After reading all the posts, I think stevebfl hit the nail on the head.

The price of a used car is already discounted for wear and tear. The timing chain and / or rails are just a regular replacement item over the life of the vehicle.

Every component on the car has worn out some amount since the day that it was new. How much life is left on the struts / shocks? 50%? 75% 25%

Should you discount for that?

The point is, it is much cheaper in the long run to pay full price for a good condition, well-maintained MB, than to buy a cheaper car that needs some reconditioning to bring it back to life. Believe me and others that have done this before, you can spend several thousands resurrecting a tired MB, and not even know where the money went.

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".