Volume 46 - Vol 3 | June 2024 |
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| ATLANTA STAR SUMMIT - OCTOBER 2024 |
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by Rubin Howard, Peachtree President
I have been meaning to ask you, what does being a club member mean to you? Our national organization has been going through some large structural changes that I think are for the better of the club. Between modernizing bylaws, restructuring board positions, re-evaluating the importance of marketing and social media, and rebuilding the website from the ground up with new functions and features, I think we are aligning our club for a successful future. Down south at MBCA Peachtree, we are continuously looking for ways to bolster our club and improve what we do. As President, I am proud to see that we have such a dedicated board of directors who are motivated by not only the love for their car, but their connection to MBCA Peachtree as well. We are able to put on great events thanks to our incredible sponsors such as our Cars & Coffee and mountain drives. We are working on offering more curated virtual events and panel discussions. Atlanta is home to Mercedes-Benz, and now home to Star Summit - MBCA Peachtree's largest event of the decade. MBCA Peachtree will start the weekend off with a Tech Session at DC Motorwerks on Friday afternoon. Friday evening a curated automotive and Horology Exhibition + Cocktail Party featuring the Atlanta watch society will be held at the Mercedes-Benz Experience Center. This by invitation-to-show event will feature a curated display of Mercedes-Benz history whilst inviting watch enthusiasts to display, network, and mingle while enjoying hors d’oeuvres and drinks. Read More About Star Summit
I hope everyone is as excited as I am for this fantastic regional event. We expect to draw crowds from across the country to this incredible event. Registration links will open shortly, and I invite each of you to attend. If you are looking to sharpen your driving skills prior to Star Summit, Gary Edwards is hosting an extremely affordable MBCA Driving Academy event on July 20th (a step-down from performance driving) that will allow you to become more comfortable with your vehicle and explore what your vehicle was built to do. |
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| Member Spotlight - Steve Hegysi |
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by Marisa Hegysi
Stephen (“Steve”) was born in Landau on der Isar, Germany. His father was Hungarian and his mother German. The family immigrated through Ellis Island when Steve was five. They were sponsored by a Houston church, until his Dad could get recertified in the USA as a veterinarian. Steve grew up in the Houston/Galveston area. He is turning 76 this year and has been married to his wife, Marisa, for 33 years. He knew her since she was 8, because of hanging out with her older brother and sister. Steve has four daughters from an earlier marriage, nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Read More about Steve |
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7/20 | MBCA Driving Academy Driving Skills Training |register | map
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8/10 | Mountain Drive | watch for details |
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9/7 | Cars and Coffee | watch for details | map |
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10/3 - 10/7 | Star Summit | registration will open soon | map 10/18 - 10/20 | Return to the Dragon Fall Drive | register| map |
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Welcome NEW Members
- Lemie Bales
- Gilles Blanchette
- Norman Cohen
- William Cook
- James Dewberry
- William Donohue
- Mark Grant
- Larry Hodge
- Michael Hogenmiller
- Rolf Martin-Hoster
- Craig Miller
- Richard Moore
- Noel Tyler
Thanks to our RENEWING Members!
Alan Bremer, Cameron Davis, Ron Dubler, Rusty Duncan, John Eagleson, Bob Edmond,Gary Edwards, Alan Granath,Patrick Halpin, Reuel Hamilton. Leland Harwood, Ken Hedrick, Chris James, Irvin Johnson, Michael Latino, Mel Levine, Steve MacArthur, Marques McMillan, Roger Miller, Kelly O'Brien, Everett Price, John Race, Dietmar Schmid, Moe Shafer, William Spurlock II, Robert Taylor, Tim Thomas, Harrison Young, Edina White |
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By Reijo Haarla, Membership Director
Peachtree Section has 440 memberships at the end of April 2024. Peachtree Section is one of the most active sections within the Mercedes-Benz Club of America. We organize a large variety of events members can participate. We have again scheduled interesting event throughout the whole year. Please check the event calendar in this Newsletter and register to attend for an upcoming event. Attending club events is the best way to meet members that share your interest in Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
When it becomes time to renew your membership, I want to bring up that the MBCA website system has been updated and the renewal of the membership differs from the old system. You can renew your membership on-line by logging into Glueup or into MBCA.org and renew from your Profile ( Membership) or just simply proceed your renewal from the MBCA reminder email. You can also call the MBCA National Business Office directly at 719.633.6427 Tues-Thurs 9 am - 3 pm MT and renew over the phone.
One easy way to ensure that your membership stays active is to simply say Yes to Auto-Renew option when renewing your membership. |
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| Convertible Top Issues – 2002 CLK55 Cabriolet (A208) |
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by Gary Edwards, Technical Advisor
Different car this time – a 2002 CLK55 cabriolet (A208). A somewhat simpler arrangement than on an R129, with only 7 hydraulic cylinders compared to the 11 or 12 on the 129. This car also has a bypass on the hydraulic pump that you are supposed to open to manually operate the trunk. Thankfully I have not had too many issues with this top, but the latest one gave me a learning point I thought would be worth sharing. But first, I’ll mention the first problem I had with the top. Shortly after I bought the car, I started getting a top alarm when the top was up. This is intended to tell you that the top isn’t properly locked in place, which just might be an issue while driving..…. I was able to determine the fault only by hooking up a Mercedes specific scanner (a Foxwell NT530 with Mercedes software installed). Since the fault only occurred when the car was moving, I had to drive the car with the scanner hooked up to see the fault. Read More on the 2002 CLK55 Cabriolet Top Issues |
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Renewing your Membership is EASY! 1. Renew from the email reminder that comes in your email * 2. Log into your MBCA account and Renew from your Membership profile * 3. Mail a check to the National Business Office: Mercedes-Benz Club of America 10 Boulder Crescent St, Suite 200 Colorado Springs CO 80903 4. Call the National Business Office and renew over the phone Tues-Thurs: 9 am - 3 pm MT Phone: 719.633.6427 * 60 days before membership expiration, must log into mbca.org
Logging into your Glue Up Accountwith your MBCA login credentials. If you have not established your MBCA login, you can easily register by clicking on “Register”. ⚠️ If the system warns you that the email is already linked to an existing Glue Up account and you forgot your password, click “forgot password” to recover it before logging in. |
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| Mercedes-Benz of Buckhead Driving Experience |
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| TEST & TUNE WEEKEND - JUNE 8 AND 9, 2024 |
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| DRIVING EXPERIENCE WEEKEND - NOV 9 AND 10, 2024 |
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Mercedes-Benz of Buckhead Driving Experience Weekend at Roebling Road Raceway (1135 Roebling Road Bloomingdale, Georgia 31302); Test and Tune will be held on Saturday and Sunday June 8 and 9th 2024. The Mercedes-Benz of Buckhead Driving Experience with be held on Saturday and Sunday, November 9 and 10, 2024. Performance driving enthusiasts mark your calendars and signup now! Test and Tune Weekend is for experienced drivers only that have had past track time. Please reach out if you have any questions! No instructors, full open track all day and passing allowed! You must contact Kevin Ingold at kingold@mercedesofbuckhead.comor by phone at 770.778.4511 first before signing up for this event. Cost is $1,000 per driver. Space is limited to 25 drivers. |
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The Mercedes-Benz of Buckhead Driving Experience Weekend at Roebling Road will be Saturday and Sunday, November 9 and 10, 2024. Experience the true performance of your vehicle in a controlled environment on a closed course. Mercedes-Benz of Buckhead will have experienced instructors on hand to teach you the basics of performance driving and vehicle control. No prior experience is required. This will be an HPDE event; with a VIP experience! We will also have on hand our technicians in case of any issues. Our event will also include dinner per driver at The Chart House on Saturday night, with open bar. November 9, 2024. Driver guests may attend dinner for an additional fee. Breakfast and lunch will be provided to all drivers both days. VIP covered parking is first come with only 10 spots available. Fee is per Driver not vehicle. All makes and models vehicles are allowed, except open wheel and SUV vehicles. This event is a unique experience compared to most other track days. You will have a full open track for 8 hours per day! Approximately 15 technicians on hand to take care of your vehicle. No slot times, complete open with instructors. Cost is $1,600 per driver for the weekend. Space is limited to 25 drivers. |
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Mercedes-Benz of Buckhead is offering a combo package for both weekends for $2,000 per driver. |
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Dietmar Schmid, Event Planner
After the wonderful tour to three vineyards in May we will have a “less proof” tour in June. The tour starts at 9:45 am at the Cleveland Mountain Fresh Creamery | The Silo.
After the tour we will head to Helen for lunch at at the Bodensee Restaurant.
After lunch we will hit the road passing the Vogel State Park to enjoy the winding road and cross the mountains and the Appalachian Trail. The last stop will be at Lake Zwerner parking close to Dahlonega. |
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MEMBERSHIP APPRECIATION SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2024 12:30 pm - 2 pm Jane Brown and Tom Lammert Event Planners |
All Peachtree Section members are invited to bring one guest to the 2024 Free Member Appreciation Barbecue! Children under the age of 10 may attend free.
The group shelter at Red Top Mountain State Park is a fully enclosed, air-conditioned building and includes kitchen facilities, and free parking. The back deck overlooks Lake Allatoona.
We’ll enjoy a full menu of home-made, traditional barbecue fare: BBQ pulled pork, Brunswick stew, molasses baked beans, several salads, walnut brownies, and beverages. |
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MBCA DRIVING ACADEMY Driving Skills Training SATURDAY, JULY 20, 2024 Gary Edwards, Event Planner |
MBCA Driving Academy at Columbia County Sheriff’s Training Facility in Appling, Georgia on July 20th. New and Experienced Drivers will learn car control skills and have fun too! We’ll cover ABS braking, emergency avoidance maneuvers, transient vehicle dynamics, skid recovery and recovery from dropping a wheel off the road.
Formerly called Urban Survival Training and Safe Driver Safe Family training, completion of this course will likely lower your insurance bill too. Since this is our first running of this event, we’re limiting participation to 20 people. Sign up now! |
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Talladega Gran Prix HPDE Saturday, August 24, 2024
Gary Edwards, Event Planner |
More fun at the track – get the most out of your Mercedes! On Saturday Aug 24th, we’ll return to Talladega Gran Prix Raceway in Munford Alabama for a one-day High Performance Driver Education (HPDE) co-hosted by Peachtree and Alabama/NW Florida.
Event planner and instructor Gary Edwards comments, “I love this place, it’s a wonderful track for novices, only 5 turns in 1.4 miles with minimal elevation changes and wide, smooth runoff areas, but challenging enough to be fun for advanced drivers; not sure I’ve ever gotten turn 3 right”. We will provide both classroom and in-car instruction. You don’t have to drive a Mercedes and you don’t have to be a member.
Only $300. Also offering the Performance Driving Experience (PDE) $100 which includes classroom and highway speed on-track instruction. We also need volunteers for this event, contact Gary directly at gary@gwedwards.org. |
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Return to the Dragon October 18-20, 2024
Diana Quinn, Event Planner |
Our Harold Wilson Memorial Fall Drive will return to the Murphy/Robbinsville North Carolina area to drive the Tail of the Dragon and the Cherohala Skyway. If you are unfamiliar with the “Tail of the Dragon”, this road is famous for its 318 curves in 11 miles.
We will start our adventure on Friday October 18th arriving in Murphy, North Carolina for a optional tour of the John C. Campbell Folk School. After which we will gather for dinner in Murphy, NC.
Saturday, choose your own adventure as to whether you will want to drive the “Dragon” first and then the Cherohala, or drive the Cherohala and finish your drive on the “Dragon”. Regardless of your choice you will ultimately find yourself in Tellico Plains Tennessee for lunch. Return back to Murphy via the alternate route to join the group for dinner.
Click the REGISTER button for hotel booking information and to register for this fun filled weekend! |
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Mercedes-Benz USA and Atlanta Falcons’ Bijan Robinson Team Up with Little Free Library
Atlanta April 24, 2024 – Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) employees and Atlanta Falcons player Bijan Robinson joined forces with nonprofit organization Little Free Library to build 175 book-sharing boxes, which will be filled with thousands of donated books and installed in communities across the country that have limited access to reading materials, including communities in Atlanta. Little Free Library aims to promote literacy and community engagement by offering free access to books through small, publicly accessible book-sharing stations. Users are encouraged to take a book they are interested in reading and leave a book they have finished for others to enjoy, fostering a continuous cycle of reading and sharing within their neighborhood. |
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1994 Mercedes E320 cabriolet. 129,000 original miles, Silver Star badged, unrestored, original. Very clean with several trophies won. Since new, serviced either by a MB dealer or a MB independent mechanic. Service records and all original manuals are intact. Newer top and the hydraulics have been rebuilt. Rear headrests/ rollbars work. AC works well. Car runs and rides smoothly. The factory 6 CD changer in the trunk is not working. This car was used in a Video production by Atlanta United when they introduced their new uniforms last year. Asking $19,000. Contact Daryl Williams. dwilli3038@aol.com |
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TRANSMISSION. 200,000 miles. MB 300TD Transmission used and all gears fully functional until end of October 2023. In addition to the transmission, an oil cooler return pipe and a deep stick pipe are included. $700 |
BRAKE CALIPERS. Original ATE brake calipers front and rear with brake hoses between three and three-and-a-half years old. MB brake pads front and rear only a couple of miles old. Brake calipers sold in pairs ONLY. $250 a pair. |
NISSEN RADIATOR OEM. Bought at MBS Motors on March 9, 2022. $100
If you are interested, please contact Geri Whaley-Ewers by email geraldina.whaley@yahoo.com or by phone 770-558-1219. Please, no text messaging. |
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by Ernie Smallman III and Brett Butler, Event Planners
May 11, 2024 - Nineteen Mercedes Benz autos occupied by club members and guests traveled to Cleveland, GA after a breakfast courtesy fo D. C. Motorwerks accompanied by B & B Bronx assortment of bagels and cream cheese. Participants were treated to a specialty chocolate square snack at Yonah Mountain Vineyards and Winery plus imbibed in unique wine (either Peach or Sangria) slushies at Cottage Vineyard and Winery. The adventure was topped off by a description and tasting of five wines produced at Serenity Vineyards and Winery. Attendees brought their lunch and dined al fresco while enjoying the wine and entertainment. It was a perfect day for a drive in the North Georgia mountains. |
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| Kings Bay Sub Tour - May 14, 2024 |
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| Peachtree Chapter Officers |
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Peachtree Chapter, MBCA Officers and Board of Directors and Leadership Support Members
Rubin Howard Rusty Duncan Brett Butler Gary Edwards (Ex-Officio)
Directors Reijo Haarla Sam Kamber Joseph Ruda Jr.
Past presidents Steve Chapman Ernie Smallman JoAnne Taylor
Committees Reijo Haarla - Membership Diana Quinn - Newsletter Rusty Duncan - Sponsors Gary Edwards - Technical Diana Quinn - Webmaster
Director at Large Will Coloma Dietmar Schmidt |
Eastern Regional Director Diana Quinn |
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Events Rusty Duncan Rubin Howard Gary Edwards Jim Fekete
For information or questions about the Peachtree Section, please contact us at 770-376-0669. |
Your MBCA Membership card is now in the My MBCA mobile app (Available for IOS and Andriod).
- Log into the app with your MBCA email and password. To set/reset your password go to www.mbca.org > Login > Forgot Password
- Select the Mercedes-Benz Club of America organization
- Click on Profile
- Click on Memberships
TIP: Take a screen shot of your membership card and save to your photos in your phone |
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