The Vintage Mercedes Station Wagon Is the Car That Will Never Die - Bloomberg Business

Preaching to the Choir.

__________________
1980 240d ,

chain elongation, cam marks reference:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/10414-help-i-need-check-stretch.html

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/305365-9-degrees-chain-stretch.html

evap fin cleaning:

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/156207-photo-step-step-post-showing-w123-evaporator-removal-1983-240d-1982-300td.html?highlight=evaporator

A/C thread

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/297462-c-recommendations-mb-vehicles.html

Love it!

True, "if" they bothered to maintain the car.....BUT.....As soon as the car hit the used market and passed from owner to owner without seeing any maintenance....

They do die....

Plus who's left to maintain them? What shop wants to work on a 30+ year old car? The few that do, will charge via gold bar....

__________________

My buddy Dave's shop just did a bunch of work on a fin body Diesel - and for normal shop rates. A shop full of skilled mechanics can and do work with these at reasonable rates. So many shops these days only take on work that allows them to beat flat rate and skin the customer - NOT the shops you want to use. By the way - Dave goes "on the clock" (charging by the service hour rather than flat rate) on these special jobs so the shop makes money and the customer does OK, too. The shop and the mechanic will lose money on flat rate as seized bolts and the like don't get charged for properly. Besides, it's common that tools have to be fabricated/modified and that sort of thing.

Dan