Too many cars, considering selling one, opinions - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

JB3 · #1 07-08-2011, 07:57 AM

Im considering selling one of these two rarely driven mercedes-

1- 1984 300D, great shape, no rust, petrol green. Last driven 2.5 months ago, started occasionally

2- 1974 240D 4-speed, poor body shape but runs. No rust either, dark brown. last driven 6 months ago, in long term storage as we speak. Project vehicle. Its worth mentioning that I have an engine and lots of fun parts for this.

With these two mercedes, I have a total of 7 cars kicking around, and use my work van pretty much all the time. Already selling a spare work van, going to decide on one of these two mercedes, and there are three VWs to pare down as well. Ill probably keep one of those with the 1.6 diesel. Need to get down to 3, one DD work vehicle, one long distance high fuel economy vehicle, and one summer MB diesel

Which one would you sell?

mach0415 · #2 07-08-2011, 08:37 AM

I'd sell the 240 FWIW, Keep the W123

IVIuzzy · #3 07-08-2011, 08:56 AM

seeing as you hadnt driven the 240 id sell that. or you could advertise a few for sale, and which ever one sells first. get rid of. and keep the others. thats what i always do. i never want to sell any of my cars!

scottmcphee · #4 07-08-2011, 09:42 AM

I'd sell as many of the fleet of 7 that I could, for what I could get, keeping the work van because of need, and keeping perhaps one other as a fun / project car.

Keeping marginally valuable cars in long term storage is a backslide on value.

A vehicle is one of these things to me: a utility thing, a real prize, or a fun / project thing. Never owned a prize, came close once on splurging for a Ford GT (not the Mustang, the GT), for $200K. Mid-life crisis thing, I got over it.

Whole cars in the form of spare parts fit into the project thing, and don't count as a car, they are parts.
Be realistic about the number of projects / parts cars on the go.

My household: 1 utility (family Subaru), 1 project (87 300D) with 2 more for parts with a goal of keeping the project a daily driver.

If I could make $5K to $10K in selling used cars kicking around, it would immediately go toward SOLAR PANELS for my house, batteries, and grid-tied inverter. Or a Listeroid type engine and genset. Seriously.

JB3 · #5 07-08-2011, 09:54 AM

I was initially leaning towards selling the 123 as its by far the nicest and most valuable of all the cars, and the one most likely to decline in quality by sitting for extended periods. The 115 can't really go south and is not worth much, and is getting moved to my work space for free storage. The three VWs are universally POS vehicles. I could make one OK vehicle of the three, and the rest would go for scrap or parts.

Any money made would go towards paying off a credit card.

The extra van was part of an equipment purchase, and is also going. Vstech, if you are listening, do you want a 91 Astro RS?

oldsinner111 · #6 07-08-2011, 09:58 AM

I'd sell my non MBs gas hogs.

JB3 · #7 07-08-2011, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldsinner111

I'd sell my non MBs gas hogs.

You mean the vans? Im keeping the work van for work, and it gets 21-23 mpg, worst is 16 towing. The other van is for sale, and third most inefficient is the 300D at 26-28 mpg.
All the VWs are 1.6 diesels at 40-50mpg (when running)
The 115 seems pretty good on fuel

oldsinner111 · #8 07-08-2011, 10:16 AM

My bad the vehicles belong to someone else.Sounds like the 300d would bring cash,then restore your 240 into a driver.

funola · #9 07-09-2011, 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dropnosky

You mean the vans? Im keeping the work van for work, and it gets 21-23 mpg, worst is 16 towing. The other van is for sale, and third most inefficient is the 300D at 26-28 mpg.
All the VWs are 1.6 diesels at 40-50mpg (when running)
The 115 seems pretty good on fuel

What work van get 21-23 mpg? Didn't know you have 1.6 vw diesels. What do you have? I may need some parts.

/

HRTex · #10 07-10-2011, 12:56 PM

FWIW, and my opinion is worth exactly what you're paying for it...

I would say you should sell anything and everything car-related that would pay off the credit cards and still leave you with reliable transportation.

JB3 · #11 07-11-2011, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HRTex

FWIW, and my opinion is worth exactly what you're paying for it...

I would say you should sell anything and everything car-related that would pay off the credit cards and still leave you with reliable transportation.

I do not have an outrageous credit card balance to eliminate, just the fact that there is one is a torment to me. I recently started a small business and debt is a standard thing in that circumstance, but I have a religious dread of any personal debt and paying interest on it, so since cars are sitting around waiting to be turned into cash, that would be best applied to this situation.

You and I are on the same page though. Credit cards are dangerous, however necessary or useful, its amazing how many people float along amassing enormous debt without thinking about it, and just buying whatever they want without even the slightest fiscal responsibility.

Codifex Maximus · #12 07-19-2011, 02:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HRTex

FWIW, and my opinion is worth exactly what you're paying for it...

I would say you should sell anything and everything car-related that would pay off the credit cards and still leave you with reliable transportation.

Sage advice here!

Keep your work van obviously. Take money you save by not paying exorbitant credit card fees (after paying them off) and save till you have enough to buy a decent MB that don't need alot of work.

gatorblue92 · #13 07-10-2011, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chasinthesun

The chevy astro vans are real work horses ,they live a long time if treated to a decent service history.Mechanics that know a good car will tell you if asked.

This. My mom is still driving her 95 with somewhere north of 300k miles.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

-=DeanstuD=- · #14 07-11-2011, 01:33 AM

I can relate to your situation. When I just recently got my '83, I realized I literally have no place left to park it. I too am going to have to thin the heard.

JB3 · #15 07-11-2011, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by -=DeanstuD=-

I can relate to your situation. When I just recently got my '83, I realized I literally have no place left to park it. I too am going to have to thin the heard.

Have decided to sell the 123. I went and started up the 115 and bombed around town for an hour in its shocking high volume, car alarm starting smokey violent way, and had a big grin on my face the whole time.

Since the clutch is about gone, I also taught a neighbor to drive stick on it yesterday, was a lot of fun. She couldn't find 1st multiple times because of the slop in the stick, and the pull start drove her crazy when she stalled it at an intersection. Good car to learn on, forgiving on engagement even with a 10% clutch, but complex enough to restart that you start sweating thinking about what will happen if you stall it.

Apparently I have an affinity for beaters, the crappier the car, the more in love with it I am, plus I can slowly work on this over time