So I have a great mechanic who only works on Volvos. Him and his wife have driven Volvos for ever. His wife is a school teacher. They currently have a couple of 240s a 1993 940 turbo wagon which she drives and he has a 1985 740 sedan. They have had both for about ten years.

She has been mentioning to him that she wants a new car, while hers has 260,000 miles it has been very well maintained. He of course said he saw no reason for it etc. She dropped by the shop yesterday, as I was just taking my newest Volvo off the rack to see what it would be needing.

We talked for a few moments and she surprised me when she said that she was tired of having the oldest car in the lot. She knows that the newest Volvos are not very good and she has one of the last good ones. I gave her my opinion and she seemed to agree.

Its funny all of my cars are old but I don't have any shame driving them anywhere.

I don't think it is so much of a shame issue as wanting something newer. Is my E class working fine? Yes. Would I want to move up to a newer car with the bells and whistles? You bet. As soon as I can justify it, I will.

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

And you can sell me the E Class.

My wife and I have been struggling with this. Her 97 Saab needed the usual stuff at 150K -- struts, brakes, some other steering & suspension stuff, exhaust, etc... and it has a few little quirks (fuel gauge and tach intermittent). We thought about buying a newer used car, but there's so little out there that will get better mileage than Bob the Saab does that I bit the bullet and threw a few hundred bucks at it and fixed what I could. The tach and fuel gauge are still goofy, but we can live with them. I fixed everything else myself (and then paid for an alignment); I spent a car payment or two on parts, so the way I see it we're still ahead as long as Bob keeps running as well as he has been. Granted, I spent SEVERAL hours of labor doing the work, but I feel a sense of accomplishment and savings in doing it this way. Besides, if/when we find another car to replace Bob (Aklim's E Class maybe? ), the Saab will be worth something again. He would have been hard to sell w/o fixing the exhaust and brakes, and probably the suspension too.

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1992 300D 2.5T
1980 Euro 300D (sadly, sold)
1998 Jetta TDI, 132K "Rudy"
1974 Triumph TR6
1999 Saab 9-5 wagon (wife's)

I have had so many new cars in my life, and you know what,,,, I just don't care any more. That my newest car is 13 years old is just fine with me and my wife loves her 93 400E. If I had put the money I had spent on new cars, into a good fund, I would be retired now. I have no regrets, but I certainly don't really even look at new cars any more.

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95 SL500 Smoke Silver, Parchment 64K
07 E350 4matic Station Wagon White 34K
02 E320 4Matic Silver/grey 80K
05 F150 Silver 44K

Nor do I. If the age of a vehicle is the criteria for lack of shame I am certainly the boldest among us.

How often does one get out-accelerated from a car made in 1925?

Chris,

At least you wife enjoys older euro cars!

I don't know what I would do with myself if my girlfriend told me she wanted a Saab, Volvo, etc.

Her opinion on my Benz was "as long as you're happy, that's all that matters"

And, I'll never own a wagon as long as she is around!

__________________
Dan
2005 E320 CDI - 246k
1987 300SDL TD05-16g, Herlevi pump, Elbe manifold, 2.47 LSD - 213k
Past: 1987 300D - 264k

You have some from 1925 that will out-accelerate my Corolla?

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1999 Toyota Corolla VE (Mine)
2006 Honda Odyssey (Wife's)
1979 300CD (sold)

I take pride in the fact that 99.9% of the time I am driving the oldest car in the parking lot (1985 300TDT)

I really couldn't care less about what I'm driving, in fact my plan is to sell my TJ and get something older and pre-emissions unless I find a deal I can't refuse. While my wife has never said anything about caring what she drives I will probably always keep her in something nice and newer for hauling the kids around. We live in a fairly well-off neighborhood and there are plenty of too expensive cars in line waiting to pick up their kids. I have no intention of trying to "keep up" but OTOH I'd like her to like what she's driving. She may not even have a problem pulling up in a sun-faded, rust-spotted old TD (as long as the AC worked), but I'd just rather keep her in something more up to date, unless I can find a mint '87 TD for the right price.

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1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)

Me too. I love it when I tell people (driving newer cars) that my car is nearly 20 years old.

The overwhelming reaction is: WOW...it looks new!!!

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Current Benzes

1989 300TE "Alice"
1990 300CE "Sam Spade"
1991 300CE "Beowulf" RIP (06.1991 - 10.10.2007)
1998 E320 "Orson"
2002 C320 Wagon "Molly Fox"

Res non semper sunt quae esse videntur

My Gallery

Not in this weather!

Dunno. That never affected me one way or the other. I do my best to keep rust off the car because I don't want it to get worse. I detail it a few times a year to get it clean. Yes, some have said that the 99 looks new but it doesn't do much for me. Like I said, I would get a newer car not for the looks or that others admire it but because there are bells and whistles that I like.

__________________
01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

Perhaps when we are ready to sell. While it lives in WI, I do everything I can to keep it clean. Weekly washes when there is salt on the ground at least if I am busy. Summer fixes for any spot of rust, detailing jobs, etc, etc.

__________________
01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

X dos! I like the older ones and better yet- HAVING THE TITLE.

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"It's normal for these things to empty your wallet and break your heart in the process."
2012 SLK 350
1987 420 SEL

Older WOMEN, yes. Young GIRLS, no. 25 yo hottie is great for a night in the sack. Maybe 2. After that, I would think it gets irritating. Cars are different for me. Newer cars have more refinement and more gizmos. With women, they have the same parts. Some are newer than others. With women, I would rather have a 40 - 50 yo than a 20 yo. With cars, I like the gizmos. Newer cars have GPS navigation, voice command, etc, etc.

__________________
01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

Ak- if you want voice navigation and being told where to go just put your wife in the car!

__________________
"It's normal for these things to empty your wallet and break your heart in the process."
2012 SLK 350
1987 420 SEL