The older one gets, the faster the years go by. St Louis is past, and now also Charleston, SC.

Fond memories linger when in St Louis Paul Bracq started a conversation on Chevy El Caminos. Since I enjoy, besides my Grand Mercedes Benz limousines, a 69 El Camino with all the good stuff, I asked Paul how a Benz 600 could look a la El Camino. He asked, "do you want to build one?' I replied "why not!" And 2 weeks after the Meet I had a selection of design renderings on my desk, code name BENZOMINO . That's how this concept got started and being built by a one man shop in Schwenksville, PA.

The car came back from the painter just 2 1/2 weeks before the meet in Charleston. I "ONLY" had to install a new rear glass, 2 new side glass sections behind the front doors, all new window channel, window brush, door seals, new carpeting, rear shelf, new rear paneling, a rebuilt front axle with MB 140 chassis (600) oil filled engine mounts, rebuilt fuel injection pump, cold- start valves and balanced injectors, stainless steel exhaust system with benzomino sound ( no need for pre- mufflers and rear mufflers) just the resonators, installation of the aluminum diamond plate loading deck, refinished wood trim, instruments, Becker Grand Prix radio with 10 disc player and 4 MB Quarts loudspeakers, and all the little stuff, headlights, taillights, wheel opening chrome, rocker panels, 3 inch wide 255/70X15 tires, cleanup of the engine compartment with new relays, polished intake and valve covers, rebuilt steering box and so on....

I had to do with 5 hrs sleep during those nights, and Ruth had some words for me. BUT, the BENZOMINO got ready for the trip to Charleston, even with a Hunter 4 wheel computerized wheel alignment. And so we left Pennsylvania on June 13, 6:00 AM, the AMG 6.3 liter engine stand loaded on the rear deck. I had to drive with two hands all the way; the top heavy rig left no margin for steering error. At the Meet the boys convinced me to ship the engine stand back by Freight Carrier; it only weighs in at 1800 lbs.

The meet has been one of the best we ever had, not in number of cars and people, 9 Grand 600, 9 450SEL 6.9, 8 300SEL 6.3 and 23 other Mercedes Benz cars, with a total of 72 people registered for the Tech sessions and social activities. It must be noted that Axel Reinert, his brother from Germany, and the Staff of Star Service hosted a meet that will be long remembered. Felix Thiede from Hamburg Germany took the heat at the grill - his steaks were super, his concoction of ROTE GRUETZE with vanilla ice cream to satisfy one's sweet tooth, and if you did not like this, you could try Felix's Zwiebelkuchen with Warsteiner Bier.

The ladies were not overlooked; two vans were ready every morning for shopping and sight seeing in Charleston The group took advantage of Axel's shop with 7 lifts to have their cars inspected and serviced. The Tech sessions covered leather car by Leatherique, air suspension system by Neil Dubey, Karl Middelhauve's 6.3 engine stand with computerized fuel management system always drew a crowd when it was fired up. The exchange of technical information can only be appreciated by those who came to Charleston.

The harbor dinner cruise was a highlight, the Yorktown aircraft carrier as a backdrop to be followed the next evening at the Kiawah Island resort with a report of the Mercedes Benz 300SEL 6.3 by Erich Waxenberger, to be followed by a slide presentation of Paul Bracq, good food and enjoyable conversation, not only of cars. Paul Bracq and I had some serious design conferences of the Benzomino, not to mention the second El Camino version, dubbed "EL BENZO". This one will have a sunroof, a more sporty rear wing design, engine with turbo by Dale Cherry, transmission modification GM 440 turbo with two overdrive options and a real torque converter, computerized fuel management system, front axle with our proven M140 type oil filled engine mounts.

The drive back home has been much more enjoyable without the engine stand on the back of the Benzomino. On route we visited our daughter Margaret and her husband Travis in Charlotte, NC, also Ruth's parents who still are in good health in their 90's! From I-77 we took the Blue Ridge Parkway north and continued on the Skyline Drive, stopping often at the beautiful lookouts. We are now back home --- restoring Grand 600 Benzes, and not forgetting THE EL BENZO