Several subject matters rolled into one. Yes S-Class, the "thingy" next to Gleaming Beauty's picture is indeed my latest boogie board which, thus far, has never seen a single wave.
I hung it up on the wall purely for decorative reasons and it was also an attempt to block sound from my PC system sub-woofer from intruding to the Lounge Room which is situated on the other side of the wall. It made no difference - little 'piggys' have excellent hearing. I guess it is not mandatory to have one if you're migrating to Australia - a huge wad of cash is a better hedge to happy citizenship.
Interesting to look at the pros and cons of 6.9 versus normal suspension. I personally prefer to stick to keeping a 6.9 original, especially when the hydraulic suspension feature is so unique and played such an important part of development and subsequent marketing as a model that sought to set new standards of comfort, handling, power and safety.
Never mind that apparently, even when new, some people found fault with the quality of handling, or lack thereof. It was always likened to being imprecise and wallowy but, then again, the person that I have heard make those remarks only worked on 6.9's. He never owned one, so would never have driven one in anger on the highway. In my opinion, that's where the 6.9 starts to shine - the faster the better.
I have read John Erbe's observations and comments regarding the conversion of his 6.9 to steel springs. I don't have a problem with that, as it is important for an owner to be able to enjoy ownership of his/her car, and if the conversion achieved that, I'm all for it. I personally have found the system to be just about totally reliable, and as long as one can buy replacement parts from alternative sources, that's the way to go. I am also of the opinion that genuine and unmolested 6.9's are attracting a greater degree of collectability and commensurate increase in value. Regards Styria
