Am I beating a dead horse?
 

I have been think is it worth trying to fix the BMW? I am getting more and more frustrated working on it.

Owning BMW, MOPAR and Chevrolets removes any doubt that you are not already mentally unstable. If you continue to aggravate yourself like this we'll have to start your "treatment" again!! :D :D

Benzman, what happened to the Mirage?

My dad hit a Blazer coming off of I95 and knocked the engine off the mounts and bent all kinds of stuff up. The insurance company totalled it.

That sucks! Good lookin Bimmer by the way!

later,

no W126 will ever handle or be as much of a driver's car as the bimmer IMO
Ryan

I see what your saying about it being a drivers car but it's stil not as quick as the 500. But it seems that is cheaper built than the 80's e class. But it may be just me too. The BMW is more nimble then the 500 and requires more driver interaction.

i won and drive an 86 535i daily
 

I like my bimmer but am looking for a beter built car. They are fun but dont hold up to the pounding like a toyota or a mercedes. They are still high quality cars but require much more mantenance. I also like the ride of a benz. I would keep it for fun for the times you want to go on a spirited ride.
I dont think they make the best daily drivers because of the stiffer ride. Not everyday i feel like driving in the twisties with the stiffer susp.


Bedros

Yeah, but, Benzes can have all kinds of horrid vacuum problems caused by leaks in the vacuum system (considering that practically everything in the whole damned car is controlled by vacuum....locks, transmission, etc, etc) that can make one's day a miserable one.

From your posts on the BMW, I surmise that you bought a 528e that had been neglected and in some need of TLC. Who here agrees that a neglected and ill-treated Mercedes would also require a good deal of repairs and parts thrown at it to bring it up to snuff? A lot of reliability concerns in older used cars can be attributed to previous owner treatment of said used car.

-Sam

ANY car that is neglected will need money/time to bring back up to snuff. Whether it's a mazda or a mercedes or a....
Ryan

Yeah, and you can go so far as to say ANY CAR needs upkeep whether it's been neglected or not. It just takes a lot more to bring one BACK than it does to keep one up!!

I've always thought it funny that you spend nearly everyday on a Mercedes forum when you don't own one anymore.

It sounds to me like you'd be much happier owning a Mercedes.

Since you BMW appears to be a basket case and will take tons of time / money getting it back to life, I'd decide if a BMW is what I really want to make a commitment to. If you're a BMW guy, then go for it.

If you're more of an MB guy, and you're on a limited income, then get a W124 or W126. There seem to be lots available between $5,000 and $10,000.

You have such an eclectic stable of cars that really don't have much value and will surely lose whatever they have left, it may be time to clean house and start fresh.

the car was neglected but when is it to far gone? I would love another w126 but There are not many for what I paid for the bmw.
suginami: I am here all the time because its a good group of people and I still preffer most benz's over any other car

how much is the bimmer worth if you were to try to sell it? you could probably find a 300SD(W126) for around 3k if you looked, and that would be in good condition too.
Ryan

Here's some older Florida Benzes.

1981 300SD

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1812237445

1983 300D Turbo

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1811052584

1984 300SD

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1811330357

1984 300D Turbo

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1810971773

They're out there....

-Sam

OK I know some are going to hate me for saying this but here it goes. I am not the biggest fan of diesels but I don't hate them. I drove my dads friends 81 300sd and got bored because of how slow it was compared to the 500. I know they are cheaper and easier to fix but..... One thing I was also thinking about was that chevy 305 or 350 again. GOD HELP ME I AM LOST

Lost?

What do you mean lost?

There are lots of 80's model W124's available that can be had for $5,000-$6,000.

I've also seen a number of 70-72 280 SE 4.5's for around $5,000 or less.

I'm sure you could find some 81-85 380 / 500 W126's.

It just depends on what you want to drive.

For me, it's a style of living.

If you're happy driving the old Le Baron, S-10 and basket case BMW, be my guest.

Remember, simplicity is always best.

Yeah, I bet an old S-10 with a General Motors V-8 and a manual transmission will power-slide like nothing else....you can't do that in a diesel benz, or even a gas W126 380SE (well, when the roads are icy, it's a vastly different story).

Basically, enjoy what you have. And hey, your Bimmer is driveable, right?

-Sam

The pickup has the firebird 3.8 no 350 as of yet but it will smoke them at every whim. The Le Baron is a fun car no matter what anyone says. its quick and nimble.
The Bmw is not drivebale as of right now it won't fire to even get it started. Was going to pull the fly wheel today but someone is using my jack stands and my good jack. so it will have to wait untill monday night after school. The suspension is all good except it could use some springs ( spacers in the mean time). It has one shock starting to go and the wheel barings are bad. I have the new bearings ready to press on once I get it running. O ya I also plane on re wiring it with gm fuse boxes.
gtg work time

until you chuck the bimmer and do the right thing, you'll always be "that ______ (fill in blanks) with the _______ (fill in more blanks) BMW who likes to hang out at the MB forums)"...

Hey I like it here there is no speration like in the BMW fourms. Here it doesn't matter what benz you have but there 528e owners hate 533 & 535 owners and the other way around. Plus I still have all kinds of info on the benz in my useless knowledge section of my brain. I will get a Benz agian probley after I finish school.

Bill I knew I would hear it from you since your the diesel man but that is just how I feel. And the stories of that last Sd my dad had were not all that great. I never said the Bmw would out run anything I said in comparssion to the 500 the SD was slow. The Bmw feels about the same as the SD I drove but it has a 5 speed and is a bit sporttier. I love the w126 and would take a diesel if I found a great deal but I am not setting my sites for a diesel only. I think a 280s 5speed would be great.

Ok. I should have been more clear in that first post I'm sure a 2.5 would be quicker than i think but I have never driven one so. Hey are you watching me? I sit in the drivers seat and read the mannuals when I get frustrated. The parts for the BMW are pretty resianable but they are higher priced then other parts that will work and the fuel pump replaces both of the bosch pumps.
A I want the rarest the 280S Still has a carburator and the 5 speed I saw one on ebay about a year ago.
gtg