Sorry if that seems like a dumb question. But I have a gasser 2003 MB wagon which could use a new fender and front bumper. I don't live near any of the row52 yards, so I could use your advice. In general (and I know it is impossible to say for sure), how long after being listed on row52 does a car stay in a yard? And (roughly) how long would it still have body panels? I realize someone could take the bumper on the first day, so I am just looking for typical.

It will be a several hours drive for me to get to any of the row52 yards. And it may take me days from when I see a new listing to when I can find the time to get away from the family and work to spend all day driving to and from a salvage yard. So I am just trying to get a rough idea how long things sit at the bigger yards.

For comparison, I have access to a small salvage yard where MBs sit for years before they are hauled off to the crusher. And body panels are very rarely taken from the cars in my local yard. But I don't think that it typical. Any advice you can provide is appreciated.

As an aside, I know I could use car-part dot com, but their prices are about 5x as much as the u-pick yards. I am happy to pay $50 for a fender, but not the $250-$500 which is being asked on car-part dot com.

Thanks for your advice.

__________________
1968 220D, w115, /8, OM615, Automatic transmission.
My 1987 300TD wagon was sold and my 2003 W210 E320 wagon was totaled (sheds tear).

It really depends on how fast they get incoming vehicles .

It used to be that LKQ tried to turn each row every two to three weeks, now I see some cars sitting for months before being taken out and crushed .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

I hate to tell you, I live halfway close to 5 yards (5 to 30 miles) and it’s a pain and a hassle for me half of the time. I know of the older yards you speak of where the cars will sit for quite a while. Pick and Pull seems to rush them through pretty quickly at times.

Generally the online reporting of what’s there and what isn’t is accurate. But I have a couple of times gone to the yard and the car that was still listed as being there was not. I agree, the prices there are the best you’re going to find, and sometimes you get some real gems. But, and probably not telling you anything you don’t know, you can haul your backside around quite a bit and come up empty. And forget about getting any information on the phone. I went through major frustration two or three times around the business of open till five during standard time and open till six during daylight savings time. There has been a discrepancy of about three weeks at times. Frustrating as hell to make the longer drive, about 30 minutes, to one of the San Jose yards, Only to find they won’t even let me in to see if the part that I want is there, because they’re closing in 15 or 20 minutes instead of an hour and 20 minutes like I thought they would. Long story short, if you’re anywhere near the change over to daylight savings time, get there early.

__________________
Te futueo et caballum tuum

1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

Honestly, 30 days or less..... junkyards are a thing of the past, recyclers gut what they know hey can sell and scrap the rest.

__________________
Currently Driving
2006 E320 CDI
1999 E300 Turbo Diesl
2002 ML500
1995 E320 Station Wagon


MBs I've owned
1997 E320 Assassinated by Pine Tree
1987 300E Wife Killed Engine
1981 300D Stretch Limo Total Loss
1970 250 Coupe 212,000 mi.
1974 450sel 184,000 mi.
1974 240D 377,000 mi.
1977 300D 204, 000 mi.
1979 280se God Only Knows!
1983 240D 130,000 mi.
1972 220D 280,000 mi.
1983 300SD 244,000 mi.

OMG, 30 days, maybe 45 is about it. It breaks my heart sometimes, knowing that a part I need and can't find probably (certainly more like it) went through the shredder many times.

I owned two E30s - 2002 to a 2019 - and I used to find carcasses in the yards for those all the time. Didn't need to consult the web, there would always be a few of them. Two or three years ago, things started to dry up. Ditto for 123s and 126s. Just 3 years ago I could find 126s pretty regularly. Not now. Still some but you'd better get there early.

__________________
Te futueo et caballum tuum

1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

Its hard to find any yards in Indiana.

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I count my blessings. At times have had an embarrassment of riches in that regard. I should almost start buying various parts and putting them on ebay.

__________________
Te futueo et caballum tuum

1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

What model is the 2003 ?

If a wagon, it is an S210 for 2003. Sedans in 2003 were W211. 2004 was the first year for an S211 (wagon).

__________________

All Diesel Fleet
1985 R107 300SLD TURBODIESEL
2005 E320 CDI (daily)

LOTS of parts for sale!


EGR block kit
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/355250-sale-egr-delete-block-off-plate-kit.html

1985 CA emissions 617 owners- You Need This!
Sanden style A/C Compressor Mounting Kit for your 616/ 617 For Sale + Install Inst.

Sanden Instalation Guide (post 11):
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/367883-sanden-retrofit-installation-guide.html

Thanks everyone for the advice. My "new" car is a 2003 E320 Wagon (210). The guy selling it listed it in "excellent" condition. And on the phone, he said people mistook the car for being new. It has 127000 miles (which is low) and had an asking price of $3500. I know we have another thread on PP talking about w211s and how low their prices are, but $3500 for an excellent facelift w210 wagon with somewhat lower miles seemed like an okay price. Because of its larger size and fewer glitches, a late 210 was more attractive to me than an early 211 wagon. It has always been maintained at his local MB dealer. KBB said $3400 is a fair price for an excellent car. So I rented a car (one way) and drove up to him for 3 hours.

When I got to the car, I could not believe how mediocre it was. It had body damage on every panel. Lots of the exterior rubber has rotted. He hadn't cleaned the car or put any gas in it. The air pressures were low in the tires. And I learned later he had registered the car as non-operational so I shouldn't even have been test driving it on public roads. It even had (has?) an ant colony somewhere inside the guts of the car who make an appearance on occasion. I probably made a mistake in buying the car. I was so happy to find a later w210 with lowish miles and a good maintenance history, that I mistakenly looked past the body damage. We negotiated the price down to $2800, but I still think I overpaid. In the end, it was a good lesson for myself. I didn't want to have to rent another car for the ride home and waste another $100 on a second one way rental.

I like the car and want to be proud of the car. And getting rid of the broken front bumper and dented front fender(s) will help. I hope the bones of the car are good. I need to change out the accumulators on the self-leveling suspension, but I think that project is within my mediocre abilities.

A painted aftermarket version of some of the body parts are available on ebay, but everyone tells me it is hard to get metallic paint (silver in my case) to match. If I can find a similar facelift w210, I plan to buy the front bumper and at least one fender. Swapping those out doesn't seem very hard on this model of car, and then the car will look nicer. It will still have door dings and other small bumps/bruises, but at least the big flaws will be gone forever.

It is odd psychology, but I will feel better (even if it costs a bit more on a car which I may have already overpaid) about the purchase once the car looks nicer on the outside. I really wanted to pay $3500 for an excellent car, but instead I paid $2800 for a mediocre car.

Thanks again for your help and advice.

__________________
1968 220D, w115, /8, OM615, Automatic transmission.
My 1987 300TD wagon was sold and my 2003 W210 E320 wagon was totaled (sheds tear).

Wait ;

The seller sent you NO pictures ? .

I really dislike dishonest sellers .

If you like it, no worries, you can indeed bring it up to snuff .

Begin by changing the SLS fluid now so it'll be clean when you get to the new struts ~ no point in putting new struts on a dirty hydraulic system ~ the little things like this are why YOU will do better repairs than the 'Mechanic' who's working against the clock .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

No, he did send pictures of what the car must have looked like years ago. I printed them and brought them with me, and they were clearly not current.

One interesting side effect of selling a dirty car is that it is a lot harder to see smaller flaws in the bodywork. I could see the big dents, but there was a lot of small stuff which I totally missed because the car hadn't been cleaned in a LONG time.

Literally, within 5 minutes of driving the car away from the sale location, the low fuel light came on. It was both funny and sad all at the same time.

I am a fool, clearly. haha. I am glad to have learned my lesson over a $3000 car.

__________________
1968 220D, w115, /8, OM615, Automatic transmission.
My 1987 300TD wagon was sold and my 2003 W210 E320 wagon was totaled (sheds tear).

Don't feel too bad ~ every single vehicle I've purchased off the Bay of E was seriously mis represented, usually bad rust issues .

But, if -you- like it, who cares ?.

I have more in my old beat up W123's than they'll ever be worth but every time I turn the key and they rumble to life and i head out, I'm well pleased .

The funny thing is : I've done pre sale inspections for out of state buyers and every one has been happy in spite of the not mentioned details (it doesn't run for example) .

I don't do this anymore but it's nice to know some sellers are honest .

It took me an entire case of 30W oil to get my '69 Chevy C/10 pickup truck home from Texas....

And it had gaping holes rusted in the cab floors and cowl he neglected to mention even though I asked about rust and photos of any.....

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

I was at Pick n Pull today and there were cars still there from October

__________________
1984 300SD 300,000 miles--two tank WVO setup
2.88 diff & 500SEL anti-squat rear end

Captain Obvious; the reason the government is eliminating salvage yards is because this administration has a plan. The plan is for each and every one of you to send your gasoline or diesel powered car to the shredder immediately.

Not to worry, Uncle Joe, Pothole Pete and their crew have a very nice EV on the ready for you to purchase with your severely devalued federal reserve note paper un-funny money. EV dealers are licking their chomps awaiting your arrival at their stealership.