Parts Catalog Accessories Catalog How To Articles Tech Forums
Call Pelican Parts at 888-280-7799
Shopping Cart Cart | Project List | Order Status | Help



Go Back   PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum > Mercedes-Benz Tech Information and Support > Diesel Discussion

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #16  
Old 07-06-2018, 10:38 AM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 5,924
As 123s become really scarce with time. In general really older cars in decent condition eventually increase in value at least to some degree.. For example I doubt you will locate a fintail in good condition for peanuts anymore.

Some time ago good restoration work even if doing it yourself has become expensive. What is a really nice four door fintail worth today?

I really do not know but the scarcity of them and availability factor is already present.

They where never purchased in bulk when new like many American big three cars of the sixties and put into storage. Being held for hopefully eventual big dollar prices.

In my case I never purchased what I have car wise as an investment. I just liked the cars well enough I wanted a few. Plus to eventually give them to grandchildren.

What they do with them will be up to them. One of my younger brother in laws has mentioned a few times. He would like to have a 240 we have. It may find a new home with him.

Car collector sources have warned over the years that there are fairly high numbers of certain 1960 American car models kept in storage as investments.

Reply With Quote
  #17  
Old 07-06-2018, 11:01 PM
ykobayashi's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Irvine, CA
Posts: 1,261
Yep, it has kind of crept up over the years. When I got my 240d 13 years ago there were many cars to pull parts from at Pick and Pull. Now I do an online search and I’m lucky if I can find a 126.

The four doors are cheaper. I must say I’m not buying these things to make money like air cooled Porsche collectors. I fix mine up just well enough to be reliable daily drivers. Still I’ve put a good $5000 in parts alone into my SD and I’ll never get it out by selling it. I need to drive it out.

I’m way ahead of my brother in his late model Focus...in a number of ways not just money. I wouldn’t drive a Focus for three times as much money.

I think I’m going to buy a 123 four door. They’re good value for the money. It doesn’t matter that I cannot resell it for a profit. I’m in this for inexpensive high quality machines. I want a good car, I don’t need an investment. The fact they’re cheap on Craigslist (the ones that actually move, not the dreamers) means I’ll never get my money back. But then again I can have a presentable 4 door for under $3000 that I can drive the heck out of for a few years.

This is why I feel really out of place at pelicans coffee and cars. I’m kind of a bottom feeder of the automotive world. My SD looks odd parked around the “toys” the other guys show. This is my only car and it serves me everyday as a grocery getter, people mover and commuter.

That said this is all slowly going away. On a related note, as much as I hate seeing all the URO parts forsale online today, I’m really happy it’s out there as opposed to NLA. We are much better served than the 80s BMW, Volvo or Peugeot market.
__________________
79 300TD “Old Smokey” AKA “The Mistake” (SOLD)
82 240D stick shift 335k miles (SOLD)
82 300SD 300k miles
85 300D Turbodiesel 170k miles
Reply With Quote
  #18  
Old 07-06-2018, 11:07 PM
vstech's Avatar
DD MOD, HVAC,MCP,Mac,GMAC
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Mount Holly, NC
Posts: 26,835
Not in my backyard...
__________________
John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!
Reply With Quote
  #19  
Old 07-06-2018, 11:50 PM
Squiggle Dog's Avatar
https://fintail.org
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Surprise, AZ, USA
Posts: 3,777
Quote:
Originally Posted by vstech View Post
Not in my backyard...
I think you mean literally in your back yard, right?
__________________
Stop paying for animal enslavement, cruelty, and slaughter. Save your health and the planet. Go vegan! I did 18 years ago. https://challenge22.com/

DON'T MESS WITH MY MERCEDES!


1967 W110 Universal Wagon, Euro, Turbo Diesel, Tail Fins, 4 Speed Manual Column Shift, A/C
1980 W116 300SD Turbo Diesel, DB479 Walnut Brown, Sunroof, Highly Optioned, 350,000+ Miles
Reply With Quote
  #20  
Old 07-30-2018, 10:39 AM
gsxr's Avatar
Unbanned...?
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: USA
Posts: 8,101
Quote:
Originally Posted by tjts1 View Post
500E is JY fodder just like the rest of em. This one was in the Richmond PnP a few months ago.
Congratulations! You found one of the only E500E's to ever land in a self-service salvage yard in USA. But... "junkyard fodder"? That comment seems to indicate sour grapes about not being able to obtain one anymore... try to find one intact and running for under $10k today.

Here, this should provide some entertainment...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/323368148551

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inventorylisting/viewDetailsFilterViewInventoryListing.action?#listing=193305859

(For the record, I'm not implying the silver car is worth the asking price.)

Reply With Quote
  #21  
Old 07-30-2018, 11:25 AM
dkr dkr is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 654
I keep hearing this, but I don't see it. I'm still regularly finding W123s in the junkyards (although not as regularly as 5-7 years ago). I see W123s and W126s on the road pretty regularly. Some parts are getting hard to find, but not impossible. My rear view mirror is apparently NLA, but I was able to find a new one on eBay. The beauty of these cars is there is always some way you can patch them together.

In contrast, this is something I am trying to buy on my 20 year old Volkswagen. Nobody sells it in North America and I need to buy it from Germany, shipped to a VW dealer in Canada and then maybe a 2-3 week wait. Other than putting an aftermarket intake, there is no easy way to fabricate something like this.

https://www.volkswagen-classic-parts.de/schlauch-fc3a35.html

I would be in trouble if that was my daily driver. I have daily driven W123s for 8 years and never had a problem with parts availability. My car did get quite a bit of attention in Vancouver however.

Dkr.
Reply With Quote
  #22  
Old 07-30-2018, 12:06 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: The slums of Beverly Hills
Posts: 8,065
Quote:
Originally Posted by gsxr View Post
Congratulations! You found one of the only E500E's to ever land in a self-service salvage yard in USA. But... "junkyard fodder"? That comment seems to indicate sour grapes about not being able to obtain one anymore... try to find one intact and running for under $10k today.

Here, this should provide some entertainment...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/323368148551

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inventorylisting/viewDetailsFilterViewInventoryListing.action?#listing=193305859

(For the record, I'm not implying the silver car is worth the asking price.)

Actually if you check with PnP, more than a few E500/500Es have gone through their crushers over the years. The problem is repairs for these cars often outweigh the vehicles value. But don't take my word for it, look for yourself. And no, I have no desire to own a slow 500E money pit. If I wanted a fast 4 door there's plenty of other options.
__________________
CENSORED due to not family friendly words

Last edited by tjts1; 07-30-2018 at 12:25 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #23  
Old 07-30-2018, 08:59 PM
pawoSD's Avatar
Dieselsüchtiger
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Posts: 15,438
I agree they are becoming rarer and rarer, its because they have always been drivers cars rather than garage queens, so many succumb to wear, rust, crashes, etc.

I'd also argue that the new ones are not all built to a "price point". A car I just recently traded (2005 C240 wagon) covered 156k miles with virtually no non-maintenance repairs, no breakdowns....and had no rust on it, still good to go when I traded it in, in great shape.

I've acquired two MB's in the past year....a 2017 Metris (new), which is awesome, and a 2015 GLK250 diesel(used). Both are obviously much more complex than the old ones, but with that comes a dramatic improvement in performance and efficiency.

I still love the old ones, but the new ones are pretty sweet too! I will say that driving around in my GLK it feels much more solid than a W126, the body is like it was formed from a solid block of steel its so stiff. It weighs nearly 450lbs more than a w126 despite being smaller!
__________________
-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)
Reply With Quote
  #24  
Old 07-31-2018, 09:11 AM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,423
The reality is over time the worn down daily driven 80s w123s have been mileaged out ,used beyond the repair worth fixing due to drivetrain repair I'm sure .these needs usually put them into the yard for good..Ive been flipping w123s in Houston since 2004 and the yards were my source for parts ,a great decline upon us. 😔
Reply With Quote
  #25  
Old 07-31-2018, 11:21 AM
ROLLGUY's Avatar
ROLLGUY
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 7,229
I too don't see too many (if any) W123's in the yards around here anymore. Could that be because they are all in my yard? (over a dozen). But seriously, I think it is a matter of geography. Here in So. Cal, there were the ports are, millions of them came here from Germany during the 80's. Consequently, many of them stayed. I don't think a day goes bye, that I don't see an old MB Diesel car on the road (that isn't mine). Other areas of the USofA, you may go for weeks without seeing one. One good thing about there being many of these cars left in this area, is that someone like me that has many parts/cars, always has someone in need of parts. Having the stash of parts/cars, has served me well. Mostly for my own fleet, but also for many other MB enthusiasts in the area. The other side of the coin: I would like to retire someday (soon), and would like someone else to take on the care and feeding of this hobby (collection of cars and parts).....Rich
Reply With Quote
  #26  
Old 07-31-2018, 12:57 PM
jay_bob's Avatar
Control Freak
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Columbia, SC
Posts: 3,941
Just for reference, the inventory of our Pull A Part here in town, this is all MBs all years...

All newer than 123/126, all gas powered

Most of the vehicles that end up here are probably on their 3rd or later owner, probably bought at the Buy Here Pay Here lot, driven until they failed, since many of these are not wrecked (or had a minor fender bender).

Here in Columbia there are a lot of people who think that image is more important than function (think flashy chrome rims, outrageously large tires, 4000 watt stereos, neon, etc, but the car runs like crap and on the verge of breakdown), so they get a cheap 15-25 year old MB at the BHPH and drive it until something fails that would cost more than the car is worth, (or get into a fender bender), sell to P-a-P, go back to BHPH lot, rinse and repeat. If you watch Live PD you can see some fine examples of this...Columbia is Richland County SC.

COLUMBIA
EXACT MATCH

Year Make Model Date On Yard Row

1993 MERCEDES-BENZ 300-CLASS 7/11/18 503

1993 MERCEDES-BENZ 190-CLASS 7/11/18 503

1998 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS 7/30/18 310

2001 MERCEDES-BENZ E320 6/15/18 314

2002 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK320 6/19/18 315

2005 MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS 7/25/18 308
__________________
The OM 642/722.9 powered family
Still going strong
2014 ML350 Bluetec (wife's DD)
2013 E350 Bluetec (my DD)

both my kids cars went to junkyard in 2023
2008 ML320 CDI (Older son’s DD) fatal transmission failure, water soaked/fried rear SAM, numerous other issues, just too far gone to save (165k miles)
2008 E320 Bluetec (Younger son's DD) injector failed open and diluted oil with diesel, spun main bearings (240k miles)

1998 E300DT sold to TimFreeh
1987 300TD sold to vstech
Reply With Quote
  #27  
Old 07-31-2018, 03:15 PM
dkr dkr is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 654
I think a lot of that comes down to supply with the original owners. Southern California had a ridiculously large number of these when they were new. I should take some photos of traffic in Newport Beach sometime. It can be difficult to find cars on the road at times that are not Mercedes.

Dkr.
Reply With Quote
  #28  
Old 07-31-2018, 06:14 PM
ROLLGUY's Avatar
ROLLGUY
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 7,229
Quote:
Originally Posted by dkr View Post
I think a lot of that comes down to supply with the original owners. Southern California had a ridiculously large number of these when they were new. I should take some photos of traffic in Newport Beach sometime. It can be difficult to find cars on the road at times that are not Mercedes.

Dkr.
Yes, Orange County is a Mercedes-Benz Mecca. However, around here (So. Cal) a W123 in a wrecking yard is few and far between.
Reply With Quote
  #29  
Old 08-01-2018, 06:06 AM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,423
The Houston area must be of the same ring of fire to find these Mercedes of this vintage, in yrs past the shipping by Mercedes Benz of their vehicles to a large coastal port like Houston Gives cause to find them here in this area today,large population to purchase .
Reply With Quote
  #30  
Old 08-01-2018, 01:55 PM
koooop's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: So. Cal.
Posts: 535
I don't know, there are probably a Dozen W123's within walking distance of my house... I just parked next to one at my office no less.

__________________
1981 240D Four on the floor, Orient Red over Parchment, bought with 154,000 but it's a daily driver and up to 180,000 miles, mostly original paint and all original interior.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On




All times are GMT -4. The time now is 09:29 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2024 Pelican Parts, LLC - Posts may be archived for display on the Peach Parts or Pelican Parts Website -    DMCA Registered Agent Contact Page