Quote:
Originally Posted by BenzDiesel
Dear Sir,
Please DO NOT destroy that vehicle. It is one of the finest examples of the last of these great engineered cars. That is not a Chevy or a tractor. Sell the car to someone who really can appreciate the car for what it is. There are thousands of rust bucket, old Mercedes Benz diesels with hundreds of thousands of miles that you can experiment on in the manner that you have laid out. At just over 100,000 miles, the engine is just broken in on that vintage of Mercedes diesel car. Again Sir, allow that car to continue to live on in the hands of someone who will continue to cherish, treasure and value that Mercedes Diesel. Please don't trash that car just because you maybe have the money and resources that allows you to afford to be able to destroy such a fine car. Thank you for your consideration. Wished I could have found it and could have been able to buy it. Sincerely,
BenzDiesel
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It was stripped to the core and put in a dump truck with an excavator.
Sure the mileage was very low and thats why I am happy to use the motor and let it live on. Most all of the parts will live on as well and help other cherished and treasured cars stay on the road for years to come.
The floor pan was about entirely rotted out, the front and rear bumper mounts were so rotted I was able to remove the bumpers by kicking them from the top, front fenders inner and outer had serious rot issues towards the front, and the body structure under the doors was rotted to the point I could stab through them with a screwdriver.
Michigan winters are very tough on vehicles. 20yrs of salt and snow really does a number on sheetmetal. If the body structure was in great shape I would have pulled the motor and sold off a complete vehicle. There is good value in something with a one owner title, but it was a rust bucket.
At the age most W123 cars are its probably wise to start with one thats lived in the southwest and turn that into a showroom classic.