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A very common refrain around here is that there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes. Most of us active on this part of the site know something about taking care of our own cars. Some of us are in the deeper end of the pool than others.
There are unscrupulous folks out there ready to sell you a car for top dollar and they'll be able to sell you a stinking heap of crud that will appear to be a deal at the time, maybe.
And then there's Tobin's Motor Works, the SL Market Letter (aka John Olsen, a founder of the MBCA) and a few other members of our community that can hold your hand while picking out a good, reliable car. If you're anywhere near NY, look up Tobin's on the web and give Dave a call (tell him I sent you; hopefully he remembers me from the good old days and be sure to tell me how it works out). If you're anywhere near Minneapolis, see if John's taking calls.
You will have to know what you want and buy a car that meets that need. There are guys like Dan P that are fussy and like something pretty close to perfect. I tend to drive a beater (or one I can fix up to be a beater).
What's your pleasure? Will foggy bright work drive you around the bend? You will pay a premium for cosmetics on an old car. Do you like A/C as much as life itself (that's my wife). She won't drive one of my cars that doesn't have A/C; thank goodness it's fixable (when I want her to drive it).
Feel free to share pictures with us and the originality police will pick it apart for you. Share the price and we'll tell you how close to market it is or why its probably over priced.
BTW, none of this is any different from the C3 crowd or the Bimmer fans in the family. My buddy Jim surprised me on the street with a fantastically pretty 74 Bronco last year. He traded his pristine Nash for it. Apparently the baby blue Nash got boring the the Bronco is a bright red. He'll dump it within 2 years and get some other nice toy to park next to the Porsche and the 350SL. Those two are his keepers. We all wish we had Jim's problems.
-CTH
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