New owner, looking for a shop in the ATL area

[automagicw123]

Hi all!

I recently bought a 1985 Mercedes 300 Turbodiesel. 220k original miles, rust-free, clean title.

I bought the car for my dad. He had a 1981 240D, same car I learned to drive with. Here are some of the items I want to address:

- Repair / replace interior (dash, console, seats, carpet, headliner, power windows and locks)
- R134a conversion (currently doesn't have AC, only heat)
- Freshen motor and turbo
- Suspension
- Paint

The car runs fine and could probably driven daily, but it's also a fixer-upper. I am mostly based in Asia, so hoping to find a reliable and trustworthy local shop (Atlanta area).

My goal is to get the car back in 'like new but better' shape for my dad as a gift. Also curious to know what it would take to add a bit more power.




Charles

[Usaguy]

Originally Posted by automagicw123

... 220k ...
- Repair / replace interior (dash, console, seats, carpet, headliner, power windows and locks)
- R134a conversion (currently doesn't have AC, only heat)
- Freshen motor and turbo
- Suspension
- Paint

... a fixer-upper... hoping to find a reliable and trustworthy local shop .... 'like new but better' shape

tens of thousands of $$$$$$$$ ... and at the end of the day it's still a diesel w123 with 220k

[BWhitmore]

I have written a set of step by step instructions concerning the removal and installation of a W123 dash. If you would like I am happy to email the instructions to you. Just PM me your email address. Thanks.

[barry12345]

Cheaper to buy a car that needs almost nothing. Over farming out what amounts to a paid for restoration today.

My last serious restoration taught me that even doing it yourself is now very expensive. Plus that was well over ten years ago.

It is not too bad to pick away at a car over time yourself. Farming out substantial work is something else. I would think what you describe would cost at least two to three times what a good enough one could be found for.

Any shop you could find that meant business would want a hefty sum up front. As the early costs are going to exceed the value of the car very fast.

Plus there may be concerns about the quality of the work. The road to restoration is paved with dollar bills. Is not an unreasonable expression today.

[dkr]

I would agree with the above statements. There are W123s you can buy that look perfect for about $10K. I think you would probably end up spending quite a bit more. You seem to think you are going to get some sort of a turn-key arrangement with a mechanic where you just drop it off and everything gets taken care of. That's not how these cars work. Even if you had the $$$ and found a mechanic to do that, I would be suspect of the work done. Also, as time passes, there are less and less mechanics who know how to work on the drivetrain portion. Most of them are old and retiring. I have heard most of the dealerships will no longer work on them either. We are also starting to run into issues with parts availability.

My first W123, I did something similar to you. I was trying to do a rolling restoration and it cost way too much money and did not come out just right.

The proper way to do it with these cars IMO is to buy one that is pretty close to what you are looking for. Then, do everything you can yourself and take it to a trusted mechanic only when you need access to their expertise and/or tools that are not worth purchasing yourself.

I would work on learning to tune the engine and do the interior yourself. The interior will take quite a bit of shopping and finding deals and the engine stuff will cost you a lot if you are unable/unwilling to DIY anything.

The A/C will be a constant battle to keep something from leaking. There are a lot of old components and they tend to leak when you start to refresh them again. Maybe you will get lucky and it just needed a charge or it could need a substantial amount of work.

Regarding paint, it is a big job to do a proper paint job on one of these cars. I have seen many aftermarket jobs that just look like junk.

I would really consider how much you have to spend vs your other options before trying to pay someone to do a restoration.

Dkr.

[MongooseGA]

Given this is a gift for a parent, and a sentimental one at that, something tells me the OP isn't worried about cost vs value.

The shop you want is Blue Ridge Mercedes in Lilburn, GA. Tell Jonathan that G.A. sent you.

[dkr]

Given this is a gift for a parent, and a sentimental one at that, something tells me the OP isn't worried about cost vs value.

Assuming that is the case and money is no object, doing a W123 restoration is still not in the least bit turn key. This isn't a Ford or a Chevy. If you could drop it off and have them work on it non-stop for a few months, your to-do list at the end would probably be bigger than when they started.

Dkr.

[gatorblue92]

Originally Posted by MongooseGA

Given this is a gift for a parent, and a sentimental one at that, something tells me the OP isn't worried about cost vs value.

The shop you want is Blue Ridge Mercedes in Lilburn, GA. Tell Jonathan that G.A. sent you.

This. If I lived in the Atlanta area and needed some work done I would have Blue Ridge do it.

[MongooseGA]

Originally Posted by dkr

If you could drop it off and have them work on it non-stop for a few months, your to-do list at the end would probably be bigger than when they started.

Dkr.

As is the case with any restoration, any collision repair, any home renovation...

That's kind of par for the course when you can only gauge something from one perspective (ie, the car being assembled when it rolls in) until you gain the full perspective (ie the car being disassembled and inspected).

[automagicw123]

Originally Posted by MongooseGA

Given this is a gift for a parent, and a sentimental one at that, something tells me the OP isn't worried about cost vs value.

The shop you want is Blue Ridge Mercedes in Lilburn, GA. Tell Jonathan that G.A. sent you.

Thanks!