As if it was never a thought OF before ,but in all honesty ,if your like me, I wouldnt mind driving mine til Im 80 .Its how to keep an already 35 yr old car going another 30 yrs as a daily .If any car could do this ,it would be this one .I do see this as an increasing fad and Mercedes would be right in following its longevity curcuit as a flag waving tribute to their brand.An all ready back up car to rotate too is a thought. I begin looking at what it takes to keep it going now ,an inventory of parts would be a good start to the discussion.Whats a good list after a solid motor ?

I plan to!

FSM, and at least basic tools. We are lucky now with the internet and global resources, although some of those global resources are better than others. When I had relied on a W123 for a daily driver, in fall I would do a real good once over, order a bunch of parts and pick away at it. Depending on where you live, addressing corrosion which was not really on my list did mine in. Never found a way to stop the damage done by salt. Never kept many parts unless they "were a bargain".
Maybe a threeD printer in the future also. You are taking about thirty years

I could see myself being in that camp. Honestly, new cars really are great on an average - but the (seemingly) increasing number of recalls on almost every model, that they're really only designed to work well when everything under the hood is perfect, and that there's talk of the automobile becoming, basically, a long-term rental to the buyer that it's against the law to tamper with... I'm not sure I'll ever buy a car newer than my 2013 Cruze. We'll see how the coming decades change parts availability (or, pray tell, legality of even operating) but my old stuff (the Benz, '67 Suburban, and '85 GMC 1-ton camper-puller) will soldier on as long as it's remotely possible.

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'82 300CD
"Pearl", the very first turbo diesel 123 coupe
Totaled 11/23/18, rebuild in progress.
'85 300TD, "Artemis".
'78 300D euro, "Ol' Red", mostly retired.
'85 300D, "Gandalf".

I’m on the pick-and-pull bandwagon. Whatever’s popular in the yards is what I drive. 123s are a rare sight. 126s are disappearing. Even 124s are thinning.

I appreciate newer cars as traffic gets worse around me. When shaving 10 seconds off a 75 minute commute is a moral victory that saves my sanity, I’d rather be in the point and shoot 210 than the plan your moves 126 SD. Conversely, I wish I still had the SD for the rare occasion I’m alone on an open road. I also feel bad for the neighbors when I have to fire up a 617 Diesel as 5am. Thankfully the Harley guy moved away.

Sixto
98 E320s sedan and wagon

Until the SD lets go and I can't/won't fix it. I do have a car newer than any I've had in a very long time in the stable but it will go when the clock approaches 100,000 mi if it needs work.

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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.

I think I'm going to always drive old Benzes as long as I can. I can't see myself driving anything else. I've loved these cars since I was 5 and grew up with my dad as a tech for Benz and owning a bunch himself.

A lot of people think at 22 that I'm a little too young to appreciate these cars and my buddies will bust my chops about the older ones if I buy one. But my w210s get a lot of compliments. I bought one for my GF and she adores the car. Even thought I feel it's a big car for a 4'11 female.

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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

Yes, I already own all of the tools and have done the hard jobs. It seems the jobs get easier each time you do them. My 1984 300D has been the cheapest car I have ever owned and the nicest. Although, also the most needy in terms of maintenance :-)

Dkr.

Probably, but not because a M-B or even a diesel. I have only stopped driving a few vehicles in my 43 yrs of driving - Honda motorcycle (impractical), 1969 Dodge Dart (stolen), 1982 Chevy S-10 (bought new but POS from day 1), and 1982 Dodge Aries (head gasket, a bad decade for gassers). All current vehicles are >200K miles, w/ 1985 300D likely highest at 380K mi (replaced engine). Several had failed odometers or switched clusters, so not sure.

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1984 & 1985 CA 300D's
1964 & 65 Mopar's - Valiant, Dart, Newport
1996 & 2002 Chrysler minivans

I doubt I'll be repairing and driving the SDL or the SL for the rest of my life. I'm not even half-dead yet, so that's a LONG time to keep working on and repairing a vehicle. I suspect in my lifetime the greenies will finally win out and ban any conventional or non-self-driving automobile from the roads anyway, so it's probably a moot point...

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Current stable:
1995 E320 149K (Nancy)
1983 500SL 120K (SLoL)

Black Sheep:
1985 524TD 167K (TotalDumpster™)

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

Secondary vehicle, special interest toy or something, maybe.

Daily driver, hell no. Not even now.

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617 swapped Toyota Pickup, 22-24 MPG, 50k miles on swap

I feel like my 124 wagon will be my last old car. I’ve lost interest in working on them, paying for good service is not practical. If dealer serviced, these cars actually cost more to maintain than one that is only 5 years old. My 10’ e63 has cost me less to own so far (including car payment) than my wagon.

No more grease stained fingernails/ hands
No more oil slicks on my driveway
No more spending 2 days getting a car ready for a road trip.

My wagon is a great looking car and I’ll surely miss it looking through rose colored glasses. The e350 wagon drives better, gets better mpg, and won’t vomit oil/trans/coolant etc every other day. If something goes wrong simply plug it in to a computer and change a part. No fuss.

I learned a lot working on my own car for all these years, and if I had to do it over again I’d likely do the same. The knowledge I gained (for life) working on cars is the biggest benefit. Everything else is a bit of a nuisance.

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Eugene

10 E63 AMG
93 300te 4matic
07 BMW X3
14 Ford F-150 Fx2

I'm not sure if it is universally true, but I have heard many MB dealers will no longer do service on these cars so it may not be a possibility even if you have the cash. That said, there is the question of whether someone should trust the dealer to maintain their old diesel Mercedes.

Dkr.

I'm coming up on this decision. I did swear off helping ppl with valve cover gaskets on v8 BMWs this past weekend. Got to be the most pia job anyone will ever do. Designers must have worked for Ford at one time.

Anyway, my most enjoyable vehicle to drive that we own is the 2014 GLK350 and I'll be ok once I figure out how to get the intake manifold off. My DD is the 98 E300 which I'll drive as long as I can. Did I mention how much I enjoy the heated seats in the GLK? The '95 E300 remains to be the most reliable vehicle in the yard.

Once I get to where I'm tired of it or not able to maintain them myself I'll be driving a Honda.

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Jim

I can't say. If this diesel into a gas body goes south I'm probably done with these cars. I love them but I can live with a small rice burning pickup.

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84 300SD
85 380SE
83 528e
95 318ic