So what do these old cars cost to keep on the road? - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Rashakor · #16 06-08-2006, 09:34 AM

well,
I think i have been lucky... So far
I really thought i overpaid my 240D 2 years ago. I paid 3200 bucks for it, in very nice shape from the mercedes dealership. Everything worked except the central locking, and had 148600 miles.

A few months back the AC went down and the compressor got shot.
Total for the conversion to R134, compressor, receptor and new pipes (guaranted 3 years):
$1120.00

The car just busted a CV boot
$50 from junk yard.

and i will need a rebuild of the front end.
around $160 parts, and $100 alignment.

Except for the the AC everything is DIY. That makes 57¢/mi so far in 18 months. that is not to bad.

Now the SD i just bought is another story...

Pete Burton · #17 06-08-2006, 09:48 AM

since July, 96:
300SD ......................$4500
300SD parts car..........$1500
tires..........................$400
A/C parts/freon...........$400
insurance, taxes, reg....$4000
engine rebuild..............$2000
transmission rebuild......$500
front seat upgrade.......$300
misc parts..................$2000
fuel/oil.......................$6000

for 95K miles, that's roughly 20-25 cents/mile

being self-reliant for the transportation I want.....................priceless.

softconsult · #18 06-08-2006, 09:58 AM

Here is my viewpoint. I drive older 300E's first a '90 now a '92 Sportline because I like almost everything about the cars. I drive about 35K a year and it's mostly highway.

I choose not to drive a newer model '96 and up because of the complexity and because I like not having car payments on any of my vehicles.

I ran the '90 from 100K to 175K. Purchased the '92 at 113K and it know has
242K ( It will be 244k in next two weeks , long trip coming up ). Of course, the 242K miles is not the same as that many miles of city driving. The wear and tear on engine and transmission is much less on the highway. Pretty much all of the other wear items have been replaced along with all the ignition components, valves, relays, etc.

The key to rationalizing the repair costs is as follows . Once you replace things like radiator , water pump, A/C compressor etc etc. the car runs as before ,and off you go for another 100K miles.

I paid cash for the '92, $11,500, several years ago. Today it's not worth much. Let's say $3,000. That's really not much depreciation when compared to what happens to a $50,000 MB driven for the same period of time and miles. The payments alone would have been at least $800 to $1,000 per month. Furthermore, it would have been out of warranty in about 1 1/2 years. God knows how many thousands would be consumed keeping it on the road for another 80,000 miles.

The sudden need to anti-up a few thousand dollars to fix things like A/C or leaking head gasket is a serious thing to think about. Driving these old cars purely to save cents per mile is foolish. People who function on strict budget will not be happy at the spikes in the maintenance budget.

Just my take on the subject.

Steve

Talyon · #19 06-08-2006, 10:20 AM

1983 300sd purchase price, FREE, coworker GAVE her to me.
title and inspection, 115.00
freeze plugs x6 20.00

im glad you guys and gals started this thread. It gives me a better idea of what im in store for. i have driven Mustangs my whole life and still drvie the cobra every day. i turn my own wrenches the only problem im haveing is finding quality replacment/restoration parts.

Gary F. · #20 06-08-2006, 10:40 AM

Bought my 85 300d in 2000. ($3250) 196,000 miles
Vacuum pump rebuild $100. (Had to do it twice because I screwed up the 1st time)
4 wheel alignment $55.
AC compressor rear outlet seals $3.50
Batteries $90. (First one failed after 2 years, replaced under pro rated warranty)
Rear tailight bulb $1.69
Changed out fluids for transmission and rear end, $16.00

Total repairs $266.

Gary

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a life time.

gtmotor · #21 06-08-2006, 11:03 AM

I have over $1500.00 in repairs in mine and I haven't even taken delivery of it yet

Previous owner INSISTS that every minute thing be fixed before he lets it go (at my cost)... he has over $40k worth of receipts on this car. I am getting it for $2500.00 + whatever the final repair bill is (can update later today) so I don't think it's too bad of a deal.

After this... I will do most everything myself and not take it to the shop for a $525.88 repair bill if there is a vaccuum leak

I've spent $1500.00 on my personal veggie oil conversion as well... It'll take 10 years to recoup the costs in fuel for what the car costs but I still enjoy the classic nature of these cars.

Hatterasguy · #22 06-08-2006, 09:20 PM

I drive the W126 because I like it, for now since I have the time I will continue to play.

Btw my numbers are for parts only, since labor is free ie mine.

My car has never had any work done to it by a shop, well accept the AC system charge. I didn't have the tools and the guy at my dads work said he would do it for $50 so I figured what the heck.

If I figured out how many hours and billed them out at a shop rate of about $70 an hour. I would guess their would be $20k in labor in their somewhere. I have 10 pages of service records, in 12 font single spaced...you name it I replaced it. I have a 3in binder packed to the brim with paperwork.

#23 06-08-2006, 10:44 PM

Stop scaring the new people.

I'm afraid to add up my expenses, but I estimate about $3000 to $5000 per year, driving about 35k miles per year, for about 180k miles total.

Brian Carlton · #24 06-08-2006, 10:53 PM

The SD was purchased July '02 with 150K on the clock.

It's now got almost 190K.

Total parts (and some labor at Metric) in the period was $4460.

Consistently getting 30 mpg with (almost) everything functioning properly: PRICELESS

gatorblue92 · #25 06-09-2006, 12:41 AM

i spent $3145 at my family's old indy shop in miami to get the car road worthy to bring it up to delaware after it had been sitting in the garage at my grandparents house for 4 years... that cost included changeing all fluids and filters, replaceing the entire cooling system (it still runs hot

) new front brakes, and a new driveshaft and driveshaft support... i could have done it all myself but i didnt have the time or tools... much more $ to come once i decide to do the body work and completely restore the old girl but thats about 5 years away

braverichard · #26 06-09-2006, 12:44 AM

Well these aren't cheap cars to own, even if you do all of your work. In many cases, it just depends on your situation. One guy stated he lives right next to a junk yard with plentiful W123s from which he can obtain an engine for $150. For peple like him, the car will always be dirt cheap to own because used parts can be obtained easily, quickly and cheaply. For most of us who don't live right next to such a junk yard, that may not be the case.

As for me, I'd have to add up the receipts when I get back home. I got screwed out big time last year by my own miserly attitude - I removed full coverage insurance from my 300SD and two months later, I hit a deer totalled out the car and had to spend $4500 repairing it. To me that was purchasing another 300SD. Since that happened (exactly a year ago), I have spent money only on tires, alignment, and a new oil cooler line. I attribute the fact that I haven't spent much on the car in the last year to all the money I spent on it before the wreck - new brakes, master cylinder, A/C work, drive belts, etc. That was also the reason why I felt I was better off with repairing it than buying another 300SD on which I may have had to do a lot of work.

I will be getting a brand new car soon because I just won't have time to tinker with this car much longer. I don't know what I will do with it then (I'll probably sell it), because the only way to own these cars without declaring bankruptcy is to do at least some of the work yourself. Even if you aren't that much of a DIYer you still have to do basic maintenance or else you'll really be shelling out money!!

BIGRED · #27 06-09-2006, 12:50 AM

I think it depends on where and why the money was spent. I view maintenance, repairs and upgrades each separately and differently. Maintenance is required no matter the condition. Repairs required if something breaks. Upgrading isn't required but a choice to improve the look and or feel of the car.

In the last 2 years (except for purchase which was about 3 years ago for each)
I bought my 83 SD for $1800 and have spent about $200 upgrading the interior, $360 for maintenance (brakes and oil changes) and $175 for transmission repairs.

Our wagon cost $5000 and I spent $1500 on upgrades (trim items) maybe $450 in maintenance and $250 for a CV. I want to toss on chrome wheels and replace the dash, which will make it near flawless.

I plan to replace the interior in the SD and would guess that is going to run $3000 +/-, replace all the front and rear suspension / brake wear items, guessing $1500 and cherry out the almost perfect body (shrugs shoulders on price). However I am in no rush as my stately, sturdy and caring friend moves us down the road.

So for me the monthly dollar requirement isn't high at all. Being that I could sell them both get back my purchase price. So I guess it is costing me about $50.00 per month per car for maintenance and repairs.

I also have appreciation as opposed to depreciation (not counting my time at any value). I also have the priceless piece of mind knowing that I am driving one of the safest cars of their era and have the peaceful and secure sense that my family is enveloped in a safe environment.

Don

braverichard · #28 06-09-2006, 12:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pawoSD

I estimate I am around 34 cents a mile or so....fine with me.

My dad's car is around 35 cents a mile....almost the same.

In contrast, our minivan was like $23,000, and it has only about 82,400 miles on it. A cost of about 36-37 cents a mile, so a touch more...but its also sitting in the street right now with dead fan relay (7th one) and is dying (engine has a lot of blowby etc...tranny makes noises) so its going to end up more costly than our older diesels.

I'm not sure on this, but it seems to be like your minivan is one giant POS lemon. I've read so many posts on things wrong with it over your years here it isn't even funny anymore. I have yet to meet even one person with that same minivan that has had the same sorts of experiences. Maybe you should sell it and get rid of all the trouble.

Elktonjohn · #29 06-09-2006, 02:02 AM

1 1983 300SD--------------$850
1 Driveshaft bearing assy---$55
1 Motor Mount-------------$37
1 Vacuum Gauge-----------$20
1 Trans filter + Fluid--------$50
1 Wiper Blade--------------$20
1 cig Butt for Tach Amp----$00...it was hot

1 Biodiesel Reactor Assy----$500...give or take...

Total ---------------------$1,532
Miles in-car ----------------6,000 in 9 months of ownership
Cost Ratio for up-keep etc--$.25/mile
Cost of fuel/mile................$.05 ......assuming 15/mpg
Filling the tank...................$13.50...assuming it's an 18gal tank??

Sorry for not quite playing along, but rest assured that once all those little "wants" get their due attention I'll be broke...until then I'm all smiles

But she wants rear CV's, complete exhaust, 4 shocks, Oil sender, rear brakes (currently none...ughh), Dale Jr window sticker...it's a red-neck Benz ok?, new paint, new chrome, new rr glass, the groaning thing in the front end, a/c, better stereo, a plastic Jesus for the dashboard...the list groweth...

Jim H · #30 06-09-2006, 07:11 AM

Here is our fleet:

$14,000 purchase, 9 mos, 024000 miles, $0.01/mile maintenance Total $0.64/mile -2002 Continental

$9,500 purchase, 2 yrs, 016000 miles, $0.02/mile maintenance Total $0.60/mile - 1999 Sebring Limited Convertible

$18,000 purchase, 9 yrs, 115000 miles, $0.01/mile maintenance Total $0.27/mile -1992 Suburban

$2,000 purchase, 1 yrs, 027000 miles, $0.16/mile maintenance Total $0.23/mile -1986 SDL

$2,000 purchase, 2 yrs, 054000 miles, $0.06/mile maintenance Total $0.10/mile - 1994 Grand Marquis

Notes:

Total is the result of adding purchase price + maintenance and dividing by miles.

The Continental is still so 'new' that the purchase cost per mile is quite high.

The SDL was traded in when the cost of the pending repairs - sunroof, radio, RUST etc. far outweighed any economic sense. If I had kept it and repaired it, the costs could easily be 2-3 times what they were.