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Stranded in Kansas City

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tony barnhill

tony barnhill

Great Pumpkin - R.I.P
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17 degrees y'day...Jerri & I took the 380SL out for a day of sightseeing & shopping....she ran great (the car) all day long just like she always does....came back to the hotel to get ready to visit a friend for dinner....went out to crank the car an hour or so later......CLACK-CLACK-CLACK....die.......CLACK-CLACK-CLACK......die....oil pressure came up but she wouldn't run enough to get herself out of the parking place......sounded like one or more lifters had given up the ghost

....this morning I checked the oil - right where its supposed to be....she'll turn over but not crank......I can turn her over enough to get oil pressure but she won't start & run

.....1,000 miles from home - here until mid-Feb - & car's dead! What a way to go!! Gotta find some way to get it somewhere to be diagnosed just for my ppeace of mind - could never pay somebody to open that engine - not way out here where I don't know any mechanics (except Tim McCracken, a Volvo/BMW guy)....then, gotta figure out how to get it home so I can repair it.....whew!

& its colder than you-know-what!

...anybody know of a Mercedes garage in KC area they trust? We're in hotel out by airport
 
Hi Tony,
I can't help, but you have my sympathy. Hope it goes well. It's been 34 degrees & overcast for two weeks here, no snow at all.
Regards,
D
 
I would think that the best thing to do is to rent a car and drive home. Then bring the rental car back on the trailer (you have a truck and trailer at home...right?) to avoid the "one way return" cost with a car rental.
Then, of course, bring the MB back home on the trailer.
Sorry but I can't think of anything else...good luck!
 
Sorry, Tony-- I know a couple garages that work with Mercs in mid-south town but not close to the airport-- Star Motors(mercedes) about 63rd (south) , and carriage motor works (all types of "classics:smile: on southwest blvd. (about 37th). At least you'll be considerably warmer today!
 
[ QUOTE ]
Star Motors(mercedes) about 63rd (south) , and carriage motor works (all types of "classics:smile: on southwest blvd. (about 37th).

[/ QUOTE ]
Tony, if you haven't found someone to check the M-B yet, call up your buddies at Victoria British in Overland Park for some help or a recommendation. Surely they would be willing to lend a hand to a fellow LBC parts supplier in need! Good luck.
 
<u>UPDATE:</u> Saturday, one of the timing chain guides in my 380SL’s engine broke & allowed the engine to jump time; that bent some valves, I don‘t know how many. Monday morning, I had the car towed to a place named “KH Automotive” on Carter in Mission based on a recommendation from the folks at “Kansas City Auto Sports“ (I knew “KC Auto Sports” when we were stationed here - they worked on my BMW’s).
Well, that was a mistake! And today I let the folks at “KC Auto Sports” know about the garage they recommended.
“KH Automotive” said the only way to correct my problem was a complete engine rebuild or a new crate engine at $7,000 - $10,000! BS!! And when I explained that all I wanted was a new timing chain, guides, tensioners, pulley & the bent valves replaced, they refused to do so! Kinda like they knew my car better than me and would repair it the way they wanted, regardless of my desires! More BS!!
So, I asked for suggestions of who in Kansas City would be best to repair my car. I got several recommendations for “Carriage & Motor Works Inc” at 633 Southwest Blvd in Kansas City, KS. I had my car towed from “KH” (after paying him $223.37 to tell me what I already knew!) to “Carriage” and went over to meet the owner. Oh, while I was retrieving my car from “KH“, I spotted a little MGB sitting in a corner for repairs. I shudder to think about the poor soul who owns that car! “KH” had pulled the engine without removing the tranny & it appeared they really didn’t understand MG’s at all! If that person is reading this post: RUN, RESCUE YOUR CAR!
Back to “Carriage”: MG’s, Jag’s, Lotus’, Maserati’s, Austin Healeys, Alfa Romeo’s, Cobra kit cars, SCCA racecars, you name it, they were working on it! They were beginning the restoration of a little MGB & had a GT6 down to bare metal for body repairs. And they even showed me the mold they made so they can produce fiberglass MGB GT rear hatches - yep, fiberglass MGB GT hatches!
“Carriage” is a real, live sports car emporium. While at “Carriage”, I mentioned that I might have access to a couple of 380SL heads. The owner said if I was happy with their condition, he’d be glad to install them on my engine instead of rebuilding my heads; he even said that would save me some money. So, I asked, “what if I had an entire engine?” He checked his rate book & told me he could replace the entire engine as cheaply as breaking my engine down and repairing it. And he said he’d be happy to install my engine if I had one.
Well, you guys know me, I‘m “theAutoist“ after all! I just happen to have access to a 380SL engine that only has 100,000 miles on it; and it had a new timing chain, tensioners, guides and pulley, installed just before the car died in an underdash fire. So, my friend Jason who has “CAR< Inc”, the foreign car salvage yard near me in Alabama, is thoroughly checking that engine out so he can warranty it. Tomorrow he’s putting it on a truck to “Carriage” with authorization for “Carriage” to ship my old engine back to him so I can rebuild it later at my leisure.
“Carriage” will start pulling my engine tomorrow and be ready to drop the other engine in Friday when they receive it; the owner said he‘d even call me when the truck arrived at his shop so I could stop by to see it before they started the installation. And, because Jerri is trapped in the hotel, he said I’ll have my car back Tuesday.
Lesson Learned: “Carriage & Motorworks Inc” appears to be a good place to get a sports car repaired in KC. “KH Automotive” is the place to dodge! And the guys at “CAR, Inc.” in my hometown are absolutely super! I owe them a case of beer when I get home!
 
Tony, Sweetie!
Just click the heels of your little red shoes together and repeat after me...."There's no place like home, there's no place like home... etc, etc."

Well, it's worth a try anyway! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jester.gif

RG /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/england.gif
 
Tony-- I work about 6 blocks from Carriage motor works-- If you wanna get together for a brew and lunch when you're around there. lemme know!
 
[ QUOTE ]
Tony, Sweetie!
Just click the heels of your little red shoes together and repeat after me...."There's no place like home, there's no place like home... etc, etc."

Well, it's worth a try anyway! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jester.gif

RG /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/england.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
But he's already in Kansas.


PC.
 
Tony, just a passing thought for your future rebuild. Some of the 126 engines used a single row timing chain, and there is an update available to change to a double row.
Jeff
 
Yep, I know about the double chains - mine was converted long time ago....my other engine was also converted & had a new dual chain installed recently

jayhawk - let's do it!
 
Tony,
Sounds like you got everything under control but if you need any more help let me or jayhawk know and we can see if the triumph club can help out. Your buddy in louisana sent me a message and i just got it today so this is the first time i've read about your problem. let us know how everything is going.
If your gonna talk about the red shoes you mise well tell him about the yellow brick road and all the dorothy and wizard of oz stuff b/c your no in kansas every day. haha
 
Wow..thats some story..

I hope everything works out well for you. Sounds like you found a great shop to work with.

Make sure you let him know we are the internet are all pulling for you!

Congrats and enjoy

JB
 
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