Ultimate Auto-RX test? May be...

[Norm Olt]

To make a long story short, the 1973 Mercedes Benz 450SE I bought last week had 272,xxx miles on it as opposed to the 072,xxx on the odometer.

The good news: I

caught the seller yesterday and he went by-by in cuffs to the jail for booking on odometer tampering (a Class-C felony), possible charges of identity theft (he signed a receipt for the down payment posing as the original owner of 30 years)& forgery (both felonies), theft by deception (fraud), etc.

Other good news is that the vehicle was not stolen. But... 272 THOUSAND MILES!

Anywho... In went LongLife 15W-40, a new filter and 16 oz. of Auto-RX. Out went a quart of ATF and in went 6 oz. of Auto-RX in the ol' tranny.

"KARMA" (as designated by the wife) is running very well, starts & shifts smoothly, rev's up and drives like a champ, idles pretty smoothly, and is in pretty fine shape overall. I'm probably going to replace the back seat & cushions (MB calls 'em pads) but not necessarilly in leather. Maybe a repair will do.

This should be a true test for the Auto-Rx: I am using the Purolater oil filters during these applications cause they are not going to be on for very long and are easier to cut open than WIX, etc.

Any suggestions, Frank?

Cheers!

 

[mph]

quote:

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Originally posted by Norm Olt:
The good news: I

caught the seller yesterday and he went by-by in cuffs to the jail

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Good job. Maybe you'll be able to get some money back, like the difference in Blue Book due to the mileage?

In cases of car thieves being caught, I've heard the advice that you should talk to the DA prosecuting the case, and try to make sure that victim restitution is a part of any plea agreement. You might try the same.

 

[Norm Olt]

"He's in the jailhouse, now...
He's in the jailhouse,now."

$45,000 CASH bail (3 felonies)

Seems he was a little shocked when they didn't just cite him and give him a "ticket". When they booked and fingerprinted him and sent in to ASCAP (I think that's the acronym) they found his REAL identity: that, and the fact that he was wanted on outstanding warrants in West (by GOD!) Virginia, Arizona and somewhere else. May have skipped on an $80,000 bail, previously.

Can you say "extradition"?

 

[mph]

quote:

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Originally posted by Norm Olt:
sent in to ASCAP (I think that's the acronym)

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The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers? I see them mentioned all the time in CD liner notes, but I didn't realize their power was so far-ranging!

 

[MolaKule]

Hey Norm, KARMA is barely broken in.

 

[Pablo]

But how much did you pay for the car?

Did you get the money back???

Curious chimps want to know!!!

 

[RANDYZ]

Its called AFIS.
Automated Fingerprint Identification System.


(For anyone who cares)

 

[Norm Olt]

RANDYZ- That's it! Nailed him good!

MolaKule- That's the spirit!

Heck, if it's got 272,xxx miles it oughta' be at the very least considered TOUGH & RELIABLE, huh?

And that's less than 10K per year... (Actually, it has about 60K in the last 10 years, according to the R/O printouts I obtained from the MB Shop that's been working on it for 20 years, or so.

PABLO- I gave 5 large for it, based upon the premise (FALSE)that it had "72,126 original & correct one-owner miles". A premium of about $2,000 over what would have been ballpark/fair considering KARMA'S otherwise (except for mileage)excellent overall condition.

We'll see, won't we?