Red Dresses and Warm Fall Days

“Son, in this life, you never pass up an opportunity to talk to a woman in a red dress.” - Buck O'Neil

Buck O'Neil was the legendary KC Monarchs player/manager who willed the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum into existence.  He once said the best day of his life was one he hit for the cycle and met his wife, who was supposedly wearing a red dress.  This story and the woman in a red dress is referenced many times in Joe Posnanski's excellent book about Buck O'Neil.  She is both real and a metaphor - a reminder to never pass up an opportunity in life.  

If I had to name my woman in a red dress, other than my beautiful wife Nicole, it would be taking a convertible for a drive on a warm fall day.  I've owned two convertibles in my life, and just bought my third.    

(Photo: Bring a Trailer)

My first convertible was a 1973 VW Thing purchased on a warm fall day in November.  I was 19.  Terrible at doing car things, it made a good back road companion.  The air cooled 4 cylinder engine sounded like a sewing machine and chugged along happily at about 45-50 mph.  Slow, drafty and cold, the Thing did not endear itself to anyone I dated.  

(Photo: American Cars for Sale)

The second convertible was a 1991 LeBaron I owned when I was 23.  The beefed up K-car platform was overmatched by the Mitsubishi 3.0 V-6.  Compared to its contemporaries, the Fox body Mustang and Mercury Capri, it was heavy with ponderous handling.  But it made up for those drawbacks with a comfortable, quiet ride.  It was nothing to hop in the LeBaron with 2-3 friends and drive two hours for a ball game or grab a pizza.  

And now I have a third convertible, a 2000 Mercedes Benz CLK 430.  Like the LeBaron, the Mercedes has a comfortable, quiet ride and is easy to drive long distances.  Unlike the LeBaron, the 4.3 liter V-8 is well matched to the chassis and is a genuinely fast grand touring car. I've spent the past week driving it with the top down.  And while winter is coming, you can be sure that I'll have the top down any chance I get.  

     

Car Affliction: The Jaguar XJR and Mercedes W108 280SE

Being obsessed with cars is an affliction.  At best it's a lifetime of serial monogamy, moving from one car to the next with frightening regularity.  At worst it's like a gambling addition or being a high functioning heroin addict.  You just "know" the next one will be it, the one car you keep.  This time it will be different.  You can stop after this one.  

And you do stop.  Until you find the next car.  And you know that will be the one... Maybe.    

I recently came across two vehicles that caught my eye and now have the car fever again.  There's no rational reason for it.  My 2013 Ford Fusion is a great car.  I've owned it for more than a year and have had no problems with it.  The Fusion looks like a cross between a cut rate Audi A7 and an Aston Martin.  It's everything I want in a car--fun to drive, good looking, practical, and reliable.   

Then I stumbled across a pristine 1997 Jaguar XJR.  It was advertised at a local dealer for $6,500 and had less than 70K miles on it.  It was pristine.  I always get weak knees at the sight of an old Jag and the 1995-97 Jaguar XJ6 and XJR strikes me as the ideal blend of old English charm and modern performance.  The straight 6 supercharged engine traces its heritage back to the 1948 XK 120 as does the styling with the fluted lights.

I've had several opportunities to buy a Jag but never pulled the trigger because I fear it will be an unreliable nightmare that soaks me for thousands of dollars in repairs.  It would be cheaper to turn Keith Moon loose in a Holiday Inn with a bottle of scotch and a bag of dynamite.  

"But this one could be different!" I thought.  "It's a one owner and looks brand new!"   

Fortunately I never got the chance to look at the Jag.  But a few days later, I saw a 1972 Mercedes 280SE and the fever spiked again.

The Mercedes W108 series is one of the most timeless and durable cars on the road.  The styling was done by Paul Bracq who also penned the Mercedes SL roadsters of that era.  It is what I think of when I picture a Mercedes--stacked headlights, upright grill with the three-pointed star, and clean lines. This car had one owner with a full history and some rust issues for $4,500.  Everything works on the car, including the air conditioning.  I started rationalizing that I could use it as a daily driver, despite its age, and take my time restoring it.

But the practicality of driving a 43 year old car every day, putting 12k miles a year on it, is iffy at best.  The Fusion is used to run errands, commute to work, haul kids to karate and ice skating, date nights, and the occasional short road trip.  It handles all those chores like a breeze.  The Mercedes lacks that ease of use, that "set it and forget it" level of involvement we've grown accustomed to.  It predates the joke about setting the clock on your VCR and is from a time before computers, when tune-ups were performed annually along with lube jobs and packing wheel bearings.  Nothing is automated, with the exception of the transmission.  There is no ABS, no air-bags or traction control, cruise control, Bluetooth, or navigation.

If you're afflicted with the car disease, those things are exactly what make Jag and the Mercedes so appealing.  They require involvement, hands on care and feeding.  They are more pet or heirloom and require you to be engaged and do things like take an active role in driving and maintenance.  For most people, the idea of active involvement in driving and maintaining an automobile is a chore.  This is why self-driving cars are on the horizon and why the Toyota Camry is the top selling car.

But if you crave involvement, feeling and hearing the whirring of mechanical bits, smelling the grease and engine oil, seeing the car respond to your touch, an old car is a feast for the senses.
      

$15,000 Question: Mercedes W126 S-Class

Sheila E sang about a girl with "big thoughts, big dreams, and a big, brown Mercedes sedan" in the "Glamorous Life".  Given the mid-80's time period, that car had to be the Mercedes W126 S-Class.



Built from 1980 to 1991, the W126 was the status symbol you had to drive if you were wealthy.  It didn't matter if you were nouveau riche or old money, this was the car you owned.  But it was not just a hollow icon.  The W126 pioneered many safety and technological features we take for granted today, like anti-lock brakes, traction control, and air bags.  For comfort, you could also order an automated climate control and heated seats.



In the U.S. the Mercedes W126 cemented Mercedes' reputation as a builder of some of the safest, most durable cars.  Even 20 years later, many of these cars are still on the road and can be purchased for under $15,000 in pristine condition.  Like any old car, repairs can be expensive.  But unlike many old cars, Mercedes parts a usually readily available and can be ordered from the factory.



Either way, it's still the car to own, if you want to impersonate a Beverly Hills dentist or drug dealer.

What the Head Wants

My 1997 Infiniti has started showing its age. A few months ago the starter went out. This month, I'm dealing with a heater/blower fan problem, a vibrating/rubbing sound from the right rear wheel at highway speed, and problems with my stereo. For sometime I've also noticed oil spots on the driveway, where I park.

None of these problems are fatal. They are the flaws of a twelve year old car with 130K miles on the clock. Cars age in dog years. My Infiniti is a black lab with a graying muzzle and arthritis.

Like the lab, my car has lots of life left. It still likes to run. The 3.0 Nissan V6 is smooth and loves to rev. It uses regular gas and routinely gets 22-24 mpg. The transmission still snaps off
crisp shifts. The ride is not floaty or jarring--pot holes don't feel like hammer blows and yet it will corner nicely. It has room for five, even with two car seats, and a generous trunk. It also has features I like, including a sunroof, Bose stereo and leather seats. In short, it fulfills all my needs and most of my wants.

But it is 12 years old and has 130K miles...

I'm often guilty of shopping for cars online. I have a running internal debate over what kind of car I'd like to own next. Should it be something practical and reliable like a Nissan Altima, Hyundai Sonata or Ford Fusion? Or, for the same money, should I buy a used BMW M3 or Mercedes Benz AMG? Another Infiniti or Nissan Maxima is usually in my top five. So is a Mini Cooper, Mustang or Dodge Challenger.

I think the dilemma with older cars is when to stop maintaining them. The tipping point usually comes when the repair bills are more painful than car payments. For me that point is still outside my event horizon. As much as I like to dream, I usually wind up making the most practical choice, or at least a compromise. The head usually gets what it wants over the heart and in my case, I'm not ready to part with my car.

But I did see a nice Mercury Milan with 33K miles for $12K at a local dealer recently. And there is a Black 2001 Mercedes Benz E55 AMG in Texas on eBay for the same money...