For purposes of this thread, we will define high mileage as anything over 200k miles. Between head gasket, some misc. stuff, rust repair (all four jack points), and painting roof and trunk, I have dropped about $3500 into my 92 300D in a six week period of time.

What's your story?

Someone will say, "Hey, Shertex, do you realize that, for $3500, you could have purchased a good condition WHOLE CAR?" Yes, I realize that. Sentimental attachment makes people do strange things.....

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14 E250 Bluetec "Sinclair", Palladium Silver on Black, 153k miles
06 E320 CDI "Rutherford", Black on Tan, 171k mi, Stage 1 tune, tuned TCU
91 300D "Otis", Smoke Silver, 142k mi, wastegate conversion

19 Honda CR-V EX 61k mi
Fourteen other MB's owned and sold
1961 Very Tolerant Wife

Woo, can't touch that. I maybe hit $2000 with the TD when it first arrived: windshield, two tires, rear brakes complete incl. calipers, cc servo, radiator, rad hoses, SLS fluid, other small bits.

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Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

In a single 6 week period.....about $1600 when we had the trans resealed and timing chain replaced on my SD about 9ish years ago at the dealer.

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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)

$498.40 in fuel to travel 5343 miles in 7 weeks.

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CENSORED due to not family friendly words

I am not going to total the parts cost...
Too many people question my sanity concerning Mercedes Benz as is...

My generic answer to others: Look at what my family drives, and try to buy a "comparable modern" (less than 10 year old) vehicle in todays market. Then we can discuss cost / value / durability / styling / etc.

1985 300SD
1985 Mercedes-Benz 300SD | Hagerty

1982 300D
Price Guide Report

1980 240D
Price Guide Report

1978 280SE
Price Guide Report

1976 300D
Price Guide Report

Yes, I spend money fixing / restoring these cars, but they keep going, and going, and going............
Proverbial Longevity in 4.6 Million Kilometers

.

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ASE Master Mechanic
asemastermechanic@juno.com

Prototype R&D/testing:
Thermal & Aerodynamic System Engineering (TASE) Senior vehicle instrumentation technician.
Noise Vibration and Harshness (NVH).
Dynamometer.
Heat exchanger durability.
HV-A/C Climate Control.
Vehicle build.
Fleet Durability
Technical Quality Auditor.
Automotive Technical Writer

1985 300SD
1983 300D
1984 190D
2003 Volvo V70
2002 Honda Civic

https://www.boldegoist.com/

I think I spent about $500 on my old 350k+ 300D then sold it for 700 more than I paid for it.

Other than purchasing it, $35. I haven't had it on the road yet, however .

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"Senior Luna, your sense of humor is still loco... but we love it, anyway." -rickymay ____ "Your sense of humor is still loco... " -MBeige ____ "Señor Luna, your sense of humor is quite järjetön" -Delibes

1982 300SD -- 211k, Texas car, tranny issues ____ 1979 240D 4-speed 234k -- turbo and tuned IP, third world taxi hot rod

2 Samuel 12:13: "David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die."

Spent about $850 for a stick conversion kit (5 speed) for the 95 e300 diesel.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Things I have been told by people who drive "sensible" cars:

- "Get a good car for a change" (my personal fave, the last guy who said that drives an Elantra)
- "You are undermining the economy and taking away jobs"
- "Why do you need the headaches?" (Yeah, $400 a month out of my bank account is headache-free for sure)
- "What are you, a snob?"

So you see I must be wrong. It MUST BE way better to go into hock for car payments against something that it you're lucky, may equal the loan balance payout (starting to be an iffy on these 5-8 year car loans) when you're tired of it.

It MUST BE way better to invest good money every month in a depreciating asset.

Of course, around here it isn't only cars. The resale home market is very weak, but the new home sales just keep roaring along. People would rather buy a matchstick house with no yard, cheek to jowl with the neighbours, in an area with no trees, than look at an older home in an established area....

But it's NEW!

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Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

When the trans started leaking and my attempt to replace the front pump seal with the car on ramps in an uninsulated garage.... in the winter, failed, I was going to sink $2700 into it by having the Stealership reseal the trans.

Then I went to an old MBZ technician who worked out of his house and he offered to rebuild the trans (not just reseal the front pump) and press in a new front ball joint for $1200.

...and he did it in one day.

My car had between 235,000 and 290,000 on it at the time (broken odometer when I bought it). It's still my daily driver.

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Onus probandi incumbit ei qui dicit, non ei qui negat

I recondition w123/w126/w124/w140/r107/r129/ steering boxes!


1984 300D "Elsa" odo reset 6/2011 147k
1983 300TD "Mitzi" ~268k OM603 powered
1995 E300 "Adelheid" 262k [Sold]

Oh, I'm with you.

I work as an Engineer and I work with some ridiculously smart guys. But sometimes the choices they make just don't make a bit of sense to me.

One guy has a wife and two kids. She runs a beauty business on the weekends, kinda like a makeup artist for weddings, etc. She drives long distances to get there.

He has a 20 mile commute, round trip to work every day. And he has a side DJ business.

He owns a crap minivan, another sedan and a 3 year old Chevy Tahoe, which he is still making $400 month payments on.

Decides to get a new car, buys a Scion iQ. Tells us all that he's going to use the iQ for commuting and then keep the Tahoe for the kids on the weekends. Then he ends up trading in the Tahoe for a 6 month old Honda CR-V.

And has the gall to tell us "I've got $100 more a month this way!"

....no..... you've managed not to spend $100 a month that you used to spend... which is still not that much.

We asked him why he didn't just buy and older Honda or even a VW Jetta and commute with that. He told us he can't buy a used car.

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Onus probandi incumbit ei qui dicit, non ei qui negat

I recondition w123/w126/w124/w140/r107/r129/ steering boxes!


1984 300D "Elsa" odo reset 6/2011 147k
1983 300TD "Mitzi" ~268k OM603 powered
1995 E300 "Adelheid" 262k [Sold]

Because of all this new diesel emissions BS I can no longer buy a NEW car

Unless that stuff falls off on a bumpy road, which would be unfortunate.

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'98 E300 Turbo "Juliette"
'85 Federal 300TD

spent about 2k on rust repair once. Ive also spend a couple times between 2 and 3k on painting cars over the years. None of these were MBs, but they were oldish cars that most wouldn't consider worth it.

The most I spent on an MB was probably 12-1500 bucks for some combined list of repairs at some point.

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This post brought to you by Carl's Jr.

Unless you're planning on keeping and driving the car for at least another year - then actually keep it and drive it another year (many do not).......I have no problem doing what you did. I recall doing nearly the dollar numbers +/- you cite several times over the years. There's nothing more valuable to a cheapskate than a good cheap car (like a used MB diesel) when it has been determined that you choose to keep it on-the-road.

Let the high-rollers lease new MBs in order to 'look rich,' parting with untold thousands every few months to impress ppl that they think care about them. I'd much rather buy and maintain a used MB diesel - bar none. In fact, that's what I am back to doing after buying a new MB diesel years ago.

So, yes, I think you're doing the right thing to spend the big bucks on repairing/maintaining a good used MB diesel - one that you've determined you see fit to renew mechanically.

$4500+ rebuilding engine. Ceramic coating. New turbo trans rebuild... the list goes on and on and on and on...etc.