What's your car been mistaken for? Just another lowly diesel...

[Dizwen]

When I bought my merc, I was just going to keep it for a few years and move on...that was 12 years ago!

Well, time has taken its toll on the old girl. Rust has attacked the arches, the COMAND is (obviously) out dated the wheels need some TLC and the roof lining has sagged.

So do I get rid or keep it?

How can I get rid of a family friend that has never let me down? Damn these cars and there ability to get under your skin!

Time to restore some pride to the family chariot.

1. Out with the COMAND and in with a top end Alpine (the old stock BOSE amp was huge!).
2. The roof lining was removed, recovered and refitted.
3. Both rear wings and one front wing were replaced. Both front and back bumpers were stripped and resprayed. The boot was stripped and resprayed, some other minor issues were sorted (car park dents etc..) and the entire car was given a proper polish.
4. The steering wheel was looking a little worn and the stitching had frayed, so that was replaced.
5. The driver seat bolster was worn, that was replaced.

It took a fair few months, but finally the car looked mint. The only thing left to do was the wheels. The guys who did the body work recommended a place in Nottingham and after I did a bit of research and waited for the lockdown to end, I was happy to take the car there.

It was a fine sunny day, and the wheel guy took one look at the car and said "are those AMG wheels fake?"

"bloody hope not!" I replied cheerfully. I then explained the wheels had been patched up a few times over the years and it was time for a full acid dip/respray as they were just full of paint and let the car down.

The guy looked at the boot. I've not de-badge the car so the "C32 AMG" was gleaming in the sunlight.

"So what is it?" he asked "a C320 diesel!"

FFS...all that time and money and people think its a diesel!

I had to laugh...

The car is booked in for a few weeks time for all the wheels to be stripped and resprayed and then she (almost) looks like new (ish!).

So has anyone else had their AMG mistaken for a diesel?

 

[HB]

E63 mistaken for a taxi

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

When I bought my merc, I was just going to keep it for a few years and move on...that was 12 years ago!

Well, time has taken its toll on the old girl. Rust has attacked the arches, the COMAND is (obviously) out dated the wheels need some TLC and the roof lining has sagged.

So do I get rid or keep it?

How can I get rid of a family friend that has never let me down? Damn these cars and there ability to get under your skin!

Time to restore some pride to the family chariot.

1. Out with the COMAND and in with a top end Alpine (the old stock BOSE amp was huge!).
2. The roof lining was removed, recovered and refitted.
3. Both rear wings and one front wing were replaced. Both front and back bumpers were stripped and resprayed. The boot was stripped and resprayed, some other minor issues were sorted (car park dents etc..) and the entire car was given a proper polish.
4. The steering wheel was looking a little worn and the stitching had frayed, so that was replaced.
5. The driver seat bolster was worn, that was replaced.

It took a fair few months, but finally the car looked mint. The only thing left to do was the wheels. The guys who did the body work recommended a place in Nottingham and after I did a bit of research and waited for the lockdown to end, I was happy to take the car there.

It was a fine sunny day, and the wheel guy took one look at the car and said "are those AMG wheels fake?"

"bloody hope not!" I replied cheerfully. I then explained the wheels had been patched up a few times over the years and it was time for a full acid dip/respray as they were just full of paint and let the car down.

The guy looked at the boot. I've not de-badge the car so the "C32 AMG" was gleaming in the sunlight.

"So what is it?" he asked "a C320 diesel!"

FFS...all that time and money and people think its a diesel!

I had to laugh...

The car is booked in for a few weeks time for all the wheels to be stripped and resprayed and then she (almost) looks like new (ish!).

So has anyone else had their AMG mistaken for a diesel?

It’s worth saving a C 32 AMG. They’re incredible cars. I had mine for 10 years and despite having long since gone I still miss her. Fantastic car

Given your comments regarding being mistaken for a non-AMG model, that’s one of the biggest reasons which drew me to the C 32 AMG.

Ferociously fast but subtle styling, so it looked like any other C-class. Back then it was so rare to see an AMG nobody had a clue what it was.

 

[whitenemesis]

My red Lexus RC was (more than once) mistaken for a Ferrari

 

[SpikyMikey]

Many of the cars I've had in the past have been mistaken for a heap of
OK, that's not strictly true; they actually have been a heap of
TBH, I'd much rather have a rocket ship that was assumed to be a taxi. It messes with the minds of Richard Cranium and his mates in their 'hot' Focuses and Golfs.

 

[baxlin]

My Rover 75 Connoisseur often taken for a Jag. Upset me a bit, tbh...

 

[Petrol Pete]

My AMG C55 V8 estate car is sometimes mistaken for a lesser model 15 year old C class estate car being driven by an old bald guy wearing glasses who appears to have forgotten that he should move aside for younger people driving 'hot' hatches with noisy exhausts , crap graphics and nothing else...

 

[jamesfuller]

Not my own, but years ago from my work I could see a bus stop just down the road, and i noticed the lady standing at it waving down a bus. As it got closer without slowing the waving became more aggressive and developed into a temper tantrum stomp/wave. Followed by lots of despair as the dustbin lorry drove past.

 

[BJC]

Only happened once so far, but two guys asked if I was their taxi while I waited to leave a wedding I was at

TBF, it was dark with no lighting, my car is a grey Mercedes (C63) and they were more than adequately drunk (I'll keep telling myself that!)

 

[GeeJayW]

“Just another lowly diesel” no AMG snobbery going on there then?

I was talking to somebody one day about the Ferrari 575M I’d been driving. He said ‘Yeah, nice car used to have one but it had to go. Picked up a date one evening and she thought it was a Toyota!!”

 

[raspy]

I have a black W205 with privacy glass and I keep it nice and clean. I also spend a lot of time in Central London. I was parked up checking my phone one day in a part of London where a few embassies happen to be. Someone knocked on my window and asked me if I was here to pick up the Ambassador At least once a week when I'm out and about, someone tries to open the rear door of my car and get in, hence I make sure my doors are locked at all times, even when parked up and waiting.

People just see shiny black merc saloon and think it must be a cab!

 

[Jibbajabba]

Apparently my 2020 E63S Estate is an Audi A8 .... seriously ... got no clue how he thought that.

On the flipside, the receptionist of our vet (female, around 60 years old) asked me if that is my AMG e63 that goes around the village as it looks like a murdered out beast ... and asked if she can have a 0-60 after Covid lol

So I had both extremes lol ...

 

[Spider10]

Hopefully you said yes

 

[Jibbajabba]

Hopefully you said yes

Of course

 

[MEMERC7]

“Just another lowly diesel” no AMG snobbery going on there then?

I was talking to somebody one day about the Ferrari 575M I’d been driving. He said ‘Yeah, nice car used to have one but it had to go. Picked up a date one evening and she thought it was a Toyota!!”

My goodness there are some shallow snobs about as there are when it comes to clothes, holidays, where you live etc etc. I cannot think of anything worse than a potential female companion who was only interested in the badge on my car. A savvy female with something more than air between her ears knowing she was in the company of a car snob & a show-off may deliberately suggest a car is something ordinary just to irritate the juvenile sensitivities of the owner.
AMG snobbery continues to make me laugh BUT I must admit that when many years ago when I was obliged to choose a Derv engined company car the first thing I did was remove the D badge. Oh the shame & the dam noise on start-up which of course gave the game away.

 

[Jibbajabba]

I used to create sleepers back in the young days ... Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to turn my e63s into a standard e-class lol.

Bumpers, spoilers, badges, everything ...

 

[jonboyE63]

First time I took my dad out in my E63 we overtook a line of slower moving traffic and he turned to me a said "crikey Jon, this goes well for a diesel..."
To think i used to look upto him as a driving god......mind you, he's now over 80 & drives a Honda....

 

[BPD07]

Mostly at car meets, even “car” people don’t recall the baby AMG, and just assume it’s a Halfords/eBay badge.

 

[Jibbajabba]

First time I took my dad out in my E63 we overtook a line of slower moving traffic and he turned to me a said "crikey Jon, this goes well for a diesel..."
To think i used to look upto him as a driving god......mind you, he's now over 80 & drives a Honda....

Yea my grand dad who is a 85yr old retired taxi driver (and only drove Mercedes) wouldn't even have a clue what AMG is - for him it would be a Mercedes and would have to be Diesel as they all drive Diesel lol ...