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December newsletter of the Pikes Peak Section of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America.
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FWelcome new members!
Inside this issue:
View From the Peak 2
Mercedes News 2
Top Down Lights Drive 3
WestPac Tour 4
Annual Potluck 4
Valentine’s Dinner 5
New Member B’fast 5
MHS Events 5
North to Alaska! 6
Der Marktplatz 7
Click 7
2014 Calendar 8
Tech Tips 8
Reception Recap 9
DIY Session Recap 9
E-Class Straight-6 10
Sara Boatz
Lon Frohling
Richard Hall
Andrew Hershberger
Patricia Vaughan
Newsletter of the PIKES PEAK SECTION
DECEMBER 2013
‘ROUND THE BENZ
2013 Christmas PartySunday, 8 December 2013
5:00 p.m.Don’t miss the Mercedes-Benz Club of America, Pikes Peak Section, 2013 Christmas Party at the El Paso Club, 30 E. Platte Ave. Organized on October 23, 1877, the El Paso Club is believed to be the oldest private town club west of Chi-cago. This elegant and much-envied loca-tion will be the backdrop as we celebrate the holiday season and the cama-raderie of the Mercedes-Benz community.
Make your res-ervations now for Sunday, Dec 8, 5:00 p.m.–10:30 p.m. Deadline for reservations is Monday, December 2, 2013, or until we sell out the space. Space is limited.
The 2013 Christmas Party committee is holding the price firm from 2011 and 2012 at $55.00/person. Black tie is encouraged or coat and tie, holiday/cocktail attire.
The menu includes three entrée selec-tions: Mixed grill (broiled 5 oz. filet mignon and baked 3 oz. salmon filet); broiled 10 oz. New York steak; or chicken cordon-bleu. Accompanying the entrée are caesar salad, twice baked potato, fresh green beans with almond slivers and roasted tomatoes with basil, rolls & butter, water,
iced tea, and coffee service. Dessert is a choice of the El Paso Club’s Goldbrick Sundae or mixed berry tart.
Included in your meal price is one glass of beer or wine and hors d’oeuvres during the cocktail hour starting at 5:00 p.m. Ad-ditional beer or wine may be purchased. The El Paso Club is a private club that doesn’t deal in cash, so purchases of ad-
ditional wine or beer will be done through the purchase of tickets. Please bring cash and/or check, if you wish to purchase ad-ditional wine or beer.
The raffle last year was a success, so we are bringing it back. This
year again you will be able to select the raffle prize you would like by putting your raffle ticket in the container in front of the prize. One raffle ticket is included in your meal price. Additional raffle tickets will be offered (six for $5.00) and you may pur-chase as many as you desire.
Please contact Gary or Diane Gagnon at 719-282-9313 or email [email protected], for information. Reservations are only held with the receipt of your reserva-tion form and payment. The reservation form is located on page 3 of this newslet-ter.
The Best or Nothing!
View From the Peak by Andrew NelsonSection OfficersPresident:Andrew [email protected]
Vice President:Judy [email protected]
Secretary:Mary [email protected]
Treasurer:Julie [email protected]
Directors:Stan [email protected]
Gary [email protected]
Glenn [email protected]
Henry [email protected] Sylvia [email protected]
Dave [email protected]
Webmaster:Robert [email protected]
Editor:Judy [email protected]
Regional Director:Charlie [email protected]
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‘Round the BENZ is published monthly by the Pikes Peak Section of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America (MBCA), Inc. Articles and ideas are the opinions of the writers and no authentication is implied as to the validity of any infor-mation contained therein. Explicit permission to republish any article with proper attribution is given to all sections of MBCA, Inc. Articles for publication consideration should be mailed to Pikes Peak Section, MBCA, Attn: Editor, 4335 Penhurst Place, Colorado Springs, CO 80906 or, whenever possible, emailed to: [email protected]. Deadline for receipt is the 18th of the month prior to the month of issue.
Pikes Peak Section members are encouraged to support the advertisers in our newsletter. They help to make this publication possible.
Daimler October sales for its Mercedes-Benz premium auto brand reached a new record, growing volume by 15.3 percent to 126,421 cars thanks to high deliveries for its new E-Class model.
In a statement on Wednesday, the com-pany said sales increased in every region with growth driven primarily by the United States where deliveries jumped 25 per-cent and Turkey, where shipment of cars rose 63 percent.
Would you pay $16 million for Andy Warhol’s Mercedes-Benz 196 silkscreen? Somebody is expected to. The lucky
buyer could be you. Register with Chris-tie’s Auction House today and this baby could be yours.
‘ROUND THE BENZ
Mercedes News
We had a great turnout again for our fall Do-It-Your-self Tech Ses-sion, hosted by Mercedes-Benz of Colo-rado Springs. Pikes Peak Section mem-bers occupied eleven service bays, with everyone busy
with a variety of service items ranging from oil changes to fall and winter detail-ing to winter wheel change-overs. As a benefit of membership, Section members received a 20% discount on parts, cour-tesy of the dealership. Our next DIY Tech Session will be held next spring; don’t miss it.
Another event not to be missed is our annual Christmas Party on Sunday, De-
cember 8. It will be held again this year downtown at the El Paso Club. Deadline for reservations is Monday, December 2 so please sign up ASAP with the reserva-tion form in the newsletter.
Another fun December event is our Top-Down Lights Drive where we tour Christ-mas lights around Colorado Springs. If you have not attended this event before, please come on out. You’ll have a lot of fun.
Finally, I would like to thank Mercedes-Benz of Colorado Springs for their con-tinued support of the Pikes Peak Section. They really stepped up in November, hosting a great MBCA National Board reception on November 15 and the DIY Tech Session on November 17.
As always, drive safe, and I will see you down the road.
Andrew
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Top-Down Lights Drive
Saturday, 14 December 20135:30 p.m.
Shine up your Star Car for the 2013 Top Down Holiday Lights Drive. Steve Dierks and his bride Barb are planning the event this year as he transitions back to “civilian” life now that his term as MBCA President is over.
The date is Saturday, 14 December, weather permitting. We’ll meet at the Dierks’ home, 8560 Candleflower Circle, at 5:30 p.m. to drop off our crock pots. Then we’ll leave with our touring partners to view holiday lights on a designated route, and end back at the Dierks’ house for bever-ages and food as we thaw out fingers and toes.
All makes and models of roadsters are en-
couraged and welcome. Even if you don’t have a roadster, plan to join the fun with any Mercedes-Benz vehicle that you have – open sun roofs count.
The past years’ events have been very popular. The plan this year to follow the leader in groups of 2 or 3, so we don’t overwhelm neighborhoods, as we follow a designated route. We’ll send a detailed e-mail blast as soon as we can ascertain the weather, probably a week before the scheduled event, so be sure we have your updated e-mail address.
The cost is $5 per person. We are asking participants to bring food to share. We will provide beverages.
Contact Steve Dierks to RSVP or for more information at [email protected] or (719) 593-9557.
“...plan to join
the fun with
any Mercedes-
Benz that you
have....”
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WestPac Restoration Tour - 18 January 2014Rubber, gleaming aluminum, rivets, and nose art. These are the things we’ll see during the first post-breakfast fun run for 2014. After the 18 January 2014 breakfast at The Egg and I, the club will travel to the National Mu-seum of World War II Aviation, 755 Aviation Way, Colorado Springs, CO, for a personalized tour of one of the new-est aviation museums in the country.
This will be a wonderful historical tour of the impact of American air power during the WWII Europe and Pacific theaters. Detailed maps, pictures, original artifacts of period uniforms, medals, various WWII planes in reconstruction; such as two P-38s, a B-25, P-47, P-51, are on display
with the stories behind the aircraft.
The three- acre site consists of a 65,000 sq ft, state of the art restoration facility located on the Colorado Springs Airport.
The Museum is a working museum with aircraft resto-rations. The tour lasts two hours.
Space will be limited to 20 people so your reserva-tion should be made early.
Gary Gagnon is the point of contact for this event and your reservation can be sent to him via e-mail [email protected] or call him at (719) 332-7501. The cost for the tour is $8 per person, a bargain for the quality you’ll receive.
Annual Potluck - 26 January 2014The annual Pikes Peak Section Potluck Dinner is on for Sunday, January 26 at Mercedes-Benz of Colorado Springs, 730 Automotive Drive. For those of you who are counting, that’s the week BEFORE Super Bowl XLVIII in New Jersey! This is one of our favorite events of the year and the one our members look forward to the most.
The dealership provides the setup and
beverages. All we have to do is bring the food. So, everyone, please plan to bring a dish to share – a salad, a main dish, or a dessert. Showcase your favorite dishes – we’re flexible and we like everything.
We’ll kick off at 6:00 p.m. sharp. Please call Glenn Hamill at 719-575-7931 or Dave Williamson at 719-575-7976 to RSVP and to let them know what you’ll bring.
Lance & Glenn hand out prizes Great crowd in 2013One of last year’s food goodies
“...a personal-
ized tour of one
of the newest
aviation
museums in the
country.”
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PREVIEW OF COMING ATTRACTIONS!
‘ROUND THE BENZ
Holiday PartyDate: 7 December 2013; 6:00 p.m.Location: Mt Vernon Country ClubCost: $55 per personContact: Deb Hokanson, 303-935-8270 or [email protected]
Wings Over the Rockies MuseumDate: 25 January 2014; 10:00 a.m.Location: 7711 E. Academy Blvd, DenverCost: TBDContact: Michael Davison, [email protected]
Mile High Section EventsFor more information, visit the MHS website at http://www.milehighmbca.org
“This will be
an elegant
evening at one
of the premier
restaurants in
Colorado.”
New Member Breakfast - 15 March 2014We’re changing things up a little in 2014 in order to offer our members some fresh experiences. For example, our New Member Party is now a New Member Break-fast.
Experienced mem-bers, come and greet our new members on Saturday, 15 March 2014 at 9:00 a.m. The location is The Egg and I, 733 N. Academy Blvd, Colorado Springs (in the Citadel Crossing parking lot). New members, please join us for an informal breakfast and lots of good com-
pany. We’re a friendly bunch and we have some very big deals in common - our cars!
New members’ breakfasts will be on us so order off the menu to your heart’s content.
Afterwards, we’ll probably come up with some great ideas for a spontaneous drive for our fun run.
If you have questions, please contact Stan or Mary Bixler at 719-597-1281 or [email protected]
Valentine’s Day Dinner - 15 February 2014Don’t worry if you forgot to make a reser-vation for your sweetie on Valentine’s Day - we’ve got you covered. Join us for a be-lated Valentine’s Din-ner at The Summit at the Broadmoor on the day after Valentine’s Day - 15 February.
This will be an elegant evening at one of the premier restaurants in Colorado. We have reserved their private dining room and will be treated to special menu selections prepared just for us.
The dining room fits 20 comfortably so get your reservations in early. We don’t know
yet what will be on our menu, but you can be sure it’ll be fabulous. They’re famous for selec-tions such as angry trout or lobster mac and cheese or hali-but cheeks. This will definitely be a fine dining experi-ence to remember.
Watch for spe-cific menu items and prices in next month’s newsletter.
To reserve your seat at The Summit table, call Judy Bennett at 719-576-9737 or email her at [email protected].
“...our New
Member Party
is now a New
Member
Breakfast.”
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North to Alaska! - 1-8 August 2014Your Section is trying something new this year - we’re going to get out of the dirt and into the water. Yes, we’re going on a cruise to Alaska. Our travel coordinator, Cheryl Kerbs, has arranged a 7-day round-trip cruise from Seattle on Celebrity Cruise Lines’ Celebrity Solstice.
This 3000-passenger liner is famed for its fabulous food and amenities such as seven restaurants, a nightclub, casino, theater and various lounges and bars. Shore excur-sions range from bear, whale, and glacier sightings, to photography workshops, to sightseeing in Juneau, Victoria and Seattle. We’re also working on a welcome reception and cocktail party on board. It’s going to be a blast and we hope you can join us.
Click on this link to see the details of the trip that’s been planned especially for us: http://www.signaturetravelnetwork.com/product/cruise/dsp_offeroutput.
cfm?agency_id=787&cid=649821
Cheryl has reserved 20 cabins and a fully refundable $50 deposit per person will for get you on board. If you want to reserve a specific cabin or type of cabin, you would pay the full deposit of $500. The payment schedule is as follows:
From now until March 28: $50 per person
March 28: an additional $450 per person
May 15: final payment due
You can cancel your reservation with no penalty until May 19, after which cancel-lation penalties will apply. Prices include taxes but not transfers, airfare, or shore excursions.
Contact her today to get on board! Her contact information is [email protected] or (800) 878-2929.
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Der Marktplatz
This just in from the latest edition of the MBCA e-newsletter, Click, a quick wrap-up of news, dis-counts & special events:
Make Mine a Mer-cedes-Benz:
MBCA Members: We’re more than half-way to meeting our Raffle Ticket sales goal. Buy your tickets SOON be-fore they sell out!
On December 17, 2013 (just before the holidays), the MBCA will select one Grand Prize winner to receive a Mercedes-Benz 2013 SL550 PLUS $26,000 cash in the “Make Mine a Mercedes-Benz” Fall Raffle. But the ONLY way we can award this prize is if we sell a minimum of 4,500
tickets.
As of November 5, members purchased 2,416 Raffle tickets leaving 2,084 ticket sales needed to reach our 4,500 goal.
Hurry! Last day to buy tickets is Monday, Decem-ber 2.
(Raffle void in Washington State and where prohib-ited by law).
You can download the raffle ticket order form at http://intl-stars-section-raf-fle.mbca.org/ or purchase tickets by phone.
Call 800-637-2360 (Mon-day-Thursday 8:00 a.m - 4:30 p.m. or Friday 8:00
a.m.- 4:00 p.m. Mountain Time)
Thank you for supporting MBCA’s Fall Fundraiser.
GARAGE SALE! Time to thin out the herd. Pete Watson is putting some of his special collection of Mercedes on the block, including: - 1965 220S Finback 4-dr sedan
- 1966 250SE 4-dr sedan right-hand drive - 1973 450SL - 2 to pick from - 1979 450SEL rare 6.9 4-dr sedanFor more info on the cars as well as prices, email Pete at [email protected].
“Love the Drive” Windscreen. Fits Model R107 (380SL, 450SL, 560SL). A must for a quiet, top-down drive. Perfect condition. New $395. Asking $200. Call Charlie at 719-576-9737.
1981 Mercedes 300 SD. Single owner, 80,000 miles, Chinese red with tan leather upholstery. Ex-cellent condition, runs like new. $8,500 OBO. Con-tact Tom at (719) 633-5185; [email protected]
Kelly M. Shaffer, CSPVice President / COO
2118 Hollow Brook Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
719.528.8888
Accounting + Administrative + Executive + Medical + Technicalwww.addstaffinc.com
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Tech Tips by Ken SheehanWell, here we are rap-idly moving into winter. I was glad to see that many of you took advan-tage of our Do-It-Your-self Tech Session at the dealership to get ready for bad weather.
For those unable to make it, but still want-ing to get your car ready for winter, don’t forget to check the oil and change it if needed. I tend to change oil earlier than the 10,000 miles recommended by M-B. We live in a dry, dusty area, so items like oil and air cleaners need a little more atten-tion. It’s also important to check the other fluids, washer fluids, engine cooling and transmission fluids. You may want to leave things like oil changes, transmission fluid and coolant checks to your dealer. Check your car’s mileage and the service recom-mendation charts for your car.
While going over the car don’t forget your tires. Lately there has been a lot of concern about old tires (older than 6 years). Tires degrade over time. A few years ago, Ford had a problem with Firestone Tires coming apart. This is not a new problem; it hap-
pened in the late 70’s with the Firestone 500 Series Tire (found on a lot of passen-ger cars). I lost 5 tires then as a result of belt shift. Take time and review the web site http://www.bigotires.com/librarydetail/How-to-Decode-the-Markings-on-a-Tire-Sidewall or http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/12/how-to-decode-tire-size-and-other-data/index.htm. They will tell you how to decode the information on your tire’s sidewall. Tire Rack at http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=11 shows how to tell the age of your tires.
Also remember to check your cold tire pressure. If you don’t have the equipment, take your car to your dealer. The correct tire pressure information is located on the underside of the fuel door, NOT inside the driver’s door frame.
Don’t forget, if you have any questions or would like to see a particular topic covered, let me know. Drop me a line at [email protected].
Until next time, drive safe this winter.
Ken
2014 Calendar of EventsPikes Peak Section has another bang-up year of fun planned. Check out the events listed below and make sure to put them on your calendar.
18 January - Breakfast & WestPac Resto-ration/WWII Aviation Museum Tour
26 January - Annual Potluck
15 February - Valentine’s Day Dinner
15 March - New Member Breakfast
19 April - Breakfast & Denver Museum Tour
27 April - DIY Tech Session
17 May - Breakfast & VMCCA Fun Run
21 June - Breakfast & South Park City Tour
19 July - Breakfast & Donut Run to Pikes Peak
TBD - Joint Section Picnic
1-8 August - Alaska Cruise
16 August - Breakfast & Train Museum Tour
30-1 Sep - Drive-In Movie Weekend (Re-gional Event)
20 September - Breakfast & Gold Mine Tour
28 September - Chile Run
14 October - Section Elections
20 October - Breakfast & Halloween Rally
15 November - Breakfast & Fun Run
16 November - DIY Tech Session
7 December - Section Christmas Party
13 December - Holiday Lights Tour
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MBCA Reception Recap
It was another great day for techies at Mercedes-Benz of Colorado Springs on Sunday, November 17. The Pikes Peak Section again filled all the bays, taking care of business. We changed oil and tires, filters and wipers, and even found an oil leak and repaired it. It was a very produc-tive day for all concerned.
To top it off, we had four MBCA National Board members along to observe our activities and report back to their home sections how the Pikes Peak Section rolls. We are pretty amazing after all.
We also had three new members take advantage of Pikes Peak Section mem-bership. After all the tool were put away, we adjourned to the Texas Roadhouse for some much-needed suste-nance and to swap car stories.
Thank you Dave, Andy, and Tim and Mercedes-Benz of Colo-rado Springs
for another successful DIY Tech Session. Check out more pictures on our web site.
DIY Tech Session Recap
Steve Dierks continued his farewell tour as the MBCA President at a reception for the MBCA National Board on Friday, November 15. The Board congregated at Mercedes-Benz of Colorado Springs for an evening of good company, good food, and good wine. Check out all the pictures on Facebook: MBCA Pikes Peak Section.
The Pikes Peak Section turned out en mass to greet the nation-al leaders and get acquainted in the classic Mercedes-Benz atmosphere of refined elegance. With a 2014 S-Class Elite 1 and a new CLA on display, everyone had something to talk about.
Rocky Mountain Regional Direc-tor, Charlie Bennett presented Steve with his own “Star” magazine cover depicting his 1975 230SD. Wife Barb received her own token of appreciation - a set of Starbucks mugs to commemorate all the hours spent
drinking coffee while waiting for board meetings to finish. Finally, Glenn Hamill ac-cepted a plaque honoring Mercedes-Benz of Colorado Springs as the first-ever Star Dealership awardee.
Our thanks to Mercedes-Benz of Colorado Springs for their invaluable assistance in bringing this evening together. Glenn, Dave, and Tim - you’re the best.
Steve’s Star Cover Glenn Accepts the Dealer Plaque
Steve Puts On Winter Tires
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Many automakers have abandoned straight-six engines in favor of more compact V-6 designs in order to improve packaging and pedestrian safety, but a few automakers are fighting the trend. The key reason is the development of modular en-gines, where, for example, three-, four- and six-cylinder engines can share a common design and can all be built on a single pro-duction line.
BMW started the trend with its new fam-ily of three-cylinder engines, which will eventually spawn four- and six-cylinder units, and Mercedes-Benz has previously been reported to be considering the same strategy.
Now Autocar is reporting that Mercedes will launch a new engine family with three-, four- and six-cylinder units all sharing a common design. This means the Three Pointed Star will once again have a straight-six engine in its cars, something not seen since the 1990s.
The new straight-six engine is expected to debut in the next-generation E-Class, due
in 2016. The engine will then be offered in the next-generation C-Class, as part of the car’s mid-cycle update. Overseas, some Mercedes models will feature a three-cylinder version of this engine, though here in the U.S., Mercedes’ smallest engine is expected to remain a four-cylinder unit.
In a twist, Aston Martin has previously been reported to be investigating the use of a straight-six engine in some of its future
models and the links between the British brand and Mercedes could mean some joint engine development.
Also according to Autocar, Mercedes has several other new technologies in the works. These are said to include an up-graded autonomous driving system with an overtaking function, a plug-in hybrid version of the next-generation C-Class and a new nine-speed AMG SPEEDSHIFT au-tomatic transmission. Note, Mercedes has already unveiled a nine-speed automatic for its non-AMG models. The first Mer-cedes cars in the U.S. with the nine-speed ‘box will arrive for the 2015 model year.
E-Class Straight-6 Coming by V. Vijayenthiran
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3 December 2013Board Meeting - 6:00 p.m.Andrew Nelson 719-634-7522
8 December 20132013 Christmas Party - 5:00 p.m.Gary Gagnon 719-332-7501
14 December 2013Top-Down Lights Drive - 5:30 p.m.Steve Dierks 719-659-9959
7 January 2014Board Meeting - 6:00 p.m.Andrew Nelson 719-634-7522
18 January 2014Monthly Breakfast - 9:00 a.m.WestPac Restoration Tour Gary Gagnon 719-332-7501
26 January 2014Annual Potluck - 6:00 p.m.Dave Williamson 719-575-7976
4 February 2014Board Meeting - 6:00 p.m.Andrew Nelson 719-634-7522
15 February 2014Valentine’s Day Dinner - 6:00 p.m.Judy Bennett 719-634-7522
4 March 2014Board Meeting - 6:00 p.m.Andrew Nelson 719-634-7522
15 March 2014New Member Breakfast - 9:00 a.m.Mary Bixler 719-597-1281
Calendar of Upcoming Events
The Pikes Peak Section Board of Directors meets the First Tuesday of Each Month at Mercedes-Benz of Colorado Springs, 730 Automotive Drive. Meetings start at 6:00 p.m.
All Section members are welcome and encouraged to attend.
Return Service Requested
On the Web at www.mbca.org/pikes_
peak/
To:
‘ROUND THE BENZ
‘Round the BenzEditor
4335 Penhurst Place
Colorado Springs, CO 80906
MBCA Pikes Peak Section
Merry Christmas
