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#1
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Opinions - Keep, use, or sell? 300SE
Having a hard time making a decision regarding this car that I have. Its a 91 300SE that my Father In Law had before he passed away. He was the second owner, and I've had it garaged for a little more than a year now. Except for a few dings, the body is superb, and it appears to have been garaged from day 1. Interior is perfect and in original condition, no fading or rips.
So, here's the story. I don't necessarily NEED this car, and have used it on weekends etc and kept in in the garage. It's been like a silly indulgence for me. However, my "main" ride is on the way out, and I don't know if I should...
I like the car, but I'm not sure I'm comfortable with relying on a 15 Y.O. car for my commuter. How's it going to hold up? However...It's only got 60,000 on it, and if I kept it garaged it would definitely be one of those "WOW" cars 20 years from now. BUT...from a practical and financial standpoint, I should just drive it into the ground as my daily driver. Any thoughts? What would YOU do? Thanks!!! |
#2
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60K?, Drive it, maintain it. It will be just fine.
Steve '92 300E 242K Driven last 5 years all over the Midwest and NE. |
#3
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Keep the car. Use it as your daily driver and enjoy each ride. I found a 1991 300SE with 72k miles last fall and it now has 83k on it! Two great trips to Florida and a lot of local driving. If properly maintained, you will be good for 200k and more. If you sell, send me a PM.
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1994 E420, 1994 E320CE, 1994 E320TE and 1991 300SE |
#4
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easy decision: keep it.
change fluids, start replacing rubber
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1989 300ce 129k ( facelifted front,updated tail lights, lowered suspension,bilstein sports, lorinser front spoiler, MOMO steering wheel, remus exhaust,stainless steel brake lines). (Gone) 1997 s320 154k (what a ride). Sold with 179k miles. Replaced with Hyundai Equus 1994 e320 Cabriolet 108k 1972 280se 4.5 153k Owned for 12 yrs, sorry I sold it [/SIGPIC] |
#5
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Keep it, and use it; they thrive on regular use, especially on the highway.
The 177hp engine isn't really quick for on ramps and high speed passing, but they cruise really fine on the highway, and that engine is one of the very best ones Mercedes made. The rear axle ratio on these makes the car VERY responsive for around town driving too. Quite astonishing for moving that big car around with verve in city traffic The close coupled look of the short wheelbase SE is VERY appealing. However it is never likely to be become cherished as a time capsule classic. I also would say start driving it and enjoying it now. If you take care of it, it will still look and and perform good years from now Your car might likely still have its original radiator on it if it only has 60k miles. These cars came with unreinforced upper hose necks on them which tended to crumble as the car aged; as preventative maintenance, if I were in your situation, I would probably change the radiator for a new Behr or Nissen radiator which had the reinforced neck on it, the next time I changed the coolant, and maybe consider new hoses and belts while I was at it. It sounds like a really nice car you have. All I'd put into it is a good set of euro headlights and a pair of MacNeil Weathertech floormats in the front, and follow factory service recommendations. At 60k miles it's like starting out with a 4 or 5 year old car, basically.
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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ... 1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold) 2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp 1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k 2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold) |
#6
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Thanks for the insight everyone. Looks like I'll keep 'er and start using it as my daily driver! My current car is 15 also - I take decent care of my rides, so I'll check back here in 2020 to let you know how me and my SE are doing!
I've got a few very good MB indy shops nearby, so I might have it looked over regarding the belts and hoses. The radiator is original, so I might look into replacing that too. Anyway, thanks for helping make up my mind! |
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