Forgive me, because your essay had slipped my mind. I totally agree with you!! We must be of a kind that is dying off, though I'm only almost 16. I really love my car and know that it I take care of it, it will last for generations to come!

Your wife will change your mind about that. Then she'll walk all over you

Sixto
87 300D

Only if it is the Lord's will that I marry such a woman! I believe that my love for Mercedes-Benz is something from God. My life goal is to own a Mercedes-Benz dealership, and I believe that is God's goal for my life.

This is just a guess, since I don't know your buddy, but there is a school of thought that by allowing it to get a bit dirty, you can have the enjoyable ride of a luxury car without looking like you're trying to ostentatiously show off your wealth. Not saying I necessarily agree with that school of thought, just that there's a particular logic to it. There are parts of the country where flagrant displays of wealth are seen as uncouth. Big swaths of the Midwest are this way. It's a mindset that people from places like California, where there's an "if you've got it, flaunt it" mindset, probably find difficult to comprehend.

Personally I tend to think a bit of wear-and-tear gives a car character; but then in general I tend to think something that's been creatively repaired is classier than something that never broke to start with. It's just one of my quirks. It has certain advantages. I don't sweat parking lot dents, because all my cars came pre-dented.

I've had a few that I suspect were provided by Satan.

Seriously, though, let's not lose sight of the fact that a car is a depreciating asset, and by driving it you will inevitably slowly destroy it. It's best not to get TOO attached. Actually, storing it without driving it slowly destroys it, too. Car collectors will tell you that the lifespan of a show-quality restoration is about 10-15 years, even if the car isn't driven; after that it's about time to spend another pile of money on restoring it again...

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1981 Mercedes 300TD, 1994 Honda Civic Del Sol
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Yeah, I know that they will eventually die, nothing lasts forever. However, so many people don't have a vehicle, and here I am with my W123 and an '81 F250. So I never forget that they are gifts from God, well, the Mercedes is but my Ford is a piece of crap!! They are not built anything like the Mercedes are! However, I still am grateful I have a truck, even though I will be selling it and buying a brand new F150 this fall. Anyway, millions of people will never own a vehicle, and billions of people never have, so I thank God that I have such a wonderful car, and - a truck.

Don't forget weather is part of the problem, like for me i know when its going to rain because it always happens after i wash my car...

Just like someone else said, i don't like driving a nice car because it makes me think someone will key it, smash into it etc. for example i went to sams club i had my 240d parked far away from car door dings, so some guy decides to park near me and whipped open his door open so hard that it bent my rear quarter molding and a pretty big dent, I swear if i was there this would happen- TV Prank Turns Into A Beat Down - YouTube

so my mind set is i drive the 240 with a little neglect (i bought it that way) around town to school. and then i have the other better condition cars for days i don't go to sams club.

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1974 240d
1983 240d -sold
1989 420sel with om606
1994 s350 turbodiesel - sold

The ford isnt even in the same ballpark. I have the window sticker for my 84 300sd. It was $40k. I bet the ford was more along the lines of $15k.

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1984 300SD Orient Red/ Palomino
1989 560SEC
2016 Mazda 6 6 speed manual
1995 Ford F-150 reg cab 4.9 5speed manual

Ive toyed with the idea of buying a beat up 240d with a stick and just keeping up with the mechanicals. I think the cars do have character that way. A showroom nice car is great to have but its too high maintenance. I bought my mazda brand new and realized how quickly dings and scraped and rock chips eat away at a nice car. I dont even care any more. The car is kept in perfect mechanical shape with all of the maintenance performed on time and by the book. I am not going to spend money to take care of the scratches and small dings and imperfections as they will just re appear in short order.

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1984 300SD Orient Red/ Palomino
1989 560SEC
2016 Mazda 6 6 speed manual
1995 Ford F-150 reg cab 4.9 5speed manual

In my case I love anything mechanical. Guns, planes, Mercedes diesels, tools, if they are well built I just admire them. I hate to see them discarded. As far as current examples of mechanical beauty the Honda Accord engine is beautiful, inside and out. I just did a head gasket on one with the odometer at 250k. It was perfect inside. The parts fit together perfect. It looked like a race car or a Honda motorcycle fit and finish. The owner trashed the car.

I love the Mercedes for a few reasons. One is the engine, even though one is currently giving me fits. The suspension is another. My first one had so much play and wear the ball joints had I was worried they were going to slip out and fail, but it still drove very straight and stopped near perfect. The interiors just plain suck. The fact that I don't have to smog them is by far the greatest thing of ALL! I will keep them going forever for that reason alone. F the smog Nazi's! I dream of the day I find a mint Mercedes so I don't have to drive my beater Mercedes.

I feel sorry for east coast people with the salt eating their cars. In California our version is the Sun. It kills all organic material. Paint, leather, plastic, die a slow death. Interiors just don't last when their sitting in the sun at 150 degrees. The steel lives forever.

As far as a junk car or work car, It's nice to sneek around when everybody looks the OTHER way! My 1974 Toyota Landcruiser with really nice original paint and my almost stock look is hard to hide in and I literally get good comments EVERY time I drive it. And people always say "hey I saw you over here the other day", not good if your sneeking around.

Finally, I like a car or mechnical thing to look new even if it's twenty years old. Now to my injection pump post.

Lol, you have larger plans than most 16 year olds. When I was that age, the most I cared about my car was that it had a comfortable back seat.

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This post brought to you by Carl's Jr.

Thirdem, keep the faith. Pursue your dream!

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83 SD

84 CD

Yes the forbidden fruit has ruined many good life plans for sure. Ruined could be a bit harsh, changed is probably a better word.

Ok, it will probably be a few days before I post anything. Cancer took my Aunt. My heart goes out to others with friends or family with cancer. Good luck to everyone, and God Bless!! God has a plan for everything, just sometimes it seems he doesn't, we just need to trust in him!

Okay, I'm here really quick to kind of take my mind off things. Ok, does anybody happen to know a good way to clean the Bundt wheels? Mind are looking pretty dirty, and I would like them to look like metal again. Thanks a bunch, God Bless!!

This guy happened to sit beside me at the light, in his first-gen CLK, and I noticed the paint had clear coat peeling badly. I think this was the time when MB switched to water-based paint, no?


This 300CD non-turbo actually seemed decent, except for the same peeling clear coat on the trunk:


Poor 300SD W116 had collision damage from behind


No irritation from me here, just pity that these cars were in such state - though hopeful they might be in the process of being fixed - someday.

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