I just wonder how well we can actually recover since so many jobs simply disappeared from this continent. Manufacturing and such (and even outsourced or entirely eliminated office jobs) made up a big part of the middle class income/economic sector....those jobs are just gone....thanks to sending them overseas....it will be interesting to see if the economy ever recovers. When it gets really bad is when people who've been unemployed a real long time lose their unemployment benefits, then what do they do? Crime? It should be an interesting future.

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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

Unemployed for six months now after lay off. Been DIYing every regular upkeep thing I can on the car since then with much help from this forum! Car needs a new exhaust though

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85 300D 180k

Barely employed and need to put in new accumulators in the wagon along with new paint before winter. The Sd just got trans replaced with a used "rebuilt" Peter Schmid unit -saved about 1,000.00 on that. Hoping for a day job to augment my night job so I can get this stuff done -cars are running great however, just did valve adjustment on both. I get lazy when I have money and go to my indie more often then not. This time period has me realigned with my priorities, diesel and otherwise

I'm recently re-employed, but was out of work for 8 months. To support my cars while I was unemployed I started rebuilding injectors and bought a wagon for cheap to repair and sell. With the new job I now don't have much free time to work on them now.

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1979 240D- 316K miles - VGT Turbo, Intercooler, Stick Shift, Many Other Mods - Daily Driver

1982 300SD - 232K miles - Wife's Daily Driver

1986 560SL - Wife's red speed machine

I am employed and have just enough money to buy parts and repair my self, but i work too much and my job dose not like greasy hands or black oil stained hands/fingernail's (hospital regulations ).

Here's an advice if you need a job fast i would suggest to get a CNA certification and apply at an hospital, they are never enough of tech nurse at an hospital, avoid nursing homes though.

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Current Garage
2008 Mercedes GL320 CDI 188k mi Repair/Work in progress
1994 S350 160k mi Garage Queen & prepping for repairs
2005 E320 CDI 203k mi Healthy & Daily Driver
1994 S350 357k mi Retried as parts car
1984 300TD 214k mi Blown OM617 Poss OM603 Swap??

Sold
1987 300SDL 200K+
1994 S320 181K mi
2008 E320 Bluetec 127k mi
1999 S420 130K mi
1980 240D 360k mi
15+ Others that has come, stay and gone

GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
1995 E320 SE 220k mi
1984 300SD 350k mi

not unemployed, but with the bad economy i'm definitely cutting back on repairs i'd normally have had done--would rather pad my savings at this point than dumping more money into the diesel.

I was unemployed from 10/08 through 3/09, since then I've had some work, but it's been, well, a little less money.

Haven't really deferred any maintenance on the wagon. It's up to date on everything and has been since before I bought it. So maintenance isn't a big money spending item on this car for me. I've done smaller repairs, i.e. an SLS resevoir, blower motor, hood cable, and numerous interior trim upgrades (not broke, just found better parts) have been done over the past six months.

I figured that I've got all the time to do some repairs, don't need the car to get to work, and save some money by DIY work, not to mention keeping busy, was worth the expense during times when money was uncertain.

That said, the steering box and some front end component repairs are looming in the near future. These aren't things that I could do in my driveway, so I'll probably pay good money to get these things sorted.

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1982 240 D, 308,000 - 321,127 miles (sold)
1982 300 TD,166,500 - 226,000 miles
1998 E 320, 120,000 - 144,000 miles
2005 C 230 K, 26,000 - 77,000 miles (sold)

I'm employed, but have other living expenses to take care of and I only work part time.

I was saving up to have my AC fixed, but then my master cylinder went bad so I had that replaced. Oh well, maybe by next summer I'll have cold air again.

Other then that there really isn't a whole lot wrong with Norm, but at $1100 for the repair it makes affording it hard. Once that is out of the way my body repair and repaint fund will go in to effect, but that will also take a long time to afford.

So pretty much if my cars are safe, then I'm satisfied.

Well, fuel lines are new, oil cooler lines are new (thank whomever that they came off without all the aluminum threads from the cooler!!!!) and the upper control arm waits for another day.... At least I can now park in the preferred spots in my driveway, without leaving spots in my driveway

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On some nights I still believe that a car with the fuel gauge on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. - HST

1983 300SD - 305000
1984 Toyota Landcruiser - 190000
1994 GMC Jimmy - 203000

https://media.giphy.com/media/X3nnss8PAj5aU/giphy.gif

My thoughts exactly. What a load of #%@^!

Honestly though, I have seen little change in this area so far. More people back from Alberta due to work stoppage from the oil fields there.
My friend was out there for 4 years, says there is a place where they call it 6 miles of Iron...he says 6 miles of heavy equipment parked along side of the road, not being used for months due to the lack of work. If so...Wow!

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1991 GMC Sonoma Ext Cab w/Isuzu diesel (converted March Mar 2003) - sold
1994 S10 Ext Cab w/Isuzu diesel (converted Mar 2008)
1998 Toyota Sienna XLE
B6100HST Kubota CUT DIESEL

1994 S10 with Isuzu diesel and 5spd
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...S15/SigPic.jpg

Not unemployed, but my workload has tripled (pretty much not an exaggeration) with my salary frozen ... I'm giving up a lot more hours and am a lot more wiped out as a result, so it's kind of eating into my wrench time. I've also been trying to keep costs under control due to the fact that I very much want to leave my job, and want to feel like I can afford to do so. I volunteered for severance earlier this month and was turned down, watching my friends get laid off instead. On top of that I'm living with my parents, which is not the best situation, and I'm hoping to invest in a house soon. So I'm not skimping on the vital stuff, but I'm trying to hold off on some biggies ... especially on the 240D, which is well beyond its golden year. I try to focus on cheap-but-challenging repairs ... right now I'm doing some low-budget bodywork after taking care of the vitals: brakes, steering linkage and maintenance. Most of it hasn't cost me that much, but the 240D is going to need a new exhaust and new tires, both going to be $$$. If things keep going the way they are, I may end up shelving the project altogether ... employment or no employment ...

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1987 300D, arctic white/palomino--314,000 miles
1978 240D 4-speed, Euro Delivery, light ivory/bamboo--370,000 miles
2005 Jeep Liberty CRD Limited, light khaki/slate--140,000 miles
2018 Chevy Cruze diesel, 6-speed manual, satin steel metallic/kalahari--19,000 miles
1982 Peugeot 505 diesel, 4-speed manual, blue/blue, 130,000 miles
1995 S320, black/parchment--34,000 miles (Dad's car)

better than my situation, a broke student lackling skills for jobmarket so Im going to toyota t ten program so at least you have marketable skils and something to go everyday. Not to add I have bill collectors calling multiple times everyday. alots of people out there who have it much worse than you

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1986 300SDL, 211K,Dealership serviced its whole life
1991 190E 2.6(120k)
1983 300D(300k)
1977 300D(211k)

Definitely ... I wasn't making the case that I was the worst-off person in the world. I'm pretty lucky. All I was saying was that, like most people here and elsewhere, the economic situation has affected the way I approach my car hobby.

If you're a student, even a broke one, at least you're doing something in the right direction, i.e., acquiring a skill. That's way ahead of a lot of people, who are just waiting for someone to save them.

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1987 300D, arctic white/palomino--314,000 miles
1978 240D 4-speed, Euro Delivery, light ivory/bamboo--370,000 miles
2005 Jeep Liberty CRD Limited, light khaki/slate--140,000 miles
2018 Chevy Cruze diesel, 6-speed manual, satin steel metallic/kalahari--19,000 miles
1982 Peugeot 505 diesel, 4-speed manual, blue/blue, 130,000 miles
1995 S320, black/parchment--34,000 miles (Dad's car)

I'm well employed (Dept of Navy), but my wife's business - art school for kids - has been down for the last two years.

Putting off - Replace Rear Window - probable water leak, fogged edges, defroster lines only work on upper half of window.

Next thing to fix - Driver's seat completely collapsed. have the springs from the 300D passenger side, but will have to take the daily driver completely down to remove seat and rebuild. That's the hard part to schedule.

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mjk

'84 300SD 119KMi (Liesl der Diesel)
'84 300D 326KMi when the oil left (former parts car)
'82 300SD 253KMi (new parts car)

Been unemployed since Feb. '08 - thanks to my former boss's insight into this economy crash. Picked up a P/T job this Feb. which lasted until a couple of weeks ago. Unemployment rules!

On the other hand, I have started receiving SS benefits, which will barely pay the bills. So we keep on trying for the job...........

Edit: Smacked someone in the rear end the other day, messed up the radiator, aux. fan, AC condenser among who knows what. So far, looking at $500 in parts to get running again & who knows what else after the smashed stuff is pulled out & replaced. Just what I needed.........