Events - Past Cincinnati Section   Tour of National Museum of the Air Force, Dayton, Ohio                              Sunday, September 20, 2009  For Pam Zelman's write up and photos, please see page 5 of the October, 2009 newsletter at this link: http://mbca.org/cincinnati/NewsOct09.pdf   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------     American Packard Museum, Dayton, Ohio                                                             Saturday, August 8, 2009  Click here for review and photos   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------     Concours D'Elegance, Keeneland, Lexington, Kentucky                                     Saturday, July 18, 2009  Members of the Cincinnati and Bluegrass Stars Sections attended this event. Click here for photos of our favorites.     ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   LOUISVILLE BATS GAME                                                                                                Thursday, July 2, 2009  The Bluegrass Stars and Cincinnati Sections of MBCA gathered at Louisville Slugger Field to watch the Louisville  Bats take on the Indianapolis Indians.  Click here for article and photos.   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   DEFENSIVE DRIVING AND AUTOCROSS                                                                 Saturday, June 13, 2009 Joint event with Indianapolis 500 Section.  Click here for review.   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONCOURS d’ORDINAIRE AND PICNIC      FREEDOM  PARK, EDGEWOOD, KY                              Sunday, May 17, 2009                    After nearly a week of rain, we were pleasantly greeted by a day of sunshine for our first Concours d'Ordinaire (don't clean 'em, just bring 'em!). The bright sun warmed the day to about 60 degrees, which was perfect for looking at6 the cars of other members and swapping stories and restoration techniques. We had 41 people, including friends of members who just wanted to see the rides. Everyone received a gift envelop containing a Mercedes-Benz pin, pens and a tire pressure guage (courtesy of Doyle Wilson and Tyler O'Brien, Mercedes-Benz of Cincinnati). The duo also donated posters and calendars, which we used as door prizes. Other door prize donations included: MB T-shirts from Rob Lewis, Mercedes-Benz of West Chester; MB hats from Bob Rece; $25 Frisch's gift card from Nancy Rece; eight bottles of leather cleaning and conditioning product from Leatherique (www.leatherique.com). Linda Lewis wond Split the Pot, and generously donated it back to the club. Scott Montoney and his 1952 220 Cabriolet B wond the People's Choice award, a bottle of Elk Creek wine (donated by the Reces). We sincerely thank all those who donated, who participated and cleaned up after. Many requested that we make this an annual event. Click here for photos of the event. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Star Tech 2009 hosted by the Indianapolis 500 section May 1 - 3, 2009   This event was attended by four Cincinnati section members.  Click here for the Rece's review of the event. Click here for Minutes from the President's meeting --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Tech Session at  Mercedes-Benz West Chester CollisionCenter               April 3, 2009 Submitted by Bob Rece   Phil Mosley is “a guy you will meet by accident”! He runs the Collision Center at MB West Chester who, along with Jennifer Justice-Haley from Valley Paint and Body, gave us a wonderful tour and talk about what you should know BEFORE you have your vehicle repaired after an accident.   Twenty one MB Cincinnati Star Section members looked on as Phil and Jennifer displayed some great visuals showing the differences you will encounter if you allow your car to be repaired with after market parts. Things like headlight assemblies with a different gauge copper wiring instead of steel, radiators with completely different cooling cores, and bumper assemblies that look the same but your car’s mouldings won’t even fit into properly, are all things the trained Collision Specialists encounter daily when trying to repair your vehicle properly.  Of course, your Insurer would like the job to be done as cheaply as possible while you would prefer your “baby” to be returned to the original Mercedes quality you have learned to love and respect.   Also on display were Collision Center tools of the trade. A state of the art Bronze Welder can weld a seam without causing heat damage as shown by an intact business card sealed between two pieces of welded steel.  Their $80,000 paint booth and paint mixing room can allow your 3 coat flat paint or your 7 layer Brilliant Silver paint to be matched perfectly, then heat cure the job to 145 degrees in 45 minutes.  They are also the only repair shop in Ohio to have auto body jigs to structurally return your car to Mercedes spec after that big accident.    Our thanks also go out to event host Steve Rosenzweig who provided introductions as well as a large array of goodies consumed by the hungry Collision Center Students.  I would be remiss if I neglected to mention the very large cardboard car parts box Steve used quite adequately as a table which I commented to him would be the envy of my rural Kentucky Home!   In attendance were John Botsford, Earl Brown, Luke and Diane Bruggeman, Carol and Larry Colclasure, Matt Evans, Eric Goodrich, Jennifer Haley, Scott Montoney, Nancy and Bob Rece, Steve Rosenzweig, Bob Rost, Mike and Kay Roth, Larry Sears, Stephen Somers, John and Charlotte Voelker, Bob Walsh and Martin Wilhemy. Click here for photos -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- New Member Dinner (click here for photos)                                                       January 25, 2009 On Sunday, January 25, 2009, 21 members of the  Cincinnati section met at Buca di Beppo in Rookwood Commons for the New Member dinner.  The dinner consisted of salad, garlic bread, spaghetti with meat sauce, eggplant parmesan, and cheesecake with raspberry drizzle.  I think everyone agreed that the food was delicious and nearly everyone left with a to-go box.  It was a great event to meet new members and renew friendships with other members.  Between courses, President, Steve Rosenzweig, and Treasurer, Mike Roth, gave out prizes and awards.  Kay Roth handled the split-the-pot, which Pam Madden won and graciously donated back to the club.  Bob Rece surprised Steve Rosenzweig with a bottle of “German” wine from Elk Creek Winery in Owenton, Kentucky , thanking Steve for taking over as new President of the Cincinnati Section.   Awards (Mercedes-Benz glass): New members - Luke Bruggeman, Matt Evans, Jeff Fiely             Longest ride – Ann Asher (100 miles from Sidney ,Ohio ) Prizes:            Split the Pot – Pam Madden            Calendar – Pam Madden, Charlotte Voelker            MB ballcap – Pam Madden, Charlotte Voelker            MB Book - Ann Asher   -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Woodford Reserve Distillery  (click here for photos)                          November 1, 2008 On Saturday, November 1, 2008, theCincinnati section had 19 members and 11 cars caravan south to Woodford Reserve Distillery in Versailles, Kentucky.  The weather could not have been better; cool in the morning warming to 72 degrees.  The drive was beautiful with Fall colors, rolling hills, stone walls and many horse farms.  It’s a good thing that Eric Goodrich gave us good directions because our navigation systems didn’t recognize the roads for the last three miles of the trip.  We all enjoyed a great Woodford Bourbon barbecue lunch and a dessert of Bourbon candy, on the patio before our tour began.  We overlooked the stone buildings and a stream.   Woodford Reserve is the oldest distillery in Kentucky, begun in 1812, but not in continuous use.  In the 1840s, Jim Crow was trained in medical science and was the first to use scientific tools to keep bourbon batches consistent.  As all Kentuckians know, bourbon was first made in Kentucky, in Bourbon county.  Now the laws are such that bourbon can be made only in the United States.  Anywhere else, it’s called whiskey.  Bourbon has a few other requirements:  minimum of 51% corn, aged in new white oak barrels a minimum of two years, 80% alcohol going into storage and 62.5% alcohol after aging.  Woodford Reserve uses 70% Kentucky grown corn, 18% rye, 10% malted barley. The mixture with water and yeast ferments for about six days.  The next step is to three distillers, which are the only copper pot distillers in use today.  From there, the liquid is put into white oak barrels for aging.  The oak is at least 25 years old and slats are put into a toasting room to carmelize the sugar in the wood.  After filling, the barrels are warehoused for six to eight years where the rooms are heated and cooled to allow expansion and contraction of the liquid into and out of the oak barrel.  The barrels are all moved by rolling.  Go ahead, you can sing it “Roll out the barrels, we’ll have a barrel of fun.”    Woodford Reserve is the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby with special Derby bottles each year.  It is sold throughout the U.S. and in 34 countries.  We each got a free sample in a souvenir shot glass after the tour and could feel it warming all the way down.   We concluded the event with a mini Councours d’Ordinaire (we read about another in a recent Star Magazine).  Prizes were awarded for:  Best vanity plate – RM 4 US (Carol Colclasure); largest bird dropping – Martin Madden (he said it was a duck!); most bugs on the grill (really just a few gnats) – John and Charlotte Voelker.  Each winner received a Mercedes-Benz ball cap courtesy of Bob Rece. Everyone enjoyed the distillery, the drive, the scenery, the weather, the food, the new friends and old friends.  We all look forward to the next section event.  Our thanks to Eric Goodrich for planning a great day.   Members in attendance included:  Walt Anderson, Luke Bruggeman and friend, Carol Colclasure and friend, Jeff Fiely, Eric Goodrich, Jennifer Haley, Thomas and Joan Justice, Martin Madden, Barry and Jean Nass, Nancy and Bob Rece, Mike and Kay Roth, John and Charlotte Voelker. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tech Session at Mercedes-Benz of Cincinnati                                September 26, 2008 On Friday, September 26, 2008, a tech session was held at Mercedes-Benz of Cincinnati.  Jed Hargett explained to use the Eurpoean Delivery program; a couple folks in attendance had used the program before.  Mercedes-Benz will make all related arrangements, including hotels.  Rick Crain, Service Manager, gave us a tour of the renovated service area and new car delivery and prep center.  The Maybach and the SLR have their own service bays.  Great food was provided.  The event was well attended by:  Mike Roth, Kay Roth, Tyler O'Brien, Bob Rece, Arthur E Leesman, Marc E Utter, Ed Winter, Dave Zelman , Phil Mosley representing Tom Justice, Stephen L Somers, Jerry Taylor, Eric Schene, Scott Montoney, Martin E Madden, Charles E Armour, Ann Hinrichs, Tom Isgrig ( New member - signed up for 3 years ), Martin Wilhemy and others who did not sign in.   Click to see 1952 220b or 1961 330D from the event.