ngarover -

Saw your post, but didn't receive your PM.
Site server is acting glitchy, I'm not getting PMs, or updates of forum postings since the 1/1/19 post #24 at 3:38 am by alabbasi to this thread.

The statistics the bottom of the forum page only show one member (Alec300SD) logged on.

If I click on a thread, I can navigate to to posts added after 3:38 am 1-1-19, and submit responses like this one.

Hopefully, the broken communication loop issue will be resolved soon.

EDIT: Sent you an e-mail via your profile link on the User CP page. Fingers crossed that it is patched through.

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78 W116 300SD 'Desert Rose' new as of 01/26/2014
79 W116 300SD 'Stormcloud' RIP 04/11/2022

Yes I did , but that's 50 year old technology that was better than anything available at the time, but woefully inadequate by today's standards. The reality is that a minor accident (minor in the sense of damage to occupant vs car) will more likely be a more major accident in a in a 50 year old car.

People tend to confuse heaviness of materials with safety or quality. A door from a W126 Mercedes weighs 80lbs vs 30lbs for the one used in a 2016 C Class, yet they are only a couple of lbs difference between the overall weight of both cars.

It's all in the structure and not in doors or seat motors.

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With best regards

Al

Nobody can project the future in reality. I suspect the daily use of almost all 123s and 126s still used as daily drivers. Will end pretty well in the next decade. For those that want to hang on a parts car with a good engine and transmission stored in a secure fashion probably would be money well spent otherwise. It is already hard to find good used engines in my locality now for example.

It is also impossible to really forcast the effect that substantial changes will occur in the existing car market. For example Ford and GM did not present a totally honest picture of why they ceased production. Retained values had been sagging so much that the lease rates would have been too high for leasing of their products to continue. The cars on return at the end of the lease periods had little retained value in compared to past times.

All that really occurred is the manipulation of used car prices in north America has pretty well broken down. All the price guides for used cars in north America where industry generated. The far too abundant supply of used cars did this I suspect. Unless the past can be restored.

I doubt it can incidentally. Adds many serious issues for companies that finance new car purchases. They are losing too much security far too fast on the loans they supply. The people with these loans may tend to walk at the first serious problem after the warranty period. Not because they want to. More that they will have to.

Most those loans will have another four years to run. Factor in the repair and the car is in essence worthless at that point. A transmission failure for example could easily do it. Since this action occurs in a credit driven economy. They would be reluctant to take out the five thousand dollar loan that would be needed to rectify the situation. People that use credit excessively are unlikely to source a good used transmission and install it themselves.

At some point the chickens come home to roost unfortunately.. This point is either here or approaching I suspect for far too many. My overall point is we are living through an almost unpredictable time. Or it is so predictable nobody wants to face the reality. I cannot see us as having the ability to live in our own little bubbles too much longer. We are going to become seriously distracted I suspect instead.

Now if the manufactures were really astute enough to suspect the end of the credit driven economy as well. Might be in sight. They would not want to engage the transition period.

I drove around the local Hyunai dealers lot the other day. A complete reversal of their last years inventory is obviously present. Now a handful of 2019s and a substantial number of 2018 leftovers. Where just last year it was the total opposite. To be fair they have also seen the largest percentage of new car sales loss as a brand in recent history.

It is becoming reasonable that a lot of new car dealers may close their doors in the not too distance future. Some of the larger ones have stopped sending their trades to the auction. Either the return is far too low or there is no bidding on them. So they are selling them very cheap directly at this time here.

All these things plus many other probabilities and possibilities will also have an effect of the retention of our older diesel cars as daily drivers for many members. In one way or another that cannot be accurately for cast. So parts ability may or may not become the primary issue for those that continue to daily drive them. Far too much accumulated milage would concern me more. Where far too many things are just wearing out far too often to consider the car reliable or practical any more.

So in conclusion much depends on the individual world members actually live in. Or how they perceive it.

Great! glad it found a good home

cgerrells@gmail.com drop me an email

I just bought 10 feet of line and a pair of new ends. That should keep me going for a few years. Looking forward to giving your line a try!

Thanks Again

Have a look at this thread. Especially my post 38 which lists real on the road crash results for cars made from 1987 to 2005. https://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/mercedes-benz-cars-sale/387439-wtb-daughters-first-car-socal-inland-empire.html

Also read the first post in the thread, our guy had convinced himself that a old $ 4,000 107, 123 or 124 Mercedes is safer / more reliable than most any other brand of car. In the end he got a W201.

Below is where the W201 rates against other cars in terms of a crash.


https://www.monash.edu/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/1045298/muarc266.pdf

Some data page 35 45 115 137

I've pulled out USA relevant models and placed MB at the top of each rating group . Looking at the charts, very tiny cars designed in the 80's fare poorly and an older MB does not do as good as some would think.

Page 187 consumer friendly crash worthiness ratings using actual on the road crash data from 87 - 05



S = Small car
LC = Light car
M = Medium car
L = Large car



2 steps better than average


S 99 - 04 VW Golf / Bora

M 98 - 05 VW Passat

M 94 - 02 SAAB new 900 / 9 - 3

L 02 - 05 Toyota Camry

L 84 - 92 Volvo 700 / 900





1 step better than average


M 95 - 00 W202 C class

M 86 - 94 W124 E class

S 98 - 01 Toyota Corolla

M 91 - 02 Honda Accord

L 98 - 02 Toyota Camry

L 00 - 05 Toyota Avalon




Average

M 89 - 93 W201 190

M 96 - 02 W210 E class

L 82 - 92 W126 S class

S 00 - 05 Hyundai Elantra

S 92 - 05 Honda Civic

S 01 - 05 Subaru Impreza

S 02 - 05 Toyota Corolla

LC 00 - 05 Hyundai Accent

LC 00 - 05 Kia Rio

LC 99 - 05 Toyota Echo

L 96 - 98 Ford Taurus



1 step below average

L 83 - 86 Toyota Camry

S 93 - 00 Subaru Impreza

I'm definitely of the same mindset as this -- I have modern cars for daily use, and my W124 for occasional driving...because the sound of that OM603 (once it warms up and stops clattering) puts a grin on my face. I have become less and less fond of always fixing something on it. As a single guy 5 years back, I bought it for something to do in the evenings during graduate school and I spent many happy hours wrenching. Now I have less of those hours to spare...businesses, work, employees, wife, house, etc. etc...

I'll keep it as long as it makes sense to do so, but I wouldn't dream of DD'ind it without a backup car or two.

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RenaissanceMan Labs: where the future is being made today.

Garage:

2017 Chevy Colorado Diesel (nanny state emissions)
2005 Volvo S40 T5 AWD, 77k
1987 Mercedes-Benz 300D turbodiesel, 4 sp auto, 156k - 28.7 mpg
1996 Tracker 4x4, 2 door, 16v, 3 sp auto. 113k - 28.6 mpg

WARNING: this post may contain dangerous free thinking.

LOL, whatever floats your boat. Collector cars aside, as cars that are stored for speculative purposes, your daily driver, or weekend driver is a liability, not an asset. No thanks, I’ll stick to real estate and stocks for my investments.

I destroy a set of rear tires every year to the tune of $1200 a pair. I can assure you that I could give two turds that my car depreciated $8k in the 3 or so years I owned it. My front rotors cost more than 90% of the cars on this forum.

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Eugene

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

You’re proving his point nicely. You almost sound proud of wasting thousands per year on your aging once upon a time status symbol. Are you having fun strutting your 9 year old $50.000 millionaire chariot in the diesel slums;p

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Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz

My point is that cars are generally not good places to invest your money.

I currently spend way less maintaining my 518 hp e63 which is an absolute thrill to drive than my 300te. It’s mostly de- badged so people generally mistake it for a regular e class.

Honestly, yes. I am proud that in my mid thirties I can support a wife and two kids and still spend thousands on my summer car without sweating it. I have no debt either.

I’m certainly not trying to “strut” anything. If i offended anyone or made anyone feel slighted, I apologize. This thread is definitely straying ot so I’ll try and steer it back.

Anything can be kept forever. Anything. People pull rusty frames out of swamps and restore them to new. Any part can be purchased, or fabricated. It just takes money. I restore vintage stoves and I’ve never come across any part that I couldn’t have recreated or retrofitted. It just takes a mixture of imagination and money.

I guess the real question is at what point does your vintage car become too expensive to keep on the road? I believe that answer is different for everyone.

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Eugene

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

Well, I do have to disagree with you at least as my wagon is concerned. If you look back in my threads,

85 300TD Euro... feels like its starving for fuel.

you would see that I bought it in 2012 for 1000 bucks with 223K. I spent another 1000 totally rebuilding the front end at that time. Then added a new starter, dropped the fuel tank and replaced the lines on top. Added some drop springs. rebuilt the SLS. replaced the glow plugs, the belts and a put in a steering box I already had from another part out. Also replaced the brakes and rotors and wheel bearings, oil cooler lines, engine mounds subframe bushings, (well, all the bushings) radiator and the alternator since I have owned it and it now sits with 320K today. That's 16K miles a year in the 6 years I drove it out of the 7. All the above work cost me around 700 bucks. So, cost of car 1000, Repairs over almost 7 years 1700. Enjoyment I've gotten out of it, priceless. In that time whats the car worth today. as it sits I wouldn't let it go for under 6. I've been offered 6 for it 3 separate times and laughed. (there have been times I actually thought about selling it due to life, but I just couldn't let it go) It makes me smile every time I walk past it, even with it sitting the last year as I've been gathering parts to redo it. To date it has cost me 94 Cents a day in total ownership. I spend more than that on soda. Plus I own a car that I would trust anywhere and know inside and out.


The investment, has been the experience, and I've made a fortune.

Driving an old diesel is a personal choice driven by emotion much in the same way a high performance car is so don’t look down your nose at them. The majority of people on this forum could find cheaper transportation in a modern civic. You’d probably be surprised to find well heeled professionals who could easily outspend you driving these things. To me modern car has been perfected so much that it feels appliance like. Many of us like the feel of accomplishment associated with driving a mechanical machine we have nurtured into service. When I began to make a good living I bought your typical modern German sports sedan. I felt accomplished but soon grew bored. I felt that my excitement for modern cars grew inversely to my mechanical skill level. Therefore my stable now consist of an old BMW airhead, Moto Guzzi, and a Mercedes 300D. The wife has a new Mazda.

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Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz

The real point of this thread is at some point any older car will become too difficult to keep in daily driver service especially if it is a persons only car. There is nothing wrong with someone having a weekend project car that they don't have to rely on. I've been in the business for 4+ decades and I even drop cars out of daily or even backup service when they become too much of a battle. . . .And I really know how to get the most miles out of a car.

In 1986 I bought a 1980 Saab 900, great car. Over the years it went back and forth between myself and parents as the spare car. From 2001 to 2011 it was Dads primary car. As time went on it became too difficult to keep going because I'm 45 min away and fewer parts could be had from the local auto parts.

It was replaced with a S-10 Blazer that received an engine / trans / major system overhaul. Bought truck with a bad trans / overheating engine for $ 500 , put $ 3,500 in parts to get it up to my standards. So far it is nearing 100,000 additional miles and 225,000 total with only a fuel pressure regulator / radiator / water pump replacement. All of these parts were purchased at a local auto parts that stocked them. Try getting front calipers or rotors for the Saab off the shelf.

Last fall my winter only 1984 Bronco 2 got to the point of too much work due to under hood wiring corroding off connectors , mechanical fuel pump failing , general body rust. Replaced it with a Chrysler PT Cruiser that got an intensive freshening but not a power train rebuild. ( About $ 1,500 in parts ). I'll run this for now and eventually Mom and Dad will get this car when the Blazer rusts away.

. . This is ngarover , for only 94 cents a day you can lift him out of the doldrums of a boring gray sedan. For your donation we will send you a painting made by ngarover using oil extracted from a dripping diesel. Won't you please help? Here is the number to call... .. "

And that is the point of an older car.