Well, tax returns came around for me and I was able to blow a little and save a little (spent more than I should have). I bought a 99 Kawasaki Ninja 600 last week for $200 that I was able to drive after an hours worth of work and have summer fun, 98 e300dt for $550 and one of Hogweeds 300Ds. It's the blue mildewed 93 300d that he was going to swap the drivetrain into a wagon. It's a cool car, I contacted PennDot and can get an abandoned title for it and put it on the road after swapping the interior and clean the ducts and fix the wiring.

I bought the '98 e300 with 135k for $550 with a supposed "dead" cylinder. The engine shook poorly and misfired and it coughed up white smoke everywhere. Ran a compression test and got high 300s almost all even, checked timing and was dead on, and last thing I thought was injectors (with the final issue being an IP, highly doubtful). Put new heat shields in and a good set of used injectors. No more issues. Had it cruising at 85mph today. It has a lot of rust and I thought of using it for parts, but I just ordered klokkerholm arch repair panels and a driver side rocker skin and am gonna keep the car and repair the rust myself. Only thing is I ran the vin on autocheck and found the mileage was reported at 260k miles last year, so I believe i bought a car with a swapped cluster and mileage fraud, but it doesn't really matter for $550 and the $5 it cost me for heat shields.

So where do you go from now when you know you have a problem?

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Only diesels in this driveway.
2005 E320 CDI 243k Black/Black
2008 Chevy 3500HD Duramax 340k
2004 Chevy 2500HD Duramax 220k

It's only a problem when you run out of room and friends to store the rest of your hoard!

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Current stable:
1995 E320 157K (Nancy)
1983 500SL 125K (SLoL)

Gone but not forgotten:
1986 300SDL (RIP)
1991 350SD
1991 560SEL
1990 560SEL
1986 500SEL Euro (Rusted to nothing at 47K!)

Gone and wanting to forget:
1985 524TD 167K (TotalDumpster™) [Definitely NOT a Benz]

I've stored so many cars at friends. I filled my driveway and now have room for one more car in the backyard. My best friend moved in cause he needed a place to stay and that's perfect for me so I could fund my car hobby to the fullest addiction.

__________________
Only diesels in this driveway.
2005 E320 CDI 243k Black/Black
2008 Chevy 3500HD Duramax 340k
2004 Chevy 2500HD Duramax 220k

Yup, I've gotta finish the two dead cars before I can bring my 300TDTDT home

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$60 OM617 Blank Exhaust Flanges
$110 OM606 Blank Exhaust Flanges
No merc at the moment

I'm glad you are getting the mildew car back on the road. I looked at it last time I was up there at Hogweed's place and it looked worth saving.

Let me know if you need any Mushroom interior parts. I have two front seats and door cards in very good condition and I'm very motivated to get rid of them.

It's taken me decades to learn that I can't save them all. On the other hand I DID save a lot of them - and passed them along for a profit. If you keep them all you're a hoarder and sooner or later will end up on a reality TV show with people yelling at you in a mock intervention. But if you pass them along you're humanitarian who is saving the planet. It's a fine line. Besides, if you fix 'em and sell 'em you'll have more money to indulge your addiction.

I'd consider fixing and parting with a few.

Dan

I agree with Dan.

Its always easier to buy them than sell them. Do one or two at a time and make them nice and sell them. Once they run good make them look really nice and you can sell for a better price.

(Congrats on the good work!)

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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.

One of my hard-earned bits of car resale wisdom: People buy shiny. You can't get one penny more for "freshly rebuilt engine" over "runs good". As long as it runs w/o blue smoke out the tailpipe and all the gears work you've got it mechanically (it has to stop and steer too but you get my drift). But people buy shiny and the most important panel is the hood (bonnet for you British English speakers). When the buyer sits down in the (hopefully clean) seat, what does s/he see? The hood and if that looks good their general opinion of the car will be more positive.

That'll be $1,000 please (but I swear it's all true)

Dan

Yeah, me too. It's a nice car I'm going to clean up and drive every day and put the miles on. I heard it run and he told me everything works and I was sold. It has an exhaust leak, but other than everything else is great shape including the body. Underneath is very clean and the rockers are in pretty good shape too. I will let you know, but as far as I know I'm going to be parting that 92 300D I bought a few months back. Too much rust. I'll have a thread on that car when I get the title going before I put any money into it.

My neighbor jokingly (probably seriously) already nicknamed me the MB packrat.. I do have to offload a few. Not sure which ones to part with yet.

You sound like me now. It's a never ending addiction with cars. I mostly collect exclusively old MBs except my AMX. I love that car.

That's definitely the plan. My neighbor is buying my high mileage 98 e300 and I'm parting that 92 300d. I'll keep the good w210 and turn the "new" w210 and w124 into drivers.

__________________
Only diesels in this driveway.
2005 E320 CDI 243k Black/Black
2008 Chevy 3500HD Duramax 340k
2004 Chevy 2500HD Duramax 220k

I only have 2 SDs if you don't include the parts car. Or the 78 Datsun Z in the garage (only car that will fit). or the Convertible Z and parts car in the country or the 75 MGB or the 76 Bayfield sailboat or ...

It's kind of why I couldn't go look at a 48 coupe that a guy said he's sell. I didn't even get a price but it's supposed to be complete (mostly).

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85SD 240K & stopped counting painted, putting bac together. 84SD 180,000. sold to a neighbor and member here but I forget his handle. The 84 is much improved from when I had it. 85TD beginning to repair to DD status. Lots of stuff to do.

Hmm...coming to this forum asking for help with a problem of this type, is akin to walking into a bar and asking for help with a drinking problem. There are several others here that suffer from a Benz-aholic addiction. Some to a greater degree than others.

Some may say it is due to an inexpensive price for a car that just begs for attention and rewards you with a lot of driving pleasure....

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Sam

84 300SD 350K+ miles ( Blue Belle )

I think you hit the nail on the head buddy. I paid $700 for my 93 300D and it runs like a cherry, but has cosmetic issues that can all be fixed... And the wiring harnesses in the car are shot for the windows and seats, but I have a perfectly good interior and wiring harness from my 92 300d parts car that all matches as well. Unfortunately this will be my last car for about a year or so maybe. Unless I find another smoking deal and move out another car. I have two projects at the moment. Fix the interior on the 300d and start cutting out the rusty metal on my "new" e300 and welding in the repair panels I ordered.

__________________
Only diesels in this driveway.
2005 E320 CDI 243k Black/Black
2008 Chevy 3500HD Duramax 340k
2004 Chevy 2500HD Duramax 220k