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1993 S600 window interchangeability

441 views 6 replies 2 participants last post by  scottpeterd 
#1 ·
So, last night was the first time in 4 months I had a chance to drive my S600, as I've been travelling. It lives in Kampala Uganda.

Returned from dinner to find some cretin had smashed the right front window. Guess the would-be their didn't count on it being double paned. It was parked in a secure parking lot with a security guard. His response was this it was smashed before I drove in.

Does anyone know what other model year's windows might fit? Were they all the same for the W140 sedans?

Cheers
 
#2 ·
That's bad news Scot,specially after all the time you have been waiting to drive it , I feel for you the same pain .
The Windows are all the same for the W140's only thing that can be different is the Window tint .
TIP: Install side Cameras with Motion Detection , you catch anyone near your car in the Act , I did .:thumbsup:
 
#3 ·
That's good news. There are several on ebay, but they are all for 1996-1998. Now, just have to find a way to get one over here.

W140's are practically non-existent here.

Wish it was as simple as camera's. THings like these are a part of living here. People are so desparately poor. I usually take my 1991 Subaru wagon out at night, and leave the doors unlocked. Much easier to have copies of your documents and the occasional radio stolen than to have a window smashed.

People also love lights and mirrors here. We engrave all out outside removable parts with our license numbers. Then, after they disappear, we go down to the local slums/auto yards and pay a runner to get them back for us.

I consider it an act of charity. Kinda like giving back to the community. Just wish we could cut out the middle men! :grin
 
#6 ·
LOL Scott , you got me on this one "I've put my mechanic on a bus" , What a Service you get there lol , If I ask my Mechanic to get me a Window with a Bus ,he would hit me over the head with an extra large Wrench not mentioning the cost for that $100 window ,that would end up to be easy $2K then ,lol .
I'm happy to hear you found one .:thumbsup:

"I've put my mechanic on a bus" ,what a classic ,Love it .
 

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#7 ·
I guess it does sound funny, but that's the way we do things here.

Uganda is pretty poor. Most people make about $1 a day, if they are lucky. My mechanic earns about $15 a day from me (and that comes with a helper). Most other skilled mechs earn about $4 a day. He's managed to afford a house and can send his kids to school so he is real happy with our arrangement.

It's actually cheaper to send someone on a bus to Kenya than to do DHL or one of the other shipping companies. It costs me about $50 for the round trip and a hotel for this service. And, he gets to see the bright lights of Nairobi, and brag to his buddies to boot. It's a win-win.

I've got 4 cars (my fav are my v12 XJS and the S600) here and a sailboat. So I keep him employed full time.
I also pay a car cleaner $5 bucks a car once a month. That includes a complete chassis wash with brushes and soapy water.

I'm about to paint the S600. The labor for hand sanding down to the original primer, panel beating with lead filler, and priming is about $150, including materials. I bring paint in from europe at the same price everyone else does. But the labor for spraying the Merc is about $50. That includes color sanding and buffing. I bring in all my own equipment, and the guy who does my body work gets a kick out of it cause he gets to use real professional equipment. I paint all my cars every two years here, beacause the traffic is sooo bad. The last quote I received stateside for the same job on my 928 was $15,000!!!

My other sailboat is in the Seattle area. Trying to find a mechanic there for less than $75 an hour is impossible. Then I've got another V12 XJS and the 928 on the east coast of the US. Again, mechanics don't come for less than $50 an hour. I've serious thought about bringing the 928 over here for a full restoration.

The major downside is the several month wait for parts from Europe or the states. I managed to get through customs with several thousands of $$ of parts from Pelican and Autohauz in my luggage when I fly in here by covering the pieces with pretty grungy underwear. Gets me cleared real quick.

The other downside is the fact that I can't really go over 60kph on any of our roads. When the S600 is finished, I plan on driving across the Serengeti to Mombasa. Good roads, unlimited speed, assuming you don't come around a corner and find an elephant in the road (yea, been there before...).

All in all, I think the trade offs are worth it.

Cheers
 
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