Just curious. I've noticed that several folks have a harem of a half dozen Mercs. I say harem because I know we treat our cars like ladies (ahem, names?).

Anyway, how long does each one sit before it gets driven? When you do drive, is it a longish trip or just a circle around the block?

How long would you let one lay idle before having concerns about it developing leaks or rust?

The problem that I'm having is that my W115 is always down because it's in some stage of a quasi restoration, sometimes for months at a time. I'm wondering how much down time starts causing problems due to disuse.

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1974 240D "Boldie" 170K.- New timing chain/freshly rebuilt IP/replaced valve seals/injectors/upgraded stereo/new Bilsteins with Yokohamas/fresh paint and rocker panels plus lots of welds.

My biggest problem when owning two vehicles was if I let one sit too long, the battery would drain. This was on a 2003 Sentra with a security system, so there was always a drain on the battery. Eventually I had to replace the battery before selling it. Since these old Benzes shouldn't drain the battery, you may be OK for longer than a month of not driving it.

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1991 F250 super-cab 7.3 IDI. (rebuilt by me) Banks Sidewinder turbo, hydroboost brakes, new IP and injectors.
2003 S430 - 107K
1983 300SD - Tanoshii - mostly restored ~400K+.
1983 300SD - Good interior. Engine finally tamed ~250K.
Monark Nozzle Install Video - http://tinyurl.com/ptd2tge

My winter car is an 84 300d and my summer car is an 85 300d...Eventually the 84 will rot out and i get to use the 85 as a winter car,then i can buy another mint 85.....

Everything gets driven at least once every two weeks and for at least 20 minutes at a clip.

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85' 300D No inspection, No registration fees, Cheap insurance
"If my calculations are correct, when this baby hits 88 miles per hour, you're going to see some serious %$&^."

... drive?

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 560SL convertible
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
2005 Dodge Sprinter 2500 158"WB
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

You rotate by driving the ones that are running at the time. Lol. I also tend to choose based on weather conditions; ie car A has bad weatherstripping and leaks like a submarine made from spare cheese graters and colanders so it's best not to use car A in the rain. Better choose car B instead. Of my 5 old Mercs... Zero have working AC. The heaters work in all but the fintail and the w123. The 300SD has a bad engine and will be sitting until I rebuild it. I'm trying to imagine a time when everything functions on all five of the old cars but it's hard to look that far into the future.

Hah!

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'85 300TD "Puff The Magic Wagon" - Rolling Resto
'19 Mazda CX-9 Signature - Wife's sled
'21 Morgan 3-Wheeler P101 Edition
'95 E300d - SOLD
'84 300TD "Brown Betty" - Miss this one
'81 240D "China Baby" - Farm grocery getter

I had three when I choose my screen name, but have two now, both get driven regularly.

Thank goodness I don't have a larger garage! Both are housed in there.

When my DD is down, I use the CD. On weekends, it's the CD anyway.

I have three cars, two of which are MB. The 300 is the "Sunday go to meetin' " car. I also pick up visiting dignitaries such as my boss, or my mother in law, at the airport in the 300. I adds an air of "joy de vivre" to the 15 minute ride to my house where chickens and other miscreants roam the sidewalk.

My little diesel is my sweetheart. I spend more time in that thing than I do in my house, since I am an on-the-road salesman, in addition to being an obsessive gearhead. She has the KILLER sound system, and for some reason the heat is just oh so much more cozy in the winter time. That car has paid for itself many times over since I get reimbursed for mileage.

I have another vehicle that is, uh... ahem, (wince) NOT an MB - it is a 2003 Mitsubishi Montero Sport with 79K on her. That's my fishin' and campin' car. I hardly ever pop the hood on that one. Don't need to.

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327K on 1986 W201, 602.911, 722.414 2.5 190D ("The Red Baron")
139K on 1993 W124, 104.942, 722.433 2.8 300E ("Queen")

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4081/...0bb92d3c_m.jpg http://i370.photobucket.com/albums/o...g?t=1325284354

Do not worry about your difficulties in Mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater.
- Albert Einstein

take a walk down memory lane...

2 Benz's a VW TDI and a Dodge Cummins hmmm...
The 82 240 is a daily driver for me when my daughter is at school, the 81 240 is my hanger queen and is parked inside for winter though I start it monthly, the TDI is the wifes DD and the Cummins [when it starts in the cold} is for when I need to haul a load,the roads are bad or nothing else is available to drive, like today; if it starts 10* F right now and it is plugged in.

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1981 240D 143k 4 spd manual -SOLD

2004 VW Jetta TDI 5 speed 300k -still driven daily

My 280C is daily driver to and from work. The W126 is for evening and family and the 250C is for weekend cruising.

It usually comes down to fuel levels though.

I drive one for 2-3 months depending, then I put the ins on that one on hold, pick the next one and re-instate the ins on it and drive it. For out of state trips I always use the 300sd because it's nice to drive and gets good mileage.

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85 300 SD ~ 115K
82 500 SEC Euro ??K
78 450SL 164K

As someone mentioned, depending on which ones not down for repairs

Also, my 240D sits in the garage in the winter. Chicago roads will eat it alive!

My E300 is my daily and unfortunently, has to face the Chicago winters So far so good.. through 2 large snow falls already and 0 F the other morning.

anyways, in the spring after the salts washed off by the rain, ill bring her out and driver her mostly until there's a threat of snow aka rust. Ill switch between the two periodically depending on.

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1983 Euro 240D 277K
2016 Mazda 6
Coming Soon, 2013 Mercedes E350 Bluetec
Formers:
2012- Mazda 3
2007 Outlander- complete pile
1995 E300 Diesel 208K
2007 VW Passat 2.0T 63K SOLD
2003 Jaguar X-type 3.0 Sport Sold 04/11 w/88K
2009 Lexus RX350 9061 miles. Sold 04/09
2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS:Totaled Sept.,09 @ 24,000
2003 Infiniti I35 58K Sold
1984 300 turbo diesel 222K

Depends on what your doing. If the family is with it has to be the 4 door at least. If I'm by myself it's the cd. The 4 door is currently my wife's everyday car while I have the e320 down for the trans. The 82 wagon will be my car when done, to be able to haul my photography equipment around etc....

It varies somewhat with the situation but the basic ideas I follow are:

Long trips-take something that gets good mileage.
Any chance of salt-300D stays parked.
Little short trips-300D stays parked.

Exceptions are that everything gets driven at least once a week, and salt conditions result in the 15 mpg beater getting used regardless of trip length. For example, my commute is 13 miles each way. This is enough that I use the 300D normally. Today, there was a chance of salt and I had to go to Reno (30 miles), so while the distance would normally call for the diesel, the carbureted gaspot got used instead. When I got home (with the new license plate for my motorcycle), the motorcycle got taken for a short ride, since it hadn't moved in a week. I started snowing as I was riding. It took a while for my fingers to warm back up.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 401,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 26,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.
99 Mazda Miata 183,xxx miles.