Most parts that I put into it came from the 81'TD that I parted out, which I paid only $500 for. The car sat stored inside for 24 years with only 84k miles on it. Rear trailing arm rusted out, so they parked it. The motor is now in the coupe, which was in storage for 25 years with a seized motor. Front vented brakes are off of a 90's W126 that were like new, that I found in the local pick-n-pull. Rear brakes are new. I also put new axles in it, and replaced the AC setup. as well. Paid $1300 for the wagon to start, last owner put about $3500 into it in a few years. So much was done already. The big cost was the color paint job ($1500) the BBS rims and tires ($600) new AC ($800)

How did you get a $1500 paint job looking that good? Did you do it yourself?

Yes I stripped off the 4-5 bad Macco paint jobs (car is from TX originally) down to bare metal, windows out and all trim off. Then did what little body work that was needed, then epoxy primered, followed by two high build coats of primer. Blocked it out and two more coats of primer, then dropped it off at the paint shop for color. They blocked it out one more time to check my body work and put the color on. I then picked it up after it had been rubbed and put it all back together.

Wow vonsmog, very impressive. Ballpark what would you say USD that you have spent in maintenance including oil changes etc since owning the diesel? Just on the TD alone.

You're not kidding. $12K will buy you a low-miles late-model car still with factory warranty. Better economy, better safety, same or better build quality, better reliability, etc.

For a daily-driver, that seems like a truly obscene amount of money to spend on "maintenance", even if obsessive. Deep pockets are one thing, but as my dad likes to say "Some people have more money than brains". PLEASE NOTE THAT I'M NOT TRYING TO INSULT ANYONE HERE!

It's one thing to have a hobby vehicle, that's why most of us are here. It's another thing to restore a car, that's why some of us are here. It's a completely different universe to combine the aforementioned with a daily driver with a long commute!

None taken honestly. I'm in my very early 30's and can afford the 3-4k CAD maintenance per year until it's fully restored. If I have to spend 15k+ total (11k USD) in order to get to that point, so be it. Many kids my age drop $50-55k on a used AMG or fully loaded off lease lexus and sell it for $15,000 5 years later. Or they buy a new or 1-2 year old warrantied kia/civic for $20-25k CAD, drive it for 5-7 years and trade it in at a loss more then my entire investment. I'd rather spend my money on a W123 :).

It's all just a matter of personal preference but my point is, I'm at a much lower cost then buying leased, used etc.

Yep. My Subaru was $10k when I bought it w/ 54k miles. Just north of 85k now with only oil changes and headlight bulbs.

Vintage MBZ's are great enthusiast cars, but they ARE enthusiast cars. If all a person wants is basic transportation, there are many better options out there.

It's easy to reduce down the TCO if you're doing you're own work.

However, there's just something satisfying about these cars. I measure everything in "Smiles Per Mile". :D

Since finishing the restoration 2 years ago, I bet I have spent less than $100 on it. everything works as it should and it just does not need anything at this time. I don't drive it in the winter, and I don't drive it every day. With working from home and the coupe and a Unimog to drive, I split my time between the 3 during the spring, summer and fall.

THIS. Like your style, keep up the work!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I drive 2-300 miles per day 5 days a week in my 124's and 210s, and drive my SDL on cross country trips and I spend nowhere close to that amount. I do 100% of all repairs and maintenance and own enough parts cars and a barn full of parts to keep me and probably everybody elses old benz on the road for a lifetime. If I had to pay a shop I would buy a new Chevy.

I’ve spent very little on our $5,000 240D in 3 years. Even so, a $5,000 used Honda would have been cheaper to run.

But, Honda’s suck.

It's not that they suck so much as they have no soul. I'm willing to invest my time/$$ to maintain a vehicle that, as okyoureabeast put it, gets more "smiles per mile."

True cost of ownership, daily driver
 

I daily my 1997 RAV4 (the ravioli) and my 1981 240D - although the 240D sits out the entire winter in storage. Definitely more smiles per mile with the 240D, but the Ravioli has literally, in 100K miles over 11 years never needed any work other than oil changes and an exhaust flex pipe welded in that rusted out. The annual cost of ownership of it is a joke it’s so low. I’m hoping that splitting time between the two will keep the wear and tear on the 240D to a minimum, but we’ll see. Also having the 240D krowned this spring and plan to do it again in the summer - there’s simply no way to stop the incipient rust, but I’m hoping that keeping it dry and oily will help abate the spread.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

LOL the Ravioli. Also love the orange color of your 240D.