Suggestions for Mom & a '90 350SDL - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

vstech · #16 08-30-2014, 02:50 AM

Ever since I was a young boy it's made zero sense to me to spend money on a new car when a quality car I LIKE can be rebuilt for less.
Now, I grew up in the 70's so the new cars were CRAP! And the old cars were Camaros, cudas, chargers, trucks, etc... The idea of buying some japenese tin can vs fixing up a classy car was a no brainier...
Today's cars are admittedly safer and impressive, but the coin needed to purchase one is wacky...

I'll stick to old cars, and build them the way I like.

The difference here between me and the OP is, I can do my own work...

bhowell · #17 08-30-2014, 04:44 AM

I have seen a few 2009 E-class CDI cars in perfect condition go on ebay for $15k. 100k or so miles, but on an 09 model, you know those had to be easy highway miles. The suspension and rubber would be only 5 years young.

Get $5k selling her old one, and then the net investment is ten on the 09 CDI.

20 thousand left over for any maintenance and repairs.

Skippy · #18 08-30-2014, 06:34 AM

I'd keep the SDL, fix what was actually broken, and save the rest of the money for whatever breaks later.

barry12345 · #19 08-30-2014, 09:57 AM

I do not think what your mother wants is particularily a good or sound ideal. After a total mechanical rebuild and that's if you can find a reputable place that is affordable. It could still eventually turn into a serious money pit over the next few years.

The newer cdi diesel models probably have a lot more going for them in many ways. Or she could still seek out a really low milage example of the same car in good conditrion for probably about a third of the budget. .You still have to wonder about the engine issues that are possible with another one down the road though.

If there is any rust in the current car it is also a bad ideal. If the interior needs redone as well at least there are junkers out there with pretty much perfect interiors to aquire cheap. At 280k is new car overall reliability and appearance possible? I would not want the total bill with all labour paid for to make it so on that particular model.

I should add the relevant importance of money and age in her situation. For some 30k is little more than pocket change today.While to others it is a substantial amount. For example if we threw 30k into repairs and the results where not satisfactory I would still not like it. On the other hand it would not be much of a financial issue. Not that we are particularily well off either. I would be more upset with my bad judgement in that situation than anything else. Basically what I am stating is what one does is dependant on many factors that are not all too obvious usually.

For example I would never buy a brand new Mercedes. The way I use my daily drivers with the dog in the car a fair amount of the time and also hauling tools etc around in it would be a shame. Also I do not want to attract attention. The cost is not the issue and we cannot take any money with us on the voyage ahead is fact for me at 72 years of age.

The wife is always suggesting I get new cars for myself. For me there is just no point in doing so. Right now I drive an older 2001 Honda civic with 45 thousand miles on it as a daily driver. It needs nothing other than one electric door lock does not activate. As a bonus in general it does not depreciate and is very reliable. A telling point about how I treat my daily drivers is in general the wife does not want me to use her new cars.

Incidentally with my daughters overall experience with her loaded 2014 ford fusion. Your mother may be happy with one but for our daughter it turned into a really bad mechanical experience. I honestly believe she would not have had this experience with a good Japanese label.

She replaced the car with a Toyota. An upscale Toyota or Honda is actually a much cheaper car because of the far higher retained value down the road as well. Plus may also make it to 280k with reasonable maintenance. The cost to get a ford fusion there if even practical is a total unknown.

jake12tech · #20 08-30-2014, 10:05 AM

The only smart thing here to do I think is either fix the components that need repair OR just sell both MBs and buy a new car altogether for the mom. Which the latter seems like your option here.

Sinking $30K in a $3K car doesn't make a lot of sense to me. As others said, just because you get a new/rebuilt engine, trans, suspension, DOES not mean something else could not go wrong. There's too many components in this car that are aging that are going to need to be replaced one day.

I personally don't like new cars at all, and I don't mind fixing something when something goes wrong in an older MB.

barry12345 · #21 08-30-2014, 11:33 AM

One last thought occurred to me. The cost of putting miles back into a car although you really cannot totally do so is very expensive to do well.

At best the majority of us just try to keep them in a reliable state. At some point they just reach the disposable point as the cost of keeping them overall in a really reliable state just eventually gets too high.

Ever constant needs cannot be practically kept up with. Or failures from wear and tear and time just keep occurring all to frequently. If you use paid for service especially your wallet usually will tell you when that point is being reached.

Skid Row Joe · #22 08-30-2014, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by psrumors

First off let me say I know almost nothing about MB automobiles. My parents have had several MB diesels over the years and they have all been great cars except for the mid 90s S350 they have, it has been a real money pit.

So anyway mom has a fairly decent '90 350SDL. I think they bought the car in '94 and it has right at 280k miles. It has been relatively trouble free (no major issues just general maintenance) but is showing its age mechanically. It still has a pretty good body / interior appearance.

Mom is vacillating between a new $30k car (non MB non diesel, probably a Ford Fusion) or putting that $30k into the 350. I don't believe the car needs anywhere near $30k worth of work by any means but if she refurbishes the car, what ever is remaining will go into a a "car" account for future repairs.

She has asked me my advice so I started reading about the 350 and of course came across the "rod bender" issue. Is there a cure? I know on the vehicles I have always dealt with performance rods are available, is that so for the 3.5L diesel?

If she proactively rebuilds / replaces the engine, can that be done for <$10k and be done right?

Suspension, this is where I think the car shows most of its age. The rear just sits funny. There is quite a bit of negative camber in the rear suspension, the front has its noises. What kind of prices would one expect to have both front and rear suspension completely gone through?

Of course we then need to find a trusted shop. Someone that would work with us and do right by mom. While the engine is out I would like to pick the car up and detail the engine compartment. No reason not to have the engine out and not clean it up.

We know the car will never be worth the money she puts into it but this would be a labor of love and done right a car that would last her the remainder of her life.

Any thoughts and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Direct her to a Ford Fusion. They're great cars.

The 24 year old car has too many miles on it to advise her to keep dumping thousands into. Besides, the downtime and undependability of an aged car is aggravating to no end, when it continually needs patching, and at times repairs in the thousand(s). A car like that is more of an enthusiast's hobby car, than anything else. That's why you're getting such a blast of advising you to keep it, even though the old girl is way, way past the point of reasonable value in keeping it...

Skid Row Joe · #23 08-30-2014, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barry12345

I do not think what your mother wants is particularily a good or sound ideal. After a total mechanical rebuild and that's if you can find a reputable place that is affordable. It could still eventually turn into a serious money pit over the next few years.

The newer cdi diesel models probably have a lot more going for them in many ways. Or she could still seek out a really low milage example of the same car in good conditrion for probably about a third of the budget. .You still have to wonder about the engine issues that are possible with another one down the road though.

If there is any rust in the current car it is also a bad ideal. If the interior needs redone as well at least there are junkers out there with pretty much perfect interiors to aquire cheap. At 280k is new car overall reliability and appearance possible? I would not want the total bill with all labour paid for to make it so on that particular model.

I should add the relevant importance of money and age in her situation. For some 30k is little more than pocket change today.While to others it is a substantial amount. For example if we threw 30k into repairs and the results where not satisfactory I would still not like it. On the other hand it would not be much of a financial issue. Not that we are particularily well off either. I would be more upset with my bad judgement in that situation than anything else. Basically what I am stating is what one does is dependant on many factors that are not all too obvious usually.

For example I would never buy a brand new Mercedes. The way I use my daily drivers with the dog in the car a fair amount of the time and also hauling tools etc around in it would be a shame. Also I do not want to attract attention. The cost is not the issue and we cannot take any money with us on the voyage ahead is fact for me at 72 years of age.

The wife is always suggesting I get new cars for myself. For me there is just no point in doing so. Right now I drive an older 2001 Honda civic with 45 thousand miles on it as a daily driver. It needs nothing other than one electric door lock does not activate. As a bonus in general it does not depreciate and is very reliable. A telling point about how I treat my daily drivers is in general the wife does not want me to use her new cars.

Incidentally with my daughters overall experience with her loaded 2014 ford fusion. Your mother may be happy with one but for our daughter it turned into a really bad mechanical experience. I honestly believe she would not have had this experience with a good Japanese label.

She replaced the car with a Toyota. An upscale Toyota or Honda is actually a much cheaper car because of the far higher retained value down the road as well. Plus may also make it to 280k with reasonable maintenance. The cost to get a ford fusion there if even practical is a total unknown.

IN BOLD ^^^ the best advise on here.

The point of no return on a car is somewhere (long) before 24 years and 280K miles. That's a craiglist special, for an enthusiast to hobby on, IMO.

I don't think a new Ford Fusion is anywhere near $30K. There's tons of new, safe, and very fuel efficient cars out there for about $20K. Slightly used - even less $...

Skippy · #24 08-30-2014, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jake12tech

The only smart thing here to do I think is either fix the components that need repair OR just sell both MBs and buy a new car altogether for the mom. Which the latter seems like your option here.

Sinking $30K in a $3K car doesn't make a lot of sense to me. As others said, just because you get a new/rebuilt engine, trans, suspension, DOES not mean something else could not go wrong. There's too many components in this car that are aging that are going to need to be replaced one day.

I personally don't like new cars at all, and I don't mind fixing something when something goes wrong in an older MB.

Putting thirty grand into a three thousand dollar car can make sense if it results in having exactly the car you want. I also agree with either fixing what's broken or getting something newer. However, I've been in a Ford Fusion and I've been in a 126. As far as I'm concerned, the 126 wins.