Hey everyone,

I know this is a discussed topic but we are now seeing pre 1990 Mercedes Benz diesels becoming more rare each passing day for various reasons. Specifically the W123, W124, W116. Some of these being parts are more expensive, running costs are higher, fewer parts cars laying around, shops not wanting to work on them, rust eating more each year, parts yards scrapping them etc etc.

In my personal experience, as I've mentioned in other posts, even junk yards no longer carry them here in Canada. A decade ago, there were 30+ pre 1990 benz diesels. I've also noticed a large amount of parts, even for the w123 are no longer available from Mercedes. Thankfully some of you help been an excellent help and ebay, forums and collectors still exist. We are however, approaching the 33-34 year mark when the last W123 was made. As 2020 approaches, parts will probably get even more rare, expensive and difficult to maintain. I'm just making a point that we are reaching point in which these cars are actually becoming sought after vintage vehicles.

Keep your benzes in good shape!

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1976 Mercedes 240D (Sold)
1985 Mercedes 300D Turbo Diesel: 500,000KM
1986 Mercedes 300E (Sold)
1988 Mercedes 300E (Sold)
2002 Mercedes C240 (Sold)
2008 Mercedes C350 4matic

A great site for purchasing industrial rubber products!

Industrial Rubber

I dont know how rare many of them are. They are going up marginally in value. But that comes and goes, I think they were worth more during the grease craze.

CDs are worth a decent amount.

Nice, original cars have always been worth more because they depreciated less. The other thing with these cars is you can have new looking examples with 250k miles. You dont see that with most other vehicles.

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Current Diesels:
1981 240D (73K)
1982 300CD (169k)
1985 190D (169k)
1991 350SD (113k)
1991 350SD (206k)
1991 300D (228k)
1993 300SD (291k)
1993 300D 2.5T (338k)
1996 Dodge Ram CTD (442k)
1996 Dodge Ram CTD (265k)

Past Diesels:
1983 300D (228K)
1985 300D (233K)

4 doors will never be worth anything.

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CENSORED due to not family friendly words

With few exceptions. The E500E holds its own against 124 coupe and cabrio but the price reflected that when new. The 6.3 and 6.9 are other exceptions. Will the 203 coupe ever be worth anything?

Sixto
98 E320s sedan and wagon
02 C320 wagon

500E is JY fodder just like the rest of em. This one was in the Richmond PnP a few months ago.


https://www.datamb.com/vin/1v8y0XEGwXaEN5Br6













I doubt it.

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CENSORED due to not family friendly words

I am not sure about sought after on the east coast of Canada. Also for all practical purposes there are almost no 123s on the road in Nova Scotia now. Even parts cars have become very hard to locate.

I saw this coming as it impacts pretty much all cars as they age. It just seemed to occur faster than I suspected it would here with the 123s.

I suspect a huge majority of car owners no longer work on their own cars. Is again perhaps another factor.

If you have a car that needs or demands work periodically. Generally people dump them as paid for repairs are just too expensive. So much a month to drive newer cars is pretty much endemic today. Actually probably cheaper overall for those people.

You need quite an array of tools to do your own work with any degree of efficiency. Plus the electronic age seems to have disabled a curve of learning that was present for decades. So all too many young people have no self confidence to speak of. Or developed any mechanical aptitude.

The way the wife and myself do many things is quite different than the generally younger members of the population do today. I think perhaps our judgement of things is perhaps more developed. Or is no longer learned or acquired as easily in society. Basically just more common sense approaches to many areas of life that everyone experiences.

Good 123, 124's are still sort after in Euro land.



eBay item number:192575242953

500E circ $20k min

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David


1996 Mercedes S124 E300TD - 129k - rolling restoration project -

1998 Mercedes W210 300TD - 118k (assimilated into above vehicle)

Like I say about anything old, as to heavily modifying or throwing away good parts: they ain't making any more.

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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".

for sure, any parts I yank off the 1984 300DT, I keep for future needs.....

Not rare here. I parked next to another 1980's 300D turbo-diesel at Ace Hardware just last weekend, and saw another when driving home. They are getting harder to find in the JY, but perhaps just a statistical drought. Unlikely they will ever be very collectible. Re worth, try to sell yours and you will see.

I don't know the M-B gas cars well, but 1990's ones are very common in JY, especially w/ the Bosch Jetronic fuel injection, or maybe just because I notice that.

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

I never see them in PA. A lot over in jersey. 4 doors are always worthless retail anyway. Just how it goes. These old benzes will never be worth a dollar though.

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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

that's a piss poor shame. 500E is a collectible not a junkyard hunk.

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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

IMHO, pre 1992 were the glory years for mercedes benz. They have gone from a car made from german steel with beautiful wood interior trim and leather interiors to making plastic cars.

I heard one commentator nail it; Mercedes used to be built to a standard, now they are built to a price point.

The two biggest impacts on older cars here relate to interest rates and government incentives.

Both these things have almost run in parallel post the 2008 crash, governments on both sides of the pond introducing incentives, here we had the scrappage scheme to reduce older more pollution heavy cars, or at least that was the excuse.

Second tandem catalyst, interest rates again both sides of the pond at historic lows making finance for loans or bubble purchase super cheap - no idea what the official figures but most cars around me are less than two years old and lease/rental jobs - this in itself negates for any under bonnet maintenance as it's all covered, including insurance.

It's not uncommon for 18 year olds to pass their test then opt for one of these inclusive packages, not much different to a cell phone?

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David


1996 Mercedes S124 E300TD - 129k - rolling restoration project -

1998 Mercedes W210 300TD - 118k (assimilated into above vehicle)

500E listings, 2 from US

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/list/31/500e/

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David


1996 Mercedes S124 E300TD - 129k - rolling restoration project -

1998 Mercedes W210 300TD - 118k (assimilated into above vehicle)