Fresh Perspectives
Wes Anderson
 
Summer at the Classic Center
 
During this past summer, I had the privilege to intern at the prestigious Mercedes-Benz Classic Center in Irvine, California. I’ve fanaticized about this opportunity for years and my dreams finally became a reality – and I was not disappointed. I worked on and drove cars that I had only read about in books. Getting into some of these cars is like entering a time warp, taking you back to a simpler time. The Classic Center is a meeting place, if you will, for beloved Mercedes-Benzes of the past to become revitalized for the future. It was a truly inspiring experience.



 What Wes Anderson did on his summer vacation.

It’s difficult for me to categorize something like this as being work, but that’s exactly what it is. A lot of dirty grueling exertion goes into each and every car restored by the Classic Center, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I had the chance to work on several different cars, performing a plethora of varied tasks – everything from replacing the hydraulic pump on a 600 to cosmetically refreshing a W116. Diversity is good; it showed me the variety of restoration endeavors in a high-end workshop like the Classic Center.

And there’s no better feeling than waking up in the morning and traveling there – not even on a Monday. Not to sound cheesy and cliché, but there’s no other place I’d rather be. Granted, I’m still a student and I’m just getting my feet wet when it comes to automotive restoration, but I felt included and everyone seemed eager to help and encourage me. And it was nice to be accompanied by several McPherson College graduates in the workshop who are now employed by the Classic Center.

I have alluded to this in previous articles, but the center’s parts department is second to none. Their large inventory of genuine Mercedes-Benz parts,  managed by staff members who have deep knowledge of the applications makes the vast and seemingly endless parts search painless. This is all well and good, but what blew me away was the efficiency of the whole process. For example, I needed a driver’s door seal for my newly acquired 1961 220Sb. Not only did department staff know the part number offhand, they knew exactly where it was located. Hats off to the parts guys.

Now, in terms of “polishing the Star,” nobody does it better than the Classic Center, which does a tremendous service not only for Mercedes enthusiasts, but also for anyone who respects fine craftsmanship and history. Genuine parts and specialized tools work in harmony to make automobiles of the past perform as if they just drove off the showroom floor. Working alongside seasoned Classic Center technicians, I’ve tried to soak up their wisdom and tricks – knowledge only time and experience can teach.

The Classic Center aside, living in Southern California amidst an active car culture was a real treat. Everywhere I have lived in the past has had one or two seasons that are not too kind to cars. But with the mild climate and lack of road salt in Southern California, cars seem to last forever. The W123s are everywhere, which is an amazing feat when you consider the last models were produced almost 30 years ago. Attending the legendary “Cars and Coffee” weekly car show in Irvine, I saw a few mint W123s, as well as some cherry W113s and R107s. And because we were representing the Classic Center, we would try to arrive in something a little bit different: think along the lines of a 280se 3.5 Cabriolet or a 600.



Wes enjoyed even late nights during his summer internship at the Classic Center in Irvine.

Before this summer, I had never experienced a real Concours d’Elegance. I had the opportunity to attend a few breathtaking car shows, as well as the chance to prepare the cars and represent the Classic Center. Calling a Concours a sensory overload would be a dramatic understatement. Acknowledging the time and effort that we put into our cars, I can respect the hundreds of other people at a show going through the same preparatory ordeal. Rare and vintage cars are great and all, but it’s the dedicated people who make it happen who should be spotlighted. And getting the chance to talk to many devoted enthusiasts in such an exhilarating atmosphere was rewarding indeed.

All in all, summer 2013 was fantastic. Living in SoCal and working at the Classic Center taught me a lot about Mercedes-Benz and gave me a brief sample of what it takes to restore a car correctly. I’d like to thank everyone at the Classic Center who made me feel at home this summer. Your patience and wealth of knowledge meant the world to me, and I appreciate each and every one of you.