Chick Magnet defective?

[TheEngineer]

When I bought this car, I was assured by the salesman that it was a sure "chick magnet". I asked him to elaborate and he explained that young, beautiful and nubile women would flock to me because I was driving such a beautiful car. Now, several years later, I find that it attracts attention mostly from older, middle-aged men. I'm not gay and I'd prefer attention from younger women. When I got the car it leaked a lot of oil: It had been thru many Mercedes shops and finally was certified by the last shop as "Oil leaks unrepairable". The previous owner's wife used to drive it to the golf course. They would always ask her to clean up the puddle of oil left on her parking spot. I fixed the oil leaks and I wonder: Is it, because it leaks no more oil, that chicks are no longer attracted? I should include that I'm old, fat & balding, hard of hearing and tend to frown a lot. But I'd like to correct the defect and would like to hear comments from the group, please.
5/30/'05 Thank you all! The clue came from TR: I forgot to mention that I'm short as well. But I'll try this "wallet thing". Maybe a white shirt and matching signal red tie and a few 100 dollar bills showing from my shirt pocket?
6/01/'05 Would it help`if I'd display this folding money:

'69 280SL,Signal Red,007537,tired,old, fat, short & balding engineer, West-Seattle, WA
Vive la France:
A'68 Mk III ? I had several Mk VII sedans in the 1950's: 4 doors, straight six, DOHC, 200 km/hr. Later, an XK120. And-seriously-I have been married 50+ years and wouldn't switch if one danced before me. I just posted this thread for fun. I've got nothing else to do since my Pagoda runs just fine now (and leaks no more)
Suzy: Yes, thank you for the hint: I have a dog, and a cat and a sailboat. Problem is, I'm too old! You have a fix for that?

[Bearcat]

you can always take the option of visiting a certain type of chick with happy ending guaranteed and then put the roof down on the pagoda and go for a blast.[:p][:p]

this life is not a dress rehersal.....if you have to make it happen, make it happen!!

280SL 1970
S500  2000
E300TD 1998
PA18 1957

[Tom]

Peter,

As you concluded in your email, sounds like the car is not to blame!

My highly scientific observations suggest that an equal number of men and women ask me about the car.  Also being old, fat and bald, I can add that I really enjoy talking about the car with almost anyone that comes up to me-man, woman or child.  Only exception I recall would be the big, hairy motorcycle guy when I bumped his bike while attempting a parallel parking maneuver.

Hope everyone is enjoying "top down" weather over this Memorial Day (USA) weekend.

Best,

Tom


1971 280sl Tunis Beige Metallic (restored & enhanced)
1971 280sl Tobacco Brown (low mileage stock)
1970 280sl Deep Red (Project Car)

[A Dalton]

the CM option works less as the drivers milage increases, and is NLA
before you know it....

[Cees Klumper]

Hmmm. I always thought the 'chick-magnet' story was humbug, since I never noticed any difference in the amount of attention from the more attractive of the human species, until one day a(n attactive, young) female colleague of mine confessed to me that she in fact WAS attracted to men in sporty cars like the Pagoda (we were talking about my car over lunch) and that, as far as she knew, this was true for most women. I've since accepted the fact that I practically never pick up on 'clues' coming from women. I guess I´m just all hubs and gears.

So the only conclusion can be that women do find men in sporty cars like the Pagoda more attractive (all other things being equal) but that it's probably up to the man to 'collect' on this advantage.

Why are we talking about this anyway?

6 ft 2, eyes of blue, 45, slim/trim and lots-of-hair,

Cees ("Case") Klumper in Amsterdam
'69 white 280 SL automatic

[A Dalton]

CM is  a common Used Car salesmans line  that some will use even if they are selling you a dump truck..their next line is 'You would look GOOD behind the wheel in this here vehicle !! "...

[Benz Dr.]

I bought my first car to restore when I was only 22 - a 1956 190SL. I had it on the road by 1981 and drove it off and on until 1997 until I sold it. I took my ex-wife on our first date in that car so that's probably not any measure of the car or me.
 A few dates seemed to be somewhat impressed by the car but saying so would have conveyed possible interest in me and that may not have been the case. I thought this would have been my easy pass but I know better now.

I think it comes down to this; if the car was a hot Camero or Corvette it would have been easier. These are cars that everyone can identify with and the older MB convertable is just too rare for some people to be comfortable with ( they just don't know what it is ). I was often asked what kind of car it was and when I said what it was I'd get the usual
 '' Oh....( ? ) ''

I think there was some possibility that I was being considered as a snob or someone with money because I drove an exspensive convertable at only 26 years of age. Now that I'm 50 I don't care if I'm being watched or who's watching me.
I drive so many neat cars every year that I'm past the novelty stage and enjoy them more for what they are. Living in a sparsly populated rural area has two different twists - no one knows what you have and they tend to not be so interested. Both good things if you want to be left alone to do your work.....

Benz Dr. stats,
6'3'' 230 lbs, blue eyes, most of my hair.......

Dan Caron's
 SL Barn
benzbarn@ebtech.net
 slbarn.mbz.org

[ChrisInNashville]

Redd Foxx - star of Sanford & Son and a highly unattractive guy - had a young, nubile wife.   He was quoted saying "I opened my wallet and there she was!"

The young must be told what is cool...until we see a movie featuring Leonardo DiCaprio or Orlando Bloom driving a Pagoda, you better pick something manufactured after their birth that is easily recognizable to the incredibly superficial...

I hope you find one with personality too!

[rwmastel]

quote:Originally posted by christietz

Redd Foxx - star of Sanford & Son and a highly unattractive guy - had a young, nubile wife.   He was quoted saying "I opened my wallet and there she was!"

That's the funniest thing I've heard all weekend!

Regarding the CM effect, I've not noticed it much with my car.  I think it's mostly that these are not the high performance "true" sports cars.  I don't think it's the "snob" factor as females can be attracted to many financial levels of convertible sports cars.  For example: Mustangs, Corvettes, Porsches, and Ferraris.

I think the CM factor goes along with the "I'm a macho and dangerous man in a fast car.  Pay attention to me and come along for a ride if you dare." type of car.  The Pagoda is not that type of car and does not covey that personality type about it's owner.  If you want a CM car that is also a Mercedes-Benz, the only ones I can think of would be a new SLK 55 AMG or an SL 55 AMG, or better yet, an SL 65 AMG.  Yet those may still be too "civilized" to attract the youthful beauties.

Rodd
Powell, Ohio, USA
1966 230SL, Euro, Auto, Leather, both  tops
1994 E420

[TR]

<< Quote: I'm not gay...  I should include that I'm old, fat & balding, hard of hearing and tend to frown a lot. But I'd like to correct the defect and would like to hear comments from the group, please. >>

Engineer -- My comment is, "join the crowd"!  My wife read your post and initially assumed the message was from me, as that's often the way I describe myself.  (although I normally don't feel to need to proclaim that "I'm not gay").  However, she then noticed it didn't say "short".

I'm sure you're an outstanding man of science, and if you can figure out how to correct these physical "defects" I have no doubt several of us (including wives) would be eternally greatful.

Tom in Boise (and fellow engineer)
'71 280SL 4-sp, signal-red, lt. tan leather, restored/enhanced

[mdsalemi]

Hi Guys,

1)  P E T E--the fact that you are an educated, astute man with an accent, perhaps senior citizen (it's a state of mind) and more importantly (as my 80 year old dad figured out) you are ALIVE AND WELL means you should be chick magnet with or without your car.  Now, in your case, the "chicks" might be stewing chickens, but they need and want your attention    just the same, mostly because their husbands have passed on!  It's a field day out there for healthy men just keep driving...

2)  The first time I went to fill up with gas post-restoration, I suspected I might field some glances...I was wrong.  As I was pondering my situation waiting for the tank to fill, I found out why--on the other side of the pump was a Rolls-Royce...

3)  Around here, I am ALWAYS complimented on the car.  Not by women, though...usually guys who know and appreciate a fine automobile.  One thing I've noticed here--I think I mentioned this but I'll repeat it--is that the African-American men--"the brothers", seem to always have an eye for the tasteful, and every one of them that sees my car has something nice to say--even those that drive away in a "tricked out" Lincoln Navigator with spinner wheels.

Michael Salemi
1969 280SL
Signal Red w/Black Leather
Restored

[norton]

Peter  What you need is a big, Go-fast POWER BOAT, You'll be so busy with maintence and so broke from marina fee's and other costs that you'll forget all about women But won't you look great pulling up to the marina in the SL

Mike Halleck
Chesterfield Mi
71 280SL
68 250SL (parts car)
94 E320 Coupe

[Malc]

Gentlemen please!
A pagoda oozes a certain class and style, understated, reliable, sophisticated, thus it will attract a certain decerning class of ladies....
pulling up to your stately home in your pagoda is so much more civilised that in some brash Italian car or one of those silly SUVs
Then with your factory option ski rack it's off to Geneva for a little apres ski in the Swiss Alps.....

Nuts[:p] dream over time to get up and go to work
Malc

[peterm]

We were leaving the beach club yesterday, and while watching the valet pull up, my son was who was with me, got guite a few "nice car" comments from the ladies.  I, of course, pretended to ignore, especially since he's 11 and the girls were 9 and 10.  [:0]

[Douglas]

1. You people are bringing down the value of our cars, so quit it! From now on, the official party line is that any SL, even the lowliest parts car, is a magnet like no other. [:p]

2. I think John Olson needs to track this factor in SL Market Letter.

Douglas Kim
New York, NY
280 SL #016220

[France]

Oh, wait justa minute!  I have to jump in here.  I am young (well, OK, I just think I'm still young) and still nubile, and my Carling is a magnet for both sexes and all ages.  I caught two 20-something guys peering in her windows in the parking lot the last time I was in Sarasota--and they weren't looking for something to nick.  

Interesting men and women stop me all the time to ask about her--she's part of their now-over-30 fantasy from when their older siblings had Pagodas.  It takes a person of special qualities and artistic bent to appreciate the Pagoda.  

I suggest that you should look for quality (which a Pagoda attracts) and not quantity (which the Mustang will).  I know that driving the XJS 12 cyl draws a different kind of fan than the GT40.  Malc's right.  And as for the powerboat crowd (remembering that I live part-time in Sarasota), as the (I forget which) comedienne said back in the 80s, "Sorry about your p*nis."  Cees, edit as you see fit!

Trice
1968 280SL US, signal red/bl leather, auto, kinder
Sarasota FL; Alsace France

[norton]

It's not little, its' not    It's 30' long and has 800hp

Mike Halleck
Chesterfield Mi
71 280SL
68 250SL (parts car)
94 E320 Coupe

[France]

Ha!  Yes, but seriously, I urge you all to find a girl who loves you not for your car, but for your good taste in choosing a Pagoda.  The first thing my husband and I talked about when we met was our mutual love of old cars (Jags, mine a 68 Mark III, his an e-type).  It was a real bonding that has resulted in far too many silly cars around here.

Many of you complain (although gently) about your partner's intolerance of your auto enthusiasm.  If you take the top off and offer her (Douglas' idea) a scarf a la Audrey Hepburn, and she doesn't complain about her mussed coiffure, you may have a keeper.

Trice
1968 280SL US, signal red/bl leather, auto, kinder
Sarasota FL; Alsace France

[n/a]

Gentlemen:

Not a lot of people know it, but that's me on the Canadian $20 bill. When combined with the Benz, I apparently have a winning combination. Talk about a Babe Magnet!  Corvette babes seem to be attracted the most. Not bad for 65, eh?

Jim Hunter

Ottawa Canada


JLHunter

[Douglas]

Churchill had a good quote that relates to this thread: "Don't worry about avoiding temptation. As you get older, it will avoid you."

Douglas Kim
New York
USA

[cth350]

Guys, you missed the point I think.
I'm married to a gal that lets me keep 32 cars; two of which are 230SLs.  Twice in her life now, she's been willing to actually hold a wrench.  I haven't even been chastised for leaving an M117 pulley on the drier the past few weeks.

Trice has it right; you want quality; my girl is aces. What you need is to find a lady with mechanical aptitude and an eye for beauty (and hope that she'll overlook your lack of it for the most part).

-CTH

[thelews]

My wife encouraged me as I acquired three classics in the last 2 years and built a garage for them.  Then, she even helped me put a transmission back in the 190 SL after I replaced the release bearing.  1st wife, quality for sure.





John
1967 Early 250 SL Red/Caviar, Manual

[Benz Dr.]

Like I said before, '' Our money is prettier than yours. ''

 Well, maybe more interseting........

Dan Caron's
 SL Barn
benzbarn@ebtech.net
 slbarn.mbz.org
  1 877 661 6061

[Bob G ✝︎]

I guess if you look like Steve Mcqueen " The kink of cool" The average male Pagoda driver would have a hard time making a get away from stop lights and parking spaces.
Steve McQueen I am not have a mechnial wife Uh did not happen. but she can drive fast. I guess I am luck to be a member of this exclusive club.

Bob Geco

[dhunter]

quote:Originally posted by Bob G

I guess if you look like Steve Mcqueen " The kink of cool" The average male Pagoda driver would have a hard time making a get away from stop lights and parking spaces.

Strange...usually it's Steve trying to "Get away" from something!

Doug



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