I love her just the same. So she may not have the looks she once had, a wrinkle here, a peeling there. She can still hike up her heels and get down like the rest of them.

I finally took that road trip to see my sister in Lewes, Delaware this weekend. She moved down there 2 years ago and I haven't been down to see her since Christmas 2005. With most all fluids and/or filters recently changed, a/c working properly and the Pioneer head unit, XM Sportster and Polk/Kicker speakers installed, I added half a bottle of Power Service white bottle to the Valero diesel fill up and away I went. I set out with the intention of not exceeding 72 mph, or 3000 rpms to maximize my mileage to see what she can do. Trying to maintain "only" 72 mph on the New Jersey Turnpike, and Delaware Rt 1 as it turns out, is like signing your own death warrant. With that plan now moot, I keep with the flow of traffic. Suffice it to say, what I found to be reasonable and prudent, may have been just a bit illegal to certain people.
Departing the north Jersey area at 7:30 pm Friday night, I arrived in Lewes at 10:45pm. Roughly 220 miles at "high" speeds and I barely broke under the 3/4 tank mark. No a/c but windows & roof open down and back home Sunday. Sunday afternoon, low to mid nineties showing as the ambient temperature, I don my shades, open the roof and go. I departed with a planned stop in Lacey Twsp, NJ to see a friend. Traffic at the top of Rt 1 was horrendous so I detoured up Rt 95 thru Philly, across the Commador Barry Bridge to Rt 76 east, to the Atlantic City Expressway to the Garden State Parkway. I arrived in Lacey at 4pm. I departed at 6:45pm and hit the Garden State Parking Lot at a blistering 0 to 45 mph for about 45 miles. I'm now reading roughly 1/4 tank at 420 miles traveled.
My original plan was to make it home to north Jersey and on thru to my favorite filling station, a truck stop on the NJ/NY state border. Traffic conditions and my fuel reading now below 1/4 tank (no light) led me to play it safe than sorry, so I filled up at Luk Oil on the GSP. At 470 miles traveled, she took 17 gallons on the nose. 80 miles to my truck stop, I cudda made it dammit !!! That worked out to an average of 27.6 mpg !! From 30 year old diesel technology in a big, heavy car, being driven by a mad man !!! I only wonder if I had kept the speed limited to 72 mph, would I have broken 28,5 mpg....

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Sharing my partner's 2012 Forte 5dr SX til I find my next 123 or 126..
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Do I miss being a service advisor ???

Pretty cool!

That where my 95 came from, the roads you traveled ( and pines and sand which I found working around the engine bay).

Hey, off topic, but what sort of advisor gig did you nix?

BTw, huh, 40 yr old chics ( aged prom queens), DEFINTELY run the gears better than youngins!

gawd i wouldnt ever drive the turnpike to get to lewes Give me the ocean breeze of the ferry and the lower GSP is such a nice rd below Toms River

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commercial fisherman diesel in my blood in my boats trucks and Dear old Dad has had me drivin them since i got my first license in 1968
1986 300 SDL 427654
1999 Chevy Crew Cab Dually 225423
1986 300 SDL 287000 Dad's
1987 190 Turbo 158000 Mom's (my inheritance)

I just recorded a mileage of 29.7mpg after doing 165 miles of freeway driving at 80mph rock steady....with a carload of stuff....this was in my '82 300SD. Highest I've ever gotten was 30.8mpg when I went 300 miles going about 55-60mph. (without any fuel/cetane additives)

I did pour an entire $7 bottle of Redline Diesel Catalyst into that fill-up though. It was running VERY nicely. I recommend that stuff!!

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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

I'm thinking my odometer is wrong. 34 mpg. sheesh. How can it be. I'll run a mile marker on my commute in tomorrow and see.

12 months with VW, 6 months with Audi, 1 month with Land Rover and 4 years with Mercedes. The 1 month with L/R knocked Mercedes to #2 on my ***** list - late model Benz' that is. Pick a recent model Benz and I can rattle off at least half a dozen common problem area.

BTW, t'was the point of my post..

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Sharing my partner's 2012 Forte 5dr SX til I find my next 123 or 126..
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Do I miss being a service advisor ???

Aw, misunderstood, thought maybe you were a wealth advisor or some such rubbish... I know one of those.....

BTW, not to gloat, but darn odo is spot on. Flippin 34mpg on B60. I'm digging this more and more each day.

Funny, the parts guys at the local MBz dealership ( where I bought parts before I knew about Phil ) told me to stay away from anything 2002 ( but E series were OK )or newer for my wife who HAD to have an MBz after I got my $5000 ebay special.

No M series allowed. Really poor track records on those.

Found her a clean 99 E320 4matic wagon.

Other that the damn pop rivets in the window regualtors, I like the car.