Well, I'd decided against selling the 240D. After a smoking issue was cured with a valve adjustment and some Diesel Kleen, it was running very well. Still, I reconsidered and listed it last Thursday. The first person to look at it yesterday bought it on sight for asking price. He took possession today.
I was wondering what it had cost me to own it for almost exactly two years, so I did some quick math.
I bought it for 2300 and sold it for 2600.
I spent:
275 shocks
375 front end work
100 one valve adjustment
100 5 oil changes
375 tires
20 fuel filters
total - 1245.
purchase price + maintenance =3545 minus sale price = 945 total cost to own minus fuel.
Estimating fuel is pretty easy. We put 24K miles on the car in 2 years. The car consistently got 29mpg. So, 828 gallons of fuel.
Guestimating an average price of 3.35 /gal. =2775 bucks.
2775 + 945 = 3720 total expenses on the car. For a total cost per mile including everything but insurance.......FIFTEEN AND A HALF CENTS PER MILE.
I wrote up an honest ad for it and didn't try to BS anyone, turned down a couple of calls who wanted it for a WVO incinerator. Here's the ad if you want to see it before I take it down.
http://flagstaff.craigslist.org/cto/2564065626.html
I confess I didn't advertise it here because I wanted to try and maximize my return and frankly couldn't believe anybody'd actually go the 2600 on it. I didn't want to cause any hard feelings here and have actually never liked selling anything to anyone I'd consider a friend. Even a friend I've never met.
i sure hope the guy who bought it appreciates it as much as we did. I suspect it won't be long till I find myself looking at them again. It was my son's first car and even though he loves his Subaru, we were all sad to see it go. It made the hill climb from here to Flagstaff, an altitude gain of 4000ft. plus at 65 without complaint and only a bit of smoke at the very top of the hill. My first old Benz, but I doubt my last.