I like the older clusters, like the one in my friends E300D. No dead pixals on that one.

Alts have been sealed, you buy a rebuilt one and swap them out.

I also just swapped a new blower motor into my SDL, you cannot get them apart they are a one time use deal.

My sunroof just blew up and MB did one of their updates. So I need new everything to make it work $500-$700.

I love it when people put old MB's up on a gold stand and say " My 240D lasted 20 years and 500k miles with just oil changes" "It gets 40mpg to" Yeah sure BS I have seen more beat shot old MB's then I can count. They age well if you pour thousands a year into them keeping maintiance perfect. But a Chevy will run 20 years if you put a few thousand a year into it.

Everything ages I don't care weather it is a Dusenburg or Chevy it will get old and need work.

btw the Germans took over and run Chrysler now, most of the Americans in upper managment were fired or left. Chrysler is now very much a division of Diamler AG.

Just my 2 cents, putting the flame suit on.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Don't worry about it, Hatty! I'm not mad. Our opinions are polar opposite however in certain cases.

You can replace the brushes in a blower motor from a 126 in 10 minutes. But an early 210 requires an "upgrade".

The alts have no voltage regulators that I can see. I think MB started this with the M112/113.

Yes, the minute Juergen Schrempf came on board was the signal of a downward trend. He made the sharp equilibrium division between the past and future of Mercedes-Benz.

I'm talking about driving these cars until the wheels fall off. They are very good for that. The only way you will have to spend thousands of dollars on one of them is if it was neglected in the first place, or has 300K miles and needs appropriate relative servicing. As you said, everything ages.

A Chevy is a practical car, cheap parts with engines cheaper than an electronic brain from a 560. But a Chevy is a Chevy, and a Mercedes is a Mercedes.

If you want to have an A-1 show car that is 20 years old, and used as a daily driver. PREPARE YOUR WALLET!

I encourage you to trade your SDL in to me for $100 and I'll find you a nice C230 Sports Coupe.

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1987 300SDL (324000)

1986 Porsche 951 (944 Turbo) (166000)

1978 Porsche 924 (99000)

1996 Nissan Pathfinder R50 (201000)

I love debating but some people take it personal. I just needed to feel you out I don't want to tick anyone off.

How do you change the brushes in the blower motor? I tried to melt the solder joint that was holding them in, but the plastic part that holds it melted. Also the prospect of finding replacement brush's didn't seem like fun.

You can drive any car until it dies, but all of the really nice old MB's I see have required major $$$ infusions to keep them that way.

"A Chevy is a practical car, cheap parts with engines cheaper than an electronic brain from a 560. But a Chevy is a Chevy, and a Mercedes is a Mercedes."

I agree with you their I was actually using my dads argument. His thinking is this: In 1986 he bought a new Olds for my mom and she drove it until 2000. Maintaince was close to nothing and everything worked just fine on it including the AC when he got rid of it.
My SDL in 1987 cost 4 times as much as that car and probably has eaten at least 4 times as much $$$ to keep it running.

So in his mind buying a new sub $20k car every 10 years is the best (read cheapist) way to drive, vs a $70k S class every 20 years.

Now granted my SDL is a far far better ride in every way, but not in a strickly dollars and cents point of view. Now back to my point of view, I don't car how cheap the other car is I like my MB to much!

I enjoy the debate!
Btw I would never be caught dead owning C230 Coupe. An E400CDI however...

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200