MB Spares & Service Newsletter No.146
August 2018
Hello , in this Newsletter we have notice of an
employment opportunity in our workshop, news of the upcoming inaugural OZBENZ
National meet and a summary of how things are progressing with our change of business
model.
Automotive technicians
wanted!
Since winding back our spare parts business (more
information on this below) we have been inundated with requests for complex
service and restoration work in our workshop. It is quite gratifying to think
that so many of our customers think so highly of us and our abilities to carry out
this kind of work. However, we are now swamped with work with delays of up to
six weeks for routine service work. So, we are on the look out for skilled
staff with a passion for fine engineering and the desire to actually repair
cars, not just change oil and brake pads.
The pictures displayed in this Newsletter are some of the
cars waiting to be repaired. We have:
W140 600SEL -engine
rebuild
W108 280SE - diff repairs
W111 220Sb - carburettor overhaul
W115 220/8 - suspension overhaul
W129 SL600 - make partial wiring
loom
W230 SL65 - coil pack and
suspension issues
W111 230S - head service
W108 280SE - refit body trims after
respray
W111 230S - rear suspension
issues/starter motor rebuild
W108 280SEL - engine rebuild
W126 420SE - climate control issues
W116 450SEL - suspension rebuild
W114 250 - fit roll cage and reinforce
body for 2019 Peking to Paris
You
can find the job advertisement here on seek.
OZBENZ National meet.
On the 02 May 2002 at 16:08:38 OZBENZ, Australia’s first
online Mercedes-Benz community, came into being with its first ever post. This
makes OZBENZ one of the oldest online Mercedes-Benz groups world wide. It was
started by a small group of enthusiasts and sponsored by MB Spares &
Service. Since then the technology has
changed and so have the various online platforms that the community use. Today
OZBENZ is a community spread across Facebook, an online Forum and Twitter using
these mediums to share their passion for the three pointed star.
The first OZBENZ National meet is planned for this September
joining with the ACT car clubs German Auto day. The event is open to all OZBENZ
members and to MB Spares & Service Newsletter subscribers. If interested
and you have a FaceBook account please indicate so by following the link below.
To attend the dinner, you will have to notify us by e-mail, (see below).
We look forward to meeting you at what promises to be a
great weekend for Mercedes-Benz Enthusiasts.
https://www.facebook.com/events/291885414889336/
https://ozbenz.net/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=25165
https://www.mbspares.com.au/Information/OZBENZ-National-meet.aspx
The schedule, Saturday 22/09/2018
BYO Lunch Cotter Reserve – The
Cotter Reserve is a great meeting point to start off this weekend.
There is plenty of parking, BBQ facilities and a great playground for younger
Mercedes-Benz enthusiasts. We will meet at 12:00 - 12:30pm.
Paddy’s River Rd cruise – Around 2:30pm we will head off on
one of the ACT’s iconic drives, heading south on the Paddy’s River Rd to
Tharwa. Those interested in tourist attractions we will be passing the Canberra
Deep Space Communication Complex and the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve.
OZBENZ enthusiasts dinner – To be held in the style of the MB
Spares Spanners and Sausages nights, with gourmet sausages from our
local butcher. Held at the MB Spares workshop 16 Lyell St Fyshwick from 6:30pm.
This is the only catered event of the weekend at $5.00 per head and as such
will require a
formal RSVP to this e-mail address by the 19th of September to
attend. BYO drinks and kids are
most welcome.
Sunday 23/09/2018
Early Morning cruise – the morning will start with a
cruise around some of Canberra’s landmarks winding up at Pialligo where the
German Auto Day is held. We will leave at 8:30am sharp from the front of Old
parliament House. Arrive early for a chat and to pick up your route
instructions.
ACT German Auto Day – OZBENZ will be displaying as a separate
group to the Mercedes-Benz club of the ACT at this years German Auto day.
The event is held at the Pialligo
Estate on the banks of the Molonglo River with all cars required to be
in position by 9:30am. Catering is available onsite supplied by Pialligo
Estate.
OZBENZ Show & Shine – As part of the display we will be
awarding prizes in a very different style of Show & Shine. We are still
working on the categories, but they will definitely not be the traditional
style of awards. Awards will be made at 2:30pm allowing interstate members time
to head off home. Sydney is 3hrs down the road and Melbourne around 7-8 hours
ideally with 2 drivers, so you can be back at work on Monday. Brisbane and
Adelaide guys you might have to take a day off!
Accommodation – Canberra offers a wide range of accommodation
for all budgets. If you need any assistance with accommodation options please
contact us here.
For more
information see the pinned posts on Facebook and on the Forum. We look forward
to meeting you and sharing your passion for the three pointed star.
No more spare parts.
Last newsletter we announced that after 24 years of
supplying parts all across Australia, we have closed our spare parts section
and that we would be concentrating on our workshop and restorations.
Once we made this announcement we received so many messages
wishing us well, many of which can be see here on the OZBENZ
forum. Sandra and I would like to thank all of you who have supported us
with this change of business focus by way of your kind messages.
Well, the transformation is almost complete. As many orders
had to come from overseas suppliers it did take some time to finalise them all,
with one part ordered 5 months ago arriving the day we published this
newsletter.
One question that we are getting a lot is “who do we go to
now?” Given the number of possible other suppliers out there, we decided to not
recommend any one business over another. Our most common reply has been “google
is your friend”.
The up side is that as soon as we made the announcement,
bookings for our workshop went crazy. This has resulted in a delay of up to 6
weeks at the moment for regular servicing, hence the article above about our
search for more staff.
Takata airbags.
Yes, there are some Mercedes-Benz models that have the
airbags currently under an urgent recall. You can use this link to
check if your car has one.
So that’s it for this Newsletter,
John and Sandra Green.
