Money Saving Thread

[Hatterasguy]

Originally Posted by iNeon

A thread I know something about!!

Purchased a 1979 240D for $2,000, about $750 in repairs over 27k miles. It was great until 2 months ago.

The car has begun to come apart at the seams and a student of the lowest social class simply can't spend the money the car needs. Save your pennies-- You *WILL* get blindsided by a large repair you can't make yourself.

The car is undrivable because I ran over a tire tread in the interstate. Boy, don't I feel good about spending my last $500 car dollars on a new stereo-- The car just ran and drove so well, I didn't see this coming.

What happened?? Tire tread from a truck? Those are pretty brutal this doesn't sound good.

[stcbenz83]

another college student here.

I bought my 240D from a good friend of mines dad. he sold it to me for 800$ and thats my 240D euro. The reason he gave it to me so cheap was because he knew i would take car of it. Needless to say this was his extra car he had gotten it from his brother who bought it new from germany. He never really liked how slow the car was but kept it around because he was going to put a WVO conversion in it. needless to say, otherthings kept pilling up on his to-do list and he needed to buy a couple automtic cars for his daughters.(chevy and a saturn) . But some day soon he's gonna buy a 300 TUrbo. he always liked them...

Sorry kinda rambled on. But anyways when i got the car, the outside looked perfect, engine ran ok, an italian tune up fixed that, but since the car was only driven once in a while, it developed problems, I.e. brakes, shocks, little odds and ends. Needless to say i have spent almost 2000 in repairs. However i like everything on my car to be perfect! so i go the extra mile on everything. But in that 2000$ that figures in oil changes also (i just bunch my log book all together on Micro Excel) and have driven about 16000 in the past 10 months. But now i can say i would take this car anywere and not worrie if it would make it or not. Summer time though im rollin in a new chain. This one had about 253000 on what im sure is the original and just odds and ends.


For my 300D, since its my winter car, and i dont care about the inperfections, i just drive like it is. ive put so far a new alternator in it and a new GP that was shorting out the system. other than that a valve adjustment and new filter, probably spent about 150-200 at the most on this, and it starts every morning

[SwampYankee]

Originally Posted by log673

Being a perpetually broke college student, I began to worry after reading that thread about how much money people are spending on their Mercedes. I wanted to know what is the least amount of money people are spending on their cars so I can be reassured that my Mercedes won't drive me into the ground.

In the three months that I have had my 1983 300D, which is my daily driver, not including routine maintenance, I have spent a total of approximately $35.00 on my car. I have only had to replace the fuel lines and the shift linkage bushings.

Let's see. Including the car, 2 gals of oil, a few filters, tax & registration and a can of Meguire's Cleaner/Wax, I've gotten 225 trouble free miles for about $175.00. Yikes! $0.78/mile!

[vstech]

Originally Posted by SwampYankee

Let's see. Including the car, 2 gals of oil, a few filters, tax & registration and a can of Meguire's Cleaner/Wax, I've gotten 225 trouble free miles for about $175.00. Yikes! $0.78/mile!

Ahhh, so THAT'S what you meant by the car fell into your lap... wow great price...
I spent more than twice that amount on my 79 TD just to get her home!
John

[olsaltybastard]

If you want to save money, stop reading Diesel Giant's posts!! Every time he does another write-up, I find myself underneath my car checking things out. Since my car is pretty low-mileage (136K), I expect it to last for many more years to come. I am a fan of replacing worn items before they become problematic and tend to go overboard sometimes.

[vstech]

Originally Posted by olsaltybastard

If you want to save money, stop reading Diesel Giant's posts!! Every time he does another write-up, I find myself underneath my car checking things out. Since my car is pretty low-mileage (136K), I expect it to last for many more years to come. I am a fan of replacing worn items before they become problematic and tend to go overboard sometimes.

Oh, I don't know, that may save money in the beginning, but you may have VERY COSTLY outcome from neglect too... (check those flex joints!@)
http://dieselgiant.com/Mercedes%20flex%20disc%20failure.htm
John

[log673]

Yes, DieselGiant does have a way of making every single product that they have in stock seem completely necessary to ensure that your car does not grind itself to death or explode the very next time you start it. However, I still check the flex discs and things when I'm down under my car.

[rwthomas1]

You have to want to own a MB. Most people that need transportation and don't care anything at all about cars will be just fine in a Camry. Anvil reliable and very boring. I recommend them to anyone that falls into the above category. I happen to be one of those particular MB owners that want the car as perfect as possible. Very few cars from the 123 vintage will soldier on with such little maintenance. Thats the impressive part. The other impressive part is how much it will cost if you expect to keep or restore a MB to "almost new". But then, if you are on this board and already own a MB then you already know that..... RT

[Moorewr]

Bought Mr. Lincoln (W123 300D) 13 Apr 77 for my wife, has 235K, initial cost 16K, have put starter, water pump, a/c comp, glow plugs(pencil), injectors, brake buster, rebuilt the vac pump several times, brakes once, and just replaced the servo with the digital unit, best move going. and a couple of batteries. Mr. Lincoln has been well maintained and my wife would not trade him for a new one. Have a parts yard in Manchester TN (Mid TN Euro Parts, www.unlimitedautoparts.com, 1-800-548-4727, (Jim), he has around 50-60 W123, numerous others, 126, everything else, very reasonable priced, ships quickly. Have owned other 123s, 124, 210, 211. Mr. Lincoln is a tank.

Good luck
Ron

[log673]

Originally Posted by rwthomas1

Most people that need transportation and don't care anything at all about cars will be just fine in a Camry. Anvil reliable and very boring.

I think that depends on what you mean by reliable. I bought my MB because of my experiences with newer cars. I have owned a Hyundai Elantra and still own a 2000 Toyota Corolla. I have found that they are difficult to work on, and very unsafe. The Hyundai was totalled when I was hit by a SUV on the driver's side door. It was completely smashed up and I ended up having surgery on my left arm to repair nerve damage along with getting new front teeth.
I had trouble doing maintenance on these cars as well. For example, my Corolla's brakes began to make this terrible grinding sound whenever I hit the pedal. Figuring that it may need new pads and a fluid change, I consulted my manual, and I discovered that I couldn't do either of these because of the computer controlled ABS. So I took it to my mechanic who supposedly fixed the problem. It was fine for about an hour, and then the squealing started again. In addition to that it uses about a quart of oil each month, the transmission vibrates in every gear, and the wind from trucks on the interstate just about blows me onto the shoulder of the road. At least $1200 have been put into that car, none of which seemed to do anything.
I may spend more time under the hood of my MB, but I know that I can diagnose most problems easily, and I won't lose any more teeth.

[rwthomas1]

Originally Posted by log673

I think that depends on what you mean by reliable. I bought my MB because of my experiences with newer cars. I have owned a Hyundai Elantra and still own a 2000 Toyota Corolla. I have found that they are difficult to work on, and very unsafe. The Hyundai was totalled when I was hit by a SUV on the driver's side door. It was completely smashed up and I ended up having surgery on my left arm to repair nerve damage along with getting new front teeth.
I had trouble doing maintenance on these cars as well. For example, my Corolla's brakes began to make this terrible grinding sound whenever I hit the pedal. Figuring that it may need new pads and a fluid change, I consulted my manual, and I discovered that I couldn't do either of these because of the computer controlled ABS. So I took it to my mechanic who supposedly fixed the problem. It was fine for about an hour, and then the squealing started again. In addition to that it uses about a quart of oil each month, the transmission vibrates in every gear, and the wind from trucks on the interstate just about blows me onto the shoulder of the road. At least $1200 have been put into that car, none of which seemed to do anything.
I may spend more time under the hood of my MB, but I know that I can diagnose most problems easily, and I won't lose any more teeth.

I hate to repeat myself but here goes: I recommended a CAMRY not a Hyundai or a Corolla. I have worked on several camrys and they have been simple to work on. If your results have been different I suggest you get a new mechanic or try the dealer. Toyota dealers are actually reasonable. I have plenty of friends and family that have Toyotas and they have nothing but good things to say about the cars and the service. RT

[log673]

Are Camrys really that much different from Corollas aside from the body?

[rs899]

I bought all 4 of my cars at mileages between 125K and 170K. I figure that I am in for the long haul (meaning I'll give them to my daughter after I'm gone or we run out of fossil fuel).

I figure that each of these cars has reached mid-life (like me) and I should only have to change anything on them ONCE (except tires ,battery etc). So , I replace all the rubber (suspension, steering, flex discs, subframe, etc plus shocks)on all of them systematically. Then the car handles and drives as new, as its makers intended. And then all I have to do is change the fluids and attnd to the odd random failure now and then. Just my way.

Rick

[iNeon]

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

What happened?? Tire tread from a truck? Those are pretty brutal this doesn't sound good.

Yep-- I was going 80, and these old cars just can't do an 80mph lane change maneuver without ending up in a wreck.

I remember once, I was running a w124 in Mother's taurus(funnily enough, the Taurus outran, outbraked AND outhandled the w124) and we came around a fairly sharp curve to see a redlight-- the w124 locked his brakes(isn't ABS standard?) and when he regained traction-- jumped all lanes of traffic because the drive wheels are not the steering wheels, and the car wanted to go wherever the wheels were pointing.

I digress--

That taught me to just hit what's in front of me and repair the cars mechanicals and not add bodywork into the equation.

The wheels just seem to want to go different directions now, and I don't trust the car until it's repaired. Suspension work isn't something I can do-- so I'm waiting until the VW is finished, and may move up a few model series to a N/A E300D w210.

I'm digging the w210.

Of course, it could turn into an early model w202 C280 as well. Those cars are adorable! A bright red one with black interior.

[mobetta]

Originally Posted by estod

Now I am starting on the front suspension with upper CA, all steering rods & shock, sway bar bushings, front shocks. That came to about $400 in parts. Next will be new front springs (it's got longer springs installed to jack the bumpers up to Fed height), lower CA bushings, ball joints, rod bushings. Then I will start on the rear susp and driveshaft.

In the meantime, I drive 900 miles/week with confidance. I plan to see 500K -- currently 235K.

whta- not gonna replace the sway bar, too? that'll only add $300 to your job.

so far, paid $2700,
rebuilt the rear suspension-new trailing arms, all the rubber, tires, brakes, parking brakes,wheel bearings,etc,- about $1k
replace the front sway-$320 (not a fun job)
water pump and hoses, coolant-$150
replaced ALL the fluids and ALL the filters(PS, brakes, SLS,ATF,Oil many times,coolant, Windsheild washer -$???
set of 4 extra rims and snows- $430
4 new brake hoses- $40

and dont forget the many,many hours of work that I do myself. I call it bonding. my wife calls it automotive hypocondrea . I figure it's gotta be better than spending all my time and money in the bars.


I figure, I'd rather make repairs on this beautiful classic than a payment on a brand new boring yota-honda-whatever. now, when the accord diesels get here......