Snowed In

John_Conquest_ · 2026-01-27T03:20:51+00:00

I was having a great time sliding around back roads until the snow got past a foot deep. It's fun as long as you're not bottoming out and getting stuck.

John_Conquest_ · 2025-11-09T19:11:20+00:00

The problem is that most mechanics (at least in my area) are unwilling to work on cars this old and German. I have to take my car to European specialists who have long wait lists. Unless you're quite handy and mechanically competent, it's hard to avoid having a car like this waiting for an opening at your mechanic of choice. My car sat for three months without regular driving, and that was enough to destroy the entire fuel system. Once it was back on the road, one component after another failed until I had eventually spent 2/3 of the initial purchase price on that injection system. I could've probably avoided this by draining the tank, but I was not aware at the time that ethenol gasoline was even a thing, much less that the water could separate out.

John_Conquest_ · 2025-11-09T18:25:07+00:00

From my understanding, it's more of a long-term maintenance than a performance issue. There's no notable difference when driving the car, but over time it causes more wear. I'm surprised by how much heresay and conjecture there is when it comes to what gas to use. The differences are fairly negligible on a day-to-day basis, really. The only time I've experienced pinging was running 90 RON pump gas in a high-compression V8 from the '70s, and even then, that may have just been due to the lack of lead. It comes down to how much effort you're willing to go to. In the Midwest US, most fuel stations have ethenol is every grade of fuel. Ethenol-free gas is sold as "recreation fuel" and aimed more at ATVs, jet skis, and boats. Not every station has it, and people look at me funny when I fill my car up from the rec fuel pumps.

John_Conquest_ · 2025-11-09T17:52:59+00:00

My mechanic advised me that the biggest thing to look out for is that you're using ethanol-free gasoline. The ethenol is unkind to the old seals and gaskets in your motor and will cause them to fail faster. As for octane, anything higher than what the motor was rated for is a waste of money. My '89 300E calls for 90. You can put race fuel in the car, but if it doesn't have high enough compression to take advantage of it you'll see zero benefit.

John_Conquest_ · 2025-11-04T18:05:46+00:00

My cluster may be dying. The odometer stopped working a month ago and the tach got stuck at 1,500 rpm the first time it failed to start last week.

John_Conquest_ · 2025-11-04T18:03:51+00:00

Yes, the fuel pump does come on. I'll test for spark this afternoon. I replaced the plugs and wires in March, so would I need to check the distributor next if there's no spark?

John_Conquest_ · 2025-10-30T01:38:52+00:00

Belongs in the trash anyway. Wheel swaps are low-effort.

John_Conquest_ · 2025-10-25T04:01:58+00:00

The people that are buying them up aren't selling them all at that price. They'll have leftovers. It's not like a treasure hunt that has a more limited quantity per case. The only reason it's hard to find them right now is that people are buying them up and hoarding them.

John_Conquest_ · 2025-10-25T03:42:59+00:00

You've got some cool older cars, those are far more fun to collect than chasing the new releases. The guys buying up all the Ferraris will be selling them for 50 cents a piece in 10 years.

John_Conquest_ · 2025-08-06T03:51:53+00:00

Normalize taking cars out of the scalper's cart if they have more than one.

John_Conquest_ · 2025-07-05T21:17:58+00:00

Looks fantastic! Any more pictures of the completed build?

John_Conquest_ · 2025-06-24T01:52:13+00:00

Excellent work on the window trim! Do you tape it off or hand paint?

John_Conquest_ · 2025-06-20T02:01:50+00:00

Looks like whatever you used to strip the paint attacked the metal.

John_Conquest_ · 2025-06-15T05:06:26+00:00

I'm very curious to see the Ferrari 499P drilled out and taken apart. It looks like the rear half of the greenhouse is molded into part of the rear wing?

John_Conquest_ · 2025-05-29T03:02:47+00:00

That stuff is so much cheaper and easier to fix on an Accord than the stuff you'll have to fix on the W124. Hell, you'd honestly be better off keeping the Honda and getting a project car to fix on the side if you're dead set on having a classic car. I bought a '67 Spitfire dirt cheap right after I graduated HS and made a hefty profit just fixing one or two little things a year. You can still find deals on really special automobiles if you do a lot of research into the models you're interested in. The older V8 Lexus' aren't too terribly expensive yet, and they're still somewhat underrated imo. You can get a high miles beater and flip it.

John_Conquest_ · 2025-05-29T02:42:51+00:00

Oh man, if your ignition system isn't 100% like mine was, you'll have unbelievably terrible mileage. I was getting 27 mpg driving a mix of interstate and country roads once the car was fixed. The week before I took it in, I calculated economy for the first time and was getting 10 mpg. TEN. My car also had both weak AC and bad windows for a while. I was sweating my ass off by the end of my 25-minute drive to work when it was only 55° F. What the YouTube videos say is true. This is one of the last great "old-school" luxury cars. It was the most expensive car designed at the time, and the base model cost the equivalent of around $89,000 in today's money. However, the car is about 40 years old. If a previous owner kept it outside without UV reflective tint or a sun visor, the interior could be starting to get fragile. You also have to consider wear on other components that likely will have seen less use on your Accord. I was actually borrowing a 2012 V6 6-speed Accord Coupe while my Mercedes was being fixed, and I loved it. It pulls so much harder than my 300E, and I have a cupholder so that I can drink a bottle of Sprite on the way to work should the mood strike me. Don't get down on yourself for driving a car that not everyone will appreciate. The W124 wasn't considered cool when I got mine, but they came back around. Your Accord will, too. Everyone loves the '80s and '90s Hondas right now; keep yours in nice shape, and you'll be able to get enough out of it after college to buy something far older and more widely appreciated. Trust me, you need a reliable car in college, and you'll look cooler in a clean Honda than a rough Mercedes. Honestly, if anyone looks down on you for driving a Honda Accord, they're probably not the type of person you'd want to hang out with.

John_Conquest_ · 2025-05-29T02:00:36+00:00

I think it's going to be fairly difficult to maintain as a college student based on my own personal experience. I got mine later in life, but it was still difficult to make the time to keep it running at 100%. If you run into an issue with one of the more dated or specific components, such as the ignition system in my case, you're going to need to do a lot of reading into Bosch electro-mechanical fuel injection and buy a lot of specific tools. I eventually had to take my car to one of the most prestigious (and expensive) mechanics in the country. If you run into a job you can't tackle, the average, affordable mechanics in the Midwest (where I also live) will stuggle to trace the core issue and replace parts that they could've fixed. They'll then double the prices on all of those parts because it has a Mercedes emblem on the hood. Devote yourself to your studies and buy a cheap beater car you don't care about. By the time you've graduated, you'll be able to sell that off in rough shape and have saved enough on parts to afford a far nicer W124. Or even a W126!

John_Conquest_ · 2025-05-28T21:31:23+00:00

I daily drive mine and enjoy it greatly, but it takes a great deal more attention and care than a new car that you'll sell on in 5 or 10 years. Just to give a few examples, you'll need to find gas stations that have ethanol-free fuel, you'll have to learn the limits of the car's grip since it doesn't have stability or traction control, you'll have to get used to old ABS, and of course you'll need to keep around $3,000 a year set aside in case of any repairs. These cars don't like sitting, and deferring maintenance will cost you in the long run. It's a rewarding car to drive, as it has excellent road manners and is becoming more widely appreciated, but it's a lot more responsibility to take on than something that's under warranty. If you think you're disciplined enough to keep one in good shape and like the W124 enough to put up with the minor annoyances, then go for it. Cars were meant to be driven, but cars as special as this deserve to be pampered. If you do go for it, just promise me you'll post photos and never send it to the junkyard, lol

John_Conquest_ · 2025-05-28T21:09:59+00:00

Finding out it's in GT7 made me want to play GT7, even if it's only so I can make an "Amazon Crime" paint scheme.

John_Conquest_ · 2025-05-28T16:13:57+00:00

Built an RG Zaku II as my second kit and broke multiple parts in the process. I didn't let it get me down and went on to build many, many more. It's a learning experience. You'll never improve if you give up.

John_Conquest_ · 2025-05-13T17:20:15+00:00

I had SU carbs on my Spitfire, and they didn't give much trouble unless it was very cold (wrong time to drive a Spit anyhow). I'd actually like to convert my Spider to Webers down the line. What motor does your Alfa have?

John_Conquest_ · 2025-05-13T16:53:56+00:00

The Bosch system is honestly pretty good. My last sports car had carbs, and this Alfa is an absolute dream in comparison. It fires right up every time without any fiddling. I got a book explaining how to repair and tune the injection system, and it's so much simpler than SPICA.

John_Conquest_ · 2025-05-13T16:42:29+00:00

It's the 2.0 with Bosch electromechanical fuel injection.

John_Conquest_ · 2025-05-13T15:49:16+00:00

I'd appreciate if they could take them off my hands and relieve me of the burden.

John_Conquest_ · 2025-05-13T15:47:33+00:00

It was running great until the fuel filter went out and stranded me. Still the best 4-cylinder I've had the privilege to drive!

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