Here's my dilemma.

My '81 has been DD status ever since I bought it back in '09. Racking up the years and the miles. She sits right now at 273K. Right now I'm commuting 80 miles a day and another 50 or so on the weekends. She is reallly showing her age. Got some coolant/oil leaks, the HG is on its way out, rust on ever door (pass door is baaad)

I've loved this car as long as I've had it, sinking a decent amont of $$ into it I of course will never get back. So right now Im unsure what to do with it. Keep it, fix what I can, and DD her another year or so (minus any major breakdown heaven forbid) Or look into getting another car.

I've been reallllllly wanting to get a 300SDL but nothing is local and in my price range (sub 3K)

Another option is to ditch Mercedes all together and get another one of my fav cars which would be a 03-06 Ford Crown Vic P71.. roomy, cheaper fuel (same fuel mileage), and reliable as hell...

Get your thoughts please?

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'81 300SD- OM617.951, Euro Head Lights, Hella 550's, 2.5" Turbo-Back Straight Pipe, ALDA Removed, Camo Dash + Seat Covers, Boost Gauge, DU Floor Mats, Cobra CB, LED Trunk lights, and other things...


'03 Chevy CCSB LT LB7 "P-Stroke Killer"
219K mi. - AirDog II 165, EFI Live, Alligator Stage V, ISSPRO EV2 Pyro/Boost, PPE Boost Valve, LML Manifold, MBRP Downpipe, Debadged, Bills Custom 3.5" Turbo Horn, B&W Hitch, S&B Intake

I'm on the lookout for a P71 too, so yeah.

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You're a daisy if you do.
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84 Euro 240D 4spd. 220.5k sold
04 Honda Element AWD
1985 F150 XLT 4x4, 351W with 270k miles, hay hauler
1997 Suzuki Sidekick 4x4
1993 Toyota 4wd Pickup 226K and counting

If you don't mind traveling, there's one for sale in Gardnerville, NV for $1800 and it already has the j-mod.

2001 Crown Victoria Interceptor

If you don't know what the j-mod is, go to Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis, Marauder, and Towncar to find out. It's kind of like this forum only for the Ford Panther platform.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

Just daily the Duramax!

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-Justin

91 560 SEC AMG - other dogs dd
01 Honda S2000 - dogs dd
07 MB ML320 CDI - dd
16 Lexus IS250 - wifes dd

it's automatic.

LOL I would but I'm gonna be downing that truck soon for some fuel system/air modifications... I need 2 vehicles lol

Plus I tend to get into trouble with that thing...

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'81 300SD- OM617.951, Euro Head Lights, Hella 550's, 2.5" Turbo-Back Straight Pipe, ALDA Removed, Camo Dash + Seat Covers, Boost Gauge, DU Floor Mats, Cobra CB, LED Trunk lights, and other things...


'03 Chevy CCSB LT LB7 "P-Stroke Killer"
219K mi. - AirDog II 165, EFI Live, Alligator Stage V, ISSPRO EV2 Pyro/Boost, PPE Boost Valve, LML Manifold, MBRP Downpipe, Debadged, Bills Custom 3.5" Turbo Horn, B&W Hitch, S&B Intake

I have a g/f that lives in Gardnerville. I was there a week ago in fact.

I like the Panther platform cars, owned several of them. '79, '82, '88, and couple of '09s.

No better value and cheaper to run dollar per mile than ANY car I ever owned in my life of driving - 47+ years and counting. That includes the cost of fuel in computing dollar per mile cost.

Great for long distance commuting, and the '01 is pretty indistinguishable from the '11 (the last ones).


Though for this one, it's got super low miles, but I'd avoid it if it was a "vomit comet" (daily city or sheriff patrol unit) it could really smell bad.

A P71 unit even with higher miles, if it was a highway patrol unit, or better yet, a Supervisor's take-home car, or a water department car, would have all the P71 goodies but NO hard use.

Every few months in nearby Sacramento, they have sealed bid auctions for retired CHP units, but competition by taxicab companies is strong - they are good long lasting severe duty cars.

Since they no longer make them, they are in service longer now I am guessing the '04-'07 units might have 130k-140k on them now.

'99 - '03 Mercury Grand Marquis LS and LX ones can be found in your budget. None of the severe duty P71 up grades BUT many were owned by Senior citizens that did not place high mileage on them, but took good care of them. and with little idling time, high speed chases or going over curbs like patrol cars do sometimes.

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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)

Too many things going wrong with it, and going unfixed, is my read on it.....

I'd have to get a new one as suggested too.

So... Funny thing happened. My coworker who drives an '96 Passat TDI Essentially lost the clutch on it and and is saying f'it to the $2400 repair bill (injection pump leaks too)

Told me he'd sell it for $500.. 286K Serviced regularly by a VW Mechanic, Decent Int/Ext.

Thoughts?

A clutch cant be that hard to deal with eh? Can deal with the inj pump later.

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'81 300SD- OM617.951, Euro Head Lights, Hella 550's, 2.5" Turbo-Back Straight Pipe, ALDA Removed, Camo Dash + Seat Covers, Boost Gauge, DU Floor Mats, Cobra CB, LED Trunk lights, and other things...


'03 Chevy CCSB LT LB7 "P-Stroke Killer"
219K mi. - AirDog II 165, EFI Live, Alligator Stage V, ISSPRO EV2 Pyro/Boost, PPE Boost Valve, LML Manifold, MBRP Downpipe, Debadged, Bills Custom 3.5" Turbo Horn, B&W Hitch, S&B Intake

I have heard those Passats are pretty notorious for electrical gremlins, and while ok generally, and pretty thrifty on diesel fuel, I have no idea how safe they are, and how long their diesel engines can be expected to last.

Safety and dollar per mile expense ought to dictate your considerations for a long distance daily driver,

That's why I think a very well kept up Grand Marquis or Crown Victoria is an excellent choice. If you take good care of a good one, they can last you for several hundred thousands of miles.

Trying to fix up a cheap car, like this Passat, might turn that $500 bargain into a $5000 bargain no more. The owner, having got over 275k on it and faced wioth a bill that could be $2400+, may well be wise to walk away from that car.

Any other VW forum, like maybe vwvortex or some such, that can give you good advice here on those cars?

A nice SDL is a good choice, of course, but most of the loved ones are NOT for sale, and command a hefty price over the gassers when they are sold.

Unfortunately a lot of them that hit the market are neglected and thrashed, and victims of "deferred maintenance" and should be avoided.

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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)

I got a 1997 Passat TDI a few months ago and I still like it. It is an enthusiast's car, takes some work. It is more car than I thought it would be.

VW MKIII-A3/B4 TDIs - TDIClub Forums

Go here and search for something like "neglected". You will get an idea of what you are up against.

Here is a thread for you.

New Member, New [to me] TDi B4 - TDIClub Forums

I'd still daily the durtymax.

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-Justin

91 560 SEC AMG - other dogs dd
01 Honda S2000 - dogs dd
07 MB ML320 CDI - dd
16 Lexus IS250 - wifes dd

it's automatic.

Do yourself a favor and test drive a LS400. Should be plentiful in that price range. Many great qualities of a 126, super reliable, and tons of cheap used parts availability.

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1985 500SL Euro w/ AMG bits 130k
1984 300SD Turbodiesel 192k
1980 240D Stick China 188k
2001 CLK55 AMG 101k
2007 S600 Biturbo 149k Overheated Project, IT'S ALIVE!!!

Try the 1990s Buick Century or Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera. Great reliable cars that can be found in good shape (elder-owned) and are generally reliable and cheap to fix. There was one with 32,000 miles on it in our area recently for $3250... it had been dialed for the past year and had a new alternator etc. but was still very nice.

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"Senior Luna, your sense of humor is still loco... but we love it, anyway." -rickymay ____ "Your sense of humor is still loco... " -MBeige ____ "Señor Luna, your sense of humor is quite järjetön" -Delibes

1982 300SD -- 211k, Texas car, tranny issues ____ 1979 240D 4-speed 234k -- turbo and tuned IP, third world taxi hot rod

2 Samuel 12:13: "David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die."

Thats the thing though. Other than the clutch not disengaging and the pump leaking, its a solid car. No rust, all maintenance records since he bought it new. its always gotten what its needed... -shrugs- Idk.. im just under the impression cant really go tooo wrong with a $500 investment.. if it goes south could probably part it out for more...

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'81 300SD- OM617.951, Euro Head Lights, Hella 550's, 2.5" Turbo-Back Straight Pipe, ALDA Removed, Camo Dash + Seat Covers, Boost Gauge, DU Floor Mats, Cobra CB, LED Trunk lights, and other things...


'03 Chevy CCSB LT LB7 "P-Stroke Killer"
219K mi. - AirDog II 165, EFI Live, Alligator Stage V, ISSPRO EV2 Pyro/Boost, PPE Boost Valve, LML Manifold, MBRP Downpipe, Debadged, Bills Custom 3.5" Turbo Horn, B&W Hitch, S&B Intake

That was my first thought. If you weren't on the opposite corner of the globe I would buy it for parts or as a driver. A lot of the guys on the TDI forum are in New England or Canada, working on rusty cars and would love to have it.

It is a nice ride and not typical.

A guide to these cars.

mk3 VW Jetta TDI (1996-99) and Passat TDI (1996-97) buying checklist | VW TDI forum, Audi, Porsche, and Chevy Cruze diesel forum