I would love to get out on the trails, but time is in short supply right now. Thanks for the offer.
The matte finishes (black, white and silver are all i have seen) are indeed designo colors. I dont really get it, myself. They look cool at first, but living with it would be a nightmare. It is suggested it only ever get hand washed, very carefully, so that "shiney" spots dont develop.
You sound like you would actually get yours dirty, for which I appluad you.:victory:
As far as the earlier g-wagens (pre MB official importation), most dealer techs dont like them at all. It is difficult to get information on just what was done to them during "federalization". I saw one once with 3 purge valves connected in series and parallel with no clear function chain at all. It is very tough to isolate whats causing check engine light, or malfunction, when you dont know how it is "supposed" to work. Being a "production" shop, as dealers are, there are few techs who want to spend the time neccessary to diagnose them (and at $125/hour shop labor rate, it adds up really fast).
Hope to see you on the trails soon...