Parts running dry for pre-1995 mercedes benz automobiles.... - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

merc lover · #1 06-26-2022, 09:58 PM

We are all running into the same brick wall; more and more parts for vintage MB automobiles are showing as NLA. The dealerships don't seem to care about our problems and it doesn't appear MB cares. It is starting me to rethink these cars for use as a daily driver......

MB140300SD · #2 06-26-2022, 10:30 PM

Yep

JHZR2 · #3 06-27-2022, 12:14 AM

like what? Ive found that the parts sites including Pelican have gotten worse and worse. Theyd rather carry and sell a million types of oil additives and irrelevant tools, compared to parts. I havent hit any major snags yet. Some stuff that has to come from Germany and can take a while, but that might be expected...

Antique · #4 06-27-2022, 11:37 AM

I had to travel 200 miles last week for a diesel fuelctank for my 300D. I can definitely relate to this. If you need the little interior things you can create models on a 3D printer their is a selection of things you can make

https://stlbase.com/browse/mercedes+benz+w123/

ILUVMILS · #5 06-27-2022, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by merc lover

We are all running into the same brick wall; more and more parts for vintage MB automobiles are showing as NLA. The dealerships don't seem to care about our problems and it doesn't appear MB cares. It is starting me to rethink these cars for use as a daily driver......

The only thing the dealer can do for you is check to see if another dealer has any NLA stuff in stock. Dealer-to-dealer parts swaps are pretty much a daily occurrence....

merc lover · #6 06-27-2022, 08:52 PM

I wish MB had simply made an announcement ten years ago to alert us to their plan of going NLA with 1995 and earlier parts. I know I would have begun stocking up IMMEDIATELY. The way they have done it has left most of us hanging high and dry........

unkl300d · #7 06-27-2022, 10:08 PM

I have stocked up on 300d parts that I knew long ago were getting difficult to find.
good old junk yard finds..

so far so good that nothing major has been needed.
but it has a positive psychological effect to believe that I am sitting on parts that might prevent an unnerving episode..
But for those that have no space to keep junk, I fully understand that NLA is a total pain.

merc lover · #8 06-28-2022, 11:39 AM

Sometimes a gently used part will work; other times the repair requires a NEW part.

barry12345 · #9 06-28-2022, 12:44 PM

Starts to occur naturally at some point with almost everything. Mercedes delayed the onset pretty well. Far better than most if not all other auto manufactures.

Unfortunaly, aftermarket parts are suspect if not already known to be very poor in quality. Salvage yard cars are not held longer term usually now either.

Time using the 123s as daily drivers will be decreasing with time. Energy costs may also make them less practical. At a certain age what parts are available may become very expensive.

Our 39 Buick is a real joy to buy parts for. Was not this bad years ago. Funny when something is really no longer available. What you would pay to get one.

merc lover · #10 06-28-2022, 01:36 PM

Up until not that long ago, you could waltz into your local mercedes dealership and order parts for cars going back to 1927.

barry12345 · #11 06-30-2022, 02:52 PM

Possibly the sub contractors that are either aging out or have lost interest.

Some of those firms were also really small. If you study how Germany recovered the indusrtial base as fast as they did.

Their factory space was decimated and represented high overhead. Possibly more important to build shelter first for the population.

So small industry started again in peoples basements. Some items sold worldwide today from Germany still originate from basically homes.

Volkswagens assembly line closed down on rainy days. Employees just stayed home. Massive holes in the factory roof existed.

KCM · #12 06-30-2022, 04:41 PM

I feel the pain too. Was looking for a new W123 5-cylinder non-turbo radiator and can't find one anywhere, something I consider a wear item. Mercedes is NLA, no aftermarket ones available, and even the local radiator shops either do not want to mess with a plastic tank radiator or say they can't get seals for the tank. Can find turbo radiators all day long. Looked up a small plastic bushing for a W123 shifter linkage a few days ago and it was almost $40! Took a few years to find new pistons for a W110 motor I fixed up, no OEM or aftermarket available. I have contacted Mercedes Classic Center for a couple parts I can't find and they have been absolutely no help at all, contrary from what I've read from other forum members. If it says NLA in their system, then they can't (or won't) help.

Even the salvage yards in my area rarely get cars older than the '90's anymore, so that is not much of an option for me either.

I miss the days 15 or 20 years ago when I could walk into the dealer's parts department, pretty much order anything I needed, and the price really wasn't all that bad (usually). Could still get a lot of stuff for my '60's cars. Then the prices started to skyrocket and now a lot of stuff is NLA. Our only hope for new parts is aftermarket. Guess the cars were made to last too long.

merc lover · #13 06-30-2022, 07:26 PM

I haven't seen a pre-1996 mercedes in my city for several years now. I believe many people have traded them in on newer cars or have sent them to the scrap yards......sad.

Slow78 · #14 06-30-2022, 10:38 PM

I have only had my 240D manual for over a year now and have busy latching onto spare parts or repairing things for the long haul. This is the first Mercedes product I have ever owned and really enjoy working on/ driving the car. It’s a solid platform as is but who knows what the future brings. Although the car runs well and does not smoke or burn oil i am fortunate to live in an exemption area for emissions so that helps.

Almost everyone on here probably has more experience on parts locating than I do. Having said that does anyone have any thoughts on parts that break and are hard to get that I should locate and stock for the future?

1978 240D
Manual 4 speed
178,000 miles
Name: Schnecka

unkl300d · #15 07-01-2022, 03:37 PM

Just use the 240D radiator on the early w123 300d.

The extra width of the original 300D non-turbo radiator was designed to help on a hot day with A/C running.

Works fine w a 240D radiator.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KCM

I feel the pain too. Was looking for a new W123 5-cylinder non-turbo radiator and can't find one anywhere, something I consider a wear item. Mercedes is NLA, no aftermarket ones available, and even the local radiator shops either do not want to mess with a plastic tank radiator or say they can't get seals for the tank. Can find turbo radiators all day long. Looked up a small plastic bushing for a W123 shifter linkage a few days ago and it was almost $40! Took a few years to find new pistons for a W110 motor I fixed up, no OEM or aftermarket available. I have contacted Mercedes Classic Center for a couple parts I can't find and they have been absolutely no help at all, contrary from what I've read from other forum members. If it says NLA in their system, then they can't (or won't) help.

Even the salvage yards in my area rarely get cars older than the '90's anymore, so that is not much of an option for me either.

I miss the days 15 or 20 years ago when I could walk into the dealer's parts department, pretty much order anything I needed, and the price really wasn't all that bad (usually). Could still get a lot of stuff for my '60's cars. Then the prices started to skyrocket and now a lot of stuff is NLA. Our only hope for new parts is aftermarket. Guess the cars were made to last too long.