Mechanical sympathy
LONG POST...
Summed up in a sentence: Is it normal to want to buy and restore a tired, old junker car, because of mechanical sympathy?
Most of you know I'm a car salesman and I love cars, but a part of my job is occasionally shuttling cars between massive car lots in Germany. Most transfers are made using trucks, but for cars that need express transport, they get fitted with temporary license plate and I would drive them. Returning with another car with a temporary plate. Most lots are at borders, easing pickups for other countries.
Today I drove one car that grabbed my attention and genuinely made me feel sad to the point of getting a tear in my eye. Before picking up the car, I was told to dress for cold, cause the car had a history of various problems. Not starting, heater not working, suspension stuck in low, limp mode and many many others...
That car had been in one of our lots for 6 years now and everyone hated moving it from one part of the lot to another. That car in question was a 2005 Mercedes S600.
When I saw that car, I could literally feel the pain.
The fenders had rust, the bumper was blackened because of the exhaust (low quality fuel probably), front bumper was cracked, wheels were damaged, paint was scratched, there were dents and scuffs. The car was very dusty. The interior was an absolute mess. She had done 374000km and judging by her state, none of those kilometers were easy. I sat in, sighed, thought "Poor old girl hasn't gotten any love in a long time" and turned the key and she slowly turned over and sputtered into life. Air suspension compressor made a noise similar to someone vigorously shaking a bucket of bolts. I let her warm up for a bit, while I cleaned out the interior a bit. As I was doing that, I heard people say to me "Don't bother with that piece of garbage", told them to fuck off.
As I slowly drove out of the lot, the S-class didn't sound good at all. I felt the pain that poor car had gone through. No car should live such a life. Somewhere back in 2005, someone was ecstatic getting their new Mercedes S600, full spec. Built with love and passion by the best Mercedes engineers and designers. Tested to be perfect, technologically superior to anything else out on the road in the mid 2000s. Ready for a life of elegance, showing people beauty, style and engineering. But instead got a life of abuse and insults, being left to slowly rot. I like to think that cars reflect on their experiences... If they were taken care of, appreciated and loved, they would return the gesture with a long, problem free service life. If they were abused and neglected, they turn into junkyard wrecks. I've noticed this more than once.
As I continued driving, she did start to sound a bit better, on my journey everything worked. The heater worked brilliantly, the suspension was as soft and sweet as if she was a new car. There was no limp mode, no errors, no nothing. Anyway, I reached the other lot near a Bavarian village in the middle of nowhere. Large car park (field) with over 5000 cars parked there. As a guy from the car park wanted to park the car for storage, she wouldn't start.
I asked if I could park her. The S600 started instantly and I parked in the designated space. That tired old car just needed a bit of love and sympathy to run.
Anyway, I got back home and now I'm sitting here thinking. That poor car will be sold to someone dirt poor in Eastern Europe, or worse...
Maybe I should buy that S-class, make her a second project car and restore her in time at my own pace, just like my E24 6-series BMW.
I really don't know what to do here. The car costs just 3000 Euros. I could probably get it a lot cheaper. I kinda want to restore that S600 to her former glory. But then again it won't be cheap...
Is this car a lost cause, or the perfect weekend ride in need of rescue.
But the main question is: Is it normal to form an emotional attachment through mechanical sympathy? Anyone else had a similar experience?