My first love...er, I mean MB...is my 92 300D. Extremely well maintained, 257k miles, aesthetics very good, everything works except AC needs new condenser. This is the car my son drives. I'm sentimentally attached to it so I really would like to keep it in the extended family.

We have a line on what looks to be a nice 99 E300 with 150k miles. I believe it can be had for around $5000, hopefully a bit less. Son (understandably) wants his butt in the driver seat of that car.

I know I can sell the 92 to a close family friend for $2000 (thereby sorta keeping the car in the family). My son is willing to put some skin in the game, anywhere from $1000-2000 depending on the purchase price with the understanding that he has use of the car for x years. I would pick up the difference.

From one perspective, this is totally unnecessary and impulsive. From another, for a minimal outlay of cash I get a car that will have lower maintenance costs going forward (due to the mileage differential) and is safer.

Thoughts?

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14 E250 Bluetec 4Matic "Sinclair", Palladium Silver on Black, 154k miles
06 E320 CDI "Rutherford", Black on Tan, 172k 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

Yah, find out all of the work/parts replacement(s) done on that car.

If it is like my 99 E300 with 131K miles on it when I handed it over to my Brother in July 13, very little escaped up-to-date replacement/repair, or was neglected.

In terms of dollars - it amounted to perhaps $7K to $8K worth of work done to it out-of-pocket, from 90K miles, to 131K miles. This over a period of 10 or so years. The car was driven nearly 100K miles in it's first 4-years I owned it, since it was my work car for over the road travel.

Off the top of my head, I could list the items replaced on it, if need be. I was not able to do a lot of the work the car took, FYI. I'm just not that capable as some DIYers, hence the killing I paid in labor costs in that $7K to $8K.

These cars can limp along leaving many things neglected that add up to a lot of dollars to bring them up to snuff. Do a running mental adding of items that may be needing replacement, or that are bound to blow over 2-3 years of driving it.

They are safer insofar as there are pelvic-air-bags for the front seat passengers, and a full-curtain air-bag for both the front and rear seat passengers in the event of a T-boning. Why they left pelvic air-bags off the rear doors, is not known to me. So, there are a total of 6-airbags in the 99 E300.

Buy it.

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Jim

I have both the 124 requires more mechanical maintenance while the 210 rusts and I spend almost a similar amount of time dealing with prevention rust removal, check closely under the rockers especially under the doors. Any rock chip deal with that fairly quickly. The 210 is perhaps nicer to drive power wise while the 124 is way nicer to park as you can SE the corners. I believe the 210 is a safer car and I also believe the 124 is a better built car.

The 124 does feel more like it is carved out of one piece of steel versus the 210 but I think a lot of that has to do with the steering system difference.

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Jim

If the 99 doesn't have a rust problem I would take it in a heartbeat. I loved my old 124 and I agree with Eng, the steering system on it makes it feel like a rock and it was like a comfortable security blanket camping out in it over night on the freeway in snowjam.

That being said my 96 is a comfortable car and wish I had found a 99 with those miles at that price point. I say you should take it.

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My Daily : 96 E-300 Diesel with 195,000 miles
Retired: 92 300D 2.5 T 345K miles and for sale
Retired: 95 E320 157K miles and currently parked with blown engine

Both retired cars are for sale as is my w124 shop inventory

That's $700 to $800 a year for 10 years! I don't think a W123 diesel driven the same way with similar mileage will incur (suffer) that much maintenance. What exactly were those $8000 maintenance items?

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

We're doing it....scheduled to pick it up at 5 this afternoon.

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14 E250 Bluetec 4Matic "Sinclair", Palladium Silver on Black, 154k miles
06 E320 CDI "Rutherford", Black on Tan, 172k 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

Can you let us know how the spring perches look up front? I had to do one on my rusty '99 as it was serioulsy ready to let go. Also - they are tough on motor mounts too.

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dtf
1994 E320 Wagon (Died @ 308,669 miles)
1995 E300 Diesel (228,000)
1999 E300 Turbodiesel ( died @ 255,000)
2006 Toyota Tundra SR5 AC 4X4 (115,000 miles) rusted frame - sold to chop shop
2011 Audi A4 Avant (165,000 miles) Seized engine - donated to Salvation Army
BMW 330 xi 6 speed manual (175,034 miles)
2014 E350 4Matic Wagon 128,000 miles
2018 Dodge Ram 21,000 miles

I talked to the current owner about the perches...he's very conversant with the issue and says they are in good shape. But I will definitely look (forgot to do so when I looked at car).

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14 E250 Bluetec 4Matic "Sinclair", Palladium Silver on Black, 154k miles
06 E320 CDI "Rutherford", Black on Tan, 172k 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

Need pictures of the new car. If the sale of the 92 falls thru let us know

Definitely.

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14 E250 Bluetec 4Matic "Sinclair", Palladium Silver on Black, 154k miles
06 E320 CDI "Rutherford", Black on Tan, 172k 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

Done. Meet Winston: New Acquisition 99 E300D

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14 E250 Bluetec 4Matic "Sinclair", Palladium Silver on Black, 154k miles
06 E320 CDI "Rutherford", Black on Tan, 172k 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

Not sure what your point(s) are?

I guess you can neglect most everything until a car stops moving if that's your choice in keeping any car? Any car can limp along for tens of thousands of miles and many years before finally giving up the ghost.

I already identified the care I gave the car. The entire post/review is below, portions which you chose to not quote in your post. Many repairs of care and maintenance were tended to when detected. Some were even done as a slightly preemptive procedure. However, I sincerely doubt most folks care for a car as well as my '99 E300 was.


..

I thought my points were simple and clear:

1. I don't think a w123 with similar history as your 99 E300 would incur $8000 in maintenance in 10 years 40k miles .

2. I asked you to list the work done by that $8000

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked