ACC takes away from the sessions that is incorporated back into your daily processes?

A: We love hosting events and meeting the members! It gives us a good feeling to share what we know about repairs and insurance claims. This is something we work with every day and find sharing our knowledge very rewarding. The Q & A sessions also help us understand what consumers would like to know about our process. We can then take those ideas and use them for our blog and Facebook page.

Q: Tell us more about yourselves, and what you like to do away from the shop?

A: Gerald is a golfer, and we both enjoy off-roading on our Razor. We have one grown child who recently graduated college and lives in San Francisco.

Q: What are the most interesting Benz and non-Benz projects that you’ve worked on?

A: Over the years we have worked on several sports figures vehicles, news anchormen, and even a few of Alice Cooper's and Michelle Pfeiffer's vehicles. One of Alice's cars was a 1955 MercedesBenz 300SL Gullwing that went on the auction block at Barrett Jackson. We also restored an antique Rolls Royce for a Cardinal's football player, and painted it flat black per his request. Many customers like to personalize their vehicle or have a specific objective. We love helping to make that happen.

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Q: What are your business hours?

A: We are open Monday thru Friday from 7:30am to 5:30pm. We can set up an off-hours appointment if there’s a special need. Call the office with as much advance notice as possible. We can also write simple estimates via email if good photos and a VIN are submitted.

Q: Anything else you want our MBCA members to know about Airpark Collision?

A: (Gerald) We want Mercedes owners to know that we really enjoy working with them and we strive to make their repair experience the best in the valley. We are committed to returning our client’s vehicle to original condition. We choose not to compete with national chains that are focused on volume and not quality. We strive for top-notch repair work and customer service, and that’s why about 60% of our monthly business comes from repeat customers and referrals.

Airpark

Collision

Center

can

be

reached

at

480-922-3006,

or

by

email

Gerald@airparkcollisioncenter.com.

Be sure to also check them out on the web at http://www.collisioncenternorthscottsdale.com, and on Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, or Angie’s List.

Thank You Gerald and Tina for your continued support of MBCA and Desert Stars!

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at

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

By Kathy Wilber

s the day began, the sky didn’t look promising for our yearly pilgrimage to The Cliff House Inn’s Shoals Restaurant. As we departed, a few raindrops started to threaten our day’s enjoyment. Thankfully, the raindrops stopped, the sun came out, and our spirits rose. We were going to have another lovely day!

Although the sun was shining brightly, by the time we arrived the temperature was still quite cool and the wind had picked up. Donna, of the Shoals restaurant, welcomed us warmly and had wisely made a quick adjustment - setting up the indoor dining room. Even though we were seated inside, we still had a wonderful view of the ocean waves as they broke over the large rocks then floated off like myriad clusters of butterflies.

After dining on the many delicious brunch entrees, it was time for the raffle. Every basket was beautifully decorated (Thank you Tamara), and everyone who had a winning ticket was delighted.

As the afternoon drew to a close, we all agreed that this was a wonderful afternoon. One that allowed us to relax and enjoy the company of our great Mercedes friends.

Thank you all for your participation.

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The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

ow! We are really sorry that some of you missed out on this Tour of two of the finest Automobile museum/displays in the world. If you don't care for automobiles or art, then you didn't miss anything except the friendship and camaraderie with fellow star car owners and drivers. President Michael put together a very nice outing. He could have been an excellent event coordinator if he had chosen that field.

First stop: The Mullen Automotive Museum Wow! What a collection of really beautiful automobiles. Someone called these cars "Sculptures in Motion" and I could not have said it better myself. Since it was an automobile outing we shall begin with the cars and then go on to the art. So let the tour begin. The Mullen Museum is almost exclusively French automobiles.

Left: Our very knowledge docent got our group together, loosely, and we began next to a Hispano-Suiza. As one can see it was built to resemble a yacht

Right above: Looking down on the Hispano-Suiza land yacht and a 1937 Hispano-Suiza Shooting Break. This Shooting Break was purchased by lady for her husband. It came with two bodies one was this shooting break and the other was a cabriolet. Bodies were swapped out in the summer months, one would guess.

Below and right is a 1937 Peugeot 402L, one of the worlds first metal disappearing convertible tops, well ahead of Ford.

Above left: It was great to see Dan and Kathy Kremer, members of our section for many years

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All of the art work depicted here was done by one of the Bugatti family members. The Bugatti family was very talented.

The last photo is a family dress design. The race scene depicts a Delahaye leading a Mercedes-Benz W-154 driven by Rudolf Caracciola in the 1938 French Gran Prix. It was the only victory by a French car against the Silver Arrows between 1934 until 1939 Left: Part of the group went to the Heritage Square in Old Oxnard for lunch at the La Dolce Vita.

Excellent food!

Left: Saturday evening we met at the Maison Richard in Hollywood for dinner. In the foreground is Kathryn Kremer and on her left is the Kruse family. We were in Hollywood the evening before the Academy Awards so Hollywood was more Hollywood than normal. Many streets were closed and there were a lot of people. It was very exciting.

After a delicious dinner Saturday evening we retired to the hotel for an "after glow party", I love that word. Sunday morning after leisurely breakfast we motored over to the Petersen Museum Left: We began our visit with a guided tour of "The Vault" where we saw our first Mercedes, a 1923 model built to race and was powered by a 7.2 liter aircraft engine. It raced in the Targa Florio and finished 8th. The car next to it is a 1929 DuPont Speedster sporting a straight 8, 125 HP engine.

Right: We were greeted in the Grand Salon by this stunning 193 Mercedes-Benz 540K Autobahn-Kurier Below: 1938 Delahey V-12 designed by Fiona et Falaschi. It is rumored that this automobile was built to beat Hitler. It was not successful as Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union were dominating the racing world in that era.

Above is the famed 1954 Mercedes-Benz W-196, the basis for the Gullwing, driven by Sir Sterling Moss and Juan Fangio to numerous victories in the 1954 and 1955 racing seasons until Mercedes-Benz retired from racing after the Le Mans accident in 1955. Fantastic weekend with the greatest people in the world, members of the MBCA San Diego Section.

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

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The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

by Beverly Maddalone

ongratulations to Lynn and Marilyn Davison!

After completing our Section’s History Drive and Dine event on January 16, 2016, they are the first AZ Passport Program participants to complete the required visits to 12 iconic Arizona places covering all four Program sections.

Lynn and Marilyn began their adventure in Arizona on October 1 and took part in our Kick-off event at Pine Top, AZ, on October 3-4, 2015. Their travels, have taken them from Tucson, north to Sedona, Jerome, on to Rt. 66, Meteor Crater, the Grand Canyon, Four Corners, Canyon de Chelly, Petrified Forest, Coronado Trail, Whiskey Row in Prescott, Bisbee, and the Pima Air and Space Museum. Lynn participated in our January 16, 2016 History Drive and Dine car rally and added three more iconic destinations to his AZ Passport: Mission San Xavier del Bac, AZ Sonora Desert Museum, plus Saguaro National Park - West.

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Lynn and Marilyn say they are looking forward to visiting more iconic places to add to their AZ Passport over the next year and through the conclusion of the Program on October 1, 2017. Will they visit all 32 destinations? Stay tuned.

Your Chaparral Section has plans for future driving events that will take you to destinations included in the AZ Passport Program. If you want to join the Davison’s and other Section and MBCA members on the road to your own AZ adventure, please contact Beverly Maddalone, the Program Administrator, at bmadd732@att.net, to register and receive “The Rules of the Road.”

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

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The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

By Terry Horne & Penny Bonomo

hat a beautiful day for touring the East Valley. Checking in at Mercedes-Benz of Chandler, everyone received their personalized MBCA logo coasters and "Survival Kit". 39 High Stake Gamblers with 18 vehicles participated. We got to chat with one another and MercedesBenz of Chandler provided sandwiches, soda, & water. After getting a group photo and the first card we were of off to Falcon Field in Mesa.

The Commemorative Air Force Museum gave us a quick tour of Aviation History with a lot of different aircraft to look at and hear about. Their flagship aircraft is the B-17 and the B-25, both WWII Bombers.

Heading South to central Chandler was our next destination. Steel Dreamz brought us back with automotive memories with a warehouse filled with Collector Cars. They rebuild, buy, and sell old and newer collector vehicles World Wide.

Heading South again thru Downtown Chandler, we ended up in a rural area of the valley. The Arizona Railway Museum was the next stop. "All Aboard!” The "Iron Horse" provided the fastest method of transportation and shipping goods for almost a century.

They had many different

examples of the Rail Road history. Some of us took a tour of the Coach Cars. We also got to climb on the old steam engine to explore it and ring the bell.

Our last stop was Rustlers Roost were we got the last card, something to quench our thirst, reflect about the day, and ate dinner.

Lastly, awards were presented. For the second year in a row 1st Place goes to Ron & Rhonda Borino. 2nd place went to Ken & Lori Borowitz, and a second 2nd place to Chuck & Ava Stanford.

3rd place went to Harmon & Susan Cadis. Last, but not least, but ‘Worst Hand’, receiving the Lucky Horse Shoe, went to Carey & Kathy Hobson.

Thanks again to everyone that participated in this year’s Poker Run. Page | 104

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Page | 106

By Michael Cooper

he 22nd Annual Collector Car Show was held on Saturday, January 30, 2016. Seven of our members and guests first met at the Cow Palace Restaurant in Amado, Arizona, for a wonderful breakfast. Those in attendance were Lynn Davi-son, Ken George, Bob Pascalar, Michael Turner, Michael Cooper, Tom Murphy, and Don Lathrop along with Tom’s and Don’s wives.

After breakfast around 9:00 am. we all drove together to the Tubac Golf Resort and parked in the club’s driving range in our assigned row where there were over 430 cars and motorcycles who were also entered in this show.

In the Mercedes Benz Class Number 20, (there were a total of 22 classes) there were 11 cars of which most were MBCA Chaparral members. Lynda Bothworth’s 1960 190 SL won the class, Michael Cooper was second with his 1980 280 SL and a nonmember was third place with his 2009 SLK.

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

by Steve Ross

ho are we? Well as I see it we are a diverse group of human beings. We range from insanely fun loving crazy to judicially serious, barely literate to extremely well educated, talented to not so talented, financially situated ranging from those who have a pot but no window to those who are really comfortable. We are brought together with one thing in common, the Mercedes-Benz automobile. With regard to the Mercedes-Benz our emotions range from our Benz is OK to insanely passionate about the marquee. We are conversant on any subject EXCEPT religion and politics. These topics are never discussed as it was determined long ago that none of us have the knowledge, intelligence or emotional temperament to discuss these topics intelligently.

Our goal: To have fun and enjoy our Star Cars while making new friends and nurturing old friendships. We kick tires, share information about cars or fashions, we may wine and dine, go to a play, drive around leisurely or rallye for the big prize, go to a shop for technical information and suggestions on how to better care for our automobile. On special occasions we actually go to a race track where we receive safe driving instruction, 99% of us need this training, then you and that fire breathing machine are cut loose to run the course for that elusive prize. In addition to all this you may receive deep discounts on service at many of our Mercedes-Benz dealers, independent shops as well many other services that are listed in the National Star Magazine and on the MBCA website. I know this is all about saving money and who the heck wants to do that, right?

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If you have been reluctant to join us for any reason we are confident that you will have a good time. We love every-body, seriously (you may even drive your Lexus if ya want)! All we are asking is give us a chance to help you and us enjoy your Mercedes-Benz automobile and the nice people who own and drive them.

SEE YA AROUND and remember our motto "if you ain't havin fun you ain't doing it right.

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

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The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

n January 16, 2016 the Chaparral Section enjoyed a local historic drive created by member Tracy Long. Starting with the scenic Gates Pass, 28 of us in 15 Mercedes cars enjoyed the twisty mountain road over the Tucson mountains.

At the Saguaro National Park we

enjoyed Mike Bailey’s description of the area before launching for the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum, where Mike continued his tales of Tucson history. Next up was Old Tucson Studios, a famous movie set used for many years for many John Wayne pictures. San Xavier del Bac mission church was next. This is one of the oldest buildings in America still standing and used daily on the Tohono O’Odham reservation. The Saguaro National Park, Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, and San Xavier are all sites on the Arizona Passport, so photos taken at these sites can be used for Passport completion.

One of our members finished up all 12 required sites and thus was the first to finish the Passport program. He says he’s going to continue visiting additional sites on the Passport program. A fantastic Mexican meal at the nationally famous El Charro restaurant in downtown Tucson served as our finale. Everyone enjoyed eating at the original home of the Chimichanga. And the margaritas weren’t too bad either! At this site, the waiter told us the story of the family who originated the restaurant nearby and still owns and operates it today. Mike Bailey’s narratives, the photo opportunities, and a January day filled with warm temperatures, sunshine, and blue skies made this one of the best events ever

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The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

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The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

The Desert Stars Section’s President’s Desk

By Debbie Ichiyama

ith summer rapidly approaching, I would like to wish safe travels to all our members who head to cooler climates for the summer months. For those of you who stay in the Valley, join us for some fun events this summer including a Star Night, “Escape the Heat” trip to Flagstaff and the September Havasupai Rallye and Dinner. Details on these events can be found in the StarDust Newsletter.

Whether you are staying in the Valley for the summer or heading out, don’t forget that our cars need a little extra attention in the heat.

Here are some important tips from idrivesafely.com: Check Your Fluids You can save yourself a lot of hassle in the hot-weather months by monitoring your car’s fluids.

Fluids that you should check include: Coolant: This is the big one. If your coolant/antifreeze level is too low, it can cause overheating. Also, Motor oil - Transmission fluid - Brake fluid Powersteering fluid - Windshield wiper fluid Have Your Car’s Belts and Hoses Inspected If you’re a car expert, you can examine the belts and hoses in your vehicle yourself—but if you’re like most of us, you’re better off having a professional mechanic look them over. Intense heat can cause cracking, blistering, and other damage to your belts and hoses, and they may need to be replaced.

If It’s Close to It’s Time, Replace Your Battery If your car has an old battery, extreme summer heat can spell trouble. To avoid expensive repairs, it’s worth having your car’s battery tested, or even replaced–getting a new battery altogether will cost you less than it would to have a dead battery serviced if your car breaks down.

Monitor Your Tire Pressure It’s a good idea to check your tire pressure each time you visit the gas station (or, if you own a tire pressure gauge, you can do this at home). Your tires actually expand when exposed to heat, and keeping them at the proper pressure will ensure that your vehicle doesn’t suffer from any issues.

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Be Prepared An emergency vehicle kit is something that you should keep in your car year-round, but in both the winter and the summer, having one becomes especially important. Your kit should be stored somewhere safe and accessible, and should include the following items:Jumper cables, a flashlight, road flares, water, nonperishable food items, a first aid kit Keep Your Car’s Interior Cool Having the right amount of coolant for your engine is essential, but on extremely hot summer days, having a vehicle interior that is cool enough for you to actually drive in is important too.

Before the heat hits too hard, make sure your air conditioning system is running properly. If your vehicle has a cabin air filter, have it inspected (and replaced, if necessary) so that you can get the most out of your cooling system.

Finally, if you’re a DIY type of Desert Star, your MBCA membership entitles you to a discount on parts and labor at all of the Mercedes Benz dealers in the Valley, just be sure to have your current membership card on hand at the cashier!

New Star Dust Section Members, “Welcome!”

Andy Bryans, Bob Griffith, Christopher Murphy, Ellen Savoini, Jim Strohmeyer, John Seelige, Juan Urrea, Kathy Rohacz, Kevin Steele, Larry Stephenson, Lee Watkins, Linda Lyberg, Mark Davis, Michael Ferrera, Michael Goodwin, Michael Reid, Robert Hoag, Scott Hall, Terrell Lassetter, William Martin, and Yusuf Alkazi

More Than a Car | We’re a Community

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

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The Orange County Section’s President’s Desk We are well into the new year now and the Orange County section has just finished its first major event in 2016. Pictures and commentary are shown below under Las Vegas road trip. Our section has a brunch planned for March 20 and there is a regional event in May in which we plan to participate. Otherwise nothing is scheduled until late in the year.

In order to fill this gap in club activity, we need more members to come forward to plan and organize additional activities. The best way to do this is to attend our board meetings and present a plan for an activity that the board can promote. Some activities that have been very successful are: 

Tours through private car collections



Wine tasting events



Car Rally (1.5-2 hours)



Scenic drives and picnics



Technical sessions



MBZ dealer sponsored programs



Dents & dings repair sessions



Tours of business places of interest

Remember you can always find the last newsletter on our web site at www.mboc.info.

- Lynn Hern, We welcome our newest Orange County Section members – Bob Tindel  Christopher Leyel  Jim Minarik  Milaad Forootan  Ralf Zacky  Robert Douk

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Hello Channel Island Members, t’s hard to believe that we’ve said “Farewell” to 2015, “Hello” to 2016, and now 2016 is half over. Throughout 2015 we enjoyed some great activities and we are looking forward to more fun events throughout 2016 We are working with the Long Beach Section in planning a co-hosted Regional Event this month.

In June, we will be the featured car club at the 10th Annual Camarillo Car and Food Truck Show.

At our last board meeting we brought up some ideas for several new events, which you’ll find in our newsletter. Please look over these events and let us know what sounds good and, by all means, make some suggestions too. We greatly appreciate your feedback and suggestions.

2015 was a year of many changes and successes.

Many of these could not have been

accomplished without the participation of our members at the events and the support of our Board Members. Thank You. My best wishes for health and happiness,

Peter Samatha It’s always a pleasure to welcome new members to our Club.

This month I would like to extend a very special welcome to our newest members: Ron Kubitsky of Simi Valley and Richard McArthur of Ojai We are please you chose to become a member of our Channel Islands Section. We look forward to seeing you at one or all of the upcoming events.

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The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

From the Desk of The San Diego Section President

By Michael Cooper

ey Everybody! This past weekend Diana (Director of First Impressions) put together a fantastic driving event. Taking my own advice, my wife Denise and I went along to explore all the fun stuff that San Diego has to offer. I’m sort of embarrassed to admit this, but we were able to check off a large list of places that I have wanted to visit but never had the chance.

Here is my embarrassing list that I checked off with the club this past weekend.

Cabrillo State Park (Check) Mount Soledad Cross (Check) Follow the posted scenic drive (Check) Shelter Island Friendship Bell (Check) Yep, I’ve lived here for 20 years and have never seen these places. Yep, I’m a knucklehead. Not only did we have the opportunity to finally visit these places, but we were able to enjoy them with people we care about and enjoy being around. It was a beautiful afternoon, top down, sun on our faces. All in all a perfect day!

Please take a look at our list of upcoming events and go exploring with us. I guarantee you’ll make some new friends and laugh a little along the way.

Michael Cooper President

New San Diego Section MBCA Members Brehnen Knight  Devona Bloomfield  Edward Sanchez  Janet Diaz  Jeana Boulos Jeff Zook  Joey Costa  Michael Shapiro Airstream  Mike Cohill  Richard Kuffner Roderick Freeman 1972 280E (Welcome back!)  Sharon Symons  Steve Fraioli Airstream

A hearty welcome to all our new members.

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The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

i all I cannot tell you where the year has gone. It's May already!

The club has had a busy start this year, and I want to thank the club members who have volunteered to join our board. The help is much appreciated. As you'll see in the following pages, your club has some really great activities lined up for your enjoyment. Check your calendars and mark the days. As I mention regularly, club members are always invited to be part of y our board and to help with the events. Call me any time if you have ideas and let's get involved.

I look forward to seeing you at future events. Have a fun driving experience with your Mercedes-Benz.

The year is moving quickly, so mark your calendar for the next club event. I’ll be at the Petersen for the Breakfast Drive-In and I hope to see you there.

Have a great time driving and enjoying your Mercedes-Benz.

A Warm welcome to our newest members: Michael Bartsch, Howard Somer, Andrea Reese, Thomas Susko, Marco Linnes, Chas Rairden, Edward Solis, Donald Pooler, Clay Haskell, Christopher Northup, Derek Leavitt, Mack Lee, and Louis Spisto

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The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

The President’s Desk pring is just around the corner and with our excellent weather it is definitely a pleasure to drive our wonderful Mercedes around Arizona!

Our section has had and is planning some outstanding events for this year. Our sweetheart mixer in February and the recent tech session at Monsoon Motors were outstanding events! If you missed either one, you missed a really fine time. The outstanding Monsoon Motors event hosted by Rick and Seth, both Mercedes master mechanics again taught us how much we don’t know about these fine automobiles, and the careful thought that goes into the design and manufacturer of these high quality automobiles.

The Passport event now in full swing is yet another opportunity to drive our Mercedes around the great state of Arizona with a purpose.

Our Section continues to grow, and our members are

enthusiastic about our cars as well as the social occasions our Section offers!

Remember the benefits of belonging to our Section, invite other Mercedes owners to join in the fun!

Drive safely while enjoying the world’s finest high quality automobile!

For the Chaparral Section,

Mike Zonnefeld President

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The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

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The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

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The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

If you would like to attend an event listed here, please be sure to contact the event coordinator of the hosting section.

This is important as many events require an RSVP so we can know how many people to expect. Also, additional details may be available at the hosting section’s website.

The Desert Stars Section’s Star Night 2.0 at Eddie Merlot’s June 5 at 6 PM Join Desert Stars for an extraordinary dinner at Eddie Merlot’s in Scottsdale on Sunday June 5 at 6 PM. The originators of this highend steak and seafood chain just might like a particular wine varietal enough to name the restaurant in its honor. (Our server will tell us the story.) We’ve sampled the cuisine of this newly opened restaurant and it is as good as it gets! And the extensive wine list is a work of art too. The service and décor are first class and supremely comfortable.

There is easy parking in the large lot at the South East corner of Scottsdale Road and Pinnacle Peak; specific address 23143 N Scottsdale Rd, Scottsdale, AZ. This is a Sunday night in June so the restaurant will be very pleased to see us. Please RSVP to the Phins at jgphin@cox.net by May 29. Note that this is a change of venue and as always there is no need to contact the restaurant as the Phins will make all necessary arrangements. It will be separate checks, order off the full menu as is our custom for Star Nights.

The Chaparral Section’s Lemmon Drive and Dine June11 This traditional drive is always a favorite because it leaves hot Tucson behind for cooler mountain temperatures, a neat road to enjoy with your Mercedes, and the Sawmill Restaurant is always a favorite.

Of course there are other Section gatherings. Don’t forget Cars and Coffee at La Encantada parking lot on the second Saturday of every month. If this is an El Nino winter, the wildflowers Page | 132

should be the best in years. We’ll scope it out and organize a drive to see them, but notice for the drive will be short. Be Ready! Likewise, short notice a little later to see wildflowers on the back road to Coronado Memorial. The first few miles are paved, but the last half is not, so plan on a high clearance ML, GL, or another brand of truck or SUV. This trip is also on the Passport list. See you at an event soon.

MBCA 2016 European Tours June 20th and Sept. 19th

MBCA’s Stuttgart Germany Tour presents the rich heritage of Mercedes-Benz in its home region.

Travelers will enjoy: 

Guided tours of the Carl Benz Museum in Ladenburg



The Daimler Workshop in Bad Cannstatt



AMG facilities in Affalterbach



The Mercedes-Benz Museum and Brand Center in Unterturkheim



The Technical Museum in Sinsheim



The Bad Cannstatt Engine Assembly Plant



The Classic Center in Fellbach and the Sindelfingen assembly plant that covers more ground than the entire principality of Monaco.



AND be one of the first to witness the production of the Mercedes-Benz 2016 CLA Sedan and GLA SUV in Hungary on our G-Wagon tour in Austria and Hungary October 2016 Space is limited! Reserve now to guarantee your slot. Registration form HERE For more information, please contact Jim O'Sullivan at 843.671.2079 or osullivanj55@gmail.com

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

StarFest® 2016!

Wednesday August 3rd- Saturday August 6th, 2016 in NORTHEAST CONNECTICUT

The Minuteman Section invites you to New England for 2016 StarFest®! StarFest® 2016 will take place in Connecticut's "Quiet Corner" with lush Green Valleys and picturesque Hilltop Farms, it's also known as the Antique Capital of Connecticut. From the seashore near the host hotel, to the lush greenery near the host track, the two linked by a short trip on I-395. Spectacular scenery and iconic New England towns await your discovery.

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The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

The Chaparral Section Recurring Ladies Luncheon

Hello, Ladies of Mercedes: 2016 lends itself to be the perfect beginning to bring together the ladies in the club and unite once a month or quarterly for a luncheon affair.

Perhaps we meet for lunch sampling different cuisines or seek out restaurants with special ambience and best of all get to know each other a little better.

Please let me know if you would like to unite for a luncheon every so often.

Please contact me via email: jutta@juttalunario.com Page | 136

Desert Stars Escape the Heat in Flagstaff 2016 August 13-14 By mid-August you just know you will be wishing for some cool mountain air and a getaway that allows you to enjoy your Mercedes, your friends and the beautiful scenery of northern Arizona. We are planning just such an event. We have arranged a great group rate at Little America, king bed rooms, and plan to meet up on Saturday August 12 to tour around the Flagstaff area, hit the ski trails at Snow Bowl which are green and lush in the summer, have lunch, drive some more, tour the Lowell Observatory, enjoy dinner in a great Flagstaff restaurant‌and more. The room rate will pertain to optional arrival on Friday August 11 or Sunday August 13, for those who need to escape just a little sooner or stay a bit longer.

John and Roberta Phin are making the arrangements, and need to know if you plan to participate. Contact us at jgphin@cox.net or raphin@cox.net or 480-2728851 and let us know of your interest. Details will be forthcoming in future publications.

Desert Stars Rock Mountain Regional Event September 9-11

You are cordially invited to join members from other regions and sections in a fascinating drive to Mesa Verde National Park and Four Corners Monument.

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Your event fee will include Hospitality Socials Friday and Saturday evenings with snacks and drinks provided plus event prizes.

Extra expenses to be expected: Discounted hotel room (Holiday Inn at $100 a night - breakfast included), Friday and Saturday dinners, Saturday lunch, park entry fee $10 per car (if you lack a senior pass), optional park tour $4 per person, and Four Corners access fee $5 per person.

Place your own hotel reservation on or before August 9 to secure the discounted group rate. A block of rooms has been set aside for the Mercedes-Benz Club but with no individual reservations.

To reserve your place, make out your event fee check of $35 per person to: MBCA, Mile-High Section.

Mail the check before July 25 to

Michael Davison, 7324 East Fremont Drive, Centennial, Colorado 80112.

Email for more information: mhd539@msn.com Please note your MBCA Section, mailing address, email address and whether you want the later detailed instructions sent as a PDF, MS-Word file or via US Mail.

Chaparral Section’s Kitt Peak Tour & Picnic September 10 We usually do a drive and dine, but with no restaurant on Kitt Peak, we’ll do a picnic. Pot luck anyone? Our resident astronomer, Michael Turner, promises the usual excellent tour and glorious post monsoon weather. Contact Michael Turner @

Desert Stars’ Annual Havasupai Rallye September 24 This is the Desert Stars Annual Rallye and this year we are staying in the Valley for a one day Havasupai Event. The rallye will be fun and friendly, and we advise you to bring your sweet tooth as well as your navigation skills. The day will end with a group dinner and prizes awarded to the rallye winner. So you can participate in Havasupai AND also join Desert Stars on the other road trips planned! There will be more details in future Desert Star newsletter articles and the much loved eblasts!

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The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

MBCA Multi-Regional Event: Mesa Verde National Park & Four Corners September 9, 10 and 11, 2016, From Michael Davison, Rocky Mountain Regional Director You are cordially invited to participate in an event which is still in the planning stage.

I am

organizing a visit to Mesa Verde National Park with a side trip to Four Corners Monument. The idea at present is to meet in Cortez, Colorado on Friday the 9th and check into a hotel or I will schedule ranger-guided tours of two of the park's main attractions. Club members are free to explore other areas of the park as well. The entrance fee to the park is $10 per car for up to four adults in the car. There is no charge for those of us who have a Senior National Parks Pass (now $20 and good for life).

Saturday evening, the 10th, we will enjoy a group dinner tentatively scheduled at Stonefish Sushi & More, 16 W. Main St in Cortez. The owner has graciously agreed to host our group. For those interested, Sunday will include a drive to the Four Corners Monument, 40 miles from Cortez. A five dollar per person fee will be assessed by the Navaho people to enter the reservation on which the monument is located. Only cash is accepted.

Final costs have not yet been determined. I have in mind that each participant will send a check to the Mile-High Section to cover the park tours and Saturday's group dinner. Additional costs will be the hotel stay, meals other than Saturday's dinner, park entry fees and Navaho reservation entry fee. I will apply for a subsidy to reduce each room fee. More information will be forthcoming after I can get some idea of the size of the group.

If you have an interest, sometime before January 16, 2016 please let Debbie Ichiyama know at dichiyama@me.com. Thank you. Michael Davison Rocky Mountain Regional Director – MBCA mhd539@msn.com

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Desert Stars Temecula, California Wine Tasting October 7-10 Approximately ten years ago we did a three-day trip to Temecula, California wine country and I have been asked to repeat that trip. The dates selected are October 7, 8, 9, & 10 (Columbus Day). Temecula is situated about halfway between San Diego and Los Angeles which makes it a half day drive from the Phoenix valley. We will also visit Julian, CA on the way there as well.

If you are interested put it on your calendar and more information will be in the next Desert Stars newsletter.

Chaparral Section visits The Tuscon Classics Car Show October 15 The Tucson Classics Car Show is always a sellout of gorgeous cars and weather and of course supports the Tucson Rotary Club’s charities. Details to follow, but contact Michael Cooper for the latest info.

Chaparral Section visits The Tuscon Classics Car Show November 13

A Sunday trip for a change to Tombstone Arizona and lunch at Big Nose Kate’s. Tracy Long has us all set up for tours, mock gunfights, and a nice drive too. This is one of the Passport Destinations.

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

The 2016 L.A. Summer Concours (LASC); kicking off the city's most exclusive Concours automotive and culinary event, set to take place on Saturday, June 4th from 10AM to 4PM at Gilbert Lindsay Plaza in downtown Los Angeles.

Los Angeles is not only the epicenter of the world’s automotive culture, housing some of the rarest and collectable sports cars, race cars, and vintage cars from around the globe. It has also evolved into one of the United States most desired lifestyle and culinary destinations. Los Angeles Summer Concours will combine these two enthusiastic elements, forming the city's most sought after exclusive event of the summer.

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LASC will provide an intimate and luxurious experience for attendees to get hands-on with the latest cars and concepts from the top manufacturers of performance and luxury vehicles. Guests will indulge in delicious signature drinks, craft beers, and a menu designed by Los Angeles’ famed Chef Mark Peel to complete the all-inclusive experience.

Over 50 million dollars worth of the world’s rarest and expensive automobiles will be on display, ranging from classic Ferrari’s such as the 288 GTO, 275 GTS, F40, and F50, to brand new models like the F12 TDF and La Ferrari. An exceptional collection of Alfa Romeo’s like the 1921 G1 race car and Giulietta SV Alleggerita, Lotus Le Mans race cars, Porsche 906 and 918’s, Red Bull Rally Cars, to the latest models and race cars from Lamborghini, AMG, Nissan, and McLaren.

LASC is extremely limited, with only 500 tickets available at $250 per person. This concept was created to give the automotive connoisseur a unique experience, with direct access to the world's best cars, food, and beverages in an all inclusive experience. General Admission and Automotive Entrant tickets are available immediately.

7th Annual Old Town Newhall Car Show June 26 in Newhall (Santa Clarita) from 9AM until 2 PM.

The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Route 66 East Valley Car Show June 26 from 9 AM until 3 PM. 3033 North Towne Avenue, Pomona, CA 91767– 1 block south of Route 66 (Foothill Boulevard) in Pomona! Rod • Customs • Stocks • VDubs • Awesome Trophies • Free T-shirts • Live Band • Great Food • Vendors • Kid Zone • Raffles • Open to Public!

Open to all pre-1975 cars, hot rods, customs, stocks, VDubs. Space is limited to first 200 cars.

2016 Annual Saleen Car Show and Open House Saturday, September 17th, from 10 AM until 4 PM. At Saleen Headquarters: 2735 Wardlow Road, Corona, CA 92882

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The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

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The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

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The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

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The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

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The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

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The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

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The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

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